Chapter 651: The Terror of the Second Dynasty, Election Finale

Piers walked through the Ministry of Magic.

"Deputy Minister Thicknesse."

"Good morning, Lina."

Piers entered the lift with a false smile on his face.

He stopped an employee who was about to step inside and said with feigned apology, "I’m sorry, I’m going to the Minister’s office, so..."

His meaning was obvious, and the employee hurriedly stepped back.

But Piers still did not start the lift. He turned slightly and looked at the female employee who had greeted him earlier.

He gave her a look.

The woman only realised what he meant a moment later and apologetically stepped out as well.

During the morning rush, he occupied the entire lift by himself.

Piers smiled in satisfaction and pressed the button.

The lift started moving.

It travelled backwards before rapidly ascending.

Soon, it reached the floor where the Minister’s office was located.

Piers walked inside with light, cheerful steps.

He was in an excellent mood.

Reaching the Minister’s office, he knocked three times.

"Come in."

Barty Crouch Sr. was reading that morning’s newspaper, holding it close to his nose so he could see it more clearly.

"Piers." Barty Crouch Sr. lowered the paper and saw Piers approaching with another newspaper tucked under his arm.

"Minister Crouch, I was just about to bring this to you."

Piers raised the newspaper in his hand and smiled.

"The Second Dynasty."

Barty Crouch Sr. held out his hand.

"I haven’t reached that part yet."

Piers handed him the newspaper, and Barty Crouch Sr. opened it and began reading carefully.

At a glance, he immediately understood why Piers was so pleased.

"Yelufan lost the election."

That was the first piece of good news.

To put it bluntly, Barty Crouch Sr. was firmly aligned with the Second King.

At the International Confederation of Wizards, Yelufan had brought up Dumbledore more than once, as though afraid anyone might forget whose follower he was.

Leaving everything else aside, Barty Crouch Sr. did not exactly dislike Dumbledore, but he certainly did not like him either.

The First King’s dealings with the Ministry had rarely been friendly.

Years ago, when the Ministry asked him to step forward against Grindelwald, he refused. Then, behind their backs, he formed his own little group and sent Newt Scamander to France, nearly resulting in the destruction of Paris.

The Ministry had contributed both manpower and resources to that incident and suffered considerable losses.

Yet Dumbledore walked away with all the credit.

If you wanted to deal with Grindelwald, would the Ministry really have opposed you?

Why sneak around behind everyone’s backs?

Did you think the Ministry would only hold you back, or did you simply believe it could not be trusted?

And even that could have been overlooked.

Then, during Voldemort’s rise, the same thing happened all over again.

At the time, Barty Crouch Sr. had even thought that if Dumbledore were willing to take control of the Ministry, he could temporarily set aside his own ambitions for the position of Minister for Magic.

And what happened?

The exact same thing.

Dumbledore refused to work with the Ministry, formed another small organisation of his own, and stayed hidden away at the school.

Did the Ministry really interfere with his ability to act that badly?

Or did you really think Hogwarts was that impressive, that students fresh out of school were more useful than the Ministry of Magic?

Everyone knew what happened afterward.

The Ministry struck at the Death Eaters from every direction while also having to remain wary of whatever Dumbledore might be planning.

It had never been the Ministry that refused to cooperate.

For some inexplicable reason, it was always Dumbledore.

That was why Barty Crouch Sr. had never had any desire to become friends with him.

The man possessed immense power, yet he always preferred to gather his own small circle.

He would not even bother giving you an explanation.

John had been right.

Dumbledore was a god, not a man.

As long as he stayed properly on his pedestal, Barty Crouch Sr. did not care whether he lived or died.

As long as he did not interfere with Ministry decisions or form secret groups behind their backs, Barty Crouch Sr. would happily let him guard gates or toilets if that was what he wanted.

He could remain number one in people’s hearts, but he could never replace the position of the Second King.

Barty Crouch Sr. continued reading.

The second piece of news, like the first, was also connected to the Second Dynasty.

More accurately, the first had happened because of the second.

The Silver Hand Alliance had imposed sanctions on certain businesses, while the Ancient Alliance had issued warnings to several German families.

This had directly caused economic turmoil in German wizarding society.

Yelufan had also been affected and was ultimately forced to withdraw from the race for Minister for Magic.

Gresham was confirmed as Germany’s new Minister for Magic.

The moment he took office, he resolved the economic instability caused by the Second Dynasty.

He also used the turmoil as an opportunity to declare war on the Acolytes.

Anyone who reported an Acolyte would receive a reward.

He adopted an uncompromising stance, making it clear that there would be no reconciliation with Grindelwald’s followers.

The contest for Germany’s Minister for Magic had ended, but the Second Dynasty did not stop there.

