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Chapter 722: Fudge, Terrified
Chapter 722: Fudge, Terrified
Kyle had expected to be taken to Number 12, Grimmauld Place, but to his surprise, Fox ultimately led him to the second floor of the Ministry of Magic, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Even before Kyle's arrival, the place was already bustling with familiar faces.
Chris, Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Auror Kingsley, Tonks...
And, of course, Dumbledore.
As Kyle approached, Dumbledore was bent over, a warm, yellow light reflecting off the walls on either side of the corridor, flickering softly.
"Fox is back!" someone exclaimed.
The group turned simultaneously.
"Kyle?" Fred rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things.
"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at St. Mungo's?"
No one answered Fred's question, as the crowd instinctively parted, allowing Kyle a clear view of the situation ahead.
The floor was covered in blood, with an eerie purple hue.
Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, lay in a pool of it, her breath faint.
Dumbledore held his wand against her body, and the warm, glowing light Kyle had seen earlier was emanating from its tip.
In an instant, Kyle understood why Fox had brought him here.
"Is it here?" Kyle asked, disregarding the dizziness he felt.
"It's urgent. She can't be moved at the moment," Dumbledore replied swiftly. "You must hurry, Fudge is already on the seventh floor."
"Okay." Kyle nodded and immediately opened the box.
"Wait... wait..." a faint voice interrupted.
It was Amelia, struggling to open her eyes, but this simple action seemed to exhaust all her energy.
"Death Eaters... attacked... the Ministry..." Amelia spoke in gasps, "Tell the Aurors... to be careful... don't... be alone..."
She seemed to want to convey something important, but her voice grew softer.
"Hurry up!" Dumbledore urged. "Mr. Weasley, Fudge is almost here..."
Although Dumbledore was vague, Fred and George immediately grasped his meaning and nodded, sprinting towards the corner of the corridor.
Kyle's box was already open.
"Turn around!" Chris said sternly.
Out of trust, everyone, including Chris, turned towards the wall. However, as Chris turned, he waved his wand and conjured a mirror on the ceiling.
"...Oh, Mr. Minister, you're here!"
"It's terrible, you must prepare yourself... truly, I dare not look."
Fred and George's voices carried from a distance.
"Merlin's beard, what happened here!" Fudge's voice trembled, unable to hide his panic.
"I can barely recall, you'll see for yourself."
"Slow down, Minister, watch your step, don't trip."
"Move aside, you two, don't block the way." This was Scrimgeour.
He quickened his pace, appearing at the end of the corridor, followed by Fudge's rotund form.
Fred and George brought up the rear.
At that moment, they flanked Fudge, their hands outstretched as if afraid he would stumble and fall—a gesture that made them look like sycophants.
"Oh!" Fudge exclaimed, upon seeing the scene in the corridor. He clutched his chest. "Is that Amelia?"
"I believe so," Scrimgeour said gravely, striding forward.
"She's been petrified."
Scrimgeour brandished his wand, tapping Amelia's ashen skin. "Ennervate..."
"Relashio!"
"Revelio!"
He tried several spells in quick succession, but Amelia Bones showed no signs of recovery.
"Highly advanced Dark Magic," Scrimgeour remarked, glancing at the purple-tinged blood on the floor. "But fortunate that petrification preserved her life."
He turned to Kingsley and Tonks in the crowd, his expression grave. "Tell me, what transpired here?"
"A Death Eater attack," Kingsley stated. "Just ten minutes ago, right here in the Ministry."
"They were initially headed for the first floor, but when they shared the elevator with Bones, she saw through their disguises, so they changed their target."
Upon hearing that the Death Eaters' target had been the first floor, Fudge, standing nearby, shuddered.
The first floor housed the Minister's office.
The Death Eaters' target had been him!
Fudge felt a chill run through him. If not for Amelia sharing the elevator, he might have been the one lying on the floor.
Fudge's legs felt weak, and he leaned against the wall for support.
However, no one around him noticed the Minister's poor performance.
After hearing the Aurors' explanation, Scrimgeour flew into a rage.
"What were you lot doing? Why wasn't a single Auror present when such a significant event occurred?"
"I don't want to make excuses." Kingsley shook his head. "We rushed over as soon as we heard the commotion, but by then, the Death Eaters had already fled."
"More than one Death Eater, then?" Fudge asked, his voice shaking.
