Chapter 328: Reversal
Chapter 328: Reversal
This was one of Fudge's staunch allies, the current head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones, who had been appointed to replace Crouch after Fudge took office.
"We have indeed made some discoveries, Minister."
Fudge steadied his breathing and spoke.
"Tell me the results directly."
"We investigated several employees in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement who had the closest ties to Crouch. In the end, we found a male wizard named Pierce in the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. His memory had been tampered with."
"Can you confirm it's related to Crouch?"
"At first, we just tried to restore his memory, but he later acted very unnaturally, as if he was reluctant to share the restored memories with us."
Fudge's face darkened, and his voice turned cold.
"So, why are you coming to me now?"
Amelia hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"I wanted to ask if we can take some... well, I mean..."
The more hesitant she was, the more impatient Fudge became.
"Do you remember what I told you before! Whatever means necessary! I want to know everything about Crouch! As long as no one else finds out, do you hear me! Whatever means necessary!"
Amelia bowed her head.
"I understand."
"You have thirty minutes. In thirty minutes, I expect the hidden memories of Pierce to be on my desk in the form of a report!"
"I will do as you wish."
In fact, it didn't take thirty minutes. Twenty-six minutes later, Fudge had a detailed report in his hands.
Looking at the memory obtained through absolutely forbidden means, Fudge's plump face broke into a smile tinged with surprise and relief.
The next morning.
Almost every British wizard received the Daily Prophet for the day.
Due to the recent string of major events, even those who had not subscribed to the newspaper for various reasons chose to do so now.
Without television, the internet, or mobile phones, the newspaper was the only way wizards could stay informed about current events and changes.
As soon as the newspaper arrived, every wizard who had the habit of reading it during breakfast forgot about the cold bread and sausages in front of them.
They stared intently at the front-page news, reading it over and over with wide eyes.
It didn't seem like a news article written by a journalist but rather an official announcement from the government.
The Ministry of Magic announced in a stern tone that it had uncovered evidence of the former head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and current head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Barty Crouch, abusing his position to cover up his son's escape from Azkaban.
Aurors had been dispatched to Azkaban Island the previous night to gather evidence. They found the nearly skeletal remains of the supposed "Barty Crouch Jr." and confirmed through magic that the deceased "Barty Crouch Jr." was actually Barty Crouch's wife, Cassie Crouch, who was claimed to have died of illness at home.
The grave of Cassie Crouch outside Azkaban was empty!
Preliminary investigations suggested that Barty Crouch used his position to swap his wife with his imprisoned son, thereby concealing the escape of his son, who was a notorious Death Eater.
It was also suspected that Barty Crouch had long been in league with his son, acting as a Death Eater mole within the Ministry of Magic, only becoming dormant after the Dark Lord's downfall.
If this were true, then his recent series of statements, exposing his kidnapping by the Death Eaters and the imminent return of the Dark Lord, were all just a ploy to deceive Dumbledore for his own selfish gains. He was trying to secure the position of Minister of Magic to secretly rescue the Death Eaters still imprisoned in Azkaban.
When today's Daily Prophet was released, the entire British Wizarding World erupted like a fire being doused with oil.
Wizards are not fools. They had already been criticizing Fudge for days, and they certainly wouldn't believe him now just based on his one-sided account.
The number of Howlers sent to the Minister's office increased, each one scolding Fudge for twisting the truth and engaging in political struggles even in such a critical situation, fabricating a story riddled with holes to try and bring down Crouch.
Even within the relatively stable Ministry of Magic, some voices began to rise, expressing strong dissatisfaction with Fudge's ability to lie with his eyes wide open.
After all, the era of Voldemort's white terror was not long past, and everyone remembered Crouch's contributions in fighting Voldemort. No one believed he could be a spy, nor that he would cover for his son.
If he truly wanted to cover for his son, he wouldn't have arrested him in the first place.
As the situation looked increasingly dire for Fudge, with calls for his resignation growing louder, the Wizarding court, the Wizengamot, convened a trial for the charges against Crouch.
To everyone's disbelief, in the courtroom, Crouch openly confessed to using his position to murder his wife and assist his son, who should have been serving a life sentence in Azkaban, in escaping.
The news had not yet reached the outside world, but even the Wizengamot members, dressed in their red robes, were stunned speechless.
As the Wizengamot's chief wizard, Dumbledore naturally attended the trial.
He stared at Crouch, who was shackled and seated in the center, head bowed, his expression hidden. Dumbledore's gaze was filled with weariness.
After Crouch admitted to his crimes, the courtroom fell silent, with only Fudge's smug smile breaking the stillness.
Dumbledore ignored Fudge's grin and rapped his gavel. He looked at Crouch and asked loudly,
"Barty Crouch, have you ever been a member of the Death Eaters?"
Crouch slowly raised his head. His face was expressionless, calm in a way that conveyed a sense of weariness.
"No."
"Have you ever used your position to provide any information to the Ministry of Magic to those who were loyal to Voldemort?"
When Dumbledore mentioned that name, everyone in the courtroom instinctively paled and trembled.
Only Crouch remained utterly calm.
"No."
"Have you ever used improper means to gain power or to secure a higher position?"
"No."
After these three questions, Dumbledore stood from his seat and left the courtroom. His deep, calm blue eyes now held a trace of barely suppressed anger.
Both he and Crouch, who was seated on the iron chair, were well aware.
The last three questions and answers would not appear in the next day's newspaper. The Daily Prophet would only report on Crouch's confession to aiding Barty Jr.'s escape.
(End of Chapter)
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