Chapter 114 Lucius's Christmas Gift
While this was happening, the atmosphere at Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire, England, was tense.
All the house-elves in the manor were extremely cautious. They gazed at the door of the master's drawing-room with horror, not daring to make a sound, fearing to disturb their master.
The drawing-room was a spacious circular room with a luxurious interior.
It contained lavish furniture, in dark green and silver-white hues, beautifully arranged around a splendid marble mantelpiece adorned with a golden mirror intricately framed at the top.
Hanging from the ceiling were two exquisite crystal chandeliers. The floor was covered with beautiful rugs. The enormous bookshelf encircling half of the room was filled with rare magic books. Beneath them hung a dozen portraits, all of the Malfoy family heads.
Below the portraits, Lucius Malfoy gazed grimly at the fire blazing in the fireplace. From his facial expression, it was evident that he was in a foul mood.
He had just received a letter. The content of the letter was quite straightforward. The elders of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures had informed him that they were returning all the galleons he had sent them previously, indicating their refusal to support his official request to kill the Hippogriff.
It was unbelievable that the Malfoy family's demand had been rejected!
Previously, such a scenario would have been unthinkable.
Lucius had originally believed that the Ministry of Magic politicians had always been under his control, relying on the prestige and financial influence of the Malfoy family, granting him the power to do as he pleased.
Even when the Dark Lord failed twelve years ago, the power of the Malfoy family remained unaffected.
But now, were they rejecting him?!
Lucius wore a bitter smile on his face. He desired to take action but found himself powerless to do so.
In recent years, the reputation of the Malfoy family was no longer as sterling as it once was. And now, their influence was so feeble that they couldn't even manage to have a Hippogriff killed.
"Curse it, it's that blasted Dumbledore and those filthy mudbloods!" Lucius exclaimed in a frenzy.
In his view, all of this was a scheme by Dumbledore.
Pure-blood families were going through tough times, with their status deteriorating. Conversely, Muggle-born mudbloods were increasingly occupying prominent positions.
Lucius felt nostalgic for some days of the Dark Lord. Although he himself didn't harbor much affection for Voldemort, the idea he represented was what pure-blood families truly needed. They were the noblest, and those damned mudbloods and Muggles should be naturally subservient to them.
Lucius took a deep breath. He knew he had to keep calm. Although he thought that way, he couldn't expose those perilous ideas.
Judging by the current situation, this was not benefiting him in the slightest.
The Malfoy family had survived for thousands of years not on short-term strength but on unparalleled wisdom.
But he could do nothing while awaiting the dismissal of his complaint!
Since the beginning of this year, after being expelled from the Board of Governors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Malfoy family had no face; if this time, they were defeated by the coarse Hagrid and two mudbloods, the Malfoy family would truly become a laughingstock for all.
If they couldn't reflect their own nobility and power status, what difference would there be between pure-blood wizards and those contemptible mudbloods?
If a few foolish mudbloods could humiliate the Malfoy family, then the Malfoy name would soon be as unworthy as that of the blood traitor Weasley!
No, no, this cannot be allowed to happen! What should he do?
Perhaps it might be feasible to utilize some hidden power or more galleons.
Just as Lucius Malfoy was contemplating his next move, a beautiful black owl with long ears suddenly flew in through the window and interrupted his thoughts.
"Curses!" exclaimed Lucius with disdain.
Have all the lazy house elves in the mansion died? How did the owl fly straight into his living room?
Or is everyone wanting to abandon the Malfoy family like that traitor Dobby?
Upon recalling Dobby, Lucius's anger swelled at the thought of the loathsome house-elf who dared to betray him and his family.
As a result of that incident, he was subjected to mockery by his friends for a whole year.
Lucius drew his wand and was about to make the audacious owl pay the high price in blood.
However, he suddenly halted.
He noticed a mark on the owl indicating it came from Hogwarts.
Lucius felt a bit uneasy. Who could be writing to him?!
It definitely wasn't Draco. He has other means to contact him.
Nor would it be Severus. Lucius had never seen him use an owl.
Besides these two, Lucius really couldn't think of anyone else at Hogwarts who would want to contact him at that moment. And he didn't know what could be in the letter.
Moving on, he took the paper carried by the owl's talon and unfolded it. The handwriting was ugly and careless, and the words were quite rude.
The paper read: "To Lucius Malfoy, my dear old friend, I will be giving you a great gift at Hogwarts for the next Christmas. I hope you will be pleased and I beg you to help me..."
Lucius frowned, unable to recall having such an old friend at Hogwarts.
And what kind of gift would they prepare for him?
He continued reading, and a few seconds later, his frown relaxed.
The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, Remus Lupin, is actually a Werewolf!
Looking at the crumpled paper in his hand, Lucius's mouth suddenly curved into a cold, satisfied smile.
That was truly an unexpected Christmas gift. If all of this is true, it's significant news.
But that wasn't enough. If the fact that a tamed werewolf became a teacher were the only news to grace the front page of the Daily Prophet, it wouldn't be sufficient to damage Dumbledore's reputation.
As the greatest white wizard recognized by the magical world in modern times, Dumbledore's status and power are beyond imagination.
He is more than just a school headmaster. For instance, last year, the basilisk snake attacked students in Hogwarts Castle. After numerous attacks, Lucius managed to persuade other governors to agree to remove Dumbledore.
Of course, a werewolf cannot be compared to a basilisk; more fuel needed to be added to the fire. That was the only way to make Dumbledore burn.
But the most crucial thing is to write personally to the person who sent this letter and see what they will do.
If both things are successful, then they will have sufficient chances to oust Dumbledore from Hogwarts.
Nothing is impossible with proper preparation. Even Dumbledore's reputation could crumble.
After all, unlike the Chamber of Secrets incident, this one was entirely caused by Dumbledore. In comparison, what regret does that foolish Hagrid bear or the death of his stupid hippogriff? Lucius's thoughts now revolve entirely around the content of this letter.
Although he didn't know who the sender was, it didn't matter.
All that mattered was the information he provided and what he was willing to do. That is the most crucial thing!
Regarding the sender's request, he could fulfill it with a snap of his fingers. He just needed to pay attention to it in time.
Lucius glanced at the wall clock; there were ten minutes left until two in the afternoon.
Despite being in a hurry, he still had time to ponder for a moment and make a decision silently.
Ultimately, despite the significance of the matter, it was not in line with the values of the Malfoy family to reveal themselves. He should remain hidden behind the scenes to fan the flames and let others move forward.
"Bobby!" he exclaimed.
In an instant, a meek house-elf appeared in the room.
"I am here, master," Bobby said in a sharp voice. He looked at Lucius Malfoy with dread, fearing he was ready to punish him.
"Go prepare my robe, hurry; I am going to see the Minister of Magic," Lucius paused and continued, "And prepare galleons, the more, the better. Besides Fudge, the appetites of my old avaricious friends are not small."
He hurried to his desk. Before meeting Fudge, Lucius was ready to write several letters to old friends he hadn't seen in a while. At the same time, he also wanted to share the news with other pure-blood families eager to see Dumbledore's downfall.