stonecrandall Page 413
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No, they can't even support themselves, so how can we expect them to contribute to the Ministry of Magic?
Chapter 457 Percy's Dilemma
On the day he became the assistant minister, Percy locked himself in his room, trying to figure out what was going to happen next.
He understood that this position was not only a symbol of power and glory, but also a battlefield full of challenges and choices.
In the battles of power, he must learn to take sides and choose his enemies and friends.
In particular, he obtained the crucial position of Assistant Minister.
He must make the right choice among several forces.
So far, he has three options.
The first is the Dumbledore faction, to which his family is naturally close;
The second is Jaina's faction, which gave him the opportunity and promoted him to power;
The third is Fudge's faction, to which he currently serves directly.
His fingers tapped unconsciously on the desk, the image of Dumbledore flashing through his mind.
Is Dumbledore really senile?
Percy muttered to himself.
He shook his head, dismissing the idea. He knew Dumbledore was a great and wise wizard, and that every decision he made had profound meaning and purpose.
Anyone with a brain knows exactly what's going on with the Ministry of Magic right now.
However, Dumbledore's actions clearly infringed on Fudge's interests, leading to a breakdown in their relationship.
Albus Dumbledore's actions clearly threatened Fudge's interests, leading to a direct break between the two who had previously had a good relationship.
This kind of thing is actually quite normal. Just look at the bad advice Dumbledore gave Fudge. Perhaps he didn't mean any harm, but it's not surprising that Fudge, as a politician, would have other ideas.
To Fudge, Dumbledore was being generous with other people's money.
But in the eyes of the selfless Dumbledore, the position of Minister of Magic was a tool, so wasn't it only natural to make sacrifices in the position?
The fact that Minister Fudge consulted him about this matter shows that he had reached his limit of tolerance for Dumbledore, and Dumbledore is likely to face a series of repercussions.
Percy Weasley knew that if he joined the fray at this critical juncture, his future would likely be ruined.
Meanwhile, Jaina's power was at its zenith, making her an ideal candidate for Percy to pledge allegiance to. However, Jaina didn't seem to be in a hurry to bring him under her wing, which made Percy somewhat uneasy.
He remembered that a few days ago, his former love interest, Penelope Crivat, the current captain and office assistant of the Auror squad, suddenly appeared in front of him.
In just one year, this girl's temperament and abilities have undergone tremendous changes, making her much more impressive than before.
Her dashing figure almost made Percy not recognize her.
Penelope told him bluntly, "Gianna intends to keep her promise and recommend you to be Fudge's assistant. However, we also need you to keep an eye on Fudge and report his movements to us."
These words gave Percy a jolt.
He had expected Penelope to make the request in a more cautious and serious manner.
After all, planting an undercover agent in the head of a political enemy is no child's play.
However, Penelope adopted an indifferent attitude, as if she were talking about a trivial matter.
The quick-witted Percy realized what was going on:
That's confidence!
Behind this confident attitude lies the strength and stability of Jaina's power.
It seems that even without becoming Minister of Magic, Jaina has already secured a very important position within the Ministry.
Considering that they have a rising young genius behind them, a future "Dumbledore".
Percy, do you even need to think about what to choose?
He decided to follow Penelope's instructions, outwardly standing firmly on Minister Fudge's side while secretly siding with Gianna's faction.
He knew all too well that it was not easy to rise through the ranks in the Ministry of Magic’s vast bureaucratic system.
In addition to having outstanding abilities, one also needs extensive personal connections.
Even if Minister Fouché may step down in the future, his accumulated qualifications and experience will be a valuable asset as he remains in the position of assistant minister.
After all, this position itself is an excellent training platform, allowing him to come into contact with the core affairs of the Ministry of Magic and cultivate the abilities he needs to become an outstanding Ministry of Magic official.
Jaina's faction rose to become half of the Ministry of Magic's power precisely because it absorbed Crouch's influence.
He had a crucial collaboration with Jaina's faction during the Crouch incident.
Therefore, this collaborative connection undoubtedly represents the largest network of contacts he has access to.
By carrying out this kind of espionage work targeting faction leaders, he was not only able to gain the trust and favor of Jaina's faction, but also to secure a relatively central position for himself within the faction.
