Argus's last sentence was not an exaggeration.
If Sirius were to be snatched away by Dumbledore, given his personality, he would definitely try to pry the truth out of Sirius about what happened back then.
At the same time, Sirius Black could be used to force the Ministry of Magic to make concessions.
Hunting down escaped convicts is the Ministry of Magic's responsibility, and if it continued to be ineffective, it would inevitably diminish the Ministry of Magic's prestige among British wizards.
When Dumbledore reappeared with Sirius Black and the truth of what happened back then, he could not only alleviate the pressure he was under, but also regain the expectations of British wizards.
Kill two birds with one stone!
"You're right." Fudge nodded slowly.
Fudge was no fool; he had risen to the position of Minister of Magic.
With just a little guidance, the key points became clear.
Umbridge, standing to the side, looked completely bewildered, unable to understand what kind of cryptic conversation the two were having.
"Your Excellency, Mr. Grindelwald, what's wrong with Dumbledore capturing Sirius Black?"
"Since it's going to end up in the Ministry of Magic anyway, wouldn't it be easier for us if they took action?"
Two sentences were enough to make Fudge so angry he nearly exploded with rage.
How could I have ever fallen for that idiot Umbridge!
If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense. Just follow orders!
She just has to find a sense of belonging!
Why can't she learn from Alan Mitchell?
Don't interrupt when your boss is speaking!
He gave Umbridge a cold look, his mind already made up.
After leaving Acolyte's Manor, he planned to gradually hand over Umbridge's authority to Alan Mitchell.
As for Umbridge herself... she could just do errands!
"Umbridge, the minister is speaking with Mr. Grindelwald. As his subordinates, all we need to do is obey orders."
Alan Mitchell naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity to boost his popularity.
He had managed to save face for Fudge in time.
The difference was obvious when compared!
Umbridge wanted to argue, but when she saw that Fudge had no intention of speaking up for her, she realized that she had asked a stupid question.
She gave an awkward laugh, stepped aside, and remained silent.
Argus didn't even glance at her from beginning to end.
He continued to Fudge, "The Ministry of Magic doesn't need to worry too much about Dumbledore."
"The evidence uncovered by the Ministry of Magic has already been made public in the wizarding world. The one who needs to be proven is Dumbledore, not you."
"Mr. Grindelwald, you may not be aware that regarding the evidence… there are actually… some oversights…"
Fudge was too embarrassed to admit that he had fabricated the evidence; he simply lied and claimed that the evidence was incomplete.
But all his actions had been guided by Argus.
How could Argus not see what Fudge meant!
Just pretend you don't know and continue as Fudge says.
"The Ministry of Magic has said before that they only want to investigate Dumbledore, not convict him. So what if there are oversights?"
"Once Dumbledore has gathered all the evidence, he can publish it in the Daily Prophet and let the British wizards judge for themselves."
"The series of evidence previously released by the Ministry of Magic has already left a deep impression on British wizards, and it's too late for Dumbledore to refute it."
"Even if he demands a public statement from the Daily Prophet, many wizards will think that the Ministry of Magic is only yielding to him because of his power."
From the moment Dumbledore didn't respond when the Daily Prophet published the evidence, Argus knew that Dumbledore was destined to take the blame!
If public opinion was not nipped in the bud before it escalated, it would become a huge uproar!
Even if Dumbledore was proven innocent in the future, not many people would believe it.
After hearing Argus's explanation, Fudge felt a sudden sense of clarity.
The matter that he had been pondering for a long time without success was thoroughly analyzed by Argus in just a few words.
He was increasingly satisfied with his decision to cooperate with Argus.
...
After Fudge and the others left.
Argus finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Vinda and Abernathy exchanged a glance.
"Argus, it's getting late. Why don't we get some rest tonight and look at these documents tomorrow?"
Argus was someone Vinda had watched grow up.
The mission of an acolyte was quite a heavy burden for a twelve-year-old boy.
Argus looked tired and waved his hand again.
"It's not time to rest yet; there's something else I need to do tonight."
"I'll go prepare some late-night snacks for you." Vinda didn't try to persuade him any further and brought some snacks from the kitchen to the table.
About half an hour later, Alan Mitchell appeared.
"Fudge sent you to St. Mungo's Hospital?"
"That's right. He told me to bring people to keep an eye on Harry tomorrow, and not to let anyone approach him without the Ministry of Magic's permission."
"There's something I need you to do." Argus looked up at Alan Mitchell.
"It must be done secretly, and no one is allowed to find out."
"Remember, it's anyone!"
Alan Mitchell sensed the seriousness in Argus' tone and his expression became solemn.
Ron has a pet mouse named Scabbers.
"I want you to capture it without anyone else noticing!"
"It would be best to control him with magic, leaving him no chance to escape."
Alan frowned, countless thoughts flashing through his mind.
His eyes showed confusion.
Without asking any further questions, he readily agreed.
"Argus, is there some secret about this rat?" Abernathy was, after all, someone who had fought alongside Grindelwald.
He knew that Argus wouldn't care about a mouse for no reason.
Abernathy had already vaguely guessed what was going on.
Argus, not wanting to reveal his identity, shook his head and said, "I'm not sure, I just have some guesses that need to be confirmed with this rat."
"Do you need me...?"
"No need, Uncle Abernathy. The fewer people involved, the better. Besides, the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts are both focused on Harry. Only Alan has a chance to make a move."
Turning to Alan Mitchell: "Remember, Alan!"
"We must control it immediately and not give it any time to react or wake up!"
...
Knockturn Alley.
A dirty black dog was weaving back and forth.
It eventually stopped in front of a dilapidated wooden shed.
Calling it a wooden shed was an exaggeration; it was more like a few planks of wood placed overhead to keep out the rain.
It provided absolutely no cover.
A gray-haired man with patched clothes huddled in a corner.
Even though there was nothing covering his body, several newspapers were neatly arranged at his feet.
At the very top was a report about Sirius Black's escape from prison.
Seeing this, a hint of sadness, typical of humans, appeared on the black dog's face.
Just a few steps toward the man, the man, who should have been fast asleep, suddenly sat up.
He grabbed the black dog's neck tightly!
"It's you! How dare you come to see me!"