Hogwarts and the Unspeakable

"Alan Arnold Appleby, that's my child's name."

A ten-year-old black-haired boy stood timidly behind his father, tugging at the corner of his clothes.

At dusk, golden sunlight came in through the window, and it seemed like it was just time to get off work.

Everything looks so warm and welcoming.

"He looks so cute, he looks a lot like you Sir!"

"Thanks, Bernard. Want a drink?"

Humphrey Appleby, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Administrative Affairs of the Ministry of Magic, raised his eyebrows and smiled.

“A toast to your health.”

Bernard Wu, the private secretary of the Department of Administrative Affairs, looked elegant and clinked glasses with Humphrey, making a "ding" sound.

Humphrey rarely showed a sincere and kind smile and looked behind him.

His son Allen was opening his small schoolbag carefully, and there happened to be a small stool inside.

"He was afraid that there would be no place to sit here, so he had to bring a small stool with him."

Humphrey introduced cordially.

"I think as the son of a permanent secretary, there is absolutely no need to feel embarrassed."

Bernard looked at Allen kindly and smiled.

At this time, Humphrey suddenly changed his color.

"Bernard!"

He looked fierce.

Bernard quickly made amends at this time:

"As one of the most powerful men in Britain."

Humphrey's demeanor did not change at all. It only took him one second to go from smiling to as cold as ice.

Only then did Bernard realize that what he just said might imply the message that "permanent secretaries are shameless people."

How can anyone in this world call someone "shameless" in front of their children? Humphrey felt angry.

He didn't believe that as a grammar graduate, he couldn't figure this out - Bernard was too proud.

"I will faithfully record his every word and deed in this year's year-end report."

Humphrey thought to himself.

Seeing Bernard's expression of embarrassment, Alan, as a child, suddenly raised his glass in vain.

He was not holding anything in his hands, because children were not allowed to drink.

But he imitated the toasting gestures made by his father and Bernard just now.

Sitting on the small stool he brought, he said in a childish voice:

"Thank you, and a toast to your health, sir."

Although the people around seemed to be busy with their own affairs, in fact, everyone was watching and listening in all directions.

Particular attention was paid to what the department's top officer, the permanent undersecretary, Sir Humphrey Appleby, was doing.

Seeing such a harmonious scene, they admired Allen's sensibleness.

The civil servants who remained in the lounge laughed.

The smiles of these civilized public servants naturally did not surprise Sir Humphrey, who raised his glass gently.

Everything was within his expectations.

Bernard breathed a sigh of relief at this time.

"Sorry, but I am not sir yet, but this 'Mr.'."

Bernard, who graduated from Cambridge University and majored in classical literature, still insists on being wordy today.

(sir is specifically used to address Sir) (K.C.M.G or above)

Bernard continued to correct the grammar without being humble or arrogant.

"It's not (Notyet) yet."

Humphrey finally came to the rescue.

(The implicit meaning is: it will be in the future)

Humphrey raised his glass gently again, smiling.

"Forget it, since our baby said to let him go, then so be it."

Humphrey thought to himself.

Bernard watched Sir Humphrey's expression turn from steel to tenderness around his fingers. He smiled knowingly and gratefully, and the two clinked glasses.

"Ding!"

"Speaking of which, what do you think of our minister's recent performance?"

"It's really not bad."

Bernard praised sincerely.

"Yes, we will raise him right away."

Humphrey raised his eyebrows contemptuously.

"I take it he was up late last week getting everything done?"

"Yes."

"We've got to get him to forget about this 'magic network tracing restrictions' nonsense."

"I thought the name of those white papers was 'Restricting Magic Network Tracing.'"

"Yes, we always put the most difficult part in the title. This is much less harmful to society than putting it in the article."

Humphrey explained the government's established rules.

"The less you want to do something, the more you have to stress about it."

"But is there anything wrong with limiting the power to trace magic online? This is about every magician's right to privacy."

"At least when we inquire about a person's information, we should ask about his wishes."

Bernard retorted.

"are you kidding?"

Humphrey looked at him in disbelief.

Bernard replied seriously:

"No, isn't this the minister's policy? I think citizens of a democratic government should have the power to control whether their itinerary is made public."

"So what if the terrorist doesn't agree? Say 'that person' 'you know who'."

"You don't want a terrorist crawling into your fireplace, do you?"

Humphrey advised.

"okay."

Bernard nodded.

"But if the minister insists, what should I say?"

Bernard asked.

"For example:"

"Oh~ Minister, I really appreciate your decision, but are you really sure this is the best way to achieve your goals?"

"If that doesn't work, just say:"

"Now is not the time, for a variety of reasons."

"Will this make the ministers stop?"

Bernard asked.

"Yes, most of the time."

Humphrey nodded.

"If he still doesn't agree, just say:"

"This policy is difficult to implement for a variety of reasons."

"For example, technical reasons, legal reasons, and policy reasons."

Humphrey put his hands on his stomach and looked serious.

"If he still doesn't agree in the end, the last resort is:"

"It's a great idea, but there's an election coming up soon."

“Are you sure you want to risk your votes for something like this?”

"This is called creative inertia."

With that, Humphrey finished explaining.

Listening to the teachings of the highest-ranking civil servants present, these civilized servants nodded to show that they had learned.

"Oh, Sir Humphrey. You are so kind."

Bernard praised.

Sir Humphrey raised his glass again.

There is no matter in the Department of Administrative Services of the Ministry of Magic that is not under the control of Sir Humphrey Appleby, Baron of Glamorgan.

Therefore, due to Humphrey's rock-solid connections and abilities, the position of Secretary of State for Administrative Affairs was

Also known as the "political graveyard".

"What are you thinking about, Alan?"

Bernard looked at Alan Arnold Appleby with a more friendly look.

He looked like he was thinking about something.

"I'm trying to think of a way to convince my dad."

"Mr. Bernard, since we are so close to each other, I suggest you buy a few houses in Beijing."

Alan looked at Bernard eagerly.

Sir Humphrey buttoned his ears.

"I know Beijing, but where is Shanghai?"

Humphrey raised his eyebrows again.

"Although I will send you to Winchester (Oxford High School) or Eton"

"But I still recommend that you make your own money to buy it. I won't pay for anything that's a thousand miles away."

Allen shook his head. He was just thinking, it's 1990 AD. In the not-too-distant future, if my father uses one year's salary to buy stocks in Tencent, Alibaba, and Moutai, as well as houses in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, how much money will he make in the future.

Allen gently wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth to prevent it from dripping on his book.