Author's Note: The events of the Harry Potter series up to Goblet of Fire chapter "Parting of the Ways" take place as usual.
Harry awoke; it felt as though no time had passed at all. It took him a moment to realize what had woken him up, then he heard a door open and a voice say, "I am the Minister of Magic, Minerva, and I will question the boy if I feel the need to!"
"Really, Mr. Fudge! The boy has been through enough tonight. Can this not wait?"
"My dear Professor, if what that madman said is true, and Harry can verify it, we have a war on our hands! I need to take immediate action, but I cannot do so without confirming with Harry."
Harry opened his eyes. Cornelius Fudge, Professor McGonagall, and Snape were all looking at him. He looked around and saw the Weasleys, Hermione, and Madam Pomfrey looking at the three new people.
"Harry," said Fudge. Harry registered the concern and fear in Fudge's voice and face. "I need to ask you about what happened tonight."
At that moment, the door opened and Dumbledore walked in.
"What's going on?" asked Dumbledore. "Minerva, I'm surprised at you. I told you to keep watch on Mr. Crouch."
"There is no need for that anymore, Dumbledore!" said Professor McGonagall. "The Minister has seen to that. He called two Aurors and they have escorted him to the Ministry already."
Dumbledore looked taken aback. "Did you question him, Cornelius?"
"Yes, Dumbledore. I did question him. And I will do so again when I return to the Ministry and call an emergency session of the Wizengamot. But right now, I need Harry to give me a statement."
"I cannot allow you to do that tonight, Cornelius," said Dumbledore gently. "Harry has been through enough–"
"I cannot overemphasize how sorry I am to hear what happened to you, Harry," Fudge interrupted. "I will not pretend to know what you are going through. But if you want me to take immediate action, I need Harry to corroborate Mr. Crouch's version of events. I cannot take action without having all of the facts. And I need to hear it from Harry directly or it is hearsay and inadmissible to the Wizengamot trial of Mr. Crouch."
Dumbledore, recognizing defeat, sighed. "Harry, tell him everything," he said. "I know it's painful, and you just did it for me, but for the good of the Wizarding World, I need you to do it." These words sounded painful for Dumbledore to say, as though they had a deeper meaning than what he implied. But Harry didn't think about that.
Harry went on to tell the group at large, including the Minister of Magic, everything that had happened from the time he touched the Portkey. There were lots of gasps and cries, and Harry was interrupted several times, but he found it was easier to tell his story the second time than the first. When he had finished, Fudge looked pale.
"So it…it's true? Lord Voldemort has returned?" he stammered.
Harry nodded.
Fudge looked as though he were about to pass out. "This…this can't be happening. Everything we've worked for over the last thirteen years…gone."
"There is still time to correct this situation, Cornelius," Dumbledore said quietly.
At Dumbledore's words, Fudge seemed to gain a little bit of composure. He stood up, and suddenly looked very stern and serious. "I will need to take immediate action, Dumbledore," said Fudge. "I welcome any advice you have for me."
"Well, I think you should consider removing the dementors from Azkaban," said Dumbledore.
Fudge stared at him. "That is not going to go over particularly well," said Fudge.
"Dementors are foul creatures and will turn to Voldemort the instant he asks them to."
Fudge started pacing back and forth in the hospital wing. While doing so, he took out a piece of parchment. "Harry, please name all of the Death Eaters who were named tonight. We will send Aurors to their houses by the end of the night to arrest them, and their wives, on suspicious Death Eater activity. I cannot promise we can hold the wives…but we can at least get them out of the way. And we can hold their wives at the Ministry until we've given their homes a thorough search."
Harry named all of the Death Eaters Voldemort had named. When he had finished, Fudge looked like he had aged considerably considering it had only been about an hour since he entered the hospital wing.
"Thank you, Harry. I deeply apologize for everything that happened tonight. This Triwizard Tournament was a terrible idea, in hindsight. Oh, speaking of…" He pulled a large sack out of his pocket. "Your winnings," he said, putting them on Harry's bedside table. "Normally there would be a celebration, but given the circumstances…"
He left the room.
Dumbledore looked around. "We will also need to take immediate action," he said. "Fudge's behavior is…well, I am optimistic about it. But he is unreliable if nothing else. We will need to get the old Order together. Poppy, please go down to Hagrid's hut and ask him to see me in my office within the hour. If she will consent, please ask Madame Maxime to join him."
Madam Pomfrey left the room.
"Minerva, please send owls to all of the old Order members. We will need all hands on deck."
Professor McGonagall left the room.
"Severus, you know what I need to ask you to do. Be careful."
Snape left the room. It was only the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, Sirius, and Dumbledore left.
"Sirius, it is time for you to reveal yourself," said Dumbledore.
