An old woman stepped from the Floo and walked briskly across the floor in the Ministry Atrium. She handed her wand over to be noted before she headed for the lift and pressed the buttom for the administrative floor. She ignored the hush that had surrounded her when she'd walked in, it was something she was long used to and had been since she'd started Hogwarts as a Fifth Year, back before Albus Dumbledore had even been a firstie.
"Madam Mockridge," the minister's secretary tried to stop her. "Please let me tell him you're here," the younger woman pleaded, but the woman paid her no mind, instead pressing the door open with barely a glance her way.
"Now see here," Cornelius Fudge started to say, but he froze when he spotted who it was.
"Oh good, you've not forgotten all of your magical history," the woman said.
"Madam Mockridge, it's an honor," he managed to get out, bowing obsequiously.
"Stop that, Cornelius," she said. "Your grandmother would be rather wroth with you," she added. "Poppy Sweeting would have tanned your hide up one side and down the other if she could see you now."
He froze. "I beg your pardon?"
Nephele Mockridge, one of few wielders of Ancient Magic, the hero who had defeated Ranrok beneath Hogwarts Castle in 1890, who had killed Victor Rookwood, the notorious dark wizard who'd led the Ashwinders, and had orchestrated the arrest of Theodophilus Harwood, sat on the edge of the chair, her posture rigid. "I didn't stutter, Cornelius. I realize your grandmother had a fascination with creatures of all sorts, but really? A walking toad," she said, her gaze piercing the short, pudgy woman in the corner.
The woman in pink's eyes narrowed and she started to bluster before the older woman raised a hand. But her threat was unnecessary as Cornelius eyed his grandmother's old friend.
"Leave us, Dolores," he said wearily, sinking into his chair.
"But Cornelius," the woman protested.
"Leave us," he repeated, not looking in her direction and waiting for her to make her way out the door. "Was that really necessary?"
"Yes. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was related to my husband's family."
"Ominus wasn't a Mockridge?"
"No, he took my name when we were married. He was a Gaunt. One of the few decent ones of the bunch, at least after his Aunt Noctua died in Slytherin's Scriptorium at Hogwarts."
Cornelius frowned slightly. "I don't know that I ever knew that."
"He didn't talk about it often," Nephele pointed out. "Now, your obnoxious Undersecretary aside, though she reminds me of an uglier Headmaster Black, you do realize why I'm here, yes?"
"I can't say I do. I trust you'll enlighten me though?" Cornelius responded, looking resigned.
Nephele sighed. "You're making mistakes. Perhaps listening to the wrong people. Thankfully, Gareth Weasley's great-grandson has some sense. Don't think I've missed those comments aimed at that poor boy from the Tournament, even if they've been vague. He's a child, Cornelius. Not a rival. Not an adult who can defend himself. He's an orphaned child, who by all accounts I can find was raised Muggle."
"But the books..."
"Are fiction. They're a load of tripe. I know most every family in our world, aside from the new houses. I've never heard of a George Potter, certainly not one married to a Rowena. Charlus, Fleamont, they were the only magical Potters. Besides, the boy's a cousin of yours."
"Of mine?"
"You had an aunt who didn't get a letter," Nephele pointed out. "Poppy was terribly worried for her, but Violet had an excellent education, and she married quite young. Her daughter married an Evans. I believe Lily and her sister are Violet's granddaughters."
Cornelius paled. "Grandmother would be very upset with me," he said softly.
Nephele nodded. "She would. Which is why I am here, as her friend, to bring back some sanity. And to remind you to take a closer look at some of those laws your Senior Undersecretary is pushing. They are quite bad for the magical creatures, and you know how your grandmother felt about those."
Cornelius nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. I'll take a closer look," he promised.
She stood. "Good. You're not so old I can't still hit you with a stinging hex if I need to," she said. "Perhaps there's a post more suited for someone of Madam Umbridge's talents. Perhaps in the Andaman Islands?"
He nodded. "Yes, yes, I think I know just the position."
"That's a good lad. Don't make me come back," she said with a nod before she turned and walked out the door. The Minister sank into his chair.
The young secretary peeked around the door. "Mister Minister?"
"I'm fine," he promised. "Get me whomever took over for Crouch. And perhaps a list of aurors on desk duty and perhaps others with a mastery in Defense."
"Of course," she said, looking puzzled as she backed away and started on the memos.
That evening, the Family Wing of Grimmauld Place was busy after dinner. Amelia had dropped in, looking exhausted but also exhilirated.
"You look rather pleased with something," Sirius said, raising an eyebrow.
"You'll never believe who was in the Ministry today," she said, pausing just long enough for a few guesses to be tossed out. "Nope, Nephele Mockridge was in."
"Madam Mockridge? The one who defeated Ranrock under Hogwarts Castle in 1890?" Sirius asked, his eyes wide.
"Yup," Amelia replied, popping the "p" sound. "And she read Cornelius the riot act. Umbridge is now part of the Department of International Cooperation. And on her way to the Andaman Islands."
"Wait, isn't that where the Sentinalese tribe is?" Harry asked.
"What's the Sentinalese tribe?" Sirius looked over to Remus, who shook his head, before they both looked to Harry.
"Cannibals. They hate outsiders, attack them on sight. It's one of the few remaining cannibal tribes left in the world," Harry explained.
"How do you know this?"
"Dudley only watches educational things if there's gore involved. Cannibals are right up his alley," Harry said with a shrug.
"So Umbridge is gone. Who is he sending to the school?" Sirius asked. He knew Dumbledore still didn't have anyone for DADA, so it looked to be up to the Ministry.
"He's still going over options, apparently. He had his secretary get him a list of Aurors on desk duty and of others in the country with Defense masteries," Amelia said. "He also spent some time at Gringotts after lunch, something about investigating something."
"That sounds ominious," Harry said, frowning.
"I don't know," Amelia said. "It might be good. He looked rather shaken when Madam Mockridge left."
"I can understand why," Sirius said. "Nephele Mockridge is a legend. Didn't start Hogwarts until her fifth year, was apparently some sort of prodigy. Married into the Gaunts, but her husband took her name instead of the opposite. His family wasn't pleased, but she'd earned enough of a reputation by that point that they didn't raise too much of a fuss. Phineas Nigellus wasn't a fan of hers, but I suspect that's because she made him look bad, defeating Ranrok right under his nose without a smidge of help from him."
(A/N: Yes, I've added a minor insertion. Nephele Mockridge is my first Hogwarts Legacy Character. She was sorted Slytherin and is my favorite of the four I've done. And yes, that's where my user name comes from, though I've had it much longer than I've had the game. I'm taking quite a bit of liberty with the characters from Legacy, but I am doing my best to make things logical and it will make sense as it continues to come together, I hope.)