Chapter 260: Observations at the Ministry of Magic

Accompanied by a dizzying sensation, Allen felt himself step onto solid ground once more.

Allen found himself standing in a very long, gilded hall with dark wooden floors polished to a mirror shine. The peacock-blue ceiling was inlaid with shimmering golden symbols that moved and changed constantly, like a giant high-altitude bulletin board.

The walls on all sides were paneled with dark, oily black wood, into which many gilded fireplaces were set. Every few seconds, with a soft pop, a wizard would suddenly emerge from a fireplace on the left. On the right, several people queued before each fireplace, waiting to depart.

In the center of the foyer stood a fountain. A circular pool held a group of pure gold statues, larger than life. The tallest was a wizard of noble bearing, holding his wand high and pointing it straight at the sky. Surrounding him were a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf. The centaur, the goblin, and the house-elf all gazed up at the two wizards with infinite adoration. Shimmering jets of water shot forth from the tips of the wizards' wands, from the centaur's arrow, from the goblin's hat tip, and from the house-elf's two ears.

All around, there was the tinkling and splashing of water, the pop and crack of Apparating wizards, and the chaotic footsteps of hundreds of male and female wizards. With the listless expressions peculiar to mornings, they strode purposefully toward a row of golden doors at the far end of the foyer.

"Allen, Hagrid, over here!" Allen suddenly heard a very familiar voice; it was Mr. Weasley's.

"Arthur, good morning! Nice weather today," Hagrid said gruffly from behind Allen.

"The weather is nice. Good morning to you too," said Mr. Weasley, who seemed even fatter.

Then he looked at Allen. "I've seen the news about you recently. Your achievements make Molly and me proud." Mr. Weasley affectionately patted Allen's shoulder.

Allen did not wish to discuss the matter. He looked around. "The Ministry of Magic's official letter said someone would welcome me by the fireplace, but I don't see anyone."

"Don't bother looking; that person is me," Mr. Weasley said with a shrug. "There are too few Animagi. You are the eighth to register this century; on average, one appears every ten-odd years. The Ministry cannot establish a permanent department for this. Each registration is handled by a temporary body formed by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, so I came to welcome you. The Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects, where I work, is a subordinate agency of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"I see. Where should we go next?" Allen asked.

"First, we will register your wand, then go to my office to study the subsequent procedures," Mr. Weasley said enthusiastically.

"Very well," Allen nodded.

"I won't go; I have classes this afternoon," Hagrid muttered, his beetle-black eyes looking toward a distant table as he gripped his red umbrella tighter.

"Very well, I respect your wishes," Mr. Weasley said regretfully.

After bidding Allen farewell, Hagrid walked straight into a fireplace.

Allen and Mr. Weasley joined the crowd, squeezing between Ministry of Magic employees as they moved forward. Some carried stacks of parchment teetering precariously in their arms; others dragged tattered briefcases; still others read The Daily Prophet while walking.

"This way, Allen," Mr. Weasley said, and they left the stream of Ministry employees heading toward the golden doors.

At a table on the left, beneath a sign reading "Security Check," sat a wizard in a peacock-blue robe with a very poorly shaven beard.

As they approached, he looked up and set down his copy of The Daily Prophet.

"I'm bringing a guest," Mr. Weasley said, pointing at Allen.

"Come over here," the wizard said in a listless tone.

Allen stepped up to him.

The wizard raised a long golden rod, thin and flexible like a car antenna, and swept it up and down over Allen's chest and back.

Then the wizard used a strange device to scan and register Allen's wand.

After the registration, Mr. Weasley led Allen back into the flow of wizards heading toward the golden doors.

Pushed by the crowd, Allen and Mr. Weasley passed through the doors into a smaller hall on the other side. At least twenty elevators stood there, blocked by ornate golden gates. Allen and Mr. Weasley joined the crowd gathered before one of the elevators.

They rode the elevator smoothly down to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on the second basement level. The Auror Office was also on this floor; Allen saw many Auror cubicles plastered with various pictures of Sirius Black.

However, Allen did not observe much further. He and Mr. Weasley went to Mr. Weasley's office.

Mr. Weasley's office was dim and shabby, seemingly even slightly smaller than a broom closet. Two desks were crammed inside, surrounded by a row of filing cabinets along the walls, overflowing with files. Piles of teetering documents were stacked on top of the cabinets, leaving virtually no space for anyone to move freely beside the desks.

Mr. Weasley skillfully poured Allen a cup of tea. "Wait here a moment; I'll go ask others what your registration procedure is."

Then he left the cubicle, leaving Allen alone. Allen also noticed several car advertisements on the cubicle walls: one depicted a disassembled engine; two illustrations of mailboxes, apparently cut from Muggle children's books; and a diagram showing how to install an electrical socket.

This was Mr. Weasley's hobby.

A short while later, Mr. Weasley returned.

"I've inquired about your matter. Now there is good news and bad news."

"The good news is that Minister Fudge intends to hold your registration ceremony with greater pomp. He said he will attend the ceremony personally, and many other wizards will be present as well."

"The bad news is that Minister Fudge suddenly left for an inspection tour and is not expected to return for several days. In the meantime, you will need to wait here for the Minister's return. The Ministry of Magic has guest rooms specifically for visitors; you can stay there for a few days."

This made Allen's impression of Fudge even worse, but he had no choice; when one is under someone else's roof, one must bow one's head. So he moved into the Ministry of Magic's guest rooms.

What he did not expect was that he stayed there for seven days before Fudge returned to the Ministry of Magic...

And in the distant Hogwarts, a dog and a cat made contact once again...

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