Fudge recoiled as though someone had delivered a crushing blow to his face. He blinked in stunned confusion, gaping at Dumbledore as if he couldn't quite process what he'd just heard. When he finally spoke, his voice came out in stammers, his eyes never leaving Dumbledore's face.
"You-Know-Who... returned? Absolute rubbish. You can't be serious, Dumbledore..."
"We all heard Avery's full confession—how Voldemort orchestrated his plan, commanding him to infiltrate Hogwarts and find a way to capture or harm Harry. That plan succeeded. Avery has already aided Voldemort's return to power," Dumbledore stated with unwavering conviction.
"Now see here, Dumbledore," Fudge said, and incredibly, a twisted smile began to creep across his features. "You—you can't seriously believe any of this nonsense. You-Know-Who—returned? Don't be ridiculous... I'll grant you that Avery might think he was following You-Know-Who's orders—but how can you possibly take the ravings of a lunatic at face value, Dumbledore?"
"Tonight, at the very moment of Voldemort's resurrection, Harry witnessed everything through the connection forged by his scar," Dumbledore said with steel in his voice. "He saw Voldemort's return from death with his own eyes. You're welcome to accompany me to my office, where I'll explain everything in detail."
That grotesque smile lingered on Fudge's face. He shot a glance at Harry, then fixed his gaze back on Dumbledore.
"You're—well—you're prepared to take this boy's word as gospel, are you, Dumbledore?"
"I trust Harry completely," Dumbledore replied, his eyes now burning with intensity. "I've heard Avery's confession and Harry's account. Their testimonies align perfectly and explain every mysterious event since last summer's Quidditch World Cup."
Fudge maintained that unsettling smile. He glanced once more at Harry before responding:
"So you're ready to believe Voldemort has returned based on the delusions and fantasies of a deranged killer and a child..."
"What's more," he continued, his gaze shifting back to Dumbledore, "I've discovered you've been withholding certain information about this boy from your official reports. He's a Parselmouth, isn't he? His behavior is peculiar in every respect—"
"What exactly are you implying?" Dumbledore asked, his voice dropping to an icy whisper.
"Oh, there's so much more... including her!" Fudge's finger jabbed toward Orli:
"I've heard all about it—that prophecy—You-Know-Who's resurgence, the child who shouldn't exist—combined with the savior Harry Potter—it appears you've orchestrated quite the elaborate performance, scheming and plotting for years! Bravo, Dumbledore... you must have invested considerable effort into this charade..."
"From where I stand, you're all hell-bent on spreading terror and dismantling everything we've painstakingly built over these thirteen years!"
"Listen to me carefully, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, advancing a step toward Fudge. Once again, that indescribable, blazing power seemed to radiate from him like heat from a forge. "Harry is every bit as lucid and rational as you or I. The scar on his forehead hasn't scrambled his wits. As for Orli, had she not detected the warning signs early, tonight's catastrophe would have been far worse!"
Fudge stumbled back half a step, but his expression remained mulishly defiant.
"I'm sorry, Dumbledore—but this hardly constitutes evidence..."
"I saw Voldemort return!" Harry bellowed.
"I witnessed it myself! I saw the Death Eaters! I can name every one of them! Lucius Malfoy—"
"Malfoy was exonerated!" Fudge snapped, clearly affronted. "An ancient and noble family—generous benefactors to countless worthy causes—"
"MacNair!" Harry pressed on relentlessly.
"Also cleared! Currently employed by the Ministry!"
"Wormtail—Peter Pettigrew!" Harry shouted.
"He's dead! Lost at sea!"
"Nott—Crabbe—Goyle—"
"Enough!" Fudge barked furiously. "You'll find those very names in the old trial transcripts! For Merlin's sake, Dumbledore—his fabrications grow more preposterous by the minute, yet you swallow every word! This boy converses with serpents, Dumbledore, and you still consider him reliable?"
This pigheaded, willfully blind fool continued his desperate charade, absolutely refusing to acknowledge that his meticulously ordered, stable, comfortable world might crumble to dust—refusing to accept that Voldemort could possibly have returned.
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