Barty Crouch stood where he was, his face ashen. Looking at Fudge's smug, villainous expression, he said indignantly, "Willy's affairs have nothing to do with the Minister's election. There's no need to involve innocent people."
In fact, Barty was right.
In the years since joining the Ministry of Magic, Willy Shafik had always shown a lack of interest in politics. He detested the endless cocktail parties and intrigue. With the deep heritage of the Shafik Family and his own exceptional talent in magic, he had no need to depend on anyone.
He was on good terms with many officials, including Barty Crouch, but this was purely due to mutual professional respect and compatible personalities.
However, in the eyes of a politician like Fudge, anyone who wasn't on his side was a potential enemy, especially since Willy had always appeared to be close with Barty Crouch.
Willy looked around.
He saw the furious Barty, the triumphant Fudge, the fake-smiling Umbridge, as well as the worried subordinates and colleagues with uncertain attitudes around him.
He realized that in the massive vortex of power that was the Ministry of Magic, even if he tried to avoid it, kept himself clean, and stayed behind closed doors, those dirty political schemes and frame-ups would find their way to him.
Hiding was not an option.
He felt a deep sense of weariness.
"No need, Barty."
Willy spoke softly, interrupting Crouch, who was about to continue arguing his case.
He turned and pulled his wand from his robes. Fudge and the assistants behind him immediately raised their wands nervously, thinking he was going to resist.
However, Willy just gave it a gentle flick.
Several thick ancient books, a few design blueprints, and an exquisite teacup automatically flew into the suitcase he carried. The case closed with a "click."
"I, Willy Shafik, officially resign from the position of Chairman of the Experimental Charms Committee, effective immediately."
Willy picked up the case, his tone as relaxed as if he were throwing away a bag of trash. "Fudge, there's no need to be so happy. Because I haven't engaged in cronyism like you, my departure will have no impact on the outcome of the Minister's election."
"Willy!" Barty Crouch took a step forward. "You don't have to sacrifice yourself. We can go through the Wizengamot—"
Willy shook his head and patted him on the shoulder. "I see clearly now, Barty. As long as I stay in the Ministry, things like today will never end. Today it's a rabbit; tomorrow it might be an exploding teacup."
He donned a black traveling cloak, nodded with a smile to several subordinates who had come over to persuade him to stay, and then turned to walk toward the door.
Behind him, he could feel Fudge and Umbridge's almost uncontrollable looks of delight. They had won; they had removed a powerful potential threat without shedding a drop of blood.
Just as Willy was about to step out of the office door, his footsteps suddenly stopped.
The entire office went silent instantly.
Willy didn't turn around. With his back to the crowd, he said coldly:
"But I need to make one thing clear. I never accept groundless accusations, and not just anyone can plot against me as they please."
In the next second, no one saw his movements clearly, nor did anyone even see him wave his wand.
Only a flash of dazzling white light streaked through the crowded office.
"Ah—!"
"What's happening?"
Amidst the gasps of surprise, Fudge and Umbridge, who had been standing there triumphantly, suddenly began to expand rapidly like inflated balloons.
Their robes were stretched taut and round. They lost their sense of gravity and floated toward the ceiling, flailing their arms and legs in terror.
"Put me down, Shafik! You dare attack a Ministry official!" Fudge's voice became high-pitched and comical. He kicked his legs wildly in mid-air like a plump beetle.
Umbridge let out a series of terrified screams. Her pink sweater was stretched until it was almost transparent, and she was wedged between two chandeliers.
"Stop him!" The two assistants Fudge had brought with him snapped out of it and hurriedly raised their wands at Willy's back.
"Everyone, stop!"
A loud shout cowed everyone.
Barty Crouch blocked the doorway. He drew his wand, his gaze dark as it swept over the two bewildered assistants, then he looked up at the two "balloons" floating on the ceiling.
"You think you can stop Willy with just the few of you?" Barty's voice held a hint of undisguised mockery. "You'd better figure out how to get your foolish superiors down first, unless you want them to float out and make fools of themselves."
The assistants looked at each other, their hands holding their wands trembling, but no one dared to take a step forward.
Among those present, perhaps only Barty Crouch knew Willy Shafik's true strength best.
Back when Barty was still the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he had personally invited Willy to join the Auror Office after graduation, promising he would become a core captain within three years.
But at the time, Willy had only politely declined, citing that he "preferred a more stable job and didn't like fighting." Although he failed to recruit this exceptional subordinate, that meeting marked the beginning of their friendship.
"A bunch of vermin."
Willy didn't look back at the chaos. He clearly left his final words, then strode into the shadows of the corridor with his suitcase amidst the rising screams and discussions.
This jinx had been modified by him; the air couldn't be let out by ordinary means. He believed there was enough time for everyone in the Ministry of Magic to witness this scene.
He looked forward to tomorrow's Daily Prophet headline.
"Ding."
The golden grilles slid open, and Willy stepped into the dim elevator.
By chance, an acquaintance from the Department of Magical Transportation also squeezed in. Seeing the suitcase in Willy's hand, he greeted him with some surprise.
"Off work so early, Willy?"
"Think of it as taking a long vacation for myself." Willy smiled gently, his expression normal, showing no sign that he had just turned two colleagues into balloons.
Just as the elevator doors slowly closed, cutting off the noise outside, a cold mechanical voice abruptly sounded in his mind. Then, a pale blue light screen that only he could see appeared on his retina.
[Major turning point in host's career path detected, core activation conditions met...]
[Target location locked: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...]
[Identity determination: Faculty member...]
[Binding eligibility confirmed... 'Hogwarts Construction and Development System' activating... Binding successful!]
Willy's fingers tightened slightly on the suitcase, a flicker of bewilderment passing through his eyes. However, on the surface, he maintained his elegant posture and even smiled in response to his colleague's complaints about the recent weather.
But within his field of vision, a massive flow of information was rapidly scrolling.
Relying on his extraordinary reading speed, he quickly browsed the instructions and soon understood the core logic of this so-called "system."
Simply put, as long as he contributed to [Campus Construction] and [Student Proficiency] during his future teaching career, he would earn points.
The former included repairing the Castle and strengthening defenses, while the latter included improving students' O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exam results. All of these could be converted into tangible values.
Willy had little interest in the former for now, as he couldn't think of anything Hogwarts lacked off the top of his head. But the latter gave him many ideas.
[1 point for every student who achieves an 'E' in an O.W.L. exam, 3 points for an 'O']
[3 points for every student who achieves an 'E' in a N.E.W.T. exam, 5 points for an 'O']
[Extra points for students with special achievements]
[...]
And these points could be exchanged in the system's mall for various powerful spells, rare talents, and more.
Animagus, Parseltongue, Seer talent... After a quick glance, Willy's heart skipped a beat.
The elevator reached the Atrium. With a soft "ding," Willy's thoughts were pulled back to reality.
The colleague walked out first and turned to wave goodbye. Willy, however, stood where he was, staring blankly at the fading pale blue text, a sense of inexplicable absurdity rising in his heart.
He hadn't expected to actually have a system.
What was even more unexpected was that he had been in this wizarding world for a full thirty years, and this late "golden finger" had only just arrived.