Only You're to Blame
Rating: PG-13/Y
Genre: Drama/Angst
Summary: Fudge learns of the goings-on at the Ministry post Voldemort's defeat. Surprisingly enough, some people aren't half as mad at Voldemort and the Death Eaters as they are with the one who failed them.
Author's Note: I dunno. I was re-reading the series again, and I had a computer class with nothing to do (All my work was done for the week), and so I decided to write this… First HP fic in a long, long time, so go easy on me.
Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter. J.K Rowling does.
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Everywhere he went, he got The Look.
The Look involved the narrowing of the eyes and brows in a negative manner. In some cases, it involved the wrinkling of the nose and the turning of the corners of the mouth.
More than just that happened subtly; mainly in the eyes. He would see a flash of something: anger, distaste, rage, irritation, indignity, and eyes that were warm and happy a moment before could become cold, hard and unforgiving.
But then, his actions had been damn near unforgivable.
He was blamed, quite personally, by many people for the war.
Yes, Voldemort had started it. Yes, the Death Eaters kept it going.
"That idiot was their biggest ally," Said Ron Weasley, still bitter and aching over the loss of a brother. "He's not a Death Eater, but he might as well have been for all he did. I wouldn't be surprised if You-Know-Who sent him a fruit basket and a card saying 'Thanks for sweetly ignoring my return!'"
Because that's what he'd done. Blatantly ignored Voldemort's return, stuck his head in the ground like an ostrich and shut out all reasoning from those who'd known the truth.
What was more, he'd denounced Potter and Dumbledore; called them crazy, called them lunatics and liars when all they tried to do was tell the truth. Tried to stop the war before it began, or at least have kept it from escalating to the point it did.
Umbridge had been a mistake. The mistake to end all mistakes.
She listened to everything he'd said, done everything he'd asked of her, and he believed that she'd been doing the right thing. That she was bringing order to Hogwarts and stopping Dumbledore and Potter from spreading their 'lies'.
He'd never known that she'd been forcing students to carve lines into their own skin during punishments. Never knew that someone had approved of whippings for punishment. It was madness. Dumbledore may not have been a balanced man, but he would never have dreamed of harming his beloved students.
And Dumbledore certainly wouldn't have sentenced Muggle-Borns to the Dementor's Kiss.
He trembled now. He felt sick knowing what she was doing during that year Voldemort that the English Wizarding World under his thumb. She'd played off her heritage as a Pureblood, lorded over anyone and everyone, satisfying oh-so-greatly her intense hatred for half-breeds of any sort. He saw the memories of selected witnesses, heard their own testimonies, and was horrified at the cruelty Umbridge used on some of the interrogated.
In the memories, he heard them crying in terror and agony, heard them sobbing over their poor children who may never have seen them again. Indeed, many people did not return home after interrogations. It weighed on his heart, made the guilt so much more unbearable.
He had the power to stop it.
He did.
Maybe hundreds of lives, Wizard and Muggle alike, could have been saved if he'd just listened.
Well, he didn't.
So now, he just dealt with The Looks in silence.
He deserved it.