Cornelius Fudge was feeling far from festive as he attended the Ministry's Christmas party. Truth be told, if he'd just been an employee of the Ministry he would have found an excuse to skip the gathering. However, as Minister of Magic it was his duty to attend the party and pretend as though it was just any other year and there were no problems in the wizarding world.

If only that were true, but Fudge knew there were serious problems brewing in their world. He was beginning to feel as though he'd failed to stop a second war breaking out, despite his best efforts to maintain peace. Over the last couple of years he'd done several things he hadn't been comfortable with, all in the name of keeping the peace, but now it looked as though those efforts were in vain thanks to Albus Dumbledore.

There was a time when Fudge owed his entire career to Dumbledore, and he was well aware that he never would have become Minister of Magic in the first place, if not for the backing of Dumbledore, but that didn't mean that right at this moment he was feeling utterly let down and betrayed by the older wizard. As far as he was concerned, Dumbledore had made an already dangerous situation ten times worse and Fudge genuinely feared for what was in store for the wizarding world.

Voldemort's first reign of terror had been over when Fudge had taken office as Minister, but Dumbledore had assured him that it was only a temporary blip and Voldemort would one day be back. Fudge had been happy to believe Dumbledore and he'd spent his early years as Minister planning for the return of the dark wizard. However, time passed and nothing happened and Fudge began to think that it never would.

But then out of the blue, Voldemort did return and Fudge was faced with finding a way of dealing with the dark wizard. Dumbledore's advice had been to declare war on Voldemort, and anyone who chose to support him, but Fudge had never really been the violent sort and he'd hoped to find a different solution.

That solution came in the form of Lucius Malfoy, whom Fudge had always liked and trusted despite Dumbledore's warning that he was ensconced in Voldemort's dark ways. In a meeting with the Minister, Lucius openly admitted to Voldemort returning, but he assured the Minister that all he wanted was to live a quiet life with his family. He'd also subtly reminded Fudge that the Ministry had no actual proof of the crimes they were accusing Voldemort of, and any hint of trying to arrest him or classing him as a criminal could prove dangerous for those doing the accusing.

Of course, Fudge was well aware that Voldemort was guilty of everything he was accused of, but he had to agree with Lucius that there was no solid proof. There wasn't even any proof that he was the leader of the Death Eaters. But guilty he was, and Fudge wasn't at all happy at the prospect of allowing him to get away with the terrible crimes he'd committed so many years ago. But on the other hand, he didn't want a repeat of the terrible war that had nearly torn the country apart.

As hard as it had been to do, Fudge had taken Lucius's advice and had chosen to play the peacekeeper. He'd refrained from declaring war on Voldemort, and had even bent over backwards to ensure that the dark wizard was kept happy. Part of that was allowing his daughter, Hermione, to switch houses at Hogwarts, even though it was an unprecedented move and Dumbledore had objected to her even being at the school.

Fudge knew Dumbledore had never liked the way he'd handled Voldemort's return, but he had thought the former headmaster understood where he was coming from. In fact when he'd first gone down that road, Dumbledore had promised to do what he could to support him and keep the peace. Sadly, events at Hogwarts had changed all that and Fudge now knew that peace in Wizarding Britain was a pipe dream.

To be honest, Fudge didn't blame Dumbledore for the first couple of incidents involving Voldemort's daughter. The poisoning had happened down in Hogsmeade, and there was no proof it had anything to do with anyone at Hogwarts. And as for the second incident with the bracelet, rumours implied it was one of the Slytherins who had tried to get rid of Hermione as they viewed her as a rival. However, more recent events were what Fudge was really annoyed with Dumbledore about.

Firstly, he allowed his hatred of Hermione to lead him to victimise her and her friends by conducing a late night room search with no proof of any wrong doing. Given the amount of complaints that had been made to the Ministry following that incident, Fudge had been given no choice but to remove Dumbledore as headmaster. But even then, he'd given his old mentor some time to put his affairs in order at the school. Only that time was cut short when it was discovered that he was allowing students he favoured to take lessons they weren't qualified to take and putting people's lives in danger.