The dog looked at Dumbledore, then transformed into the man. Mrs. Weasley screamed.
"Calm down, mum!" shouted Ron.
A sudden slam turned everyone's attention away from Sirius and towards the window, where they saw Hermione standing with a glass jar and a beetle.
"Sorry," she whispered.
"Molly, Sirius Black is innocent. I'm sure Ron will tell you the full story, but for now, it is enough that you know he was framed for a crime he didn't commit," said Dumbledore as though nothing had happened.
Mrs. Weasley continued to breathe heavily but seemed to be calming down.
"I need all of you to watch over Harry for the rest of the night, at least," said Dumbledore. "I expect Fudge will have more questions as time goes on. I will need to be able to assist him wherever possible. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
The wizards were talking in hushed voices throughout the courtroom. Dressed in their finest robes, they could hardly believe what was on the agenda for today: the trial of a man long since pronounced dead. In the center of the robed wizards sat Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, speaking in hushed voices to Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Wizards from all over the world had assembled to watch the trial unfold, at personal invitation from Cornelius Fudge himself. Fudge wanted as many foreign wizards to know about the dangers posed to the British Ministry as possible–an idea Dumbledore enthusiastically agreed with.
The doors opened and three wizards walked through. One man was tied up in chains, while the other two were escorting him to a chair in the middle of the room. The tied up man sat down, and the chair instantly shackled itself to his chains. The other two men stood on either side of him.
"The court is now in session. The trial of Barty Crouch Jr. will now commence. Presiding over the court is Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic; Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister; and Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
"Mr. Crouch," said Fudge. "You are here today based on allegations of assisting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named return to power. Please describe how you were involved with the return of You-Know-Who."
Barty Crouch Jr. glared at Fudge, but did not say anything.
"Very well," said Fudge. "Administer the Veritaserum!"
The two men standing on the sides of Mr. Crouch drew their wands and pointed them at Mr. Crouch. Instantly, Mr. Crouch's mouth opened. One of the men drew a small vial and deposited three droplets of clear potion into Mr. Crouch's mouth. Then Mr. Crouch's mouth closed and he turned to look at Fudge.
"It started after my father broke me out of Azkaban," Mr. Crouch said. "I began to fight his Imperius Curse and eventually shook it off. Then my master came to me and freed me, as I already told Dumbledore."
The court began whispering to each other.
"Very well," said Amelia Bones. "So your master freed you and enslaved your father. You devised a plan to return You-Know-Who to power. We have heard details of this plan from Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter already. What do you know of your master's plans moving forward?"
Barty Crouch smiled. "He plans to take over the Ministry of Magic, Azkaban prison, Hogwarts School, and the entire British wizarding community. And there is nothing–NOTHING–you can do to stop him!"
Cornelius Fudge frowned. "What are his plans specifically?"
"Recruit the dementors, giants, werewolves, and other magical beasts you have alienated from society to his cause. Break his followers out of Azkaban so they can join him. It will be easy once the dementors have joined him. Infiltrate your pathetic Ministry and surround the Minister of Magic with his men so he can take you down and command the entire country with a puppet Minister. We already had several of your men under the Imperius Curse the first time; it will be easy to do so again!"
The Wizengamot sat frozen, staring at Barty Crouch. Then the silence was broken with a, "hem hem" and everyone turned to look at a short, toadlike woman wearing all pink: Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister.
"How do you know of this, Mr. Crouch?" she asked sweetly, smiling in what she evidently considered to be a kind and nurturing tone.
Mr. Crouch beamed. "He trusts me. My master has told me everything, all of his plans. I am his most devoted, his most faithful servant. And he has risen again thanks to me, and he will rise to even greater power with my help!"
There was panic in the eyes of the Wizengamot now.
"That will do," said Fudge. "Those in favor of conviction?"
Every single hand in the Wizengamot rose.
"Very well. Dawlish, Shacklebolt. Escort him to Azkaban, where he will await sentencing."
The two men standing to the side of Barty Crouch Jr. pointed their wands at the man in the middle. Instantly, he was bound in thick ropes and gagged. Then they walked him out of the courtroom. There was instant commotion; the members of the Wizengamot were panicking. Evidently, they had hoped that there was no truth to what Mr. Crouch had said, but the fact that he admitted to it while under Veritaserum was a hard thing to ignore.
"Silence!" roared Professor Dumbledore. Instantly, the Wizengamot grew silent and stared at Dumbledore. But Fudge was the one who spoke up.
"We–Dumbledore and I–have devised a plan already," said Fudge. "But I need your help, and the help of all the Departments, to avoid even more casualties and catastrophe. Please listen carefully."
