A heavy silence fell over the conference room. The witch's proposal had stunned everyone.
Just minutes ago, Fudge and Umbridge had been smugly celebrating, having secured the Chief Judge position through a mix of scheduling manipulation and backroom deals. But then Madam Bones had launched her thunderbolt, freezing the smiles on their faces.
The wand on the table, symbolizing the Ministry's authority, pointed directly at their seats. It felt as though a long-prepared curse had locked onto them, making it hard to breathe.
The atmosphere grew tense. Fudge took off his bowler hat, revealing a forehead with throbbing veins.
"According to the constitution drafted by the Wizengamot, you cannot remove a duly elected Minister without a major fault or just cause!"
"Just cause?"
Madam Bones chuckled lightly, her voice steady. "Thirteen years ago, the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes mishandled an investigation, framing an innocent man and wrongly awarding a Death Eater the Order of Merlin, leaving him free to roam. As the head of that department at the time, does that count as negligence?"
"I wasn't the only wizard who made mistakes!"
Fudge retorted forcefully, "That year, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was busy trying captured Death Eaters. The case was transferred to us. We handled the magical breach properly, communicated with the Muggle government, and minimized the impact!"
"Did you not attend endless victory celebrations and convict Black without a trial?"
"Did I force him? Did I use torture to extract a confession? No!"
Fudge grew more self-righteous as he spoke, straightening his back. "If you ask me, it's his own fault. He refused to speak, refused to see anyone—who knew what was going on in his head? He didn't object when the sentence was read to him, and he hasn't appealed in thirteen years."
"We can discuss the thirteen-year-old case at the trial. But the recent chaos involving the disappearance of the Dementors—that is surely your responsibility, isn't it?"
Madam Bones asked coldly, "You deliberately delayed withdrawing the Dementors, causing them to wander out of control for six months. Now they are missing, causing panic among the residents of Hogsmeade!"
"That incident is still under investigation! If you ask me, it's Dumbledore's fault!"
Fudge stubbornly dug in his heels. "I've seen the report. Aurors interviewed residents who claimed to see intense magical light coming from Hogwarts. Dumbledore must have moved the Dementors to frame me!"
His desperate, nonsensical arguments only confused the shocked staff further.
Umbridge, however, found his logic increasingly sound. She stood up, looking down her nose at Bones.
"Fudge is a legally elected Minister, and I am the legally appointed Senior Undersecretary. Our office has jurisdiction over the seven subordinate departments. According to the law, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has no authority to propose a removal resolution. Bones, you are not qualified!"
"The Department of Magical Law Enforcement indeed lacks the authority to remove you, but the Wizengamot does!"
Madam Bones stood up as well, her tall stature towering over the "toad." She slammed a parchment document onto the table and said sternly:
"I have the authorization of the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Including Dumbledore and Madam Marchbanks, half the wizards in the Wizengamot have signed their agreement. We only need an internal vote here to pass it, and you will be removed from your positions effective immediately!"
"Impossible!" Umbridge shrieked, though she didn't dare open the document.
The employees present looked astonished. In their minds, Dumbledore was a recluse who stayed in his office, aloof from power struggles, refusing the position of Minister even when it was offered to him.
The old Headmaster is actually leading the charge to remove the current Minister?
"I knew it... I knew it!"
Fudge cursed, his face turning red with anger and humiliation, abandoning all image. "He pretends to be a kindly old wizard, but he wants power and fame! He acts indifferent, but he's calculating. He only recommended me back then because I was easy to control!"
He roared incoherently, "Now that I won't be his mouthpiece, he wants to remove me! Hypocritical old man!"
"Watch your language!"
Crouch frowned slightly. Having been a leader in the Ministry for years, he hadn't expected Fudge to be so undignified. "This is a Ministry conference room, not a pub bar, Mr. Fudge."
"What right do you have to lecture me! You, who raised a..."
Fudge stopped himself before finishing the sentence, regaining a sliver of rationality. He sat back down, gritting his teeth, his chest heaving violently.