Removing Dumbledore from Hogwarts had not been something Fudge had wanted to do. Especially as he thought that Voldemort was dangerous and that Hogwarts would have benefited from having Dumbledore's protection. But he'd been left with no choice but to remove Dumbledore and hope that it averted the war he felt was brewing. Not that he was too hopeful as the Death Eater attacks had already resumed following Hermione's two brushes with death. But he couldn't help but think that if Dumbledore had kept a tighter rein on things at Hogwarts the threat of war would be far less likely.

Shaking his head to dispel thoughts of Dumbledore, Fudge froze as the wizard in question suddenly appeared in his eye-line. Frowning at Dumbledore's presence at the party, as he'd made sure his name was struck off the guest list, Fudge made his way over to where Dumbledore had just helped himself to a drink from a passing waiter.

"Cornelius," Dumbledore greeted, smiling at Fudge as though there was no tension between the two wizards.

"What are you doing, Albus?" Fudge demanded.

"Trying this drink," Dumbledore replied, sipping on his drink. "It's spiced cranberry cider. I can't say I've had it before, and it's lovely. Very festive."

"I meant what are you doing here," Fudge hissed. "I don't want any trouble."

"Nor do I," Dumbledore replied. "Which was why I was so pleased to receive your invitation. I understand you had no choice with what happened at Hogwarts, but it's good to know that we're still on the same side."

"I'm not so sure about that," Fudge snorted. "I'm on the side of peace. I thought you were as well, but I'm sure this is much more to your liking. You always wanted a war, Albus."

"I never wanted a war, I just knew peace wouldn't work with him," Dumbledore said with a slight sigh. "I admire what you tried to do Cornelius, but it was destined to fail."

"Only because you couldn't keep control at Hogwarts," Fudge snapped. "Twice his daughter's life was put in danger, and then you started to personally target her. No wonder the public partly sympathise with him. All they see is a wizard trying to turn over a new leaf and live a peaceful life, but being persecuted because of the past."

"How can anyone sympathise with him?" Dumbledore demanded. "He's a cold-blooded killer. He's a dark wizard and he's a danger to our world."

"He likely will be now," Fudge retorted. "I hope you're happy, Albus. This could have all been prevented if you'd just done things my way."

"If you really think that, then you're stupider than I thought," Dumbledore snapped. "And if you do think like that, why on earth did you invite me this evening? I thought we were still in this together, but clearly I was wrong."

"What do you mean, why did I invite you?" Fudge snorted. "I cut your name from the guest list. I assumed you were presuming you were invited and had turned up without an actual invitation."

"I received an invitation, Cornelius," Dumbledore said warily. "But if you didn't send it, who did and why?"

"Possibly an oversight somewhere," Fudge suggested with a resigned sigh. Given that Dumbledore was already at the party, he wasn't going to cause a fuss by making him leave. "You have been on the guest list for decades, someone might have noticed your absence and assumed the mistake was mine and invited you anyway."

"Or it might have been deliberate," Dumbledore muttered, his eyes darting around the ballroom the Ministry had hired for the evening.

"What are you implying?" Fudge asked. "And why are you so jittery?"

"I've suddenly got a bad feeling about tonight," Dumbledore replied, instinctively removing his wand from his robes. "This place is pretty deserted, isn't it?"

"The party seems packed to me," Fudge replied, his eyes dancing around the crowded ballroom and the happy guests knocking back the free food and drinks.

"Not the party, the location," Dumbledore clarified. "We're out in the middle of nowhere here."

"It's best for privacy," Fudge replied. "We're fairly close to a muggle community. But we're far enough away so the lights and noise don't alert anyone to our presence."

"We're also far enough away that no-one will notice if trouble rears its head," Dumbledore muttered. "And it's going to, Cornelius, I can feel it."

"Don't talk such tosh, Albus," Fudge tutted. "This is a Christmas party like any other. Nothing is going to happen."

