The Weasley family had won a prize. Sponsored by the Daily Prophet, their entire family was going on a trip to Egypt. The news made the front page that day.
However, it would still be a few days before that particular newspaper made its way into Sirius Black's hands.
"Minister Fudge, it's been a while."
Regulus Black had returned to the Ministry of Magic. Now that the family's assets were gradually being reclaimed through legal appeals, his visits had become far less frequent, much to the relief of several Ministry officials who used to get headaches just from seeing him.
"You must be here for something important. Come, have a seat and try this new green tea I just received. It was air-shipped all the way from the Far East."
Cornelius Fudge cheerfully pulled out a tin of tea leaves from a cabinet, clearly the tea he had just mentioned.
"I'm quite curious. Do you know which country in the Far East it's from?"
Regulus glanced at the tea set on the table. Clearly, no matter where the tea was from, Fudge wouldn't know a thing about it.
"That, I'm not entirely sure of. But since you seem to know more than I do, why don't you take a look?"
Fudge handed the newly opened tea tin to Regulus. Inside, the tea leaves were unmistakably Tieguanyin.
"Who was so generous to gift you Tieguanyin? It's one of the famous teas from China. Tieguanyin is a semi-fermented tea, positioned between green and black tea. When brewed, it gives off a natural orchid fragrance, with a rich, mellow taste and a long-lasting aroma. It's known for retaining its flavor through seven infusions."
Regulus explained expertly, like reciting from memory. In his previous life, he had been an avid tea enthusiast despite his young age. Yet in this life, Regulus Black had no particular interest in tea—he preferred coffee with milk. Truly, life's preferences can be unpredictable.
"You might know the man who gave it to me. He's a Muggle diplomat and the father of Zhang Qiu—a Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts. He came to file a complaint about inappropriate relationships between a teacher and student. He said that if the matter wasn't resolved, he'd consider withdrawing his daughter from school."
Fudge wore a businesslike expression, but seeing Regulus Black's startled reaction, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Relax! I explained the situation to him, which is why he sent me the tea as a thank-you gift."
This only made Regulus more curious. Just how exactly did Cornelius Fudge explain things?
"Can I take this tin of tea as a bribe?"
Speaking in half-truths was a tactic Regulus knew well. Implying the tea was a bribe wasn't exactly wrong.
"Alright, alright! You win. I told him that the laws of the wizarding world differ from those of the Muggle world. The Ministry of Magic encourages wizard families to increase their numbers. Relationships between men and women depend on mutual consent, not merely on ceremonies or betrothal contracts. I also gave him a brief introduction to the background of your Black family."
Fudge proudly shook the tea tin in his hand.
"So… he agreed to let his daughter be with me?"
Regulus wondered whether the man valued his status or his wealth more.As far as Zhang Qiu was concerned, Regulus didn't believe she was the kind of shallow girl who cared about such things. Still, relationships often entangled both families. From that angle, he thought of himself as a rich, aristocratic orphan—a dead-parents, noble, wealthy second-generation—which practically made him the ideal son-in-law by Far Eastern standards.
"No! He said he wants to speak with you personally. He might kill you, actually. Oh, and by the way, he's in the military."
Fudge didn't know why, but he couldn't help a touch of schadenfreude. Of course, he didn't really think Regulus Black would be killed by a Muggle. After all, witch hunts in the Middle Ages had gone on for years, and aside from wrongfully executed Muggles, the only real casualties had been a few magical children just beginning to manifest powers.
Regulus ignored Fudge's remarks. Clearly, it was time to meet Zhang Qiu's family.
With a flick of his wand, the cups on the table transformed into a full Chinese tea set. A small amount of tea leaves was placed into the pot. With the incantations Clear Spring Like Water and Blazing Fire, the pot was filled with boiling water. The tea leaves were dropped in and floated gently as the pot hovered midair. Soon, the fragrant aroma of tea began to spread through the room.
In front of both Regulus Black and Cornelius Fudge were five small teacups each. Reaching for the teapot, they poured tea into the cups in a single motion. Each cup was filled halfway, and the ten cups together emptied the entire pot.
"You may drink now. Please, go ahead!"
Regulus Black picked up the first cup of still slightly hot tea and began his first tea tasting since his rebirth.
"Let's not talk about my matters for now. I'm here today to deliver a political achievement for you, Minister."
Putting aside his own affairs, Regulus Black was about to initiate Sirius's storyline. He couldn't afford to miss the key developments. The effort to free Sirius had been in motion for quite some time—two years, to be exact—so it was about time to produce some results.
"Go ahead, I'm listening. After all, every one of your plans has brought tremendous results. I'm very eager to hear your new idea."
As soon as Cornelius Fudge heard there was good news, he perked up. Thinking back to the plans Regulus Black had proposed before—just a few simple steps had resolved the crisis at Hogwarts, exposed the secrets of the Chamber of Secrets, and brought a win-win outcome for both the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore. Looking back, it was clear that everyone involved had been subtly guided by Regulus Black and had willingly played their part. Yet, the impact was profound. Cornelius Fudge couldn't afford not to take someone with such strategic vision seriously.
"I've been applying for a retrial for Sirius Black over the past two years. That foolish brother of mine should be released."
Regulus Black brought up the old matter again, which put Cornelius Fudge in a difficult position.
"From my standpoint, I have no issue with releasing him. Our relationship certainly gives me reason to support you. But the Wizengamot is an obstacle we can't bypass. Even if I sign the order, they might still reject it."
For Fudge to speak so candidly showed that he had truly placed himself on Regulus Black's side.
"I don't need you to release him. I only need you to clear his name afterward. He's about to break out of prison, and only once he's out can the Ministry finally uncover the truth buried for over a decade. At that time, all the Ministry needs to do is acknowledge that this was the only way to find the true culprit behind the Muggle massacre. Sirius's escape will be described as a covert investigative operation, carried out under the constant surveillance of the Aurors."
Regulus Black slowly sipped his tea. Once the five cups were finished, the second pot of tea was poured in the same orderly manner.
"How can you be sure Sirius will follow your plan? What if he escapes and goes into hiding?"
Cornelius Fudge asked with concern. After all, who could guarantee the behavior of a fugitive from Azkaban?
With a flick of Regulus Black's wand, today's issue of the Daily Prophet flew into the air and landed before Fudge.
"Take a look at today's front page. The real culprit from back then is right there."
Regulus Black deliberately kept it mysterious—he didn't believe Cornelius Fudge could spot the problem just by glancing at the photo.
"You mean the real killer is someone from the Weasley family?"
Sure enough, Cornelius Fudge didn't have the detective instinct. It was better to just tell him directly and spare the wild guesses.
"That rat is named 'Scabbers.' He's been living with the Weasleys for twelve years. He's actually Peter Pettigrew, an Animagus."
Regulus Black pointed at the rat in the photo with his wand and explained.
Cornelius Fudge believed him. As long as there was a reasonable explanation, he was willing to accept anything Regulus Black said.
"Then I'll have the Aurors arrest that rat right now and launch a retrial to clear Sirius's name."
"No need. There are still many factors to consider. It's better to let Sirius handle it himself. If he can't find the real culprit, he'll die trying."
Regulus Black said with a touch of helplessness.
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