Fudge is an immensely reputation-conscious person, and indeed, as Dumbledore said, his mind is filled with thoughts of his position as Minister of Magic, with nothing else at all.
Any talk of benefiting this or that is pure nonsense.
But if there's something that could strike a blow to his political enemies and enhance his reputation, Fudge would by no means shy away, charging forward with more eagerness than anyone else.
After Harry proposed this suggestion, Fudge accepted it as a matter of course, without the slightest hesitation or doubt.
Hesitation, even a little, would be disrespectful to someone as outwardly gallant as him.
He did not doubt Harry's words, after all, he was speaking in the Headmaster's Office in front of the headmaster and the heads of the four houses, and it was tacitly approved by everyone.
What more is there to say?
Early the next morning, as the students were just crawling out of their sleeping bags in the Great Hall, they found the doors flung open, and over a dozen menacing Aurors marched in.
The lead Auror, with a mop of curly hair, looked extremely fierce.
Harry recognized him, it was the Auror Office head, Rufus Scrimgeour.
"Familiar, isn't he?" Vivi whispered to Harry, "Wasn't he the one who hit his own man with a magic spell?"
Harry couldn't help but chuckle softly.
But after laughing, he felt a bit of sadness.
The dignified head of the Auror Office, toyed with like a child by a third-year student and a seventh-year student, is this a distortion of human nature or a loss of morality?
Thinking back a hundred years ago, the Ministry's Aurors were quite formidable—could it be that in just a hundred years, the Aurors have degenerated to this point?
They made their way to the Headmaster's Office where Peter Pettigrew had been locked all day without being able to move.
Everyone knew his Animagus form was a rat, so Dumbledore decided to guard him personally rather than lock him in the dungeons under Filch's watch.
Filch wasn't capable of that; everyone knew. If he were to guard Peter Pettigrew, it wouldn't be long before Peter slipped away right under his nose.
Having been forced to drink a large bottle of Truth Serum, Peter was clearly not in good shape, looking even balder. At least, that's what Harry thought, not knowing if Truth Serum could cause hair loss.
As for the effects of the Truth Serum, they still hadn't worn off, forcing people to wonder if Snape had a personal grudge against Peter.
Harry thought so, after all, Peter was his father's sidekick—of course, he could understand why Professor Snape hated Professor Lupin so much since Lupin was also part of his father's little group, codenamed: Moon Face.
And this Peter Pettigrew...
Harry remembered when his father humiliated Snape in public, Peter Pettigrew was one of the cheerleaders.
In that light, it does make sense.
Moreover, Peter Pettigrew was the one who betrayed his mother Lily, leading to Lily's death at the hands of Voldemort, as his mother's good friend, Snape would certainly hold a grudge against Peter.
"Who would've thought." Scrimgeour commented when he entered the Headmaster's Office, "Who would've thought that the 'hero' we believed had died and sacrificed himself twelve years ago is still clinging to life, deceiving us all—"
"Cheer up, Scrimgeour." Delerius said from the side, "At least the Aurors aren't the most disgraced, after all, it wasn't the Auror Office that posthumously awarded him the Merlin Order First-class Medal."
Scrimgeour's face was a bit sour before because he was also one of those responsible for the Sirius case back then.
But when Delerius said this, Scrimgeour let it go.
Goodness, this is a disaster! He thought with schadenfreude.
"I heard he's also an unregistered illegal Animagus?" Scrimgeour remarked again, "Then we better be careful, lest he turns into a rat and scurries away—I suppose his character and Animagus form are quite similar, both timid as a mouse, lurking in the shadows to survive..."
"Alright, Scrimgeour." Kingsley Shacklebolt interjected, "We should focus on the right thing now, like taking Peter Pettigrew away so that the long hunted Sirius Black can finally clear his name, don't you think?"
"Yes, yes." Scrimgeour nodded, shaking his springy and sleek mop of hair, "That Black—this practically solves our biggest problem, we no longer need to hunt Sirius Black, but rather, we should celebrate him as a hero—a friend who suffered wrongful imprisonment for years, yet fights for friendship, what a true and touching friendship..."
He wiped the corner of his eye.
Soon, Harry was brought into the Headmaster's Office by Professor McGonagall.
"Harry Potter." Scrimgeour spread his arms, greeting with a smile, "Very pleased to meet you, Mr. Potter—"
"You too, esteemed Auror." Harry nodded with a smile.
"Well then." Scrimgeour continued, "I suppose you're aware of what has transpired, and now we'll be taking this filthy rat away—no doubt it won't be long before your godfather Mr. Black returns to your side."
"Thank you, Auror." Harry said 'modestly'.