Chapter 2 – The New Minister
Rufus Scrimgeour met with Cornelius Fudge after a short exchange with a terrified muggle Prime Minister about the strange events happening across Great Britain. Kingsley Shacklebolt was assigned to protect the Muggle Prime Minister and there were transition measures they needed to go over. The Muggle Prime Minister was briefed on the existence of the dementors and their ability to breed now that they were no longer guarding the wizard prison, and given a list of muggles in need of additional protective measures.
Amelia Bones was killed just days prior and various war time posts and new departments were being filled rapidly. Scrimgeour resented Fudge immensely for now needing to make up for a year they could have otherwise been taking action. Fudge was looking particularly ill and distraught, but Scrimgeour paid no sympathy to his demeanor.
"You are resigning as of tomorrow then?" He asked Fudge curtly.
"Yes. Yes I am," Fudge said awkwardly.
"I have my appointments in place for the head of law enforcement and special auror teams. I will need you to leave me a list of any names of those you think might even be remotely related to the Dark Lord so they may submit to questioning. I want an airtight ministry this time and your avoidance has put us at an enormous disadvantage," Scrimgeour explained.
"The dementors are gone entirely?" He asked Fudge who nodded reluctantly.
"Just as Dumbledore said they would," Scrimgeour said, and Fudge shot him a reproachful look.
"Did Azalea Potter drop her charges in exchange for the resignation?" He asked.
"Against me personally, yes. Delores Umbridge is under investigation and leave," Fudge explained.
"I thought she was to stand trial for mounting dementors on muggle suburban last year and abusing children while at her post at Hogwarts?" Scrimgeour asked.
"I don't think that's necessary - " Fudge said shortly.
"It's a condition of your charges being dropped, so it is necessary, her actions are reproachable," he berated.
"So you will just bend for Azalea Potter and Dumbledore then? That girl cannot learn that she can get whatever she bloody well wants," Fudge said with disdain.
"Whatever she wants? Cornelius! Your avoidance got her abducted and nearly killed on multiple occasions. Her losses set aside, you should be on your knees asking for her forgiveness," he retorted.
"You don't know her. She's insidious! Have you ever stopped to think about why she's targeted? She'll be our next enemy, you mark my words," Fudge said with paranoia laced through his words.
"I will make my determination of that when I question her myself at the trial. In the meantime, see to the demands and pack up your things. I suggest after what happened to Bones you should go into hiding," he said evenly, and waved his hand to dismiss him.
The new minister looked over Lizzie's file carefully in preparation for the trial which was as everyone understood it, just a formality. Nonetheless, it made him uneasy but he was convinced she was best suited as an ally and prepared to wipe her slate clean for the greater good of the war.
Lizzie was escorted to the trial from the Burrow with an intense amount of protection. Several stone-faced intimidating aurors were at every checkpoint from the moment she left the Burrow. Her trial was last following a group questioning of the others involved at ministry including, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna. All of whom were ultimately cleared and commended for the end result of their actions.
There was a different atmosphere to the chamber than there had been the year prior. The Wizagamot did not seem as abrasive but rather fearful instead, and the new Minister of Magic did not stare severely in her direction the way Fudge had since he decided she was an enemy. Percy sat in the same spot and gave her an apologetic but also extremely wary look. He hadn't mended things with his family yet, pride was getting the best of him, and she had a strong sense he did not quite trust her still.
"Miss Potter, I will not keep you long and this is not a criminal proceeding. I will ask you questions and expect honest answers, do you understand?" He asked. Lizzie nodded, "Yes sir."
"How did you come to be abducted?" He asked first.
"I was escorted out of the Great Hall the morning after Delores Umbridge discovered a group we had illicitly put together to learn defensive magic that she refused to teach us. Dumbledore had fled the day prior, and I was supposedly supposed to sit trial for sedition and conspiracy, as well as aiding and abetting my godfather, Sirius Black. I was escorted out through the floo network and then I have no memory until days later when I woke up in a cellar at Malfoy Manor," she explained.
"Was your group at school seditious in nature?" He asked.
