"Then many people in black robes arrived. It was like a graveyard—eerie tombstones everywhere. Voldemort stood there, casting spells on them... the Cruciatus Curse, one after another. They knelt on the ground, calling him Master..."
Harry took a deep breath and continued:
"He said so much, constantly accusing them of not being loyal to him, of not going to Azkaban, of not searching for his soul fragments... I heard him call out names—Lucius, Macnair, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott..."
"Those damned—" Sirius cursed under his breath, but Dumbledore signaled him to remain silent.
"He also said some were absent—that traitors must die..."
Harry stood there, seemingly struggling to remember more. Just then, Professor Flitwick hurried over.
"Albus! You're all here! Alastor's been taken to the hospital wing—poor old fellow, he'd been locked in a trunk in his own office this whole time. I just received word that Cornelius Fudge is heading to the school—should arrive any moment. Thought you should know, Albus!"
But it was already too late.
Someone was shouting from the direction of the Quidditch pitch, running quickly toward the castle.
"Most regrettable, but unavoidable, Minerva—" Cornelius Fudge called out loudly.
"You absolutely shouldn't have brought it into the school!" Professor McGonagall shouted back.
"If Dumbledore discovers—"
"What's happened?" Dumbledore asked sternly, looking between Fudge and Professor McGonagall. "Why are you here? Minerva, you truly surprise me—I asked you to guard Avery—"
"There's no need to guard him anymore, Dumbledore!" she shrieked. "The Minister ensured that! He brought a Dementor to Avery—"
Orli had never seen Professor McGonagall so agitated. Her cheeks flushed with anger, her hands clenched into fists, her entire body trembling with rage.
"My dear woman!" Fudge roared—his own furious appearance was extremely rare. "As Minister for Magic, I have the right to decide whether I bring protection when meeting someone potentially dangerous—"
But Professor McGonagall's voice drowned out Fudge's.
"That thing—the moment it entered the maze," she pointed at Fudge, shaking all over, screaming, "it lunged straight at Avery, it—it—"
A chill spread through Orli's stomach. Avery must have suffered the same fate as Barty Crouch Jr.—the Dementor's Kiss.
"By all accounts, he got exactly what he deserved!" Fudge said aggressively. "He deliberately attacked and injured numerous Hogwarts staff and foreign guests!"
"But now he cannot testify, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. He stared sharply at Fudge, as if seeing him clearly for the first time. "He cannot provide evidence explaining why he did all this."
"Why he did it? Isn't it bloody obvious!" Fudge snapped in exasperation. "He was a madman, a blood purist, completely deranged! From what I understand, he believed everything he did followed You-Know-Who's orders!"
"Voldemort truly was giving him orders, Cornelius," Dumbledore said quietly. "That plan succeeded. Voldemort has just regained his physical form."
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