The tense situation had eased somewhat. The Aurors present might not be willing to believe that Voldemort had returned, but they did not want to make an enemy of Dumbledore.
In the Aurors' eyes, Dumbledore's answer had already shown his position to some extent. He was protecting this grandmother and granddaughter and defending their actions.
Fortunately, Kingsley Shacklebolt had stepped forward and said something sensible on behalf of the Ministry of Magic.
This salvaged the situation and prevented things from continuing to deteriorate, stopping Fudge from declaring war on Dumbledore on behalf of the Ministry.
"Minister, I think the first thing you should do now is notify the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes," Kingsley Shacklebolt continued. "We need the help of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad and the Obliviators."
Although the fire had not lasted very long, it was impossible for Muggles not to have noticed the flames reaching into the sky.
What Kingsley suggested was what the Minister of Magic should have been doing. Fudge had spent the entire night focusing on targeting Dumbledore. His performance was truly unacceptable.
Seeing that Fudge remained silent and did not continue making more aggressive remarks, Kingsley went on to say, "Minister, on the way here, I noticed a small pub in the village. You can discuss Barty Crouch Jr. with Dumbledore there."
He did not mention Voldemort at all, speaking only about Barty Crouch Jr. This was where Kingsley's cleverness lay.
He gave Fudge no opportunity to continue making an issue out of the matter, instead forcing an opportunity for him to back down gracefully.
Fudge glanced at Kingsley. He said nothing, but his unpleasant expression had improved somewhat.
Dumbledore also agreed with Kingsley's suggestion. Upholding the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was indeed the most urgent matter.
Dumbledore walked toward Vinda and said softly, "Mrs. Rosier, I think Eda needs to return to school and get some proper rest. She must be exhausted after tonight."
"I am disappointed. I am disappointed by everything that happened tonight, Dumbledore," Vinda said bluntly. It was simply unclear whether she was disappointed in Dumbledore, disappointed in Fudge, or both.
"Of course, you have every reason to be disappointed. I am disappointed too," Dumbledore said helplessly. "It should not have been like this."
After Vinda left with Laura and Eda, Dumbledore's deep eyes turned toward Fudge. Then, suddenly, he raised his head and looked at the moon hanging in the night sky.
...
Inside the village of Little Hangleton, the Ministry of Magic employees who had been urgently summoned were running around everywhere.
They had come here to alter the villagers' memories, making the villagers collectively forget this terrible night.
Besides Little Hangleton, the surrounding villages and the town of Great Hangleton also needed these employees. Their tasks were numerous and demanding.
There was a small pub in the village, usually the best place for the villagers to pass the time. At this moment, however, there were only four people inside: Dumbledore and Sirius Black, Fudge, and Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Kingsley and Sirius sat at the bar, each holding a bottle of Muggle beer. The cool beer dispelled the weariness from their bodies.
At a small table in the corner of the pub, Dumbledore and Fudge sat facing each other. Neither spoke, and the drinks on the table remained untouched.
Just now, Sirius had given a detailed account of what he had experienced in the cemetery.
He had also repeated some of the things Voldemort had said. It was precisely those words that had caused Dumbledore and Fudge to fall silent.
After a while, Fudge suddenly raised his glass and took a large gulp.
Then he said, "I have never heard of a spell scar acting like an alarm bell. Potter's dreams, his hallucinations, I cannot believe them. And I don't believe what Black witnessed with his own eyes either."
"Malfoy, a very ancient family. They generously donate to good causes. McNair, he was acquitted a long time ago and currently works at the Ministry of Magic. As for Avery, Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle, they were also declared innocent, thirteen years ago."
Dumbledore tightened his grip on the glass for a moment before relaxing his hand again. He said, "There is nothing wrong with Harry, and there is nothing wrong with Sirius's account. The problem was with the trials back then. You should know better than I do what exactly happened with those trials."
"There was nothing wrong with the trials!" Fudge raised his voice. "We sent criminals to Azkaban and released innocent, good people. There is absolutely nothing anyone can criticize us for!"