"Not at all. I simply wanted my peers to be prepared if they were attacked given the current climate, and Umbridge refused to offer even barely adequate training," Lizzie said. He nodded in understanding and stared at her rather intently.
"What happened at Malfoy Manor?" He asked next.
"I was tortured by the Dark Lord and his followers, including those who had recently been broken out of prison. Methods included extensive use of the cruciatus curse, a dementor they housed, other physical abuses, legilimency and possession, and what they called an ophidian curse that was administered through a series of extremely painful potions," she answered and explained. Him and many others were wide-eyed in horror.
"You must be extremely strong minded if that didn't drive you into insanity," he said, half to himself as he scribbled notes and rubbed his face. Lizzie smiled weakly to be polite but didn't know how to respond.
"Was there an indication of why the measures were so particularly cruel?" He asked next.
"The Dark Lord wanted to bring out the obscurial I had deeply suppressed and control it through a combination of legilimency and the ophidian curse. The imperius curse continuously fails to work on me. I wasn't supposed to die, but be a weapon at his disposal," she explained.
"I see," he said shortly.
"How did you end up at the Ministry of Magic?" He asked.
"I was escorted there by Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange to retrieve a prophecy made in my name," she answered.
"But you were headed off by your classmates who had come to your aid?" He asked.
"My closest friends, yes, they learned of my whereabouts and came to help me," she confirmed.
"Was all of the magic used outside of school in response to a life threatening situation?" He asked.
"It was, yes, the entire ordeal was a life threatening situation," she admitted.
"Had to ask, sorry. That is the first count. Second count is the break in at the Ministry but you were under duress so that will be dismissed as well. Destruction of government property is next. The destruction you caused was directly attributed to the obscurus you hosted is that correct?" He asked.
"I believe all of it was yes," she admitted.
"That was abated though, correct?" He asked to confirm.
"By the Dark Lord himself, yes," she confirmed.
"Next is the use of the cruciatus curse, do you admit to using an unforgivable curse on Bellatrix Lestrange?" He asked. Lizzie froze remembering the memory of Lestrange's trial where she was asked a highly similar question by Barty Crouch.
"I did, yes, but -" she started to say and he cut her off.
"Was the use a passionate and uncontrollable response to the relentless torture you endured at hers and the others hands?" He asked.
"It was, but -"
"And was it in direct response to her murdering your godfather, an act you witnessed just minutes before you used the curse?" He added.
"Yes it was," she answered, her voice suddenly hoarse.
"Crimes of passion are written into code and as far as I'm concerned an escaped convict who tortured innocent people into insanity and murdered her own flesh and blood does not preserve the same rights as others would. I will be dismissing that charge," he said, and Lizzie exhaled in relief.
"Aiding and abetting an escaped convict, how did you come to find out Sirius Black was innocent?" He asked.
"I was made aware of Peter Pettigrew's existence years prior. He admitted to having done what Sirius was imprisoned for. the former Minister refused to believe it when I told him at the time. I helped Sirius escape and concealed his location when I was aware of it because I hoped he would be cleared as more information developed. He was very devoted to protecting me, he had very much loved my parents. I did not want to see him executed. After Fudge executed Barty Crouch Jr. without testimony, and considering Sirius never so much as had a trial, I did not trust the ministry to hear his explanation before carrying out a kiss. He was nothing short of family to me," she explained.
"I apologize, Miss Potter, that the Ministry failed to give him a day in court, that they deprived him of so many years, and made it impossible for you to clear him. You have my condolences for his death and I do plan to award him a medal in honor of his sacrifice. Needless to say, I will not be seeking charges on that front. That brings me to the final and most disturbing charge on my roster which is murder and the use of the imperius curse on Peter Pettigrew. Could you please walk us through that course of events?" he requested.
