Neville's problem was actually quite similar to the issue Tver himself had been carrying for some time. Both came from studying dark magic and inevitably allowing malicious influences to erode the mind.
The difference was that Tver's control over his own will was far stronger, which was why his Patronus Charm, along with his other magic, had never been affected.
But Neville clearly could not do the same.
Although he had studied only the Cruciatus Curse, and even that for a good reason, it was still one of the three Unforgivable Curses.
The stain left on his soul was nowhere near enough to turn him into a Dark Wizard, but it was more than enough to make casting pure white magic like the Patronus Charm extremely difficult.
Unless, like Umbridge, he could treat the pleasure brought by using dark magic as nourishment for his Patronus.
But even Voldemort could not reach that kind of twisted level. In that sense, Umbridge really was something of a legend in the history of dark magic...
If this had been the old Tver, he really would not have had any good way to solve the problem.
But things were different now.
Among the powers Godric had left behind the year before was one that could purify the heart.
After more than a year of slow recovery, even Tver's long-standing condition had improved considerably, let alone Neville's.
Neville himself, however, was not perceptive enough to notice it clearly. He only felt that his mood had lightened, and that much of the frustration he had built up over being unable to learn the Patronus Charm had faded away.
"Alright, let's learn the Patronus Charm right here!"
Tver looked with satisfaction at the white mist drifting around them, along with the badge's power mixed into it, and paid no attention to the students quietly edging closer.
"But..."
"I told you, those are all minor problems."
Tver gave Neville a mysterious smile. Out of trust in his professor, Neville temporarily set aside the worry and gloom in his heart.
"So first..."
...
While Tver was concentrating on teaching Neville, the Ministry of Magic had fallen into an atmosphere of complete uproar.
Naturally, that atmosphere was nowhere near as positive as the one in the Room of Requirement.
"Minister, this is our best chance to arrest Dumbledore and Tver Fawley!"
Inside the Minister's office, Umbridge, her face blazing with obvious fury, shouted at Fudge across the room.
She had been keeping close watch on the D.A.'s activities at Hogwarts for a long time already, but she had never managed to get precise information, which was why she had been unable to do anything about Harry and the others.
Today she had finally gotten hold of their little secret, yet Fudge still had not acted, and she made no effort to hide her displeasure.
That overstepping behavior irritated Fudge, but he did not snap back at once.
"I know that perfectly well, Dolores," he said in a steadier tone than he had ever shown before, "but you also need to understand that arresting them, especially Tver Fawley, is by no means going to be easy!"
"Why?" Umbridge asked in confusion, looking as if she wanted to accuse Fudge of surrendering before the fight had even begun.
Percy, standing nearby, gave a faint smile and explained gently, "Professor Fawley has countless ties to the pure-blood families. If we arrest him, it will be difficult to guarantee that the pure-bloods won't distance themselves from us because of it."
"They are one of the Minister's most important sources of support in his struggle against Mr. Barty Crouch. Surely you don't want the Minister's position in the Ministry to become unstable just because you needed to vent your anger for a moment?"
This was something Tver had deliberately had Percy leak to Fudge. It would both deepen Fudge's wariness of him and raise Percy's importance in Fudge's eyes.
So Fudge looked from Umbridge, who was so angry she could barely think straight, to Percy, who remained calm and composed, and immediately felt more pleased with Percy than ever.
"And more importantly, even if we do go to arrest Dumbledore and Fawley, the people in the Auror Office won't cooperate."
Just the thought of Dawlish openly defying him now made Fudge's dissatisfaction nearly boil over.
If he took those Aurors to Hogwarts, then forget arresting Fawley. He would be lucky if they did not turn around and arrest him instead.
"So we're just going to let such a perfect chance slip away?" Umbridge asked unwillingly.
Without Fudge, the extent of her power at Hogwarts was little more than punishing a few students, which was nowhere near what she had hoped for when she had come bustling back to the Ministry.
"Of course not. I'm simply telling you not to be so impatient," Fudge said with a smug grin. "Once our helper arrives, we can set off for Hogwarts naturally."
A helper?
Percy cast a discreet glance at the self-satisfied Fudge, who looked as though he had already begun imagining the glorious scene to come.
But Percy had been by Fudge's side the whole time. How had he never heard a word about any helper?
He did not ask, because.
"A helper?" Umbridge asked bluntly.
"Very soon-"
Knock knock knock.
Before Fudge could finish, a brisk knock sounded abruptly at the door.
With steps even quicker than before, Fudge hurried past the startled Percy and Umbridge and yanked the door open.
"Come in, Pius. Dolores was just about to lose patience," he said cheerfully, while motioning for the newcomers to enter.
Pius Thicknesse!
At once, Percy recalled everything he knew connected to that name.
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was the most important department in the Ministry of Magic, which was why all Tver currently controlled there was the most important branch within it, the Auror Office.
But since the head of the department, Madam Amelia Bones, had always supported Dumbledore, they had never paid too much attention to the department as a whole.
And Pius Thicknesse was precisely the kind of senior official they had more or less ignored, despite the considerable weight he carried inside Magical Law Enforcement.
Although the man was ruthless in his methods, he had never liked taking sides openly, nor had he ever formed cliques, so Tver had simply left him alone.
It seemed this Mr. Thicknesse had finally lost patience and chosen to openly support Fudge...
While Fudge busily introduced them, Percy's thoughts raced. Only after a moment did his attention shift to the several hooded figures who entered afterward.
"Wait, Minister," Percy could not help interrupting Fudge's enthusiastic introductions. "These people aren't Ministry employees, are they?"
He pointed at the Carrow siblings, who were sneering at him, but for some reason his attention kept falling on the gaunt figure at the back, silent from the moment he entered.
If it had been anyone else, Percy would never have done something so rude. But the moment he saw that man, his heart began hammering uncontrollably, and even his voice started to tremble.
"They're the helpers I invited..."
Pius Thicknesse slowly walked up to Percy, then turned back toward that mysterious figure as if asking for permission.
After receiving the expected response, a smile immediately spread across his face.
"The more people in the wizarding world who support the Minister, the better. I really don't see what you find so questionable about that..."
"But on the other hand, Mr. Weasley, perhaps you could first explain why you've been providing information to Fawley all this time?"
Percy's pupils instantly widened.
Damn it. I've been found out!