However, Scrimgeour didn't seem overly surprised.
Amelia Bones hadn't risen to the position of Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement through flattery alone; her abilities were also formidable.
In a one-on-one situation, it was highly unlikely that the Death Eaters could have defeated her in such a short time.
Unless they had the numbers.
But Scrimgeour couldn't fathom how the Death Eaters had infiltrated the Ministry. Every corridor and passage was under strict surveillance, especially the corridor with the fireplaces, which was equipped with two large surveillance mirrors. Logically, it should have been impossible for anyone to sneak in unnoticed.
Yet, three Death Eaters had appeared out of thin air, and they had received no prior warning.
Scrimgeour felt a stinging sensation on his face, as if he had been slapped hard.
"I think we need to pay a visit to the Department of Magical Transportation," Tonks said. "I suspect someone there might be aiding them."
"Then what are you waiting for?" Scrimgeour roared, his temper flaring.
After Kingsley and Tonks left, Scrimgeour used his wand to levitate the petrified Amelia off the floor. "Minister, I need to get her to St. Mungo's immediately. Please step aside."
"Yes, yes, of course, to St. Mungo's," Fudge stammered, trying to press himself further against the wall.
The attack on Amelia Bones within the Ministry seemed to have unnerved him completely.
"Thank you," Scrimgeour said, frowning at Fudge's demeanor but not commenting further. With Amelia floating before him, he began to make his way towards the lift.
Fudge hesitated for a moment before hurrying after him.
"Wait, Rufus, I'll come with you," he said.
Perhaps, in Fudge's eyes, the safest place to be was by the side of the Head of the Auror Office. Without hesitation, he followed Scrimgeour.
As for what others might think... Well, it was only natural for the Minister to be concerned about an assaulted colleague, wasn't it? And personal safety trumped all other considerations.
Once they had left, Dumbledore and Kyle emerged from an office adjacent to the corridor.
Just a second before Scrimgeour had arrived, Dumbledore had pulled Kyle into the office to hide.
"We shouldn't be here right now," Dumbledore explained. "Neither of us should be seen in the Ministry."
However, Kyle suspected that Dumbledore simply wanted to avoid being entangled with Fudge or anyone else.
Of course, he didn't voice this thought.
"But, Professor, what is going on?" Kyle asked, still confused about the attack on Amelia Bones and why Dumbledore had been at the Ministry in the first place.
Before Dumbledore could answer, Chris whispered, "Someone's coming."
Though his reminder was unnecessary, as they could all hear the rapid footsteps approaching. It seemed that word of the incident had spread, and a group of Ministry members were now arriving to assess the situation.
"This is not the place to linger," Dumbledore said, grasping Kyle's arm. "Come with me."
Kyle felt himself being spun around, and when he regained his bearings, he found himself in the entrance hall of Number 12, Grimmauld Place, facing the portrait of Phineas Nigellus.
However, at that moment, he was still in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts, with only an empty picture frame before him.
"Who's there!"
Mrs. Weasley burst out of a room, wand at the ready.
"Dumbledore, Kyle? What are you doing here?"
"It's a long story, Molly," Dumbledore explained. "Could I trouble you for a cup of tea? And perhaps some extra sugar, if you have it."
"Oh, certainly, I'll go prepare it right away," Mrs. Weasley said, disappearing into the kitchen.
Dumbledore and Kyle followed her inside.
"You must be wondering why I was at the Ministry," Dumbledore said.
Kyle nodded. Fox had only told him that they needed a Horcrux and then brought him away.
"It's because I received word that the Death Eaters were planning to make a move against someone in the Ministry to strike fear into the hearts of the wizarding world," Dumbledore explained.
Dumbledore sat down in a chair by the dining table. "I assumed their target would be Fudge... and indeed, it was. There is little that strikes more fear into people's hearts than the murder of a Minister. But I never anticipated such a drastic turn of events."
"The Death Eaters' disguises were seen through by Ms. Bones?" Kyle asked.
"Yes," Dumbledore confirmed. "In fact, most of what the Death Eaters said was true. Though I rushed there as quickly as I could, I was still too late."
Dumbledore's tone was complex. "Amelia has always been a meticulous and cautious witch, with keen insight. This was evident even when she was a student."
"You're right, it was my oversight."