However, Percy found Fudge's idea of making him a spy ridiculous.
What the heck? Jaina sent him to be a spy for Fudge, and Fudge then sent him to be a spy for Dumbledore.
Doesn't that make him a double agent for both Jaina and Fudge?
What code name should he use? He can't exactly be called "Pangolin," can he?
But in reality, Percy suspected that this was a bad idea Fudge came up with without thinking.
He did indeed crave power and status, and was willing to pay the price and effort for it.
But he never considered betraying his family to obtain these things.
He knew that if his father was expelled from the Ministry of Magic, the family's source of income would be cut off, and the whole family would face hardship.
Percy has four siblings who are still attending Hogwarts, and they need a large sum of money for tuition every year. Who else can afford this money if not his father?
Are we really going to expect Bill and Charlie to support the family financially? They need to start their own families too.
Who can he rely on? He can't rely on himself, can he?
Then he's just digging his own grave.
Thinking of this, he recalled the empty Gringotts vault in his own home, and Percy felt a strange sadness.
The largest sum of money he ever received was one hundred gallons.
That was the fee Levin paid him to spy on Crouch.
· ········Requesting flowers···· ·········
He clearly remembered that he took the hundred gallons and, following Levin's advice, bought a decent suit and accessories.
That outfit cost him almost half his money, but it did help him make a good impression on many people and laid the foundation for his later career.
This nice outfit certainly helped him gain a good impression in the eyes of many people.
He kept the remaining fifty Galleons in Gringotts, and to this day, that money accounts for almost half of his savings.
For this reason alone, he should join Jaina's faction.
At least they were actually willing to pay.
As he worked for a while, Percy gradually realized how wonderful money was.
Thinking about this, he resented his father even more.
He thought his father was incredibly foolish for insisting on standing by Dumbledore's side when the entire Ministry of Magic was distancing itself from him.
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Although most people who draw a line are just putting on an act for Fudge's sake, they should at least pretend to do it and fool Fudge first.
If the father is really expelled from the Ministry of Magic, what will happen to their family? Will they have to rely on the Order of the Phoenix to help them find jobs?
At this time, Percy discovers that his twin sons, Fred and George, who were originally the most mischievous, have become the most worry-free children in the family.
A while ago, they even came to him to inquire about the patent issues related to the joke product.
After some conversation, he learned that the two troublemakers had opened their own small shop at Hogwarts with Levin's financial support, and business was quite good.
He's so young and already knows how to make money, that's more like it.
However, Percy knew that if he didn't want to spy on his family, he would have to come up with a foolproof plan to deal with Fudge.
That 8'
what can we do about it?
Percy was planning to move out of the house, which meant that Fudge's request to inquire about the family's situation was no longer an option.
However, he had to come up with a reasonable explanation for why he was moving out, without arousing Fudge's suspicion.
Percy began to ponder how to respond to Fudge's questions.
Having finally secured the position of assistant minister, Percy was determined not to lose it for no reason, as it was crucial to his future. To succeed, he needed to be flexible and adaptable.
He knew that Fudge was only incompetent in politics, but he was quite shrewd in vying for power, which showed that he was not a stupid person.
If you pretend too much, people will definitely see through you.
At the same time, he also had to remind his father to be careful, lest Fudge find something to use against him and fire him, which would cut off the family's source of income and be a disaster.
"What a bunch of troublemakers!"
Percy muttered something and slapped his cheeks hard in the mirror, trying to make himself look more energetic.
He knew it was time for him to begin his performance as a charlatan.
Chapter 458 The Weasley Family Feud
At the Weasley family's lively dinner table, Percy Weasley suddenly stood up, his face beaming with undisguised pride: "I have some important news to tell you all—I've been promoted!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Weasleys, who had been enthusiastically discussing joining the Order of the Phoenix, fell silent.
Everyone put down their cutlery and looked at Percy in surprise.
Fred broke the silence first, his face filled with disbelief: "You got promoted? They actually promoted you?"
"Why not?" Percy glared at his brother in dissatisfaction.
“I thought you’d gotten yourself into a lot of trouble with Crouch,” George said, also puzzled; this was just too unusual.