Chapter 919: Turmoil in the Ministry of Magic
Chapter 919: Turmoil in the Ministry of Magic
“…Just what is Black up to?” The sound of smashing objects and angry curses emanated from the office of the Minister of Magic, indicating that Fudge was in a furious rage. Everyone instinctively steered clear of the Minister's office, and even those with urgent matters to discuss chose to postpone their meetings. No one dared to risk incurring the Minister's wrath.
Ever since Sirius Black dropped several bombshells at the Three Broomsticks Inn, Minister Fudge had been facing a tremendous predicament. The revelation that Fudge had accepted half of the Pettigrew family's fortune in exchange for allowing Mrs. Pettigrew to visit her husband in Azkaban had sparked controversy in the wizarding world. The situation only worsened with Mrs. Pettigrew's subsequent ill-advised actions, as she used a complex potion to break her husband out of the wizard prison. Many jumped to conclusions, suspecting a conspiracy and believing that Fudge was complicit in Pettigrew's escape, with the fortune serving as a bargaining chip in their underhanded deal.
In times of uncertainty, conspiracy theories thrive.
Many expressed their doubts and demanded that the Ministry investigate the whereabouts of the fortune.
Although the money had been processed and mostly donated to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries as a charitable act, it still caused Fudge no small amount of trouble.
However, things took a turn for the worse when Sirius Black revealed that Peter Pettigrew, the diminutive Death Eater, was attempting to resurrect Voldemort and seemed to be making progress.
Without the resurrection of Voldemort, even if someone were aware of Fudge's deal with Mrs. Pettigrew, it wouldn't have been a significant issue.
After all, even if someone were to inquire, they would discover that Fudge never personally handled the money. The entire fortune had been donated directly to St. Mungo's Hospital.
As for how much the Minister of Magic had pocketed for himself, no one knew, and no one bothered to investigate further.
Once the news of Voldemort's potential resurrection spread throughout the wizarding world, it didn't matter if they knew for sure whether it was true or not. They all understood that it was the Minister's acceptance of the Pettigrew family's wealth that had enabled Peter Pettigrew's successful prison break.
This blame fell squarely on Fudge's shoulders.
Moreover, regardless of the truth, Peter Pettigrew's use of the Imperius Curse to control the Undersecretary of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Barty Crouch, and ultimately killing him despite the risk of being caught by Dumbledore, was an indisputable crime. Fudge couldn't cover it up, and he would have to bear some of the consequences.
As a result, Fudge would never admit to Voldemort's resurrection, not only because he hadn't witnessed it himself and lacked any proof, but also because he refused to jeopardize his future political career.
Fortunately, Dumbledore agreed to temporarily suppress the news to prevent panic in the wizarding world, giving the Ministry time to hunt down Peter Pettigrew and prevent him from resurrecting Voldemort. The goal was to eradicate the danger and problems at their source.
Although Fudge consistently denied Voldemort's survival, he knew he had to rectify the mistake he had inadvertently made. As long as the issue was resolved smoothly, even if people found out afterward, the matter would be considered closed, and no one would pursue it further.
However, Sirius Black ruthlessly tore open the wound, exposing it to the public and pouring salt on it for good measure.
There was no doubt that this was like delivering a punch to Fudge's nose, followed by a couple of slaps, leaving the Minister dazed and confused.
To make matters worse, there were already calls within the British wizarding community for his resignation.
If it were confirmed that Peter Pettigrew had aided Voldemort's return and he, as Minister, had failed to stop it, Fudge's position would become untenable.
Regardless of the reasons behind Peter Pettigrew's successful escape, Fudge feared he would be forced out of his role as Minister of Magic.
This was an outcome he simply could not accept.
Fudge even suspected that this was Dumbledore's doing—an attempt to oust him from his position and replace him with a more compliant Minister or perhaps take the position for himself.
As for whether the Dark Lord was truly alive, Fudge expressed skepticism. He refused to acknowledge the Dark Lord's survival until he had seen him with his own eyes.
After a moment's hesitation, Fudge picked up his quill and began writing a letter to Dumbledore. He felt it was necessary to have a conversation with him.
Fudge genuinely wanted to avoid an unnecessary conflict with Dumbledore if possible. The latter's reputation was immense, and his words sometimes carried more weight than those of the Minister himself. Fudge was well aware that if Dumbledore so desired, many would be willing to elevate him to the position of Minister of Magic, and this made Fudge wary.
Setting down his quill, Fudge glanced at the Prophet and decided to write a letter to Barnabas Cuffe, the editor of the Daily Prophet, demanding an end to the damned false reports.
… Barnabas Cuffe, the editor of the Daily Prophet, was also facing some difficulties.
Sirius Black's words had struck a nerve with certain individuals, causing them to question whether the Prophet could be trusted to deliver the truth to its readers.
However, Cuffe's situation wasn't as dire as Fudge's. The sales of the Daily Prophet remained steady, and although they had endured a significant amount of criticism, Rita Skeeter's recent article about Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, had successfully diverted attention away from the Minister.
Additionally, their consecutive days of reporting shifted the focus onto the Ministry. After all, Barty Crouch Jr. was still alive and in hiding, plotting something sinister.
This blame game inevitably landed on Barty Crouch's shoulders, and even though he was already dead, the blame would trickle up to the Ministry itself. Being the Senior Undersecretary to the Department of International Magical Cooperation, he was, after all, a high-ranking official in the Ministry. There was no way they could deny responsibility.
Furthermore, there was the scandal involving Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, who was accused of gambling debts and defaulting on his loans. These two explosive stories were more than enough to divert the public's attention.
Oh, and let's not forget the Minister himself.
