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Chapter 551: The Conclusion of Bartemius Crouch's Investigation
Chapter 551: The Conclusion of Bartemius Crouch's Investigation
Bartemius Crouch?
Kyle felt like he hadn't heard that name in over half a year.
Not long after the start of the school year, when Sirius Black was acquitted, Bartemius Crouch was criticized by the public for directly imprisoning Sirius in Azkaban without a trial.
To be fair, such actions were not uncommon at the time, and even Sirius himself agreed with that assessment… Kyle recalled that Sirius had even praised Crouch for his efforts.
Before Voldemort's downfall, Crouch advocated for harsher measures, granting the Aurors new powers.
They were no longer limited to arrests but were given the authority to kill and use the Unforgivable Curses on Death Eaters… Sirius was not the first person to be handed over to the Dementors without a trial.
This approach of meeting violence with violence made the Aurors as ruthless and merciless as many Death Eaters, and although it may not seem significant now, it did save many lives during those chaotic times.
Moreover, it was because of this that the Ministry of Magic was able to hold its ground against the Death Eaters for several years.
If it weren't for his son, Bartemius Crouch Jr., being exposed as a Death Eater, the Minister of Magic position would not have fallen to Cornelius Fudge.
Therefore, Sirius didn't hold a grudge against Crouch. He only wanted to regain his freedom to take care of Harry, rather than seeking to assign blame.
However, despite this, Crouch was still investigated for his mistake, on the grounds of suspected collusion with Peter Pettigrew and damaging the reputation of the Ministry.
The investigation lasted for half a year.
Kyle looked at the photo in the newspaper.
In just half a year, Bartemius Crouch seemed like a completely different person. His once neatly trimmed beard was now disheveled, and he appeared utterly dejected.
In contrast, Cornelius Fudge in the photo exuded satisfaction and pride.
"He must be delighted that no one can compete with him for the Minister's position..." Kyle muttered to himself.
But Kyle didn't care about these matters.
He continued reading the newspaper.
The investigation into Crouch didn't uncover any substantial evidence proving his connection with the Death Eaters.
Therefore, after the investigation concluded, he could still work at the Ministry of Magic and retained his position as a Department Head.
The only difference was that he was transferred from the International Magical Cooperation Department to the Magical Transportation Department.
This was probably the most peripheral department in the Ministry, only slightly better than the Magical Sports Department.
Of course, the importance of the Magical Transportation Department shouldn't be underestimated; it's just a matter of comparison.
If given a choice between the two, no one would ever choose the latter.
Additionally, apart from Crouch, all the other investigated individuals were also reassigned to more peripheral departments, such as the Magical Sports Department.
Ludo Bagman must be thrilled, as it was the first time so many people were assigned to his department.
However, the Ministry of Magic didn't seem keen on publicizing this matter. Normally, such important news would be on the front page, but this time, it was relegated to the back, in an inconspicuous corner, with most of the content glossed over, focusing only on the outcome.
...
"This must be Fudge's doing."
During the first period of Defense Against the Dark Arts class in the morning, Sirius Black stood next to Kyle and spoke in a hushed tone.
Perhaps due to Crouch's situation, Professor Moody had taken a leave of absence, so until his return, the fifth-year Defense Against the Dark Arts class was temporarily taught by Sirius Black.
He asked the students to review the Iron Body Spell they had learned before and then moved to stand next to Kyle, discussing the content of the newspaper.
“It must be Fudge,” Sirius said with certainty. “He's the type of person who loves power and is taking this opportunity to remove those who support Crouch from their important positions.”
“Have you noticed that almost all those under investigation are from the International Magical Cooperation Department and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?”
“Although there are some in other departments who are also involved and strongly support Crouch, they haven't been affected at all.”
“Do I even need to say it?” Kyle said, “Apart from the Minister of Magic, no one else could possibly move so many people, even with a valid reason.”
“I don't like Fudge,” Sirius said, looking around and lowering his voice again, “I owe my freedom to him, but I just don't like him. He's too obsessed with power.”
“And he's hinted more than once that he wants me to do more interviews with the Daily Prophet, emphasizing how I was acquitted.”
“It's clear he wants to establish an image of fairness and seriousness,” Kyle said, “Fudge was the interrogator during the retrial, so it's impossible to avoid mentioning him whenever the retrial is brought up.”
“Exactly.”
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Sirius, feeling a bit agitated, said, “I've already done three interviews, but he keeps sending owls with messages... It's like he wants me to cry about my experiences in the Daily Prophet every day.”
“Who can blame you for being portrayed as a tragic hero?” Kyle said with a laugh, “He's definitely trying to use this opportunity to promote himself.”
“That's true,” Sirius nodded, “I really don't want to keep repeating the same old story. I just want to find an excuse to avoid it, and that's why I came to Hogwarts.”
“I never thought Dumbledore would agree to let me be a professor here... To be honest, I should thank Fudge again. It's because he's so annoying that I got the chance to teach here.”
Kyle looked at Sirius, who was in high spirits, and didn't know what to say. Well, in his opinion, Dumbledore was the one who should be most grateful to Fudge.
Dumbledore's biggest headache every year was finding a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. When someone volunteered, he certainly wouldn't refuse.
But from Sirius' expression, he didn't seem to mind.
To avoid attracting too much attention, Sirius moved to another location to guide those who hadn't yet mastered the Iron Body Spell.
After a few months without practice, some had almost forgotten the spell.
Sirius circled around and only returned to Kyle's side just before the end of class.
“I wonder what the Ministry will be like in the future,” Sirius said, looking out the window, “Fudge is very clever, but his personality... Well, never mind. After all, I regained my freedom because of him.”
He suddenly sighed, “Without Crouch's constraints, Fudge no longer has to worry about anyone threatening his position as Minister. Honestly, this isn't a good thing for the Ministry.”
“What about Professor Dumbledore?” Cona asked from the side, “People say he trusts Professor Dumbledore a lot, and whenever he encounters difficulties, he comes to Hogwarts to seek the Headmaster's advice.”
“Yes... And there's also Dumbledore,” Sirius said, but his tone was reluctant.
He wasn't clear about the situation in previous years, but this year, since he became a professor, Fudge hadn't contacted Dumbledore at all.
...
(End of Chapter)
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