Sitting at the bar, Sirius let out a laugh. The sound was loud and filled with mockery.
Kingsley tilted the beer bottle in his hand, gesturing for Sirius to clink bottles with him and not interfere with the conversation between Dumbledore and Fudge.
Sirius's laughter made Fudge feel insulted, making it the third time tonight he had felt insulted.
The Minister was furious. He shouted, "Potter feels that he is being ignored, so he made up those bizarre dreams. Black is Potter's godfather, of course he has to help Potter and make Potter important again!"
Fudge pointed at Dumbledore and continued, "And you, you saw hope in Potter's lies, hope that would allow you to seize power, so you accepted all of his lies without question! With Barty Crouch Jr.'s appearance, you put Potter's lies into practice and brought in your best helper, Twist!"
"I have no interest whatsoever in the power you speak of," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort has returned. That is an undeniable fact. As Minister of Magic, you should put aside your prejudices and look at what happened tonight objectively."
"I don't need you to tell me how to do my job. I am the Minister of Magic!" Fudge stood up. "As far as I'm concerned, you are determined to create an atmosphere of panic and destroy everything we have painstakingly built over the past thirteen years!"
"Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore said once again. "Fudge, if you accept this fact immediately and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to salvage the situation. The first and most important step is to free Azkaban from the control of the Dementors..."
The short Fudge angrily interrupted Dumbledore. He roared, "Absolutely not! The Dementors are loyal partners of the Ministry of Magic. With them, we can sleep soundly at night!"
Dumbledore ignored Fudge's shouting and continued, "Second, you need to send people to contact the giants and extend the hand of friendship to them, preventing Voldemort from winning them over."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Fudge said in shock. "Giants are brutal and bloodthirsty. People hate giants to the core! I will not let my career be destroyed by your ambition!"
Finally, Dumbledore could no longer tolerate it. He had lost the last of his patience with Cornelius Fudge.
Dumbledore stood up as well. He looked down at Fudge from his towering height and said coldly, "I have no interest in your position. If I wanted it, I could have it with ease. I would not need any schemes or conspiracies!"
Fudge pointed at Dumbledore. His hand trembled slightly, and so did his voice. He said, "Ha! You finally admit it. You finally said what you really think!"
"Sit down, you fool!" Dumbledore shouted. His eyes blazed with light, and under his intimidating gaze, Fudge collapsed back into his chair.
"Let go of your obsession with blood status! Go to Azkaban and see how many prisoners belong to the bloodlines you value so highly. They served Voldemort and destroyed everything we cherish! Barty Crouch Jr. was the last member of the ancient Crouch family. He personally killed his own father. That is what your favored pure-bloods have done!"
"That matter is still under investigation..." Fudge said quietly. He had been intimidated by Dumbledore's presence.
Dumbledore continued, "Let me tell you this now. I am not the one destroying your career. I am protecting your career! If you follow my advice and take certain measures, Voldemort will not get a second chance to destroy the world we worked so hard to rebuild!"
"Absurd," Fudge whispered, shrinking into his chair. "Mad..."
"If you remain this stubborn and insist on going your own way, Cornelius," Dumbledore said solemnly, "remember this. Every innocent person who dies will have died because you stood by and did nothing, because of your stubborn refusal to accept the truth!"
Fudge slumped weakly in his chair like melted jelly. His voice carried a hint of pleading. "He won't come back, Dumbledore. He won't come back. It's impossible..."
"Starting tonight, I will act according to my own will. This is my final warning, Cornelius," Dumbledore said decisively.
Then Dumbledore strode out of the small pub without sparing another glance at the Fudge who had disappointed him.
Sirius also stood up. He glanced sideways at Fudge before walking out of the pub as well. Before leaving, however, Sirius spat a mouthful of thick phlegm onto the ground at Fudge's feet.
"Impossible. How could it be..." Fudge muttered blankly, "How could he have returned? Absolutely impossible..."
...
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