"Madam Bones, you are in charge of securing Azkaban from the dementors. Contain the dementors to the lower levels of the prison–I don't want them escaping Azkaban, but I also don't want them to be in control of the prison. Amelia, use as many members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad who can produce Patronuses to help you. I want Azkaban secured. The only way in or out of that prison should be via the Floo Network.
Madam Edgecombe, from the Department of Magical Transportation," Fudge nodded to a woman sitting in the middle of the Wizengamot, "please set up a fireplace within Azkaban and within the Auror Headquarters itself. These fireplaces should be connected to each other and to no other fireplace in the world. I want that fireplace to be the only way in or out of Azkaban moving forward. Secure the perimeter of the prison with all of the protective spells and enchantments we can muster. I want the full might of the Ministry used in this. Then, reassign members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad to the newly formed Dementor Control Unit. They will be responsible for ensuring the dementors do not escape.
We can also reassign members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to become the new Azkaban Guards. All department heads are to reassign at least 10% of their staff to Azkaban prison for the purpose of guarding the place. Even Lord Voldemort cannot possibly hope to free his servants if the entire Ministry is keeping them secure."
There seemed to be several questions, but Fudge interrupted. "There will be time to ask your questions later. We need to be quick." He turned to Dolores Umbridge. "Dolores, you are hereby named Warden of Azkaban. It is your job to oversee the day to day activities of the prison. Keep the prisoners miserable–use whatever means at your disposal to do this."
Dumbledore looked at Fudge with uncertainty at this, but Dolores Umbridge looked delighted at her newfound power.
Fudge didn't seem to notice this. He turned to the remaining members of the Wizengamot.
"The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is hereby responsible, immediately, to send envoys to all of the creatures under their purview. The werewolves, giants, merpeople, centaurs, house-elves, goblins. I don't want to hear of any of them joining forces with Lord Voldemort."
Fudge turned to Arthur Weasley. "Arthur, you are the furthest thing from a Death Eater this Ministry has ever seen. Effective immediately, you are named Head of the Department of Ministry Security. It is your job to ensure this Ministry does not become infiltrated. All employees are subject to questioning under Veritaserum. Anyone who does not comply is terminated immediately. The only way to get to the lower levels of the Ministry is through the lift. I want that lift enchanted to wash away all enchantment–the Imperius Curse, Polyjuice Potion, any kind of magical disguise should wash away the instant anyone enters that lift. Probity Probes and Secrecy Sensors can be placed on each level of the lift so we can detect any unusual activity within the lift or upon entering or exiting. Take a small team of employees from other departments to use as security guards. I want a small team of wizards here at all times of day, 24/7/365. He will not get the Ministry."
Arthur looked amazed and shocked at his sudden promotion.
Fudge turned to Percy Weasley. "You are hereby reinstated to the Department of International Magical Cooperation. I do not think you meant to do anything wrong, but don't let power go to your head. Take this note to Madam Fig, I am naming her Interim Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. I want all foreign Ministries of Magic on high alert. If anyone can spare Aurors for our cause, we will take them and reimburse salaries and travel expenses if any other government is willing to spare some men."
Percy hurried out of the courtroom. Fudge looked around the remaining members of the Wizengamot.
"The rest of you should prepare for the upcoming crisis as best you can. Warn your families, your staff. Practice security measures such as the Fidelius Charm. I don't want to hear of anyone losing their lives to this madman. Now go, you are dismissed."
The courtroom emptied out. Fudge sat down, looking exasperated. He looked around; he was alone with Dumbledore.
"Well, Cornelius. You've certainly thought things through," said Dumbledore. He seemed a little taken aback by this.
"There is one other thing, Albus," said Fudge quietly. "I'd like to order the Department of Mysteries to conduct some research."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Oh? There is something I'd like to discuss with you relative to the Department of Mysteries while we're on the subject. But you first."
"No, go ahead. Mine will require some explanation."
Dumbledore sighed. "I think Voldemort will try and break into the Hall of Prophecies at some point. You see, Sybill Trelawney issued a prophecy to me concerning Harry and Voldemort sixteen years ago. My sources tell me he wants to hear the prophecy in full. You should secure the Department, particularly after hours."
"That will be a job for Arthur Weasley. He's in the Order of the Phoenix, yes? I recommend speaking to him. I will authorize whatever he needs for additional guards. Is that all you had?"
"Yes, Cornelius. Now what is this idea of yours?"
Fudge sighed, then looked away from Dumbledore. "I've been thinking…what happens if we DO catch Voldemort? He is such a powerful wizard that I don't think the Ministry can hold him in Azkaban, even with protective spells and Ministry staff guarding the place. We need a weapon. I'd like to instruct the Department of Mysteries to research ways of taking a wizard's magic away from him. I want to make Lord Voldemort a Muggle."