At that moment, Mrs. Weasley brought over a pot of tea and also handed Kyle a bottle of pumpkin juice.
"Amelia, what happened to her?"
"She was ambushed by Death Eaters and severely injured," Dumbledore said.
"Oh my, inside the Ministry?" Mrs. Weasley's voice trembled slightly. She had always thought that aside from Grimmauld Place and Hogwarts, the Ministry was the safest place.
Kyle glanced at Mrs. Weasley. The Death Eaters... or rather, Voldemort, probably wanted exactly this effect.
Ever since his resurgence, he hadn't made any significant moves, and the few attempts he had made had all ended in failure. But Voldemort was not one to stay low-key; he enjoyed seeing the look of fear on others' faces.
This time, he probably wanted to remind everyone of the fear they felt when they were under the control of the Dark Mark, over a decade ago.
Just as Dumbledore had said, killing the Minister of Magic under the protection of Aurors would be far more effective than killing some unknown wizard on the street.
"But Professor, won't they pursue her to St. Mungo's?" Kyle reminded him quietly. "There's a big difference between killing someone and injuring them severely."
"You don't have to worry, Sirius, Alastor, and Remus have already gone to St. Mungo's ahead of time," Dumbledore said calmly. "Remus even has the two-way mirror with him, so he can contact me at any time."
He took a sip of his tea and looked at Kyle, his expression becoming somewhat dazed.
"Professor, is something the matter?" Kyle asked.
"It's nothing, I just find it a bit peculiar." Dumbledore shook his head. "The Basilisk that Tom viewed as a killing weapon has now become the key to saving someone's life."
"You mentioned that before,"
"Did I?" Dumbledore looked surprised. "Did I say that?"
"At St. Mungo's," Kyle reminded him. "When we first used the Basilisk to stone that Dark wizard... erm, the one who was hit by the Killing Curse."
"Yes, but no matter how many times it happens, it still feels somewhat unbelievable, as if the Killing Curse suddenly turned into some sort of healing spell."
Dumbledore said softly, "By the way, you should remember the name Sturgis Podmore. He's also a member of the Order of the Phoenix."
"Sorry," Kyle spread his hands, he had truly forgotten.
"Professor, there's one more thing."
"Go ahead." Perhaps feeling that the tea had turned bitter, Dumbledore added three more sugar cubes to his cup.
"It's about the Department of Magical Transportation, they..."
"I can't answer that question for now, Kyle," Dumbledore interrupted him. "I'm not clear on the specifics either, and it requires further investigation.
"But I trust Barty, no matter what, I firmly believe that he would never collude with the Death Eaters."
"Yeah, I believe in him too."
Mrs. Weasley said from the side, "Arthur mentioned to me that Barty was a bit down for a period of time, but he quickly bounced back and started working on an improved system for the Floo Network.
"That's just how he is, meticulous and dedicated to his work, no matter where he is."
"Alright then." Seeing that both Dumbledore and Mrs. Weasley trusted Barty Crouch, Kyle didn't say anything further, merely reminding Dumbledore out of concern.
The Department of Magical Transportation usually didn't attract much attention, but during times of war, its importance was definitely not any less than the Auror Office.
However, Dumbledore should be aware of this, as he had experienced the wizarding world's most famous wars and had far more knowledge than Kyle.
Five minutes later, after finishing his tea, Dumbledore prepared to leave as he still had many things to do and couldn't afford to relax here.
"Do you need Fox to send you back to Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked before leaving.
"No, that's alright." Kyle shook his head repeatedly. "I can Apparate to Hogsmeade and then return to school from there."
"Alright." Dumbledore said, "Be careful not to be caught by Filch. According to the new school rules, the punishment for going out without permission is very severe. Even as the headmaster, I can't give you extra points for things that happen outside of school."
Kyle was speechless. Wasn't he brought here by Fox? How did it become going out without permission?
But before he could say anything, Dumbledore had already left, and the door was closed. The room returned to its previous quiet state.
"Dear, why don't you stay and have dinner before heading back?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"Although I'd like to, I'm afraid I can't." Kyle shook his head. "I need to get back before dinner to avoid arousing suspicion."
"Alright then." Mrs. Weasley said, but she still packed a large bag of homemade treacle fudge and beef pasties for Kyle to take back to school.
(End of Chapter)
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