Gawain Robards, together with his subordinates Connie Hammer and Tim Proudfoot, were discussing the Dawlish case and what measures they could take to prevent it from happening again when their assistant arrived with some newspapers. Although they were expecting to see Potter's arrest on the front page, they were not prepared for the extent to which their department and the entire Ministry would be portrayed in a bad light. When they had finished reading, Robards called his assistant and gave him new orders.
"Get a few rookies and station them close to the atrium. Anyone who wants to enter the deeper parts of the Ministry must state their reason for being there. Then, call all Aurors, except for Dawlish, and tell them to be here no later than 9:45 AM."
"You're expecting trouble, aren't you?" asked Hammer. She had dealt with angry mobs in the past, but she wasn't sure if they could handle the situation today.
"Connie, we all know what's going to happen here in about an hour. If we want to have any hope of de-escalating the situation, we need every wand we have in our department," Robards replied wearily. Recent events had left him questioning his future in the Ministry. Day after day, their decisions were becoming harder to understand and accept.
"Boss, are you sure Shacklebolt isn't under the Imperius Curse?" asked Proudfoot. He had worked with the Minister for many years and couldn't believe that the same man who had been a source of pride for the Auror Corps was making such foolish decisions.
"I'm sure. We've checked a few times already."
"What are we going to do with Dawlish?" asked Hammer. The trio of Aurors knew that they had been fortunate that the intruder had only taunted Potter. If he had harmed him, the Ministry would not have survived the backlash that would have ensued.
"I am done with him. No matter what steps I take, he is still the same arrogant, self-centered idiot who is a danger to the whole department," the Director said confidently. If they wanted to rebuild any trust in society, they had to get rid of everyone who was actively guilty of destroying their reputation.
"You know that traditionalists will not like that?" Proudfoot asked. They were all aware that this move could end the Director's career.
"I know, and honestly, I can't even say I care. The last few weeks have destroyed any zeal I had towards rebuilding this department, so if they want to fire me, then so be it."
Hammer and Proudfoot looked at each other but refrained from commenting. Both of them knew that they would have to rethink their future if Director Robard lost his job. They stayed silent until the assistant came back with news.
"Director, we have closed the atrium, and at this moment, eight of our people, under Auror Savage's orders, are managing the situation there."
"Good job. Is there anything else?"
"Yes. Minister Shacklebolt told me to inform you that he will be present during your talk with Auror Dawlish."
"Thank you for letting me know." Robards dismissed his assistant as he had to think. He was sure that the Minister would try to persuade him to keep a blind eye on Dawlish's antics, and he had to decide what to do now.
"Do you want us to leave you alone?" asked Proudfoot. He sensed that the Director needed to think and wanted to leave him alone and undisturbed to do that.
"Yes, please. When everyone arrives there, please let me know, as I will lead the briefing." When he was alone in his office, he started to consider his options. After a moment, he came to a simple conclusion. Either he put his foot down now and decided to gamble, or he would always be their lap dog. Both choices carried the risk of him losing his job but in vastly different circumstances. If he didn't fire Dawlish, then he would be fired the second Potter managed to get rid of Shacklebolt.
On the other hand, he could fire him now and most likely lose his job in the upcoming days. But in this scenario, he would leave with his head held high, and he could probably count on Potter's help. So he reduced his problem to a simple question. Who would win in the long run, Potter or traditionalists? And the answer was clear for him. With the decision made, he checked the time and saw that it was almost time for a briefing, so he left his office, feeling better that he knew that he would make a correct decision.
"Director, everyone is already here, and we can begin." Reported Hammer. She was happy to see that Robards was in a better mood, as it meant he made a decision.
"Alright, everybody, listen up. I don't have time or the willingness to repeat myself. I am sure that you all have read the article in the Daily Prophet, so you know what will be happening soon. We also need to be present at Diagon Alley as I expect some kind of protest there. Here's how we will split: Aurors Hammer and Williamson will take their teams and go to Diagon Alley. Your job there is to prevent any fights from happening. If a full-blown protest happens, allow it. It is their right to protest. You are only to intervene to stop any fights. Am I clear?"
"Yes, sir!"
"The rest of you, under Auror Savage's orders, will stay in the atrium. Just like the Diagon Alley teams, you are only there to maintain peace. If they want to protest, let them. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
"You need to keep your emotions in check while doing your duty. As our society is not happy with the Ministry right now, some of them may try to release their anger on you. If they shout at you, simply ignore them. If they become aggressive, then arrest them and put them in holding cells. You may all leave now." Robards ended his briefing.
"What do you want me to do?" asked Proudfoot. He was surprised that he was not assigned to any team yet.
"I need you to stay with me for now until we close the matter with Dawlish," the Director explained. Proudfoot nodded his head in understanding, and both men entered Robards's office and waited there for Dawlish and the Minister. It was 10:20 when they finally arrived.
"You're late. I expected you here 20 minutes ago," said Robards without greeting.
"I was talking with the Minister..." he started to explain himself, but he was cut short.
"Not my problem. As you are the one under investigation, it works only as a disadvantage for you."
"Me under investigation? I have done nothing wrong!" shouted Dawlish. It was clear he was confident that the Minister would protect him from any trouble.
"Were you working last night as a guard in the holding cells area?" Robards asked simply. He did not want to drag this whole show longer than necessary.
"I was. And what about that?"
"Last night, an intruder entered that area to taunt and threaten Lord Potter. Care to explain how he managed to get in without you realizing that?"
"Potter is lying..." Dawlish started.
