New chapter! Thanks for all the support!
x
"You are saying Sirius Black was framed?"
Fudge sat trembling in the Headmaster's office and listened to everyone's account. As he wiped the sweat from his forehead, he could not help glancing toward Sirius. "But this is too unbelievable."
"If he was framed, why did he not defend himself when he was arrested?"
Facing Fudge's doubt, Dumbledore explained, "Cornelius, Sirius willingly entered Azkaban because he wanted to atone."
Unfortunately, even when Dumbledore spoke for Sirius, Fudge pushed back carefully but firmly.
"Albus, you have never sat in the Minister for Magic's position, so you do not understand. I cannot consider this matter for him alone. Reopening the case is very complicated. A wrongful judgment lasting twelve years would be a tremendous challenge to the Ministry's credibility. The public would be deeply disappointed in the Ministry of Magic."
Although Fudge did not explicitly refuse, every line was filled with unwillingness.
He was only one step away from saying it plainly: This has nothing to do with me. Do not come to me.
What a joke. Recently, dealing with the Dementors had already left him overwhelmed, and public support had nearly fallen to the lowest point in history. Because of this, he had been running to Dumbledore every day for advice. Now they wanted him to clear the name of the "vicious criminal" Black? Was that not looking for trouble? If handled poorly, even his position as Minister for Magic might become unstable.
More than one high-ranking official in the Ministry was eyeing his position. No one disliked standing at the peak of power.
Compared with fairness and justice, Fudge cared more about keeping his office. As long as he could keep the Minister's position, he could turn against anyone, including Dumbledore.
Rather than reopen Sirius's case, he would prefer to arrest Sirius directly and use that to report success. At least that might recover some pitiful support.
If it had not been rather difficult, he would have done so already.
'Even without this matter, the public is already basically disappointed in the Ministry.'
In the years Fudge had been in office, how many useful policies had the British Ministry of Magic issued?
The answer was zero.
The three things most wizards did most often in daily life were: eat, sleep, and curse the Ministry.
Fudge's behavior left Dumbledore somewhat helpless. The Minister wanted to listen to his opinions, yet also guarded against him. Dumbledore truly did not know what to say.
If Fudge insisted on arresting Sirius, that would be rather troublesome.
Because of personal reasons, Dumbledore had been away from the center of power for too long. His old friends, such as Nicolas Flamel, had passed away one after another in recent years. Among the powerful wizards still alive today, perhaps only the one in the tower remained.
And Dumbledore might never meet the one in that tower again in this lifetime.
Harry felt somewhat angry. Although he did not especially like Sirius, he wanted even more for Peter to receive the punishment he deserved. He could not understand why something so obvious had to be dragged back and forth by the Minister for Magic. But Harry had no way to solve it, so he could only look toward Dudley.
Sensing Harry's gaze, Dudley, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"Mr. Fudge, the order to arrest Sirius back then should not have come from you."
"Oh, yes, Mr. Dursley," Fudge said, slightly stunned, then nodded.
If Fudge was guarded toward Dumbledore, then his tone toward Dudley was much better.
At present, the relationship between the two of them could barely be considered a partnership.
Dudley walked slowly to Fudge's side. He was a full head taller than the short, stocky Minister.
"Then what are you worried about?"
Dudley spoke softly. "I think the story should go like this."
"The wise and mighty Minister for Magic, Mr. Fudge, shortly after taking office, relied on his extraordinary natural intuition to discover that Sirius Black's case had complications. In order to uncover the truth, and in order to ensure that not a single wizard suffered injustice, he secretly investigated alone. Finally, through his unremitting efforts, he discovered a shocking secret."
His story immediately caught Fudge's attention. Dudley's tone was full of temptation and guidance. As he narrated, Fudge's breathing became heavier.
"The vicious criminal Sirius Black was actually innocent."
"Minister Fudge is an upright and kind wizard. In his eyes, not a single wrongful conviction can be tolerated."
"This was the previous Minister for Magic's dereliction of duty, but Minister Fudge is willing to shoulder the responsibility alone and apologize to the public on behalf of the Ministry."
The previous Minister for Magic, Millicent Bagnold, had been retired for a long time. If one did not throw blame onto someone already removed from the center of power, when else would one do it?
Blaming one's predecessor and then stepping on them to rise higher was a quality every outstanding politician should possess.
With every sentence, Fudge's eyes grew brighter. Dudley knew that only the final push remained.
He bent down and whispered beside Fudge's ear, "Because of the Dementors, your reputation is already very low. If you do not think of a way out, your position may become unstable. As far as I know, Mr. Barty Crouch has reflected deeply after losing to you last time, and he has already won over many supporters."
"For your loyal allies, this is not good news."
"We hope you can continue serving as Minister for Magic. That is what best serves our interests."
Since they had already gone this far, if Fudge still did not understand, then they really would have to consider replacing him. A person could be stupid, but not too stupid.
"You are a smart man. You should know what to do."
After Dudley finished speaking, he sat back down.
Fudge used his not particularly developed brain to think for a moment, and discovered that this plan was extremely perfect. Not only could it reverse his current predicament, but it might even raise his approval to its peak.
In particular, Dudley's final phrase, "smart man," made Fudge feel greatly pleased.
Yes. He had always felt that he was excellent. Otherwise, why was he the Minister for Magic instead of someone else?
"This... this... Regarding Mr. Black's experience, I express my deepest regret. Regarding Peter Pettigrew's vile acts, I express my deepest hatred. Please rest assured, everyone. The Ministry of Magic will absolutely not wrong a good person, nor will it let any bad person go free."
As if under the Imperius Curse, Fudge's tone made a complete turn. He abandoned his earlier hesitation and said righteously, "We will certainly give everyone justice."
Fudge's words nearly made everyone else's jaws drop.
Sirius, Lupin, Harry, Hermione, and the others all looked at him strangely. Fudge, however, remained unmoved. There was not even a trace of redness on his wrinkled face. Thick skin was a quality every outstanding Minister for Magic should possess.
Dudley sat in his seat with a normal expression, as if he knew nothing. Dumbledore looked at Dudley with a smile, no one knowing what he was thinking.
x
x
x
If you're enjoying the story so far, consider supporting me on Patreon ❤️
You'll get weekly early access to chapters, along with some exclusive content:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheDevotedReader