Chapter 152: Cornelius Fudge
Chapter 152: Cornelius Fudge
Professor McGonagall must have used Apparition to fetch the Weasley couple, as they arrived quickly.
Hedwig stood by the window, watching as the group braved the pouring rain and trudged through the muddy grounds towards the castle.
"Filch is going to be furious," Hedwig suddenly thought.
These days, whenever students ventured outside, they would track mud and dirt into the school, making a mess everywhere.
Filch detested this, as it meant he had to clean it up (the house-elves only cleaned the castle at night).
Under Filch's loud scolding and threats of detention, the number of students dashing out into the rain had decreased significantly.
Soon after, another group approached, led by Hagrid. They held their wands high, as if holding an invisible umbrella, repelling the rain.
"Hedwig..." Ron asked hesitantly, "Do you know why they say Peter... Peter Pettigrew is the Secret-Keeper?
"Peter faked his death eleven years ago, and Sirius Black was imprisoned," Hedwig said. "During that time, something major happened that the whole wizarding world knows about..."
"The fall of the Dark Lord... Harry's parents' deaths..." Ron mumbled. "So... they're saying the betrayal was..."
"You two, come in." Lupin opened the door and said, "The interrogation is over, and the Ministry officials will be here soon."
When Hedwig and Ron entered, they saw Peter Pettigrew securely bound to a chair, looking dazed.
It was evident that he had been given Veritaserum again.
Snape glared at Peter with eyes as cold as a serpent's, his face filled with deep-seated hatred.
Ron only glanced at him before quickly averting his eyes.
As they entered, Snape turned his gaze to Lupin, his expression still filled with loathing.
Hedwig sighed inwardly.
The complex web of grudges and grievances from the original plot, spanning over a decade, could not be adequately conveyed in a few brief sentences. Regarding the rights and wrongs of the past, Hedwig, as an outsider, could only speculate and not pass judgment.
When capturing Peter Pettigrew, Hedwig had considered seeking Snape's assistance but ultimately decided against it.
The reason was simple.
Given Snape's intense hatred for the Marauders, if he had caught the true betrayer, Peter Pettigrew, he would have immediately sent him to his death with an Avada Kedavra, never giving Sirius a chance to be exonerated for his crimes.
To expect Snape to clear his enemy's name was laughable!
In his eyes, Sirius got what he deserved. He would have gladly sent Lupin to Azkaban as well, letting them reunite with the Dementors and enjoying each other's company until death.
Led by Professor McGonagall, the Weasley couple and several Ministry of Magic staff members entered the Headmaster's office one after the other.
At the forefront was a short, stout middle-aged man with disheveled gray hair. He wore a deep green coat and purple pointed-toe boots, his face a mixture of anxiety and solemnity.
"That's the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge," Ron whispered to Hedwig. "I've seen him before."
Ron and Hedwig were not in the same house, and their previous interactions could be described as acquaintances at best.
However, at that moment, with so many adults present, Ron seemed to subconsciously consider the two young wizards as a team, and he appeared more amicable towards Hedwig than usual.
"His sense of aesthetics is rather unique."
Hedwig, not one to shut people out, whispered back.
Bonding over their shared criticism of the Minister, Ron's father's boss, made Ron feel like they were in a clique. He noticed an Auror glancing their way and closed his mouth, moving closer to Hedwig.
"Ronnie!" Mrs. Weasley suddenly rushed over, hugging her son tightly before pulling back to scrutinize him up and down.
"I never imagined... I never thought the stray mouse we took in would be an Animagus... Did he do anything to you?"
Her enthusiasm embarrassed Ron, and he struggled free from his mother's embrace, shouting, "No, Mum, I'm fine!"
"Good evening, Cornelius, Arthur, Molly," Dumbledore said. "I assume Minerva has informed you of the situation."
"Yes... I've heard it all..."
Fudge did not approach Peter but stood at a distance, frowning at the disheveled man.
"Unbelievable... Truly unbelievable..." Fudge shook his head. "To think Peter is still alive! I felt great sorrow when I heard of his death... And yet, he didn't even show up when his mother passed away..."
"He's the one they call 'Wormtail'?" Arthur Weasley looked incredulous, his face pale. "Has he said anything? What was he doing hiding in our house?"
"Rest assured, Arthur," Dumbledore said. "Peter only sought to gather information about the wizarding world from your home. He did not act against the children in any way."
Only then did the Weasley couple relax a little.
