Chapter 985: Umbridge Takes Action
Chapter 985: Umbridge Takes Action
Compared to those good-for-nothings who were all talk, Umbridge undoubtedly knew how to please her superiors better. If she could help Fudge dismiss Harry Potter, she believed that she would gain his trust and be entrusted with important tasks.
As for other matters, they were minor issues.
To mobilize the Dementors of Azkaban, one must first obtain a transfer order signed by Fudge, which was not a difficult task.
Fudge, in his zeal to strike at Dumbledore, opened doors and extended trust, which also made it easy for Umbridge to find loopholes.
On the same day, Umbridge hurried to Azkaban with the transfer order in hand.
To avoid leaving incriminating evidence, Umbridge did not use the Ministry's ship but traveled directly to the dreaded Azkaban prison via Apparition and broomstick.
The location of Azkaban was cleverly hidden by witches and wizards; ordinary witches and wizards had no idea of its exact whereabouts, nor did anyone take an interest in it. But this was not a secret within the Ministry, and Umbridge easily accessed the files she needed.
The defenses of Azkaban prison were not as stringent as imagined. No dark wizard would consider raiding the prison, as the island was infested with Dementors, and any raiding party would likely become prey for the soul-sucking creatures.
Soaked to the bone by the raging storm surrounding the island, Umbridge muttered curses as she arrived at the gloomy island at the heart of the tempest.
As soon as she reached the airspace above the island, she was terrified to see Dementors surging towards her from all sides. Hastily, she summoned her Patronus to bolster her courage.
Yes, a Patronus.
It was hard to imagine that Umbridge, who was not particularly skilled in magic, had successfully conjured a corporeal Patronus.
This was also Umbridge's proudest achievement, one that she had worked tirelessly to attain.
In the wizarding world, it was commonly believed that only those with pure hearts could summon Patronuses. The benefits of having a corporeal Patronus were evident—becoming the director of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office before the age of thirty was not only due to Umbridge's penchant for stealing credit from her colleagues and currying favor with her superiors but also because of her corporeal Patronus, which she always claimed to have mastered before leaving school.
Even with her Patronus by her side, Umbridge could not shake the feeling of unease as the Dementors surrounded her. She drew a sharp breath and hastily reached into her pocket, pulling out the Minister of Magic's transfer order and loudly proclaiming her purpose to the Dementors.
The Dementors halted their advance and hovered quietly, awaiting Umbridge's commands.
Seeing this, the fear on Umbridge's face quickly dissipated, replaced by a confident smirk. She imperiously pointed at two Dementors and instructed them to carry out a secret mission: to drive Harry Potter away.
Umbridge was certain that if Harry Potter was forced to use magic by the Dementors, Fudge would be more than happy to seize the opportunity to have him expelled from Hogwarts.
As for the attack by the Dementors?
Don't be ridiculous. Cornelius Fudge would never admit to having Dementors outside the Ministry's control, let alone send them to attack Harry Potter. Even if he guessed the truth, he would feign ignorance.
Blame it all on Harry Potter's delusions—a convenient excuse for his perceived insanity.
However, Umbridge had gotten one thing wrong. The Dementors' willingness to obey her orders had more to do with their desire to leave Azkaban than anything else.
The number of prisoners on the island was insufficient to satisfy their hunger, and they relished any opportunity to venture out on assignments.
With Umbridge's orders, the two Dementors now had the authority to operate in the Muggle world. Instead of immediately causing trouble for Harry, they first went to areas densely populated by Muggles, sating their hunger by feasting on their positive emotions.
Only after they had their fill did they proceed to carry out Umbridge's command.
Thus, a heart-stopping attack soon unfolded near Privet Drive.
The situation was even more dire than anticipated. Under the influence of the Dementors, Harry couldn't even summon his Patronus; he was pinned to the ground, his happiness being drained away.
If not for Umbridge's repeated orders to the Dementors not to kill Harry Potter, the savior might have had his soul sucked out by the Dementors.
From a distance, Albert couldn't help but wonder if his presence had somehow weakened Harry Potter, as he seemed unable to handle even Dementors.
Fortunately, Harry's protagonist aura burst forth, and he successfully summoned his Patronus, driving away the Dementors and saving his cousin, Dudley.
"Master, why didn't you help Harry Potter?"
House-elf Cara asked the question on her mind as she handed the camera to Albert.
"I am helping Harry," Albert smiled. "With the photos in here, Potter shouldn't face any major troubles. As for the Dementors, he needs to overcome them himself. Only through such trials can Potter progress further. Sometimes, not helping him is for his own good."
The house-elf was perplexed, but felt that Albert's words made sense, as Harry Potter had indeed overcome the challenge.
Moreover, the house-elf believed that even if Harry had failed to summon his Patronus, her master would have eventually stepped in and prevented the Dementors from truly harming Harry Potter.
"Alright, let's head back. And don't mention any of this to anyone," Albert glanced in Harry Potter's direction, a slight smile playing on his lips. He was rather looking forward to seeing Harry's trial.
On the other hand, upon receiving the news, Umbridge's face lit up like a blooming daisy. She quickly scanned the parchment, then looked up at her assistant and said, "Since Harry Potter has violated the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy more than once, let's follow the Ministry's rules."
Mafalda said nothing and turned to leave, intending to handle the matter.
She had heard some rumors and found the situation suspicious, especially since Potter had used the Patronus Charm.
Who would casually cast a Patronus in front of Muggles? She didn't think Potter was that foolish.
Her intuition told her that her superior might be involved, but these were not matters Mafalda should concern herself with. She simply needed to fulfill her duties.
As soon as her assistant left, Umbridge went to inform Fudge of the good news and subtly boast about her efficiency.
Fudge appeared elated upon receiving the news.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Mr. Potter recently used the Patronus Charm in front of a Muggle in a Muggle dwelling area," Umbridge placed the parchment in front of Fudge. "He has violated the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy multiple times, and the Ministry has the right to expel him."
"I'm sure Dumbledore will be delighted," Fudge said with glee.
"It's best to make this a done deal before Dumbledore has a chance to react," Umbridge advised. "For example, we can send a representative to Harry Potter's residence to destroy his wand."
"Oh, no need for that. We'll just follow the normal Ministry legal procedure," Fudge said cheerfully.
Umbridge's expression froze.
Just then, there was a knock on the Minister's office door.
"Minister, Dumbledore will be here in ten minutes to discuss Harry Potter's situation," Percy said as he entered. "He seems to think there's a problem, and he claims to have evidence of the Dementor attack on Potter. He believes the Ministry has no right to expel Potter or destroy his wand."
"Dementors?" Fudge asked, astonished. "Are you sure he didn't mispeak?"
"No, that's what he said. He believes Potter's use of the Patronus Charm was self-defense and therefore permitted," Percy replied.
"That's impossible! Absolutely impossible! I'd like to hear how Dumbledore plans to wriggle out of this one," Fudge said, glancing at Umbridge. "What do you think?"
"It does sound like an excuse, and perhaps we should ask him to present this evidence," Umbridge suggested after a moment's thought. "We can use the Wizengamot court for Harry Potter's trial. We just need to adjust the timing slightly so that Dumbledore accidentally misses it, and we can quickly convict Potter."
"Is all that really necessary?" Fudge raised an eyebrow.
"Regardless of what evidence Dumbledore has, it's best not to let him present it to avoid any variables, especially if you truly want to expel Harry Potter," Umbridge advised. Fudge eventually adopted her suggestion.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