They acquired industries across multiple countries, planting their seeds in nearly every nation.

The Silver Hand Alliance provided the money.

The Ancient Alliance opened the way.

When two such enormous forces acted together, almost no one could stand against them.

In less than a week, the Ancient Alliance Fund had shrunk by more than half, yet not a single member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight objected.

Because the future returns from their aggressive acquisitions were even more astonishing.

Once they made it through this year, the profits from those investments would be enough to fill their coffers to overflowing.

Just as their king had said, interests were both shackles and bonds.

And those interests were making them more united than ever.

Shared prosperity had made the Ancient Alliance more united than ever before.

The network of connections revealed by this machine was expanding without limit.

The Second Dynasty swept across the wizarding world like a tidal wave. The greater the storm, the greater the opportunity.

After reading everything, Barty Crouch Sr. understood John’s intention.

"Lord Wick has won us even more supporters."

Piers said happily, "The International Confederation of Wizards is practically ours for the taking."

Barty Crouch Sr. was not as pleased. He pondered for a moment and said, "This is moving too quickly. It could easily get out of control."

John had effectively sent a signal to all of Europe at once.

That was not necessarily a good thing.

Some stubborn or radical wizards would respond with fierce resistance.

They would not simply sit back and wait, and spreading the Second Dynasty’s reach too far would weaken its strength.

That was what truly concerned Barty Crouch Sr.

There was no question that John and the Second Dynasty were powerful, but Europe possessed far more strength than that alone.

Hearing his concerns, Piers said confidently, "Minister Crouch, you haven’t seen just how powerful Lord Wick truly is."

...

John established the rules of the game, and everyone had to follow them.

The machinery of the Second Dynasty caused little disturbance among ordinary people, but it sent shockwaves through the great families.

Nearly every family felt as though a tiger were standing outside their door.

Mr Longbottom took part in the acquisition and sale of magical materials across various regions, while Mr Greengrass handled the import and export of magical products.

The Goyle and Crabbe families forcefully entered the stationery and consumables industry.

The Parkinsons moved into potions, while Edgar controlled the antiques trade.

The Malfoys entered the sporting goods industry and aggressively acquired three professional Quidditch clubs.

The Diggorys sold new flavours of snacks throughout multiple countries.

The Weasley twins’ joke products became popular across Europe.

And that was not all.

The Silver Hand Alliance penetrated countless smaller industries, extending its presence even to something as minor as quills.

The Second Dynasty spread across Europe like a plague.

They preferred acquisitions, but if someone refused to cooperate, the domineering nature of the ancient families would quickly make them understand who was in charge.

The Ministries of Magic could do almost nothing about it, because these people were connected by blood or marriage to families throughout nearly all of Europe.

In France, the Delacour family expanded the alcohol business with remarkable success.

Among the great families, any household without even a single bottle of Silver Hand liquor would be mocked as second-rate.

High-end tableware and fresh ingredients followed.

Once the Delacours made their move, even a Knut dropped in Paris might as well have carried the Silver Hand name.

Just as panic began spreading through even more countries, the Second Dynasty stopped.

Inside Silver Hand Manor, John idly played with the Reverse Scale Charm in his hand and chuckled.

"Next, we make it run."

The Second Dynasty began to move.

At every foothold established by the Second Dynasty, their influence began to take root and grow.

Their operations were like a dense network of interlocking gears, driving the enormous machine of the Second Dynasty into motion.

Newspapers printed furiously, reporting on this audacious expansion.

Ministries of Magic across various countries received negotiators.

They demanded greater concessions and convenience. In exchange, Silver Hand offered product prices low enough for ordinary people to accept.

This was not a matter of sacrificing their own interests to benefit others.

Once the entire machine became capable of producing and selling within its own system, their costs dropped dramatically.

If John wanted to use a price war to crush nearby competitors, he could lower prices to half the normal market rate and still continue making a profit.

Naturally, there was no shortage of intelligent people within the Ministries. They all understood how terrifying such a massive interest group could be.

But everything the Second Dynasty did was legitimate, leaving the Ministries with no grounds to even issue a warning.

They could only watch as the largest concentration of capital in the European wizarding world moved in.

Fortunately, the Second Dynasty knew when to stop and followed the laws of each country.

Many Ministry officials even benefited from their presence.

There was simply no way to refuse their arrival.

Lucius was responsible for negotiations with the various countries, while Mr Greengrass handled transportation.

Mr Greengrass looked at the thirty soul lamps before him.

Thirty enormous ships capable of completely concealing themselves were enough to let him appear almost anywhere.

Even the honest Mr Longbottom had been forced into becoming a wealthy tycoon in the eyes of others.

Once the enormous machine of the Second Dynasty began moving, there was simply no stopping it.

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