Crouch stared at him for a few seconds, silenced for a moment, then turned to Madam Bones and said quietly:
"Let's vote."
The conference room quieted down after the outburst. Despite the red-faced arguments of the senior officials, nothing could change the reality. The document was on the table, the agenda was public, and past rights and wrongs were irrelevant. The vote was all that mattered.
"Department of Magical Law Enforcement: Agree."
"Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes: Oppose."
"Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures: Oppose."
"Department of Mysteries: Abstain."
"Department of Magical Transportation: Agree."
"Department of International Magical Cooperation: Agree."
"..."
Three votes in favor. The decisions of Law Enforcement and Transportation were expected. Crouch, long neutral, broke his streak of abstentions—hardly surprising given the nasty comment Fudge had almost finished minutes ago.
Fudge wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes full of regret.
Two votes against. Accidents and Catastrophes was Fudge's base, and Regulation and Control had been bought off, as the staff had anticipated.
Umbridge put away her angry expression. The corners of her mouth curled into a faint, fake smile, revealing her small, sharp teeth as she once again assumed her annoying girlish posture.
One abstention—standard procedure for the Department of Mysteries.
All eyes focused on the Department of Magical Games and Sports. The silence seemed to grow heavier. In the corner near the wall, Arthur and the others held their breath.
Bagman raised a thick finger, his blue eyes sparkling. "Department of Magical Games and Sports: Agree."
His brief words were like a crystal ball shattering on the floor—crisp and ear-splitting. The staff remained silent, staring at either Fudge or Madam Bones. In the stillness, Umbridge let out a piercing scream.
"No! No!"
Umbridge broke down for a few seconds, then looked up at Bagman with the expression of someone grasping at a straw. "Ludo, you're joking, right? We had a deal! I helped you convince the committee, and you promised me!"
"..."
Negotiating deals really is Mr. Levent's specialty.
Bagman blinked and gave a knowing smile. "Yes, we had a deal. But that was only for the vote on the Chief Judge."
"What use is the Chief Judge if we're both removed!" Umbridge shrieked in rage, her voice shrill and piercing.
"Order!" Madam Bones said in a low voice.
It was the same word Umbridge had used to open the meeting, but hearing it from someone else brought satisfied smiles to most of the staff.
Those in Fudge's faction remained expressionless, unsure how to react to the sudden turn of events that left them dazed.
"The voting is concluded. By the authority vested in me by the Wizengamot and the Ministry of Magic, I declare that effective immediately, Cornelius Fudge..." Madam Bones glanced at the two at the head of the table, "and Dolores Umbridge are relieved of all duties."
Fudge hung his head, sitting disheartened in his chair. Hat in hand, exposing his thinning hair, he looked like a defeated rooster.
Umbridge's eyebrows drooped, her gaze visibly defeated.
"Now, please leave the conference room."
Fudge took a deep breath, barely managing to pull himself together, and stood up to leave. Umbridge, however, wasn't ready to give up. She flashed a slippery smile at Madam Bones and said in a trembling voice:
"Don't kick me out. I have information. I can help you. I have evidence of Fudge's corruption and negligence!"
Hearing this, Fudge stopped at the door, turning to glare hatefully at the witch. But having learned his lesson, he didn't lash out, instead falling into a sullen silence.
Madam Bones looked at Umbridge with disgust. Fudge was incompetent and a bit foolish, but he hadn't sunk that low.
"Kingsley, show her out!"
---
With two top officials removed, the Minister's office was left in shambles. After the meeting, every department worked overtime to handle the chaos. Tonks, having finished her tasks, took advantage of dinner time to visit the pub next to the post office in Hogsmeade.
On the table sat a serving of fish and chips and two mugs of warm, foaming Butterbeer. Opposite her sat a slightly reserved wizard.
The special lesson on Friday had lasted late into the night, so the professors had slept in during the day. Some procurement tasks hadn't been handled in time. Originally Melvin's responsibility, he had pushed them onto the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, claiming he had remedial classes to teach.
"Remus, aren't you going to try the jam with the beer? It's a unique flavor!"
