Chapter 325: Dumbledore's Response
Chapter 325: Dumbledore's Response
News spreads quickly at Hogwarts.
On the day the Daily Prophet reported on Crouch, students began asking Sherlock about the authenticity of the news, and they received a positive confirmation.
The following day, after Fudge's statement was published, some students' wizard parents received letters from the school, confirming that Sherlock had acknowledged the truth of Crouch being kidnapped by Voldemort's Death Eaters.
However, due to Fudge's statement and the Daily Prophet's influence, this news only circulated among a small number of student parents, and even when it reached the outside world, it did not cause much of a stir.
Many people were puzzled by Crouch's account, wondering why Voldemort, after placing the Imperius Curse on Crouch, would instruct him to kill Sherlock rather than Harry Potter, who was a more obvious target. However, Sherlock's fame was still relatively minor, having only made headlines for a few days during the Basilisk threat at Hogwarts.
In this entire incident, only Dumbledore played a significant role.
Three days after Crouch's declaration of Voldemort's return through the Daily Prophet, a select few knew that Fudge privately used Floo Powder to speak with Dumbledore, who was at Hogwarts.
However, the outcome of this conversation was not to Fudge's satisfaction. It is said that he even smashed his favorite teacup in his office that afternoon.
That same evening, the Daily Prophet issued an emergency second edition of the day's paper.
The matter was so significant that it could not wait until the next morning.
The content of this special issue was simple, occupying only one page with a bold, oversized black headline:
[Albus Dumbledore Acknowledges the Truth of Crouch's Statement: "Dark Forces Have Never Truly Left Us."]
This report was an exclusive interview with Dumbledore by a Daily Prophet journalist. In it, Dumbledore detailed the various anomalies of the Triwizard Tournament and subtly mentioned that Sherlock was targeted by Voldemort because his mother had bravely attempted to assassinate Voldemort during his peak.
The article concluded that the Death Eaters, who once instilled white terror in the British magical community under Voldemort's leadership, were regrouping.
Two days prior, the editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet, who had been summoned to Fudge's office, had been leaning in one direction. However, after receiving a new stance and attitude from Dumbledore, it took less than two days for his stance to shift completely.
It was clear to anyone with insight that if only Crouch and Fudge were at odds over Voldemort's return, Fudge would have had the upper hand.
However, once Dumbledore publicly acknowledged Crouch's statements, the situation tilted entirely in their favor.
Dumbledore's personal authority, combined with Crouch's credibility from nearly two decades as a department head at the Ministry of Magic, far outweighed Fudge's position as a minister who had only recently consolidated power at the Ministry.
The entire Wizarding World's public opinion changed on this day.
The British magical community began to panic, with some wizards even signing a petition to purge those who bore the Dark Mark on their arms, regardless of how they had cleared their names in the past.
Fudge's personal reputation suffered a significant blow because of this. Over the years, he had managed to consolidate power by appointing loyalists to key positions. Otherwise, there might already be calls for an early ministerial election.
At Hogwarts, the students' attention was almost entirely focused on the recent events.
Through the interview with Dumbledore, they learned that Sherlock was actually the son of a hero and that he had already faced an attack before the first task of the Triwizard Tournament.
At this point, someone finally recalled the incident where Harry was chosen as the fourth champion for the year.
Considering what happened during the second task, more people began to believe that Harry's name being entered into the Goblet of Fire was not due to cheating but rather a plot against him.
In this environment, Sherlock sought out the Headmaster's Office to discuss the "plan" he had mentioned earlier.
Perhaps due to a specific order or because Sherlock was a frequent visitor, the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's Office opened the way for him without asking for the password, allowing him to enter.
As he ascended the spiral staircase to the eighth floor, he was about to knock on the door when he heard muffled voices from inside.
"Is this what you wanted to see, Dumbledore! The entire Wizarding World is in turmoil, and public trust in the government has hit rock bottom! Some people are even writing to the Ministry, asking if they should flee Britain!"
Sherlock wasn't very familiar with this voice, but after a moment's reflection, he recognized it as Fudge's.
Dumbledore's voice, as always, was calm and gentle, even in the face of Fudge's accusations.
"It's better that the panic happens now, rather than later when we are caught unprepared and the danger arrives unexpectedly."
"Do you really believe that madman Crouch's ramblings! He's senile, imagining things all day! Everyone knows that person died fourteen years ago!"
"You still can't bring yourself to say his name, Cornelius. In this, you fall short of your predecessor, who was the most capable Minister I've ever seen. She never shied away from using Voldemort's name..."
"I didn't come here to compare myself to anyone, Dumbledore!" Fudge's voice became sharp and raised. "I want to know if you are going to publicly announce that Crouch is a complete liar!"
Dumbledore's voice was soft, and Sherlock could imagine him shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, Cornelius, I cannot tell such a lie to the public."
"Do you know what you're doing, Dumbledore! Do you know!"
"I believe I am more aware of it than anyone else."
The conversation ended abruptly. Sherlock sighed lightly, not bothering to hide his presence, and pushed the door open.
Dumbledore sat there in deep thought, his eyes fixed on the fireplace where the embers had changed from a sickly green to a warm orange.
(End of Chapter)
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