"Then answer me this, where are all the people with connections to Voldemort?" Dumbledore questioned, stopping the Minister as he moved to turn away and leave him. "Where are the likes of Lucius Malfoy?"

"Lucius had a prior engagement this evening," Fudge replied. "And I do wish you would stop inferring that he's trouble. I happen to like Lucius, and right at this moment, I would trust him over you."

"Then you're a fool," Dumbledore snapped. "How can you not see that Lucius is up to his neck in darkness? After all, who was it that came to you and spoke to you about Voldemort's return?"

"Lucius was just doing his duty as a concerned citizen," Fudge argued. "And in case you're wondering, he's never denied his connections with You-Know-Who to me. He admitted years ago that he was once close to him, but he made a new life for himself and his family when he disappeared. He was then just helping to give You-Know-Who that same chance."

"Stupid," Dumbledore said with a sad shake of his head. "I really made an error with you, Cornelius. I never should have backed you as Minister."

"It's too late now," Fudge scoffed. "I am the Minister of Magic, and you're nothing but a paranoid, dried-up former Professor who has no purpose any more. Enjoy your war, Albus, because it's all you've got left."

Turning on his heel, Fudge stalked away from Dumbledore, wondering if he should indeed have him removed from the party. However, before he had a chance to even think about locating one of the security wizards there was a loud shattering of glass and all of the ornate windows in the ballroom were blow inwards. Fudge automatically raised his hands and ducked his head to protect himself from the flying glass. He then whipped out his wand, ready for trouble.

And sure enough trouble came in the form of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. One second the ballroom was full of shocked cries and people crying out after being hit with flying glass, and the next Voldemort appeared in the centre of the room with dozens of Death Eaters also appearing, and immediately launching themselves at the party-goers.

Fudge barely had time to register that Dumbledore had been right about trouble arriving before he was sent flying by a curse from a masked Death Eater. Picking himself up, he retaliated with a string of stunning curses. He wasn't a natural fighter, and to be honest so many years sitting behind a desk had left him distinctly out of shape, but he was a competent wizard and he wasn't going to go down without a fight.

As the Minister of Magic, Fudge felt it was his duty to try and save as many people as he could, so as well as fighting off the Death Eaters, he began to edge his way towards the main doors. The doors had been blown open the same time as the windows had been shattered, but there were three Death Eaters guarding them and stopping people from leaving. And they were pretty ruthless about it, blasting anyone who ventured too close completely off their feet.

"Kingsley," Fudge called, suddenly spotting the tall, imposing Auror blast a Death Eater into the wall. "We need to get people out," he cried as the Auror hurried up to him.

"The main door isn't an option," Kingsley said with a wince as yet another party-goer was flung across the room after trying to sneak out of the doors. "Arthur and Percy were looking for the back door. I think it's through the kitchen at the back."

"Find out what's happening and for Merlin's sake, get some of these people out of here," Fudge ordered. "This could turn into a bloodbath."

Nodding gravely, Kingsley darted away from Fudge and fought his way over to where the kitchen was located. Fudge quickly lost sight of Kingsley in the crowds, but he didn't have time to worry about it as he narrowly avoided being hit by a curse that severed the arm of a wizard behind him. Not having time to stop and help the wounded man, Fudge engaged the Death Eater who had fired the curse in battle and moved him away from the injured wizard. As he did so, he spotted Dumbledore and Voldemort battling in the centre of the room. Most people were too busy fighting themselves to watch the duel, but a couple of Death Eaters were cheering on their leader and a few terrified members of the public were watching with wide eyes. It was clear that the pair were involved in a battle to the death, and Fudge suspected that it was Voldemort who had arranged for Dumbledore to be at the party so that they could face off against each other.

