Chapter 10 Fudge
Percy apparated to the front porch of Cornelius Fudge's mansion. He was instantly surrounded by four grim-faced Aurors pointing their wands at him. It made sense that security was tight here after all that had happened.
"Drop that wand and put your hands in the air -- now!" commanded one of them.
Percy obeyed immediately. A second Auror picked up the wand.
"I've seen a wand like this before. It looks like the one Tonks carries. What have you done with her?" he said.
"I had to stun her, but I can explain," said Percy.
The Aurors looked even more grim.
"Just let me talk with Mr. Fudge," Percy said.
"We'll take you to Mr. Fudge, all right," said another of them.
They opened the front door and pushed him inside. With one on either side, they marched him to Fudge's study. Fudge was there at his desk looking at a manilla folder.
"Weasley, what is the meaning of this?" demanded Fudge.
"Sir, I'm sorry to come here so late but I had an urgent report," said Percy. "I had to tell you about a traitor and spy in the Ministry. It's Tonks, sir. Tonks is actually Um-"
"Silencio!" said Fudge, jabbing his wand at Percy. "I don't want to hear any of your lies. There's a spying traitor in the Ministry all right. It's you. I was about to make out an order for your arrest, but you've saved us the trouble."
The spell had made Percy silent, but he shook his head in vigorous denial.
"We discovered that you obtained the files of Magiccam photos yesterday under false pretenses. They were found in your office. And in the back of the drawer we found a photo you had removed and hidden," said Fudge.
Fudge pulled a photo out of the manilla folder and showed it to Percy. A tall young man with red hair was waving his wand at the beverage-dispensing spigot in one of the guard's break rooms, obviously jinxing it.
As Percy looked closer, the image winked at him. He realized it was Tonks, impersonating him to frame him. She must have recognized the photo file when he dropped it in front of her. She had sneaked into his office to plant the fake picture.
"There's no point in denying it. You're caught," said Fudge. "You jinxed the beverage spigots to put the guards to sleep so that Voldemort and Dumbledore could come in and raise havoc."
Percy shook his head again. It was terrible to know the truth and not be believed. He was beginning to realize how Harry Potter must have felt when Fudge wouldn't believe him about Voldemort.
"With all the other embarrassments we've had, we can't afford to bring you to trial," said Fudge. "It would look very bad for someone so high in the Ministry to be revealed as a traitor. You'll have to be disappeared."
Percy's eyes widened in horror.
"Don't worry, we aren't killers like the dark wizards you serve," said Fudge. "We'll just hold you incommunicado in a special section of Azkaban."
Fudge beckoned and Dawlish stepped forward.
"We'll take a page from Barty Crouch Jr.'s book and have Dawlish impersonate you with polyjuice for public appearances," said Fudge. "We'll need a sample of that red Weasley hair before you go."
"Goodbye Weasley," said Dawlish. "I'll enjoy taking over your job."
With that, Dawlish raised his wand and stunned Percy.
Percy apparated to the front porch of Cornelius Fudge's mansion. He was instantly surrounded by four grim-faced Aurors pointing their wands at him. It made sense that security was tight here after all that had happened.
"Drop that wand and put your hands in the air -- now!" commanded one of them.
Percy obeyed immediately. A second Auror picked up the wand.
"I've seen a wand like this before. It looks like the one Tonks carries. What have you done with her?" he said.
"I had to stun her, but I can explain," said Percy.
The Aurors looked even more grim.
"Just let me talk with Mr. Fudge," Percy said.
"We'll take you to Mr. Fudge, all right," said another of them.
They opened the front door and pushed him inside. With one on either side, they marched him to Fudge's study. Fudge was there at his desk looking at a manilla folder.
"Weasley, what is the meaning of this?" demanded Fudge.
"Sir, I'm sorry to come here so late but I had an urgent report," said Percy. "I had to tell you about a traitor and spy in the Ministry. It's Tonks, sir. Tonks is actually Um-"
"Silencio!" said Fudge, jabbing his wand at Percy. "I don't want to hear any of your lies. There's a spying traitor in the Ministry all right. It's you. I was about to make out an order for your arrest, but you've saved us the trouble."
The spell had made Percy silent, but he shook his head in vigorous denial.
"We discovered that you obtained the files of Magiccam photos yesterday under false pretenses. They were found in your office. And in the back of the drawer we found a photo you had removed and hidden," said Fudge.
Fudge pulled a photo out of the manilla folder and showed it to Percy. A tall young man with red hair was waving his wand at the beverage-dispensing spigot in one of the guard's break rooms, obviously jinxing it.
As Percy looked closer, the image winked at him. He realized it was Tonks, impersonating him to frame him. She must have recognized the photo file when he dropped it in front of her. She had sneaked into his office to plant the fake picture.
"There's no point in denying it. You're caught," said Fudge. "You jinxed the beverage spigots to put the guards to sleep so that Voldemort and Dumbledore could come in and raise havoc."
Percy shook his head again. It was terrible to know the truth and not be believed. He was beginning to realize how Harry Potter must have felt when Fudge wouldn't believe him about Voldemort.
"With all the other embarrassments we've had, we can't afford to bring you to trial," said Fudge. "It would look very bad for someone so high in the Ministry to be revealed as a traitor. You'll have to be disappeared."
Percy's eyes widened in horror.
"Don't worry, we aren't killers like the dark wizards you serve," said Fudge. "We'll just hold you incommunicado in a special section of Azkaban."
Fudge beckoned and Dawlish stepped forward.
"We'll take a page from Barty Crouch Jr.'s book and have Dawlish impersonate you with polyjuice for public appearances," said Fudge. "We'll need a sample of that red Weasley hair before you go."
"Goodbye Weasley," said Dawlish. "I'll enjoy taking over your job."
With that, Dawlish raised his wand and stunned Percy.