While the Prophet hadn't directly reported on Fudge's actions, they had directed their criticism toward the Ministry, portraying it as an institution riddled with problems, absolving themselves of any blame.
Rita Skeeter was indeed formidable, effortlessly diverting the public's attention and causing an increase in Fudge's woes.
As for the Minister's protests against the Prophet's false reporting, Barnabas Cuffe didn't give them much weight. The Daily Prophet wasn't run by the Ministry, and he would never allow it to be perceived as an outlet that regularly accepted hush money and turned a blind eye to certain matters.
As for the anger of the Minister of Magic, Barnabas Cuffe naturally had a way to deal with it. He wrote a letter to Fudge, hinting that this matter could not be covered up and shifting the blame to Sirius Black, who had dropped this bombshell. He also reminded Fudge that even if the Prophet kept quiet, Black's magazine would still publish the news, rendering their silence meaningless.
As for how Fudge intended to handle the situation, it was none of Barnabas Cuffe's concern. After all, he had already passed the buck.
Upon reading Barnabas Cuffe's letter, Fudge was furious, but he also knew that what Cuffe said was true. This incident was indeed Sirius Black's doing.
And since Black was Dumbledore's man, Fudge wanted to hear what Dumbledore had to say about this matter.
...
Late into the night, Fudge finally waited in his office for the arrival of the old man he disliked. He angrily accused Dumbledore of deliberately leaking the news to cause panic in the wizarding world.
"I think I know the reason," Dumbledore said, completely ignoring Fudge's anger. "You should be aware of the enmity between Sirius and Peter. His friends died because of Peter's betrayal, and he himself was imprisoned in Azkaban for over a decade. Their hatred runs deep, and it's not something that can be easily resolved by someone else's words."
"Previously, Sirius had barely convinced himself to hand over Wormtail to the authorities, only for Wormtail to escape from Azkaban. This is undoubtedly something Sirius Black cannot tolerate."
"So, that's why he did what he did." Fudge felt bewildered.
"Yes," Dumbledore said calmly as he looked at Fudge. "In Sirius' eyes, this matter is partly your fault. I believe he did this to force you and the Ministry to find and kill Wormtail as soon as possible."
"We want to do the same. The Aurors are searching for Peter's whereabouts around the clock. They are doing their best," Fudge said irritably.
"Don't bother explaining that to someone whose mind is clouded by hatred. It's pointless," Dumbledore shook his head. "I've heard he's been looking for diviners everywhere lately, trying to locate Wormtail through divination."
"Diviners?" Fudge found this matter absurd.
"Yes, he found a reclusive prophecy master in Britain. Whether he got the answers he sought is unknown, but there's no doubt that what Black said is probably true. He will not give up the pursuit of Wormtail, and I've also heard that he's trying to incite... Well, when someone is hell-bent on revenge, I wouldn't be surprised if they did anything to achieve it," Dumbledore said calmly. "As for why Black is targeting you, I think you should know best."
"That was just an accident. How could I possibly know..." Fudge was exasperated.
"This matter is indeed worth our vigilance. It would be best if we could capture Peter alive and use Veritaserum to make him reveal where Barty Crouch Jr. is," Dumbledore said, fixing his gaze on Fudge. "If you don't want Voldemort to rise again, suppressing his accomplices is the best option. If you choose to stand by and do nothing for whatever reason, we will all suffer the consequences."
"That's preposterous, Dumbledore! The Dark Lord is dead!" Fudge exclaimed angrily.
"No matter how much you deny it, you can't fool others," Dumbledore didn't bother to argue with Fudge on this point, knowing it would be futile.
"I've received too many troubling prophecies. Once is a coincidence, twice is a coincidence, but what about three times or more?" Dumbledore ignored Fudge and continued. "There are not that many coincidences in this world."
"What prophecies? Who made them?"
"I don't know. Sirius didn't tell me, saying that the diviner didn't allow it," Dumbledore replied gently. "In the coming years, the wizarding world will be in turmoil, getting worse year by year. There will be deaths everywhere, and there will even be a mass breakout from Azkaban. Eventually, the Ministry will collapse, so he intends to leave Britain and seek refuge elsewhere."
"That's utter nonsense!" Fudge shouted, his face reddening.
"Well, I don't really believe in prophecies either. There are too many variables involved," Dumbledore paid no heed to Fudge's anger and remained calm. "Fortunately, we won't have to wait long to expose the truth."
Before Fudge could interject, Dumbledore continued, "By the way, I almost forgot. I originally came here to discuss the matter of the Triwizard Tournament judges with you. Both responsible parties from the Ministry have encountered problems, so whom do you intend to appoint?"
"Then let's suspend the Triwizard Tournament. This whole thing is suspicious, and didn't you say that Harry becoming a champion is part of a plot?" Fudge said impatiently.
"Unfortunately, once the Triwizard Tournament begins, it cannot be stopped. The champions have already signed a contract with the Goblet of Fire, and breaking it would incur a significant cost," Dumbledore said, slightly raising his eyebrows. "I thought you knew."
"There have been too many troubling issues lately," Fudge said gloomily. "So, we need judges for the Tournament. I'll go and be a judge myself, and as for the other one, let Amelia Bones fill in as a judge. I think she wouldn't mind taking a few hours off to watch an exciting match."
Fudge had no choice. Ever since Rita Skeeter exposed Ludo Bagman, more and more victims had come forward, and a debt collection group had even emerged. As a result, Ludo Bagman had gone missing, and his position was now vacant. They had not found a suitable successor yet.
Similarly, after Barty Crouch's death, the Department of International Magical Cooperation was in disarray as they reexamined the orders Crouch had given to Percy Weasley. They had also failed to elect the next Department head, as many people were eyeing that position. Fudge couldn't afford to be careless, even with his authority.
(End of Chapter)
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