“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It was a long time before Fudge finally managed to say those words.
But even Harry could tell that there wasn’t the slightest conviction behind them.
Fudge himself probably didn’t believe what he was saying.
Eric showed no particular reaction to the denial.
He simply continued looking at Fudge with a smile.
Fudge’s face had gone ashen.
He stared back at Eric, the corners of his mouth twitching several times.
An inexplicable feeling of helplessness washed over him, and it took considerable effort just to maintain his outward composure.
He couldn’t read Eric at all.
After thinking for a moment, Fudge realised he simply couldn’t get a proper measure of the boy.
He turned and shot Tom, who was still standing nearby, a meaningful look.
Tom immediately understood.
He nodded, then followed Eric upstairs and caught up with him.
“Come on, boy.
I know you’re not afraid, but you don’t want to be dragged down to the Ministry over this.” “The Minister would be perfectly within his rights to take you in.
Don’t make trouble for yourself.” Eric didn’t resist.
He had already achieved what he wanted.
From the very beginning, Eric had intended to make contact with Fudge.
He simply hadn’t expected that before he could even create an opportunity for himself, Fudge would personally turn up at the Leaky Cauldron.
Every sentence Eric had spoken downstairs had been something Fudge found impossible to tolerate.
Fudge had a strong attachment to power.
Towards anyone who couldn’t genuinely threaten his position, he was capable of maintaining little more than superficial politeness.
Conversely, he couldn’t tolerate people far beneath him in status telling him what to do.
Fudge’s desire for authority had long since reached the point of obsession.
Eric knew that very well.
That was why Fudge’s attitude towards him earlier had been perfunctory to the extreme.
And Eric had deliberately wanted Fudge to notice him.
Of course, he couldn’t take things too far.
Everything had to remain within the rules of the game.
Fudge was still the Minister for Magic, after all.
If he truly made up his mind to retaliate against Eric, there were still plenty of ways he could cause trouble.
Eric couldn’t force Fudge into submission through sheer magical strength the way Dumbledore could.
So he had to choose another method.
Even Tom had noticed that Eric’s attitude towards Fudge had been deliberate.
Walking just behind him, Tom waited until they were far enough upstairs that nobody below could hear them before asking quietly, “Why did you do that?” Eric answered calmly, “I merely want everyone to face their own feelings, and the people around them, with honesty.” “Heh.” Tom gave a derisive snort.
“Is that really what you think?” Eric stopped.
He didn’t answer.
Instead, he merely turned his head and gave Tom a smile before continuing into his room.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Downstairs, Fudge finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Eric leave.
He grabbed the distracted Harry, who looked ready to follow Eric upstairs, and forcibly steered him into a small private room on the ground floor.
There, Fudge delivered the explanation he had prepared in advance.
That included telling Harry that the aunt he had inflated had already been restored to normal.
This, after all, had been the original reason Fudge had come tonight.
Looking for signs that Sirius Black might be lurking around Diagon Alley had merely been an additional opportunity.
He certainly hadn’t expected Eric to appear out of nowhere and complicate everything.
By now, Fudge’s thoughts were almost entirely occupied by Eric.
He simply wanted to finish his conversation with Harry as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, Harry’s identity was too special.
Even if Fudge didn’t particularly want to deal with him personally, he had no choice but to appear.
Fortunately, Harry was much easier to handle.
It only took Fudge a few sentences to redirect Harry’s attention back towards the trouble he had caused that day.
When Fudge saw Harry visibly relax upon learning that he wasn’t going to be expelled from Hogwarts, the Minister finally felt that the world had returned to normal.
Now this is what an ordinary child is supposed to be like.
A few reassuring words from an adult, and the boy believed them.
Then what in Merlin’s name is wrong with that Eric?
“Tom will arrange a room for you, all right, Harry?” Fudge felt unbearably warm and tugged at his clothes as he spoke.
“You can stay here for the time being.
Tom will look after you.” “Don’t worry too much about your family.
They’re understandably very angry, but provided you behave yourself at Hogwarts, they’ll still be willing to have you back next year.” “But…
I don’t want to go back, Minister—” Harry said anxiously.
Fudge cut him off before he could finish.
After Eric’s interruption, Fudge had absolutely no patience left to listen to Harry’s thoughts.
He fobbed Harry off with a few vague reassurances, then turned and walked out of the private room.
Two Aurors were waiting outside.
Fudge summoned them over, instructed one to remain with Harry, then lowered his voice to the other.
“There’s something wrong with that boy called Eric.
I’m going upstairs now to keep him occupied.
You are to return to the Ministry immediately and do several things for me.” “Find everything you can on Eric.
I want to know where he came from, what his background is, and which family he belongs to.” Fudge’s expression hardened.
“He is absolutely not an ordinary child.
If you uncover anything suspicious, bring several more Aurors back immediately and take Eric to the Ministry.” “Even if you find nothing, send two Aurors back to accompany me.
Have them wait on the second floor for my signal.” The Auror was one of Fudge’s trusted men.
Even so, after hearing those instructions, he hesitated.
“But…
Minister, he’s only a child…” One look at Fudge’s foul expression was enough.
The Auror wisely closed his mouth, said nothing further, and immediately headed out.