Tonks sat across from him, dipping chips into different jams and lifting her Butterbeer, clearly satisfied with her post-work dinner.
"I've eaten..."
Lupin sighed melancholically. "Tonks, did you know? The school had remedial lessons on Friday. I thought Melvin needed a break, but when I came to the pub and read the paper, I found out he had convinced Dumbledore and joined forces with Madam Bones to remove Fudge..."
"The meeting happened right at the weekend and month-end overlap. You weren't the only one surprised; many employees didn't see it coming. The Department Heads and Kingsley definitely knew something, but good luck getting a word out of them."
Tonks shrugged.
"Can you tell me what happened in the meeting?"
"Sure, if you want to know."
Tonks took a sip of Butterbeer. Seeing Lupin's hesitant expression, she waved her hand casually. "It's not classified; it'll be on the news soon. The Ministry decided to hold a public trial for Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew the weekend before Valentine's Day. Madam Bones will be the Chief Judge. She's impartial. She might hold Sirius accountable for some things, but don't worry—she's not vindictive. At most, it'll be a fine."
"As long as he doesn't have to go back to Azkaban, the Black family vault can handle any fine..." Lupin set down his glass, looking at Tonks as if he wanted to say something else but didn't know how to start.
"Alright, my turn."
Tonks was much more straightforward. She ate and talked without reservation. "I told you about the Ministry; now you need to tell me about Hogwarts."
"Um, what about Hogwarts?"
"Where are the Dementors? All those Dementors?"
Tonks spread her hands, gesturing. "They were stationed in Hogsmeade for six months, going nowhere. You hold one special lesson, and they vanish? Don't tell me you don't know or it has nothing to do with you. Even an idiot like Fudge wouldn't believe that."
"Well..."
Lupin felt bad lying to the girl. He hesitated for a few seconds. "I can't reveal the whereabouts of the Dementors, but I can promise you they won't harm anyone else."
Tonks took a few gulps of Butterbeer, eyeing him suspiciously. "Fine, don't tell me. Let the higher-ups get a headache over it. If Madam Bones wants to know, she can ask Dumbledore herself."
Lupin nodded, offering a gentle smile.
The Butterbeer foam sizzled softly. The chips on the plate slowly disappeared, leaving some fish behind. Around the pub, people were still buzzing about the major news in the paper. Lupin watched silently as the girl ate. She had a unique quality about her, perhaps cultivated by her distinct family environment.
Andromeda was the sister of Bellatrix and Narcissa, and Sirius's cousin, yet she had fearlessly left the family to marry a Muggle-born wizard. That brave, decisive nature had been passed down to Tonks.
Tonks finished her dinner, let out a small burp, and looked slightly embarrassed but playful. "Alright, I have to go back to work."
"Wait..." Lupin's face once again showed that hesitant expression.
"What is it?" Tonks looked at him.
"You have foam on your lip." Lupin pointed to her upper lip.
"That's what you were agonizing over?" Tonks stood up, wiped her mouth with her hand, then grabbed a napkin to clean up properly.
Watching her disappear into the fireplace, Lupin looked down and opened the newspaper on the table. The front page featured photos of Fudge and Umbridge, with an article below detailing Fudge's career.
The wording was impartial. His tenure in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes was described as excellent, and his character as honest and loyal—reasons Dumbledore had recommended him for Minister. For a time after becoming Minister, he had been diligent, but power had quickly corrupted him.
Turning to the second page, the tone became harsh, criticizing without reservation. That was Umbridge's career.
Skipping the emotionally charged reporting, the final summary was concise:
"...Effective immediately, all legislation drafted with the participation of Dolores Umbridge is repealed, including the 'Prohibition of Muggle Artifacts Regulation,' the 'Act Limiting Departmental Authority to Expand Ministerial Jurisdiction,' the 'Werewolf Legislation,' the 'Foreign Wizard Entry Management Regulation,' the 'Shadow-Mirror Management Draft'..."
Lupin looked at the list of names and couldn't help but smile.
---