In the summer of 1992, two individuals shone brightly in the British wizarding world.
One was a Quidditch prodigy, and the other, a wealthy man whose financial power stunned Britain as it hadn't been for a thousand years.
The Quidditch prodigy was named Dana Emrys—a legendary young wizard and the first in history to be admitted to Hogwarts after having entered Azkaban.
Since he joined the Chudley Cannons, the team had never lost a single game when he played. Dana Emrys's personal winning streak had reached eleven, and some even began mentioning him alongside the most legendary Seekers in wizarding history.
The wealthy man was named Count Darke de Dentis, an ancient French nobleman born in the East.
People speculated that his wealth did not entirely come from France, but rather from ancient Eastern nations. After all, during the most prosperous era of magic, the center of the world was in the East. It was no wonder that the legendary Sword in the Stone had vanished from Britain—it was likely someone had transported the artifact to the East back then!
And now, one of these two figures was being discussed by the other, in the office of the Minister for Magic.
"Minister, then it's settled. I'll arrange for people to purchase all the land in Upper Flagley. Once we relocate the Muggles, we'll begin construction on a new city for wizards.
Once the city is built, our new bank will open there."
"Rest assured, Count, there will be no problem at all!"
Dentis nodded with satisfaction and was just about to leave when Cornelius Fudge stopped him.
"Count, please wait a moment."
Dentis sat back down, curious. "Is there anything else, Minister?"
"It's like this…" Fudge hesitated, then continued, "Have you heard of the Chudley Cannons?"
"Of course. I'm quite the Quidditch enthusiast."
"The Cannons' new Seeker—"
"I know. Dana Emrys."
"Yes, that child."
"He's a genius. I've never seen such talent and finesse in a Seeker. Never!"
Count Dentis praised him enthusiastically, as though there was no other Seeker in the world more brilliant than Dana Emrys.
"Yes, he is a true genius. But the matter I want to discuss involves that child."
"Oh? Go on."
Fudge rubbed his nose and said, "This boy has a very tragic background—he was sent to Azkaban at age seven in place of another prisoner. We only discovered the mistake when Hogwarts sent his admission letter.
Of course, I wasn't Minister back then, and this mess has nothing to do with me personally—but the Ministry's reputation is on the line here.
As Dana Emrys has risen to fame, more and more fans are digging into his past. They're furious and demanding an explanation from the Ministry. Some have even formally requested we arrest Goyle Avery—the criminal Dana replaced—and conduct a full investigation.
I approached the Avery family, but Oliver Avery told me the Ministry official responsible for swapping Goyle Avery with Dana Emrys was Hawkin Ritchis—who conveniently vanished after the incident."
(Dana mentally spat out a large "Tui!")
"And Goyle Avery?" Dentis asked with feigned curiosity.
"He fled to the continent. No one knows where he is now.
I'm buried in this mess. If we don't handle it properly, the Ministry's credibility will take a massive hit."
Count Dentis leaned back into the sofa, crossed his legs, and rested his hands over his knee.
"Why didn't you handle this when Dana Emrys was first released from Azkaban?"
Fudge shook his head. "At the time, we thought it was nothing. A helpless underage wizard—he didn't even have a wand. What could he possibly do?
I assume the Avery family thought the same. They probably figured if the boy ever dared challenge them, they could crush him with a single finger."
Dentis nodded slightly, but a red glint flickered in his eyes.
He worked hard to keep his tone calm as he said, "If the powerless dare to challenge the powerful, there's usually only one outcome—utter destruction."
"Exactly! But no one predicted that little devil would rise to stardom and become the youngest and most celebrated Seeker in history. Now it's too late to suppress him. We can't touch him."
"Yes, at least not in the open. But Minister, why are you telling me all this? Are you hoping I'll step in and help bury this scandal?"
Dentis waved a hand. "You give me too much credit. I'm new here—I don't have that kind of influence. Besides, I value my reputation. Please don't ask me to do anything illegal or unethical."
"Of course not! I would never ask that," Fudge assured quickly. "I was just hoping someone wise and experienced like yourself might have a suggestion."
Dentis nodded.
"I see… In that case, I have two suggestions.
First, declare Goyle Avery innocent—claim he was under the Imperius Curse. That way, the replacement wasn't legally valid."
[Goyle Avery declared innocent—perfect. Now he can return to Britain. Saves me the trouble of hunting him across Europe.]
"Second, put the blame for Dana's imprisonment entirely on Hawkin Ritchis. As for a motive—leave that to Rita Skeeter at the Daily Prophet. That woman's imagination is unmatched. I'm sure she'll invent something that suits your needs."
Fudge cringed slightly.
"That woman has never been good at keeping her mouth shut…"
"Minister, sealing someone's lips only takes two things—bribery and coercion. Don't tell me you're short on funds—I just handed you a hefty 'thank-you gift.' A little bit of that should cover her fee."
Fudge muttered, "And the coercion?"
Dentis smiled. "Let me share a secret—Rita Skeeter is an unregistered Animagus."
Fudge's expression froze. He stared at Dentis with awe—how did this man know everything? He silently vowed never to cross this terrifyingly well-informed Count again.
"Thank you, Count. Your advice is excellent. Simple, efficient—and a great help to the Ministry."
"You're too kind, Minister. Well then—until next time?"
"Certainly! Allow me to see you out!"
End of the Chapter.
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