Chapter 7: After the Escape
One day after his last annual inspection at Azkaban Prison, Cornelius Oswald Fudge was certain he'd never have to worry about that dreadful place again until the next inspection. Unfortunately, he's soon disabused of that notion by an owl that arrived at his office from Azkaban with a message. At first, the Minister was hoping he was just about to be officially notified of a prisoner's death. Some of them looked so ill it'd not be a surprise had it been the case. Upon reading the letter, he was so pale one would probably assume he became a ghost. He read the letter several times until he finally accepted what was written there. Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban. Upon accepting this, Fudge hastily wrote a memo to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement demanding Amelia Bones' presence at his office.
Amelia Bones was curious and somewhat furious at being summoned like that. "How may I help you, Minister?" She asked.
"Read this letter." Fudge asked with more fear in his voice than expected. She did as asked and then was almost as scared as he was. "Please tell me this is some sort of bad taste joke."
"I wish it is, Amelia." Fudge sadly replied. "I cannot comprehend. I thought I had tricked Black into thinking I believed his pleas of innocence."
That caught her attention. "Pleas of innocence? Are you saying that, in spite of the dementors, Sirius Black remained able to make up stories? Not that it'd do any help since he confessed."
"Black says he just blamed himself in spite of being innocent." Fudge replied. "He even said he didn't have a trial and would answer questions under the effect of Veritaserum if that's what it takes to make people believe him."
"Didn't have a trial?" Amelia Bones asked in shock.
"Our predecessors decided it'd be a waste of time to hold a trial for such an obviously guilty man, Amelia." The Minister exclaimed.
"No matter how obvious someone's guilt seems to be, there should have been a trial to settle any doubts and, since he's willing to testify under the influence of Veritaserum, why not get him to reveal the names of other Death Eaters assuming he's one of them, of course?"
"Amelia, after all those years, if we even hint at the possibility of Black being innocent, people will start questioning the guilt of every Death Eater sent to Azkaban by Bartemius Crouch." The Minister pleaded.
"As they should except for Death Eaters like the Lestranges, who confirmed their loyalty to You-Know-Who during their trial, Minister." Amelia replied. "I'm reviewing the cases of every accused Death Eater sent to Azkaban back when Crouch used to head my department."
"You're not thinking about challenging the innocence of upstanding purebloods like Lucius Malfoy as well. Are you?" Fudge asked with a mildly threatening tone which did nothing to impress Amelia.
"While the idea pleases me, my main concerns are the wrongfully convicted ones and those who weren't even tried." Amelia explained. "Now, Minister, the warden said Black shouted something about his godson being with a 'Snivellus'. How would Sirius Black know Harry Potter is living with Severus Snape? Even I just recently learned this fact and I wasn't isolated in Azkaban."
Fudge was now sweating stunners. "Well, Black might have read the news from the paper I left behind." He explained and then noticed Amelia glaring at him. "What? How was I supposed to know he'd escape?"
"Fair enough, Minister." She accepted the explanation. "The problem is how to keep the people calm after the news about Black's escape spreads."
"Don't worry, Amelia." Fudge smugly said. "I have a perfectly good idea."
Amelia was perfectly worried.
The next morning, Severus Snape didn't know what he should be more upset about: Sirius Black escaping Azkaban Prison; or someone, even if it's Cornelius Oswald Fudge, being stupid enough to think it's a good idea to place Dementors at Hogwarts.
"Uncle Severus, you're not making me go anywhere near those things, are you?" Harry asked in worry.
"I'd rather throw myself to them, Harry." Snape firmly said. "I'll talk to the Minister and I'm certain he'll give in if that's what it takes to have you attend Hogwarts."
"Why would the Minister care if I attend Hogwarts or not?" Harry asked in confusion. "It's none of his business where I receive my formal education for as long as I receive it."
"He cares if the people blame him for it." Snape explained. "The Wizarding World hails you as our saviour and will be upset if you don't attend Hogwarts even if it's none of their business."
As Harry and Snape made their way to the Ministry, they found out they weren't the only ones wanting to see the Minister. "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Snape, but the Minister is on a meeting with other visitors." The receptionist said.
"Hopefully they're parents expressing their objections to this stupid idea of sending Dementors to Hogwarts." Snape snorted as he showed his copy of the Daily Prophet. "If he carries on with this plan, I'll have Harry transferred elsewhere."
The receptionist looked so shocked one might think she heard someone calling Voldemort by name. "Mr. Snape! Harry Potter is our saviour! He must attend Hogwarts!"
"He also must be safe from harm and Dementors cause more harm than good." Snape replied. "Their place is at Azkaban keeping inmates from escaping. It'll be Minister Fudge's fault if imprisoned Death Eaters take advantage of the lack of Dementors to escape or a Dementor kisses a student."
"I-I-I-I'll talk to him." The receptionist said in fear and went to see the minister, who gladly welcomed Harry and his Godfather.
"Severus, I'm certain we can reach some sort of agreement." Fudge pleaded much to the frustration of Snape, Harry, Frank and Alice.
"Keep the Dementors away from Hogwarts or I'll keep Harry away from there." Snape demanded.
"And we'll do the same with Neville." Frank added and Alice nodded in agreement.
"And I'll advise Lucius Malfoy and do the same regarding his son." Snape threatened. If not for how they felt about the Dementors, Frank and Alice would feel upset at being reminded of something that they have in common with a Death Eater.
"B-b-b-b-but I have to be seen doing something about Sirius Black." Fudge said as the moronic fool he was.
"Then raise the Auror budget so there can be more and better-prepared Aurors." Snape said.
"Do you have any idea of how much that'll cost?" Fudge exasperatedly asked as the typical sleazy politician.
"Is that more than it'd cost to lose students to the Dementor's Kiss?" Frank asked in reply. Hopefully, even Fudge wasn't too stupid to figure it out.
End chapter.