Chapter 3: Gaining confidence
Ciaran hugged his things as he arrived in front of the elevator. There happened to be an elevator on the second floor, empty except for him. He followed a group of notes and entered the elevator, pressing the button. Upon reaching the main hall, the elevator door slammed shut. Ciaran deliberately moved a step to the right to avoid the notes flying above his head.
This was a means of communication between various departments of the Ministry of Magic. Notes were used to convey messages; owls had been used before, but the mess was incredible, with feces everywhere on the desks, and the entire Ministry of Magic plagued by a foul smell.
Later, the Ministry of Magic had to reform and produce lavender paper strips. The wings of the paper airplane were stamped with the "Ministry of Magic" seal.
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement was on the second floor of the Ministry of Magic, very close to the surface. The entire Ministry of Magic was located underground in London and divided into several floors, with the main hall on the eighth floor. Ciaran needed to go there to leave the Ministry of Magic and go home through the Floo network.
As the elevator stopped at various floors, notes flew in and out, and Ministry of Magic employees came and went. But upon reaching the eighth floor, Ciaran found himself alone during working hours, as no one else left the Ministry of Magic except him, having resigned.
The main hall of the Ministry of Magic was relatively large and magnificent. The dark wooden floor had been polished to a high shine, and the peacock blue ceiling was inlaid with sparkling golden symbols, resembling a huge sky bulletin board. Glossy dark wooden boards lined the walls, with many gold-plated fireplaces embedded in them, where Ministry of Magic employees normally entered and exited.
In the middle of the foyer stood a fountain, with a group of pure gold statues in a circular pool. The tallest statue depicted a noble wizard holding a wand high, surrounded by a witch, a centaur, a goblin, and a house elf, all looking at the two wizards with admiration. Beams of light emanated from various points on the statues, accompanied by tinkling sounds.
A rusty wooden sign next to the pool indicated that proceeds from the Magic Brothers Fountain were donated to St. Mungo's Hospital. Though there were a few gold Galleons at the bottom of the pool, the majority were Silver Sickles and Copper Nuts.
The foyer was sparsely populated during working hours, with the wizard on duty hiding behind a copy of the Daily Prophet, perhaps reading or taking a nap.
Ciaran walked by the golden fountain, remembering something. Holding his luggage, which he had enchanted to be almost weightless, he took out 10 gold Galleons from his pocket and tossed them into the fountain.
Gold Galleons were the common currency in the magical world, with the highest purchasing power, and Ciaran, having worked at the Ministry of Magic for eight years, had saved some money, in addition to the property left by his parents.
Contrary to Ciaran's frugality, the Weasley family spent a lot of money, relying on Mr. Weasley's sole income to support the family. Their eldest sons Bill and Charlie had graduated from Hogwarts, relieving some of the financial burden.
"I hope it will succeed in two days," Ciaran thought to himself.
"Ciaran, you are very caring."
Two people emerged from a fireplace one after another. The first was a dark-skinned, bald man wearing a gold ring on one ear, Kingsley Shacklebolt. The other was a witch with a pale, heart-shaped face, sparkling black eyes, and bright pink hair, Nymphadora Tonks. Both were Aurors, working in the Auror office located next to the Office for the Abuse of Magic where Ciaran used to work.
"I wish you success," Tonks said, as they entered an elevator and winked at Ciaran before the doors closed.
Ciaran shook his head and laughed, then approached the fireplace on the right, used for employees leaving the Ministry of Magic.
The Floo Network was a common mode of transportation in the wizarding world. Ciaran grabbed some Floo Powder, threw it into the fire, and called out, "Fremont Manor."
With a whoosh, he disappeared into the green flames.
Fremont Manor, the house left by his parents, was actually just a house with a garden behind it. Goblins often appeared due to Ciaran's lack of management. He tapped his wand and his luggage flew to where it should be, hanging and folding itself. Feeling hungry, Ciaran conjured two portions of food with his wand and then cleaned up effortlessly.
"That's what magic is good for, it's convenient!" Ciaran sighed, but frowned slightly when he noticed his level 4 (elementary) magic power on his panel.
With only level 4 magic, becoming a professor at Hogwarts seemed unlikely, but Ciaran remembered Gilderoy Lockhart, a previous professor who lacked magical prowess compared to him.
With renewed confidence, Ciaran began reviewing his books, determined to succeed.
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