Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Round 4 (Forgotten Families) as Beater 1 of Puddlemere United.
PROMPT: The Fudges
Optional Prompts:
# (colour) silver
# (quote) The world tolerates conceit from those who are successful, but not from anybody else.
– John Blake
WORD COUNT: 1218
Life Analysis — Reversion to Original Nature
Subject: Cornelius Fudge
(Report compiled by Fate's assistant AI372)
[Note from Fate: Assistant AI372 is a quirky being; a lot of information makes no sense and needs to be sent for decoding]
Initial nature of the subject: A well-meaning person, outgoing, easy to connect to, slightly easily swayed by others' opinion, likes to be connected with higher-ups, has a pompous nature.
Incidents: (only a few mentioned because of immense similarity between them and the others)
(age: 5)
Cornelius gapes at his elder brother ("I'm not your little anything, Aurelius, Mother says one year doesn't matter!") as the slightly-taller boy manages to summon a candy-jar that was sitting out of their reach.
Aurelius doesn't catch the jar, and it shatters to the ground, the shards of glass glinting from between the bits of candy that have spilled on the floor. That doesn't matter, though, because Mother has Aurelius smothered with kisses, and Father pats his back saying, "Bravo!"
Cornelius stares at the now inedible pieces of candy until Father says, "You should try to be more like Aurelius, Corny."
.
(age: 7)
Cornelius chews hard at his lip, his pencil digging into the parchment (the first time with the quill had ended with Mother's white carpet stained so bad, Father wasn't able to make it go away with a cleaning charm) as he racks his brain for an answer to the question sitting in front of him.
Finally, he gets the answer: seven plus three makes a ten!
Before he can jot it down, though, Father picks up the parchment and says, "Three and three makes a six, son, and speed up, Aurelius is already doing subtraction."
Father ruffles his hair, but Cornelius doesn't notice. He's still silently repeating 'ten' again and again so he doesn't forget the answer which he thinks is right.
Conclusion:
Subject has attained an inferiority complex in comparison to his brother.
Incident:
(age: 14)
"You're a good guy, Cornelius," Margaret says, smiling sweetly at him.
Cornelius returns a smaller smile in turn. "Mother still says Aurelius is the better son." He has meant it as a joke, and is currently deliberating on whether he should tell Margaret that he has been in love with her since their first year, but he stops when the smile falls from Margaret's face.
"Ah, about that, Cornelius, you would think I'm a really bad person, which I think I am—"
"No!" Cornelius interrupts, but is ignored.
"—but the thing is, I don't just see you this way. I—I wasn't sure if Aurelius even knew I existed, and I agreed to going out with you to get to know him."
She's wringing her hands, and Cornelius is rapidly shaking his head, thinking no, no, no, no. Margaret continues. "I had fun with you, Cornelius." She gives him a sad smile. "If it helps," she adds, "Aurelius said he would go out with me only if you are fine with it."
She leaves ("I won't ask you to answer just now," she says) and Cornelius is left standing, thinking about all that has been, and would be, stolen from him.
Conclusion:
Subject has attained a paranoid nature.
Incident:
(age: 14)
"Is that a Prefect badge, Aurelius?" Mother asks as the two brothers open their Hogwarts letters side-by-side.
When it is confirmed that yes, the silver item that fell out of the fifteen-year-old's envelope is indeed a Prefect badge, Mother claps her hands together and hugs Aurelius while Father promises him a new broom.
Cornelius stares at the blue-and-silver thing and resolves he wants one, too, because Prefect position means love from Mother and gifts from father and approval from everyone. (He forgets Hufflepuff badges are black-and-yellow.)
Conclusion:
Subject has attained an obsessive nature, especially in relation to positions of power.
Incident:
(age: 16)
"Is that a Prefect badge, Cornelius?" The sixteen-year-old searches looks up at his brother when Aurelius voices that and wonders if it is a joke—he didn't get to be a Prefect the previous year, and it is the fifth-year Prefects who become the sixth-year ones.
He looks down at the contents of the letter, though, when Mother echoes Aurelius' question.
There is, in fact, a shiny (not silver, but shiny still) badge sitting on the top of the various parchments, and Cornelius can't help but smile.
He later gets to know that he is the second choice because Peter, the old Prefect, didn't do his duty well. Cornelius thinks Peter is stupid, and he resolves not to lose the power and approval this badge has brought him.
Conclusion:
Subject has attained a fear to lose position of power, and the obsession has increased.
(Reports from the war period irrelevant to the analysis)
[Note from Fate: Yes, they are! The meeting with Albus Dumbledore once Cornelius was no longer the Minister had an impact on the next outcome.]
Incident:
(age: 42)
Cornelius is in his kitchen, his wand held out like a musician's symphony conducting baton as he magically guides the ingredients for his morning tea into the kettle. A ruffle of wings causes him to turn to the window, and a Ministry owl (Cornelius recognises them well—he has worked in the Ministry for long enough) lands on the table.
Soon enough, the letter's untied and the owl has flown away, and Cornelius is staring at the Ministry's seal on the letter, wondering why they have written to him. He opens the letter and reads:
Dear Mr. Fudge,
As you had been in a position higher-up than a secretary to a Head of the Department, before the the Ministry will take in your opinion on which position you can serve the best if you decide to return to the Ministry. The Ministry will also consider it if your position of choice lies outside of the Ministry positions.
Percival Weasley,
Senior Undersecretary
Cornelius mulls over the letter before he turns the parchment over, scribbles a couple of words, and sends it away. He is almost sure he will get the desired position.
.
(age: 42, same day, evening)
"Uncle Cornelius?"
"Hello, Rufus, can I come in?"
Rufus Fudge stares at him as if he is a ghost. The reaction isn't much surprising, though, because Cornelius has never come to visit Aurelius' family.
"Sure, Uncle."
It is after exchanging pleasantries with Aurelius and Margaret and while having tea that Rufus announces he's starting at the Ministry the following week. "Do you have any advice for me, Uncle Cornelius."
Cornelius pauses for a moment, then says: "The world tolerates conceit from those who are successful, but not from anybody else, Rufus. What I learnt, though, is that it is not worth giving up your happiness and your own morals to be that successful."
Conclusion:
Under study.
Omake:
It is five weeks days after the last incident that Rufus meets up with Cornelius in the Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.
"Unce, I got fired from the Ministry. I'm apparently not serious enough to work there."
Cornelius claps his nephew on the shoulder. "Well then, Rufus, I think I might have just the right job for you."
That night, the pair leaves the Ice Cream Parlour, smelling of sugar, and smiles as wide as those of the children they served during the day on their faces.
—oOo—