"Cut the crap, Dawlish. We have a testimony from all the inmates in the cells. They all confirmed that someone entered that area. So I am giving you one last chance. Tell me who had entered the area and why you let him in."
"It was Lord Abercrombie, and I simply allowed him entry," Dawlish replied, still confident that he would not face any consequences, as he expected that Robards would be too afraid to go against Abercrombie.
"Why did he want to go inside, and why did you let him in?"
"He wanted to speak with Potter, and as Lord Abercrombie is an important member of our society, I decided to allow him entry."
Robards and Proudfoot looked at him in disbelief. They could not understand how stupid Dawlish was. Not only did he admit that he broke multiple protocols, he also revealed the identity of the intruder.
"Thank you for being honest, as it makes this case very simple. Auror Dawlish, you broke multiple security protocols, endangering the inmates in our custody. It is a very serious crime that cannot go unpunished. Since it was not your first offense of breaking protocols, I have no choice but to release you permanently from the Auror Corps. Please give me your badge," declared Robards.
"What! You can't..."
"I can and I am doing that, Mr. Dawlish. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement cannot afford to have employees who willingly break the rules and listen to orders from people other than their supervisor. Once more, I am asking you to give me back your badge."
"Director Robards, I am afraid I cannot let you fire Auror Dawlish. He is an important employee of the Ministry, and we cannot afford to lose him," declared Kingsley, a bit shocked by the turn of events. He never expected that Robards would try to fire Dawlish.
"With all due respect, Minister, it is the task of the Director of DMLE to discipline his staff, and you do not have the authority to prevent me from firing Mr. Dawlish," Robards replied, looking him straight into his eyes. He let him know nonverbally that he would not bend to his will.
Dawlish and Shacklebolt were in disbelief as they looked at Robards. It was obvious that they wanted to fight Dawlish's dismissal from his job, but they realized that they would not succeed. With a furious look on his face, Dawlish slammed his badge on the desk and left the ministry in a rage. After the doors had closed, Robards turned to the Minister once more.
"As Mr. Dawlish is no longer an Auror, I will personally take charge of Potter's case. It was a mistake to listen to you about appointing Dawlish for that task. Especially since, after an initial interrogation, I am sure that we will be able to clear Potter of these charges this very evening."
"You can't! It's obvious..." Kingsley started, but Robards once more stopped him.
"Kingsley, I have no idea what the hell you are doing, or who you are listening to, but let me be clear. Any Auror who has been working for longer than two weeks would immediately realize that these charges are made up. Potter's lawyers will be here in a few hours with documents that will prove his innocence."
"They could be fake!"
"Do you think that Potter had not checked everything twice? It was his plan all along to announce it publicly. You do not bring anything to the public if you are not sure that everything is perfectly legal." Robards retorted, shutting the Minister up. They sat there in silence, with the Minister trying to find any reason to keep Potter in custody.
"I truly don't know what has possessed you in the last few weeks, but take my warning as your long-time coworker. You will not win against Potter. People love him too much. He knows about that and is not afraid to use it for his benefit. If you want to have any hope of ending your term as Minister, cut your losses, and throw Dawlish and Abercrombie under the train." Robards advised the Minister and showed him to the exit.
"Do you think he will listen to you?" asked Proudfoot, still in deep shock. He could not wrap his head around the fact that Dawlish had sold Abercrombie's name so easily.
"I don't know, and I honestly don't care," Robards replied and left the office. He went straight to the Atrium to check the situation there.
When he arrived, he was met by the biggest crowd he had ever seen inside the Ministry. They were holding signs that read "Free Harry Potter" and were shouting words of support for him. But everything was going smoothly. His people were standing by the walls, and no one was fighting. The focus of the crowd changed when someone recognized him and started calling for him to explain the situation.
"Director Robards, Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet, can you give us any updates on Lord Potter's situation?" She asked, and her question silenced the crowd. They all wanted to listen to what he had to say.
"Lord Potter was taken into our custody last night, and we have an initial interrogation behind us. Right now, we are waiting for Lord Greengrass to come back, as he is currently in Gringotts, preparing to show the documents that are supposed to prove Lord Potter's innocence." He explained.
"Why do you want to get rid of him? Why don't you want him to help us?" Voices from the crowd had started to shout, demanding an explanation on why they even began the investigation.
"Our department received information that Lord Potter had broken the law. We must check those allegations, regardless of the status of the accused." Robards tried to defuse the situation a bit. He knew that telling the truth, that it was Dawlish who started everything, would make matters worse.
"And why did you choose Auror Dawlish as the Lead Investigator?" Rita asked, hoping for more information.
"Minister Shacklebolt recommended him. He was certain that Dawlish's experience would make him perform his duties exceptionally. But due to new investigations that were opened against Auror Dawlish, he was removed from that role, and I took it upon myself to lead the investigation." This time, Robards knew that he had to reveal Shacklebolt's role. It was obvious that whoever chose Dawlish would face problems, and he did not want to take damage instead of the Minister.
"Can we expect any updates?" asked Rita again.
"Lord Greengrass declared that he will be here between noon and 2 p.m. As we need time to check these documents, I cannot precisely tell you when we will be done. But I will give an update either today evening or tomorrow morning."
"We will be waiting there!" someone in the crowd shouted.
"It is your right. All I am asking you is to be patient and calm. I am sure that we will find the truth, so please let us work." He pleaded with the crowd. Even though it was clear they were not happy, they agreed to do that.
"As I have a lot of work, I will leave you for now. One last time, I am asking you to stay calm and not start fights." He concluded and left the Atrium.