Although Fudge didn't have time to worry about Dumbledore as he was involved in his own battle for his life. The Death Eaters were in brutal form, and Fudge stumbled over more than one prone body. Although there were also losses on the other side as some of the figures he almost tripped over wore black robes and silver masks. Noticing that the crowds seemed to be thinning out, Fudge looked around and was relieved to spot Kingsley and several other Ministry officials getting people out of the ballroom and into the kitchen at the back of the building. And hopefully from there they were fleeing the scene and getting themselves to safety.

Sadly, Fudge's sense of relief was broken by the sight of a Death Eater challenging Kingsley. While still dealing with his own battles, even though he was now blooded and bruised and tiring rapidly, Fudge kept an eye on Kingsley. As an Auror, he had every confidence that Kingsley could hold his own with the Death Eater, and in fact he did so for a while. But then a second Death Eater joined in the fray and Kingsley was outnumbered and outmanoeuvred. With a heavy heart Fudge watched as the two Death Eaters got the better of Kingsley, and he let out a cry of dismay when the killing curse was cast and hit Kingsley square in the chest.

But Fudge didn't have much of a chance to mourn Kingsley as only moments later there was a roar of triumph and he whirled around in time to see Dumbledore falling lifelessly to the floor. As the former Headmaster fell, time seemed to move in slow motion and all the noise of the fighting ceased. A deathly silence filled the ballroom, and Fudge was frozen to the spot, his eyes locked on Dumbledore's unmoving body.

"The fall of Albus Dumbledore," Voldemort cackled, breaking the silence. "What do you think, Minister?" he asked, suddenly whirling around and fixing Fudge with a piercing stare. "Are you going to arrest me for murder now?"

"I…I…I…" Fudge stuttered, his entire body shaking in fear as he got the distinct impression he was next on Voldemort's hit-list.

"You what?" Voldemort asked. "You resign? I'd be delighted to accept your resignation and take your job."

"You as Minister," Fudge gasped, finding his voice at the mere thought of Voldemort taking over at the Ministry. "Never."

"I will be taking the job top, Fudge," Voldemort announced calmly. "Either you step aside, or you meet the same fate as your old friend here," he said, nudging Dumbledore's body with his foot.

"I can't," Fudge whispered, sensing that his time on this planet was short.

"Do it, Cornelius," a low voice said from behind the Minister.

"Lucius," Fudge gasped, whirling around to find a masked Death Eater standing right behind him. "I trusted you. I gave you the benefit of the doubt when everyone said you were trouble."

"And I am repaying that by helping you save your life," Lucius replied, not removing his mask. "I can personally guarantee that if you walk away from the Ministry tonight, you will live. You can have a normal life. But stay and fight and you will die. The choice is yours, Cornelius. Live or die."

Fudge shook his head, hardly able to believe he was faced with such a choice. He knew that Dumbledore would have fought, in fact he had fought to the death. But Fudge wasn't Dumbledore. He wasn't the martyr type. The truth was, he was selfish and if he had a chance to live, he wasn't sure how he could turn his back on it. But to live was to condemn others to death, and to condemn Wizarding Britain to Voldemort's rule. Even if he did walk away from the party, he was likely to be lynched by the general public. His life wouldn't be worth living if he fled.

"Time's ticking, Minister," Voldemort called. "I am not a patient man."

"I'll do it," Fudge whispered, hating himself for his cowardice but knowing that it was the only option he could take. "I'll walk away. But you leave this party now. You take no more lives tonight."

"Consider it done," Voldemort remarked with a smirk.

Fudge didn't hear him say anything, or see him do anything, but all of a sudden the Death Eaters began to disappear. Within moments there was only Voldemort left.

"I'm a man of my word, Fudge," Voldemort said. "I will be leaving now, but I wanted you vacated from the Ministry by this time tomorrow. Although if I were you, I might also arrange alternative living arrangements. I will not come after you, but I can't say the same for certain other fractions of our world."

With that Voldemort vanished into thin air and Fudge was left taking in the destruction he and his Death Eaters had caused. He may have just capitulated to Voldemort, but he wasn't just going to walk away from the people who needed him right now. His time as Minister might have been over, but his final act would be to help the people around him who had suffered at the hands of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.