July 1, 1990.
For the British wizarding world—and indeed, the entire European magical community—this was a day to be recorded in the annals of history.
After weeks of political tug-of-war and maneuvering, Cornelius Fudge had finally achieved his ambition, officially becoming the newly elected Minister for Magic.
Since early morning, congratulatory messages from Ministries of Magic across the globe had flown in like snowflakes. Owls all but obscured the London sky, and major newspapers were scrambling to cover the event.
Meanwhile, at the dining table of the old Shafiq manor, Richard held that day's Daily Prophet. Gazing at the massive front-page photograph of Fudge waving from the podium, he furrowed his brows slightly and let out an ambiguous sigh.
"To be honest, I still think Barty Crouch is more suited for that seat than Fudge." The old man lowered the newspaper and tapped the edge of his plate with a silver fork. "Crouch may be radical, but he has the skills and the daring. It's just a pity..."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"That son of his who became a Death Eater caused too much damage. It was like a bomb that blew away nearly half his support. After the war, Crouch's prestige plummeted."
At this point, Richard shook his head, seeming to accept reality with a sense of helplessness. "However, we are in an era of peace, after all. Someone like Fudge, who excels at smoothing things over and appears non-threatening, will have to suffice, I suppose."
"Mmh, yes."
William responded absently, polishing a pile of objects on the table with a soft chamois cloth, though his mind was elsewhere.
regarding 'Special Contributions'... William had clicked into the system page to read the details; things like becoming a high-ranking Ministry official were included. So, what if a student he taught eventually became the Minister for Magic?
How many points would the System award?
Looking at the fanfare surrounding Fudge's election today, William felt the amount certainly wouldn't be low.
"Hiss—"
Just then, an orange tail quietly crept onto the tabletop. Otto seemed very interested in the lifelike stone busts carved there; the head on the left flicked its tongue out, attempting to lick one of the stone figures holding a spear.
"Don't mess with that, Otto."
William was quick with his hands, grabbing Otto and tossing him casually onto the soft sofa nearby.
Those were the nifty tools he had prepared for Hogwarts; naturally, they weren't to be tampered with.
These items, which looked like a set of Ancient Greek-style statues, were alchemical products with specific uses. After some thought, William was certain they would earn him points under the [Campus Construction] category.
Since he was going to Hogwarts to engage in 'construction,' adequate preparation was essential.
As time passed, Diagon Alley in London—that cobblestone street—gradually bustled with activity.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, splashing onto the dazzling shop windows. Everywhere, young wizards and their parents could be seen holding shopping lists, purchasing supplies for the upcoming school term.
William, carrying a bulging bag in his hand, was walking toward Knockturn Alley when a hesitant voice called out from behind him.
"William? William Shafiq?"
William stopped and turned around; a conspicuously red-headed family came into view.
"Good to see you, Arthur." A gentle smile appeared on William's face as he stepped forward to shake hands with the balding, kindly-looking wizard leading the group.
"It really is you; I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me." Arthur Weasley looked delighted. He quickly turned sideways to introduce his family. "This is my wife, Molly, and these two—Fred and George. They'll be starting their second year at Hogwarts this year."
"We brought them to buy new books today. Percy and Charlie are here too, but they went off on their own..."
Two identical red-haired boys were eyeing William with curiosity. They looked brimming with excess energy, a mischievous glint flickering in their eyes.
After some pleasantries, Arthur looked around, lowered his voice, and leaned in closer to William.
"William, listen to me. After Fudge was elected, in order to show magnanimity, the disciplinary procedures against staff have been suspended. I've heard from friends in the Ministry... although the scene you caused before was... cough, a bit large, no substantial harm was done. If you're willing to go back now, there's a high probability you can be reinstated."
Facing Arthur's well-intentioned advice, William gently shook his head.
"Thank you for the news, Arthur, but I already have a new job. I don't plan on returning to the Ministry."
In fact, he had received an owl from Barty Crouch two days prior promising that if he returned and went through a simple procedure, his reinstatement could be guaranteed. William had politely declined.
"New job?" Arthur was stunned for a moment.
William turned to look at Fred and George, who were staring at him, and blinked with a smile. "I think I will be seeing these two spirited young men again very soon, as I have accepted Dumbledore's invitation to teach at Hogwarts come September."
"You're the new professor?" Arthur and Molly were both surprised. "Teaching what? Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"No, Alchemy."
"Ah, Alchemy. That's good, that's good," Arthur responded.
He had never taken the subject; his limited impression was that it was difficult, obscure, and only available as an elective for older students.
"Alchemy?" Fred and George exchanged a glance. They clearly had no concept of the subject, but they quickly threw out the question they cared about most.
"Um..." Fred asked boldly.
"...is what the newspapers said true?" George picked up the thread.
"Did you really blow the Minister for Magic up like a balloon and stick him to the ceiling?" The two spoke in unison, seemingly very interested in this topic.
"Fred! George!" Molly Weasley's eyes instantly widened like brass bells as she pulled her two sons away from William and glanced around nervously.
William wasn't offended. He bent down slightly, looked at the twins, and said with amusement, "Why? Do you want to learn that spell?"
The twins nodded frantically.
However, William didn't make any promises as they hoped. After chatting casually with the Weasleys for a few more moments, he took his leave.
Watching William's tall, straight figure disappear into the crowd, Arthur Weasley recalled the first time he had met the man.
The "Committee on Experimental Charms" that William previously led had much in common with Arthur's "Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office." The former was somewhat like a superior department to the latter in function, though its scope was much broader.
Muggle items that had been cursed or illegally modified were usually sent to Arthur first. If they proved too tricky to solve, they would be transferred to the Committee on Experimental Charms.
And through their past interactions, Arthur had noticed a very strange phenomenon.
In the wizarding world, the vast majority of wizards had little interest in Muggle objects, holding attitudes that could even be described as arrogant or disdainful.
If they were Ministry employees, the probability of them being interested in Muggle items could be cut in half again; for high-ranking officials, cut by ninety percent.
If the wizard came from an ancient pure-blood family with an innate sense of superiority, you could cut another ninety percent from that baseline, bringing the probability infinitely close to zero.
Yet William, who possessed all these characteristics, showed considerable interest in Muggle items that had been magically modified.
Arthur remembered clearly that once, they had seized a batch of magically modified Muggle firearms; the bullets they fired could relentlessly track their targets.
Other wizards sniffed at them, dismissing them as "barbarian toys," but William had personally taken over the case and brought all the firearms back to his laboratory.
He really is a strange wizard, Arthur thought to himself.