Grumbling was one thing, but Dumbledore's sharp question still left Barty and Babajide stumped.
As for Fudge, he watched the two of them caught in a dilemma, beaming with delight and once again feeling grateful for his own tact. Otherwise, he would be the one sitting there with a worried look on his face.
"What on earth is going on with you?" Taking advantage of the brief silence in the conference room, Umbridge quickly whispered to Fudge.
Fudge stepping down was not beyond her expectations. He had always been a coward. He had opposed Dumbledore because he feared You-Know-Who's return, and now he was stepping down because he feared Dumbledore. That was perfectly normal.
But why did he look as if he had already found a new backer, so pleased that he was about to lose all restraint?
The question was, what about me?!
Umbridge glared at Fudge in irritation, as if she were looking at a heartless man, waiting for him to give her an explanation.
Last night, she had taken most of Dumbledore's anger for Fudge. Of course, it was also possible that Dumbledore had been targeting her in the first place.
But even if she had not earned credit, she had at least suffered for it. Now Fudge was actually keeping secrets from her. How could she possibly feel balanced?
"It's not really convenient for me to explain. In any case, my state of mind is very peaceful right now. I advise you not to get involved in matters between these important people."
Fudge felt somewhat awkward. After all, Umbridge had helped him handle plenty of dirty work.
But that morning, he had tentatively asked Tver and learned that Umbridge was very much disliked by them.
Under these circumstances, giving her even one warning was already more than generous.
Umbridge, however, did not appreciate it. She stared at Fudge in disbelief.
If someone else were becoming Minister, that would be one thing. But now Fudge was recommending Barty.
Once Barty took office, the power she had chased so desperately would vanish in an instant.
"You coward!" She suppressed her anger, but her voice still sounded especially piercing in the conference room. "I will not compromise with them!"
"You're right, Dolores Umbridge."
Tver suddenly spoke, startling Umbridge and instantly making her the center of attention.
She had thought their conversation was private, only to realize that Tver had been paying attention to her and Fudge all along.
Suddenly under everyone's gaze, Umbridge looked around in panic. "I… what I meant was… I will not compromise with You-Know-Who!"
"…"
Even Umbridge herself did not believe that once she thought it over, let alone everyone else.
"It doesn't matter."
Tver was silent for a moment, then shrugged with an amused smile.
"According to feedback from Hogwarts students, we now have ample evidence proving that you violated regulations by using dark magic on underage wizards."
"I believe you still remember what you said in class. What was it again?"
He pretended to think for a moment, then said word by word, "A professor must not use Jinxes on students!"
"You broke the law, Umbridge!"
"Percy, please take Madam Umbridge away. Dawlish is waiting outside."
"Yes, Professor."
Percy stopped pretending as well. He agreed with a smile, grabbed Umbridge's struggling arm tightly, and showed no concern at all for their bond as "colleagues."
"You can't do this!" Umbridge screamed in panic. "It was Fudge! Yes, he was the one who ordered me to do it!"
"I never told her to use Jinxes, especially not on students," Fudge hurriedly explained.
But no one paid him any attention. Everyone looked at Tver, who had gone silent afterward, with some confusion.
They had no objections to dealing with Umbridge, but Tver's sudden move felt very much like he was using the opportunity to make a point.
"Are you trying to tell me that the Ministry's so-called firmness means eliminating any threat before it can grow?"
Dumbledore raised his eyes slightly, his clear gaze falling on Tver through his glasses.
Even though the inexplicable tension between the two of them was not aimed at anyone else, everyone present felt a sudden sense of unease at the same time.
If these two started fighting, should they run, or should they flee?
"What else would it be?" Tver replied lightly, dissolving Dumbledore's faint pressure as if it were nothing.
Of course, what Dumbledore exerted could not truly be called pressure. It was more like a test.
After all, this concerned Voldemort, as well as the entire wizarding world's next course of action. Neither he nor Tver could afford to be careless.
"Voldemort is clearly even madder than he was last time. He has lost the Giants, but gained a group of Vampires. He has lost half his Death Eaters, but gained a group of dark wizards from all over Europe!"
"Dumbledore, no one can guarantee that Voldemort won't take these people and wreak havoc across the muggle world!"
"Every firm action we take against them is saving lives!"
What had happened last night was still too recent. With the Order of the Phoenix relying only on Snape and the Ministry of Magic's sources, it was clearly not enough for Dumbledore to know the current state of Voldemort's forces.
To be honest, Dumbledore had enjoyed fighting Voldemort last night. It could even be said that he had not fought such a satisfying battle in decades.
That had inevitably made him underestimate Voldemort somewhat.
So after Tver reminded him, Dumbledore's expression could not help growing solemn.
He had still been thinking that by cooperating with Tver, they could perfectly strangle Voldemort and his forces in the cradle.
"I think we need to strengthen intelligence sharing."
The others were immediately stunned, unable to understand where Dumbledore's sudden change had come from.
Tver, however, smiled in satisfaction.
His contact with Dumbledore over the past few years had finally had an effect.
"Not just intelligence. The Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry of Magic should be working together in the first place. As long as they don't run into Voldemort personally taking action, there's no need to worry about those weakened Death Eaters and dark wizards at all!"
"So…"
A cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth, making his handsome face look twisted in front of everyone for the first time.
"We can hunt Death Eaters."
"Gulp."
Apart from Cynthia, who also smiled, Fudge, Barty, and Babajide all swallowed at the same time. The sound was especially clear in the conference room, which had suddenly gone still.
Babajide was the first to speak, his voice dry. "Then how will we prevent magic from reaching the muggle world…"
"The Statute of Secrecy exists to protect wizards. If it can't protect wizards, then what is the point of secrecy?!"
Barty was the second to raise his question. "How will the Ministry's Aurors ensure their own safety? What if they encounter…"
"They will be led by powerful wizards. Even if they encounter Voldemort, they will be able to withdraw safely!"
Finally, not only everyone in the conference room, but even Percy, who had returned, turned their eyes toward Fudge, who had yet to speak, as if expecting him to point out a flaw in the hunting plan that could be patched.
"Er…"
Fudge felt even more nervous at that moment than when he had run for Minister. But remembering that he had still stepped forward back then, he took a deep breath and slowly began, "Would you…"
"Mind having dinner with me tonight?"
"…"
Just as Fudge had been rendered speechless, Dumbledore also had to admit that although the plan to hunt Death Eaters sounded extremely ruthless, it was currently the best, perhaps even the only, chance to weaken Voldemort.
As for magic being exposed…
If Voldemort could not be defeated, magic would be exposed sooner or later.
Dumbledore understood this very clearly, so he was not like Babajide, entangled in such minor details.