It was almost dinner time when Gai Avery arrived at the Earl's Castle. To his surprise, there were still many people queuing at the entrance.
Arya couldn't help but mutter to himself, Is this job really that popular? He began to wonder if he even stood a chance of landing it. Although he'd received elite education from his family, graduated with distinction from Slytherin, and even spent three years undercover as a Death Eater working for the unpredictable Dark Lord, he now found himself seeking a Muggle job—one for which his past experiences were completely useless.
To Muggles, he was just a handsome, unqualified man with no diploma and a few simple magical tricks.
"That's enough, that's enough. We're off work! Come back tomorrow if you still want to apply!" The staff shouted from inside the Castle, and some began to close the gates.
Arya shrugged and began to leave. This job clearly isn't for me. Should I try again tomorrow? he thought. But the idea of spending another four hours riding back and forth just to apply for a job he felt almost certain he wouldn't get made him reconsider.
"Isn't that Rudy Monty?" A voice called out.
Gai froze. Rudy Monty was his alias in France.
The voice sounded familiar. Arya turned and saw his good friend, Jean Martin, the wizard with whom he had once been homeless when they both first arrived in Paris. It had been a while since they last met.
"Jean!" Arya said, a smile creeping onto his face.
"Do you work at this Castle?" he asked.
Jean Martin nodded, his face lighting up with pride. "More than that, I'm the supervisor appointed here by the Earl!"
Gai knew his friend well—besides his optimism and hard work, Jean was an ordinary, low-level wizard who hadn't attended Beauxbatons, had no home, no job, and had once even sold his only wand.
"How did you… How did you find this job in the Muggle world?" Arya whispered, leaning closer to Jean's ear.
Jean waved over to the closing attendants. "This is my friend. Let me catch up with him. Raise the drawbridge, and close the gate! Also, tell the kitchen to prepare some special meals and charge anything extra to my tab."
"Yes, Supervisor!" the attendant called, smiling as they followed Jean's orders.
Jean led Gai deeper into the Castle, explaining as they walked, "Our Earl bought this place two and a half years ago, but it wasn't until this summer that the Castle was finally fully repaired."
Jean leaned in, whispering in arya ear, "I have to say, Muggles are incredibly inefficient workers. Our Earl built an entire city, Merlin City, in Britain, but it took forever just to finish repairing this Castle."
"Merlin City?" Arya raised an eyebrow.
"Huh? You don't know about it?" Jean looked at him in disbelief. "Merlin City is a dream city, one every wizard across the globe dreams of living in. You haven't heard of it?"
Arya laughed awkwardly. "I've been living out in the Muggle countryside, so I guess I'm not up-to-date on things."
Jean sighed. "If you hadn't left, you could've been ahead of me by now. You wouldn't believe it, but I was at my lowest before the Earl found me. He gave me work, purpose, and faith—he's the greatest person I've ever met!"
"Great?" Arya asked, surprised by Jean's use of the word. Despite his usually strict evaluations of people, Jean had always been critical, even of great figures like Dumbledore, whom he deemed powerful but foolish.
This made aryq curious about the Earl. "Is his surname Dantes?"
"Yes, his full name is Dak de Dentis," Jean confirmed. "He wasn't born an Earl but became one by spending his inheritance. But that doesn't matter. To us low-level wizards, he's what a nobleman should be!"
Jean led Gai to his room and, after ensuring it was quiet, leaned in with excitement. "Gai! Are you interested in joining us? If you do, we can work together to build a better world for wizards, a world free of oppression where future generations can thrive!"
Arya hesitated, still uncertain whether he should join the Fire Serpent Party. The political climate in Britain was tense, with everyone vying for the title of Minister of Magic. According to custom, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement usually succeeded the Minister, and the current Head, Amelia Bones, was an obvious candidate.
However, Bones seemed uninterested in the position. Instead, she was actively supporting Earl Dantes to become the new Minister, citing that his lack of British nationality didn't matter—after all, wasn't Louis VIII, a Frenchman, once the King of Britain?
But Pierce Thicknesse, the Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, disagreed. He believed that since Bones didn't want the position, he was the perfect fit to succeed her, considering he was Bones' next choice for the Head.
Yet, Barty Crouch, who had excelled during the Fire Serpent Party's surprise attack on Merlin City, was also seen as a strong contender. He had been Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement before, and many believed he might be better suited for the role.
Crouch's son, a Death Eater, had been locked up in Azkaban for years. There was no certainty whether he was still alive, but the public perception of Crouch's capability made him a serious candidate.
Other contenders included Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office, who had managed his department well in recent years. Still, his standing in the Ministry couldn't rival the others in terms of prestige.
Two other names were in the mix: Earl Dak Dantes, who had gained much admiration from the current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Elisa, the Chairwoman of the Ministry of Magic Development Foundation. Under her leadership, the quality of life for Ministry employees had improved significantly, and her election as Minister would likely receive overwhelming support. In fact, many saw Elisa as the Earl's most capable executive.
As the political competition heated up, Barty Crouch visited Earl Dantes one afternoon.
"Your Excellency, the Earl, you promised me the position of Minister," Crouch began.
"I did," Dantes replied calmly.
"But now many people in the Ministry are hoping you'll take the role," Crouch added.
The Earl laughed lightly. "Mr. Crouch, don't worry. I have no interest in being Minister. It's just a title. My influence in the British Wizarding World doesn't depend on that position, does it?"
Crouch nodded, understanding. Since the Earl had turned the tide during the Fire Serpent Party's attack and repelled them, he had become a significant figure, not only in Britain but across the global Wizarding World.
"Rest assured, Mr. Crouch," Dantes continued, "Elisa and I won't be competing for the position. We'll support you in becoming Minister, but first, you'll need to deal with Amelia Bones, Pierce Thicknesse, and Rufus Scrimgeour."
"That's understood, Your Excellency," Crouch said with confidence. The Earl's secret support, mostly financial, was invaluable. In addition to the Earl's backing, Crouch had the Fire Serpent Party at his disposal.
Though he disliked cooperating with them, Crouch found that playing weak to gain power was a dangerous but intoxicating game. Once you began, there was no turning back.
"Alright, Mr. Crouch, I still have other matters to attend to. Let's talk again soon," the Earl said with a small, eerie smile that sent a chill down Crouch's spine.
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