As Severus had expected, the person Dumbledore brought him to meet was none other than the Minister for Magic herself, Millicent Bagnold, who had just presided over the trial.

Severus harbored no particular ill will toward this politically astute yet seemingly disengaged Minister, who appeared to have little interest in addressing the Ministry's deep-rooted issues.

The hardships Sanguini and Worple would have faced without his intervention were symptomatic of broader problems within wizarding society.

The Ministry, after all, was merely a small government, and its flaws merely reflections of the prejudices ingrained in the Wizarding World.

Had Sanguini and Patty's story not been one of tragic romance, their very identities alone would have condemned them to discrimination and injustice.

Vampires were inherently deemed lesser beings, and a disabled Muggle was even worse.

It was precisely because wizarding society harbored such biases that the Ministry remained indifferent to marginalized groups.

And now, Severus had managed to leverage public sentiment to alter their fate… but only because people loved a dramatic, star-crossed love story.

The core issue of discrimination remained untouched, and it was far beyond the power of a soon-to-retire Minister like Bagnold to change.

If anything, during the trial, Bagnold had avoided pressing too hard on sensitive points, such as Sanguini and Worple's abduction of a minor, and had even raised her hand first in the final vote, which is an action that had indirectly aided Severus and his companions.

Thus, when Dumbledore led him into this private meeting, Severus still maintained due courtesy.

"Thank you for your vote today, Minister Bagnold."

After sitting down on the sofa in the Minister's office, Severus took the initiative to express his gratitude.

Compared to her authoritative courtroom demeanor, the current Bagnold appeared far more approachable.

"No thanks are necessary, Professor Snape. As I said during the trial, you proved yourself. I merely made the right decision."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Bagnold cut straight to the chase.

"I asked Headmaster Dumbledore to arrange this meeting because there's a matter I'd like your assistance with."

Severus couldn't help but glance at Dumbledore, who was now happily sampling the Ministry's assortment of deserts.

'Of course. I knew this old man wouldn't let things end with just Sanguini's case. There had to be an insurance policy.'

"May I hear the details first?"

"I wonder if you have been paying attention to what is happening in Wales recently?"

"Wales?"

Severus recalled the news he had seen a few days earlier. During the days when he was on the run with Sanguini and Worple, the front pages were almost entirely occupied by their stories.

But when he first took Harry to Diagon Alley, he vaguely remembered that he seemed to have seen a report about Wales in the newspaper.

"Werewolves gathering in Wales?"

Hearing that Severus actually knew something about this, Bagnold's expression relaxed slightly.

"Exactly, it's those werewolves."

"At the beginning of this month, a wizard reported sightings of werewolves gathering near Denbighshire in Wales. The Ministry later sent Aurors to investigate, and they discovered that the assembled werewolves numbered over ten, with confirmed identities! They appeared to be members of some sort of organized group, led by someone, and were engaged in secret activities!"

"But before the Aurors could conduct a thorough investigation, the gathered werewolves somehow got wind of it and suddenly vanished."

Bagnold's expression was extremely grave.

No wonder she was treating this so seriously. Over ten werewolves gathering in an organized manner, and when you thought about it, this was far more serious than the Sanguini-Patty affair.

If mishandled, it could lead to large-scale violent attacks or even murders. As a Minister nearing retirement, she could very well see her reputation ruined at the last moment.

"The Aurors later increased their efforts and continued tracking them. Soon after, in North Yorkshire, England, they found more clues."

"Three wizarding families living there reported missing children! All under the age of eight, with the youngest only five. Shortly after, the Aurors detected traces of werewolves in the area, but they quickly lost the trail again!"

"By the time the Aurors found another lead on the werewolves, it was in Nottinghamshire a week later."

After hearing this, Severus, who had been listening attentively with no change in expression from beginning to end, couldn't help but interject.

"This time, the Aurors didn't actively pursue it, did they?"

Bagnold shook her head, confirming that the Aurors weren't that foolish.

"Scrimgeour has already begun suspecting that there's a problem within the Auror Office. The moment he received the news, he reported it to Crouch, who then came to me, wanting me to deploy forces outside the Aurors to deal with these werewolves. So, I asked Headmaster Dumbledore for help."

Dumbledore, who had remained silent until now, spoke up.

"I recommended Remus."

Hearing this name, which was not unfamiliar to either Severus or Ghost Snape, both of them were stunned for a moment.

Then, Severus's expression shifted slightly, while Ghost Snape's face darkened considerably.

"So it's Lupin... That makes sense. He really is the most suitable person for the job."

"Aside from myself and Dumbledore, no one else knows that Remus Lupin took on this task." Bagnold said solemnly, "At first, his mission went smoothly. He successfully infiltrated the werewolf group in Nottinghamshire and learned that they were indeed the ones who had kidnapped those three children."

"But three days ago, he completely lost contact with us! We have no idea whether he's safe or not."

"I can't trust the Aurors to investigate this. If word gets out, not only will we fail to uncover any leads, but it might also put Lupin in danger."

She looked directly into Severus's eyes, her tone earnest and grave as she made her request.

"Yesterday, Dumbledore suggested that I ask for your help with this matter. At the time, I was still hesitant. But after hearing your speech in court today, Professor Snape, you are someone we can trust!"

After she finished speaking, the office fell silent for a moment.

Of course, Severus didn't immediately agree.

He didn't harbor any particular dislike for this Minister, but he didn't have any strong fondness for her either.

This situation could easily escalate into something far more serious, something life-threatening for Bagnold.

To say that Severus was now her lifeline might be exaggerating the severity, but if he refused, she truly had no better alternatives.

So, the current situation was that the Minister was pleading for his help.

Under the gaze of the Minister for Magic and the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the two most powerful figures in British Wizarding World, Severus leisurely picked up his teacup and took a sip.

When dealing with requests from political figures, one naturally had to respond in a political manner.

As he set the cup back on its saucer, he asked calmly:

"If the Aurors can't be involved, and it's up to me to investigate… what can the Ministry offer in return?"