"J. K. Rowling - 06 Harry Potter and The half blood Prince" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rowling J. K)

strain of the election had caused him to go mad. He had been
utterly terrified to find a portrait talking to him, though this
had been nothing to how he had felt when a self-proclaimed
wizard had bounced out of the fireplace and shaken his hand.
He had remained speechless throughout Fudge's kindly
explanation that there were witches and wizards still living in
secret all over the world, and his reassurances that he was not
to bother his head about them as the Ministry of Magic took
responsibility for the whole wizarding community and prevented
the non-magical population from getting wind of
them. It was, said Fudge, a difficult job that encompassed
everything from regulations on responsible use of broomsticks
to keeping the dragon population under control (the Prime
Minister remembered clutching the desk for support at this
point). Fudge had then patted the shoulder of the still-dumbstruck
Prime Minister in a fatherly sort of way.

'Not to worry,' he had said, 'it's odds on you'll never see
me again. I'll only bother you if there's something really serious
going on our end, something that's likely to affect the
Muggles -the
non-magical population, I should say. Otherwise
it's live and let live. And I must say, you're taking it a lot
better than your predecessor. He tried to throw me out of the
window, thought I was a hoax planned by the opposition.'

At this, the Prime Minister had found his voice at last.

'You're -you're
not a hoax, then?'

It had been his last, desperate hope.

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'No,' said Fudge gently. 'No, I'm afraid I'm not. Look.'

And he had turned the Prime Minister's teacup into a
gerbil.

'But,' said the Prime Minister breathlessly, watching his
teacup chewing on the corner of his next speech, 'but why why
has nobody told me ?'

The Minister for Magic only reveals him or herself to the
Muggle Prime Minister of the day,' said Fudge, poking his
wand back inside his jacket. 'We find it the best way to maintain
secrecy.'