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Chapter 689: If You Had Been More Cooperative Back Then, Would We Be in This Mess Now?
Chapter 689: If You Had Been More Cooperative Back Then, Would We Be in This Mess Now?
Facing the stern Enforcement Aurors, Crouch had no intention of resisting. Instead, he seemed relieved, extending his hands to let them shackle him. Even in this moment, he had the presence of mind to ask,
"So, you've finally come to your senses, Cornelius. Are you planning to arrest me on charges of abuse of power?"
"It's for the suspected murder of Bertha Jorkins! She's been missing for almost a year, and you were the last person to see her!" Fudge snapped.
Crouch's expression froze, and he looked at Fudge with a hint of disbelief. "I thought Dumbledore would have explained it to you. I only used a powerful Memory Charm on Bertha Jorkins. She then went to Romania. The Dark Lord..."
"The Dark Lord killed her?" Fudge finished Crouch's sentence before continuing, "Who knows if you're lying? I'd rather believe you're trying to pin everything on the Dark Lord!"
"By the way, there's a body here that's unrecognizable. I suspect it's Bertha Jorkins!" Fudge coldly instructed the Aurors to take the charred corpse with them.
Dumbledore watched Fudge and the Aurors with a hint of anger on his face. He realized he couldn't count on the Ministry of Magic's support.
"Ah! I almost forgot..." Fudge, leading the group to the door, suddenly remembered something and turned to Ivan. "Hals, if I'm not mistaken, you were at the scene when this body was discovered, right? So, you'll need to come with us to give a statement."
Ivan was amused by Fudge's words. He could see through Fudge's threat to make him a false witness, thereby framing Crouch for the murder of Bertha Jorkins.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be that he had just happened to discover the body, but that he had been involved in the murder with Crouch...
However, Ivan wasn't easily intimidated. He was well aware of his reputation in the Wizarding World, and with Dumbledore present, it wouldn't be easy for Fudge to pin a false charge on him. So, he retorted without hesitation,
"I think you need to brush up on your knowledge, Minister Fudge!"
"Barty Jr. died by suicide. You can verify this by using Priori Incantatem to check the wand he used. It has nothing to do with me or Mr. Crouch!"
"Furthermore, I must remind you, Minister, that even if the face is unrecognizable, experts can determine the age and gender of a person from their bones!
The differences in the pelvis are the most obvious. If you were to perform an autopsy on the deceased, you would immediately know that it's a male wizard, not Bertha Jorkins!
Muggle genetic technology can also help you confirm his identity. Just send the body for testing, and the Muggles will accurately tell you that this corpse is Mr. Crouch's son, Barty Jr.!"
Ivan's analysis was followed by a contemptuous look at Fudge. "Do you have any more questions you need me to answer?"
Fudge was speechless, unable to respond for a moment.
"Hals is right", Mad-Eye Moody chimed in. "I heard Crouch say that Aurors were present when he buried his son. They should be able to find the exact burial site. If you don't believe him, you can dig up the grave and verify it!"
"That was over a decade ago. Who would remember the exact location where the body was buried..." Fudge replied, shaking his head impatiently.
"If they happen to forget, my Pensieve can help them recall!" Dumbledore suddenly interjected, cutting off Fudge's last excuse.
However, this only succeeded in infuriating Fudge. He glanced at Dumbledore, then turned his gaze to Ivan, Mad-Eye Moody, and Harry, his expression growing increasingly grim.
"Very well... very well! It seems you are determined to oppose me, is that it?" Fudge said angrily.
"The only one I want to fight is Voldemort! If you're willing, finding the truth isn't that difficult, Cornelius", Dumbledore said gravely.
"I will have the matter investigated! The Ministry of Magic has a Pensieve; we don't need your help!" Fudge said through gritted teeth, then turned to Umbridge and the others.
"Let's go!"
The Aurors, relieved, didn't want to stay a moment longer. They quickly took Crouch and Barty Jr.'s bodies and followed.
Once this group left the Headmaster's Office, the room suddenly felt much emptier.
"Professor Dumbledore, are we just letting them take Mr. Crouch?" Ivan was worried that Fudge might order Barty's execution to cover up the truth, as there were precedents in the Time and Space.
"Don't worry, Hals. Barty will be fine", Dumbledore reassured him.
"If he had the nerve to kill Barty, he wouldn't be so afraid!" Mad-Eye Moody sneered.
Crouch's status was not ordinary; he was a Pureblood Wizard and the former Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, with many connections in the Ministry of Magic. Fudge would need a formal trial to convict him.
Thinking of this, Mad-Eye Moody looked at Dumbledore and asked abruptly, "Do you regret it, Albus?"
Dumbledore remained silent. He knew exactly what Mad-Eye Moody was asking. The current Minister of Magic, Fudge, was the one he had recommended...
"If you had readily accepted the position of Minister of Magic back then, there wouldn't be so many problems now", Mad-Eye Moody grumbled.
After the Wizarding War, the Ministry of Magic had sent emissaries to Hogwarts numerous times to ask Dumbledore to take the position of Minister of Magic, but he had always refused. As a result, Fudge was eventually chosen.
"Now is not the time to discuss this, Alastor!" Dumbledore didn't want to dwell on the topic and steered the conversation back to Harry, asking him to recount his experience in the dream.
Harry nodded, trying to remember as much as possible, and detailed everything he had seen through the snake's perspective.
Dumbledore pondered for a long time. When he heard that Voldemort planned to massacre an entire Muggle village to regain his strength, his expression became very serious.
"Do you think it's true?" Harry asked, anxious.
"It's possible. Some advanced Dark Magic rituals require a sacrifice of death", Dumbledore's brow furrowed. What concerned him more was how Voldemort had learned of Barty Jr.'s death...
(End of Chapter)
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