"Right, I should start from the beginning with this…Peter Pettigrew was a close friend of my family's when they were in school and the few short years after before they were killed. He was made secret keeper of our location just before they died and had been passing information to the Dark Lord for about a year prior from within the Order. He betrayed our whereabouts in Godric's Hollow and was the reason my parents were slaughtered that night in our home. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin found me in Godric's Hollow while the presumption was still that Sirius was the secret keeper, and hence the only person who could have told the Dark Lord of our location. Sirius knew otherwise and went to track to down Pettigrew. Once he had, Peter cast the curse that blew apart the muggle street and then transformed into his animagus form, which is a rat. My father, Sirius, and Pettigrew were all unregistered animagi. They secured a form while in school and remained unregistered due to the war. My father was a stag, Sirius was a dog, and Peter was a rat. Peter lived in that form for many years until Sirius broke out to track him down and protect me from him once he realized he was at Hogwarts."
"Pettigrew escaped the night we discovered him. He found his former master and was behind the scheme to infiltrate the triwizard tournament. He tortured me the night Cedric Diggory died and the Dark Lord returned. He tortured Cedric, was complicit in his death, and he brought back his master. We owe our war to his actions. Furthermore, he assisted in torturing me at Malfoy Manor. He was in the process of returning me after we had obtained the prophecy when I used the imperius on him. I disarmed and threatened to kill him as leverage for my friends to be released. When they weren't released, I used his knife to stab him in the throat since I could not use his own wand to kill him, he resisted the imperius curse enough to not kill himself as I had intended to have him do. It caused enough chaos to bring my friends to safety and allowed me to avenge my loved ones. He robbed me of my family and my godfather; my godfather of his freedom; Cedric Diggory of his future. As I said before, we owe this war to him and I truthfully have no remorse for killing him," she explained. The minister looked back at her with a calculating expression.
"I fully understand the motives of your actions, but -" he started to say.
"I should add that I showed him mercy once before. Sirius wanted to kill him, but I didn't let him. He escaped and sent this all into motion. I couldn't let that happen again," she added.
"I see. Again, crimes of passion and self defense are two things written into code. It is rare for them to intersect but in your case, I think for the greater good of the outcome of this war and for the immediate concern at the time of your friends, it is permissible. I do not plan to show death eaters mercy in this war. However, in dismissing this, I do hope you refrain from taking such matters into your own hands, Miss Potter. Do you understand?" He asked.
"I do, Minister. Thank you," she assured graciously.
"I am clearing you of all charges and appreciate the insight a cooperation in these formalities. In my opinion, we have no place to seek reparations for your actions when our own led to an immeasurable amount of suffering on your part, and needless loss of life. Please remain safe in the meantime, I do hope we can restore some of your faith in our Ministry," he concluded and pounded the gavel.
Lizzie returned briefly to the Burrow with Arthur but stayed just long enough to ensure all of her belongings were in order for them to safekeep and gather up a set of essentials. Nobody told her where they were going, Dumbledore said it was a precaution they needed to take should Voldemort attempt to get into her head.
Lizzie caught up on news with Ron and Hermione, notably Lucius Malfoy's verdict, Olivander's abduction, the muggle attacks in London, the dementors' mass departure, and Umbridge's investigation.
"Things got grim extremely quick didn't it?" Ron said nervously.
"They were able to accomplish a lot in the time the ministry spent with their heads in the sand," Hermione said reproachfully.
"Lizzie, you'll be careful won't you?" Hermione said desperately. "How are you feeling?" She asked nervously.
"I'm as fine as can be expected. I feel safe with Tonks and Remus and I promise I'll be careful. Same goes for you two... you're known accomplices of mine and I'm worried they'll be after all of us sooner or later," Lizzie said bitterly.
Charlie leaned in over her shoulder and put a hand on her head. "You got your stuff, Lizzie?" He said with more excitement in his voice than she expected.
"Yeah, I do," she said skeptically and he tugged on her arm toward the living room.
Remus and Tonks got up and nodded at him. "You're staying with me in Romania until your birthday. The death eaters think you're in Surrey and Dumbledore put up protections himself where we'll be," he explained close to her ear. Lizzie nodded and gave the others tight hugs as they prepared to leave unsure who she would see again if things went south.
"It's ok, Liz," Fred whispered reassuringly, and gave her a friendly kiss on the side of the head. She nodded. Remus grabbed Lizzie's hand and with one quick look at the rest of the family they were gone with a loud crack.