An Auror stepped forward, examined Peter Pettigrew, and confirmed that he was not someone disguised by magic. He nodded to Fudge.
"In that case, I'll be taking this man into custody, Dumbledore."
Cornelius Fudge
"And Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," Fudge said, "well, and young Mr. Weasley, I expect you'll need to provide some information about Peter Pettigrew."
"Of course, Minister," Arthur Weasley readily agreed, waving his hand to signal Ron over.
Fudge noticed Ved standing beside them and asked, "And this young man is...?"
"This is Ravenclaw student Ved Grey, who captured Peter Pettigrew in his Animagus form as a rat," Professor McGonagall introduced.
"Oh?" Fudge's gaze sharpened. "And why were you trying to catch a rat?"
"I asked him to," Lupin said. "I used to be friends with Peter, and I'm very familiar with his Animagus form."
"If you need to know about the capture process, I'd be happy to provide details," Ved said politely.
That was the reason he had stayed.
"Oh, oh, we can discuss that later," Fudge didn't seem very interested. He stared at Lupin and asked, "You're not an illegal Animagus as well, are you?"
Snape suddenly let out a cold laugh.
Lupin's face twitched as he said vaguely, "No... I'm not."
Dumbledore nodded. "I can vouch for that."
Snape's expression turned ugly, and he glared at Lupin with loathing.
"Well, if you say so..." Fudge twirled his wand and asked, "Then why does Peter look like this? It seems he's been through some... hmm... less than legal interrogation..."
"Given the severity of this incident, we had to use Veritaserum to get him to tell the truth," Dumbledore explained.
Dumbledore took the blame for Lupin as well, saying, "Peter confessed that he was the Potters' true Secret-Keeper and that he leaked James and Lily's address to Voldemort..."
Fudge shuddered.
Ignoring his fear, Dumbledore continued calmly, "After Voldemort's disappearance, Peter became a true fugitive. He framed Sirius for the crime and, in full view of the public, killed a dozen Muggles with a curse before faking his own death..."
"Well, about that, we'll conduct a detailed investigation," Fudge said smoothly. "The Ministry of Magic must also fulfill its responsibilities. We can't just take your word for it, can we?"
"After all, you personally assured the Ministry of Magic that Sirius Black was the Potters' Secret-Keeper..." He added, "Now, if we're going to overturn that, the public might not accept it so easily. We need... hmm, more solid evidence."
Ved could tell that he wasn't expressing doubt about Dumbledore's words but was simply trying to avoid appearing like a puppet of the old headmaster.
However, it was only right for the Ministry of Magic to conduct another investigation, and Dumbledore naturally had no objections.
"Minister, just ask Peter, and you'll know that Sirius is innocent..." Lupin couldn't help but speak up.
"Hmph!" Snape suddenly sneered, "I can also assure you that Sirius Black showed a tendency to kill as early as sixteen! He once tried to kill me! Perhaps he colluded with Peter Pettigrew and later had a falling-out with his accomplice..."
He glared at Lupin, stopping short of revealing that Lupin was a werewolf due to Dumbledore's presence.
"Severus!" Lupin said angrily. "Sending an innocent man to Azkaban is not an act of justice!"
"Innocent?" Snape's lips curved in a mocking smile. "Sirius Black is far from innocent..."
"Now, now, gentlemen," Fudge interjected, "there's no need to argue. I assure you that the Ministry will conduct a thorough and serious investigation. We will not wrong any innocent person, nor will we let any evildoer go unpunished..."
His attitude calmed the two men down.
"Thank you, Minister," Snape said, his voice sounding like a snake hissing. "I'll await the outcome of the trial..."
It was as if he were saying that if the Ministry didn't give Peter and Sirius sufficient punishment, he would send them both to hell.
"Severus..."
Dumbledore sighed.
Snape didn't respond. He opened the door and strode out of the office.
Fudge then took his leave as well, and they departed with Peter Pettigrew, the Weasley couple, and Lupin in tow. Only two Aurors remained to take statements from Ved and Ron.
With Lupin now the nominal leader, Ved's responsibility as a "tool" was limited, and his involvement seemed less critical.
He briefly explained how he had caught the rat and his connection to Lupin, after which the female Auror indicated that he could leave.
In their eyes, a second-year student probably didn't know much.
Ron's questioning would take much longer.
Standing in the corridor, Ved opened his palm to the window light and examined the small rectangular piece of parchment.
On it, a tiny dot was slowly moving.
(End of Chapter)
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