https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1581-A-War-Without-Victors-Thirty-One-/12529299/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1583-A-War-Without-Victors-Thirty-Three-/12529301/
Chapter 1582: A War with No Victors (XXXII)
Chapter 1582: A War with No Victors (XXXII)
As the gavel, known as the Hammer of Judgment, came down with a heavy thud, formally announcing Umbridge's sentence, a handful of the Wizengamot members who had participated in the trial slowly began to realize what had transpired.
Something was amiss with this trial! For all the despicable things Umbridge had done, dying a few times would not have been an excessive punishment, yet she had just been sentenced to life imprisonment?
While this was currently the harshest sentence possible, it might not satisfy everyone.
No, it was safe to say that this verdict would leave everyone dissatisfied, especially once the news was officially published in the Prophet. Who knew what kind of reaction it would stir in the British magical community?
But why would Kingsley do something so unpopular? Was it sheer stupidity, or...
Many eyes turned to the two people seated in the chief position.
If this was what Kingsley wanted, then the unlucky one would be... Their gazes shifted to the side, landing on the Wizarding Law Enforcement Chief, seated next to Kingsley.
He was a pure-blood wizard from an illustrious family, placed in that position by certain individuals with ulterior motives, as a means to keep Kingsley in check.
Kingsley's appointment as Minister was temporary, but this Law Enforcement Chief was not. Moreover, the entire trial had been presided over by this individual, after all, Kingsley was only an interim Minister, and in a sense, he wasn't truly qualified to sit in judgment. His presence here was more of a witness.
"This trial was a setup from the start, meant to push that unlucky Enforcement Chief out, wasn't it?" Bade asked, turning to Albert with a puzzled look.
"Kingsley isn't foolish," Albert replied ambiguously. "In fact, he's quite clever."
"I thought you didn't like political maneuvering," Bade mumbled, greeting a colleague who had approached them. It was clear that many members of the Wizengamot had been bewildered by the previous trial, but their rich experience had alerted them to the irregularities.
"What exactly are they up to?"
"This isn't the place to discuss it," Bade said with a smile, gesturing to Albert. "Shall we?"
"You know I have a lot on my plate," Albert said, bidding farewell to the others and leaving on his own.
"Let's go, we'll find another place."
After leaving the Ministry, Bade and his group gathered to discuss the day's trial, a rare occurrence. They couldn't understand why Kingsley would take such a risk.
But as they had expected, when Umbridge's crimes were laid bare in the newspaper before the wizarding public, almost everyone was dissatisfied with the Ministry's final judgment. They couldn't accept that Umbridge, who had done so many terrible things and caused the deaths of so many innocent people, had only been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Especially those who had suffered torture and persecution felt that Umbridge didn't deserve such mercy.
After all, countless innocent Muggle-born wizards had been wrongfully convicted and sent to Azkaban because of her, and many had not survived the cruel treatment.
However, no matter how angry people were, the verdict of the Wizengamot could not be altered. Umbridge's fate had been decided the moment the Hammer of Judgment fell.
This directly led to the anger that couldn't be vented, turning into a terrifying fury that could no longer be suppressed, and the incident they had feared occurred on the third night.
Kingsley had been working late at the Ministry when he suddenly received an urgent message: his house was gone.
It had been burned to the ground.
Rushing to the scene with a team of Aurors, Kingsley beheld the smoldering ruins and the unmistakable Dark Mark floating above the house.
Staring at his home consumed by fire, Kingsley's face remained impassive, and everyone knew that this was the work of disgruntled supporters.
Just as Albert had said, people wanted Umbridge dead, and the Ministry had let her live.
Fortunately, Kingsley had anticipated this, and looking up at the flames and the Dark Mark hovering above the house, he attributed the incident to Death Eater retaliation.
News of the attack on the Minister of Magic soon spread through the newspapers, and despite the Dark Mark at the scene, many didn't believe that Death Eaters were responsible.
Those cowardly rats wouldn't dare show their faces at a time like this, would they? "That's the fury of the victims," Lee Jordan declared without hesitation on the Wizarding Wireless Network, bringing up the trial of Umbridge and positioning Kingsley as an innocent victim.
After all, according to Ministry regulations, Kingsley, who was not yet the Minister of Magic, had only been present at the trial as a witness. Even if he wanted to sentence Umbridge to death, he didn't have the authority to do so.
Therefore, it was obvious who should bear the brunt of the public's anger.
Adding to this was the situation with the Law Enforcement Chief. Anyone with half a brain could see that certain individuals wanted to reveal an "inside story."
This cunning maneuver caused the attitudes of some pure-blood wizarding families, who had been secretly hindering Kingsley, to explode. They realized that they had been pushed to the forefront without their knowledge.
Going against the wishes of the wizarding public was never a good idea, especially when they were fully exposed to the scrutiny of their peers. The situation was now much worse.
Most wizards were easily influenced and wouldn't bother to consider the reasons behind events. Instead, they were swayed by the emotions of the crowd, and they tended to follow the popular opinion.
"So, it was your idea to advise Kingsley on this course of action?"
"Of course not," Albert denied any involvement. "I merely gave him a reminder, telling him that people wouldn't be happy to see the deeply despised Umbridge survive. But he told me that the laws established by the Ministry were difficult to modify, and as a temporary minister, he didn't have the authority to do so."
"Isn't he worried about the situation spiraling out of control?" Fred was astonished.
"That's politics for you," Albert said meaningfully. "Politicians are adept at political maneuvering, but they're not necessarily concerned about the consequences. In their eyes, it's not the primary issue that needs to be addressed."
And so, it was the unfortunate Law Enforcement Chief who bore the brunt.
His disappearance shocked the entire Ministry, and even though the interim Minister attributed it to Death Eater retaliation, few were willing to believe this excuse.
Even with the presence of the Dark Mark during the burning of the Minister's house as evidence of the Death Eaters' involvement, people weren't convinced.
The Aurors worked through the night, and after a few days, they finally located the "Death Eaters' " hideout, defeated the hidden Dark Wizards, and found the Law Enforcement Chief in the dungeons, tortured beyond recognition by the Cruciatus Curse.
In response, Kingsley hastily convened a press conference, vowing to crack down on the Death Eaters with righteous indignation.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
