Another view of what is happening inside the Ministry of Magic.

And we get to see a character from what I call the Harry Potter extended universe. Try to guess who this is.

AMELIA III

"Are we sure about that?" Amelia asked her investigator, sitting behind her desk.

The young man in front of her was the person she tasked with finding the truth about the attack her niece suffered in August. He had left Hogwarts only four years ago, and Amelia had hired him right when he left school. She had the opportunity of working with him during his final year at Hogwarts, as part of the Ministry's student program, and had been impressed by his integrity and intelligence. Now he was one of the investigators she called upon the most when she needed to handle sensitive matters that required someone impossible to influence or corrupt.

Amelia always tried to look very carefully at who was hired in her department. She wanted competent, hard-working, intelligent, honest people, who also possessed a strong moral compass. This young man was one of them. His passage in Hogwarts had been eventful, almost as much as that of Harry Potter right now. He had left the school the year before her niece's arrival. To be honest, his achievements outside lessons were among the things that led Amelia to hire him before the others. Not that other departments rushed to take him. He had attracted so many problems and violated so many rules while at school that most Heads of Department feared taking him. There was also the fact that he revealed being in a relationship with a werewolf, a fellow classmate, when he was interviewed by people of the Ministry. The young woman was now married to her employee, and she worked as a healer at St Mungo's Hospital.

Amelia found the narrow-mindedness and prejudices of many of her colleagues ridiculous. There were more factors to take into consideration than academic results and respect of rules when hiring someone. In fact, Amelia found it suspicious anytime people brought her a candidate with a clean sheet. Respecting and applying laws were important, of course, but she also wanted her employees to be able to use their judgment when needed, or else laws could harm the justice they was supposed to support. But many of her colleagues preferred people following authorities, laws and rules without question. They made for more docile, and sometimes less dangerous employees for their supervisors. But Amelia thought it was worth taking the risk if she could get people able to think outside the box and willing to take initiatives. People who didn't only approve everything she did and proposed. Such as the young man in front of her right now.

"Well, the guard is adamant that he did send us a report on the first of August that he spotted two shapes in the skies over Azkaban that looked like Dementors leaving the island. The problem is, we have absolutely no trace of ever receiving such a report," her employee summarized.

"And it is only today that he's telling us?" Amelia asked, bewildered.

"For him, the report was sent. And before the disciplinary hearing of Harry Potter, no one in the Ministry had any reason to suspect an attack of Dementors. He wasn't even aware that Harry Potter had been accused of using magic illegally. Not to mention that even after the hearing, the Minister tried to keep it a secret. At least, the part about the Dementors. The guard in question does not come very often to the Ministry. He spends most of his time patrolling the surroundings of Azkaban to ensure Muggles never approach and that Dementors remain on the island. He only learned about the attack when I questioned him personally. That is when he told me about the report. And he looked genuinely surprised when I revealed we never received such a report."

Amelia nodded, thoughtful. Indeed, many of the people watching the prison of Azkaban worked there full time for long periods, and seldom came to the Ministry's offices. Plus, the investigation on the Dementors' attack was discreet, almost secret. That was one of the conditions Fudge imposed when he gave Amelia the authorization to inquire on this. That, and that she would dedicate a full team to investigating Dumbledore and his past in the hope to find something to charge him with.

"So, a report was sent by one of our employees that we never received?" Amelia asked her investigator. He nodded. "This may be only another bureaucratic irregularity, but there seems to be a lot of them around this affair with the Dementors."

Her investigator agreed. He used his wand to create a huge blackboard, and on it he wrote a line of events surrounding the Dementors' attack.

"We know that on the first of August, a name was written on the register of visits at Azkaban, then this name was erased," the investigator summarized. "The employee responsible for the register claims he made a mistake and erased the name using magic. Late that same day, one of the guards patrolling the area around Azkaban noticed two dark shapes in the sky looking like Dementors, and who seemed to be moving away from the island. He claims to have filed a report to mention it, but we never received that report. One day later, two Dementors attack Harry Potter and your niece, Susan Bones. And employees within the Ministry hid the fact that your niece's Trace registered the spells Harry Potter used to defend himself that day."

"That makes three irregularities masking events that took place around this attack. It's too much." Amelia shook her head. "I cannot believe that all of this happened per chance. As one would say, once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, but three times is enemy action."

"I agree, Madam Bones. I think someone went to Azkaban this day, and that whoever this person was, his name was registered, and later removed using magic. A magic so specific and expert that I couldn't cancel it. If it had only been a mistake, the name would have been crossed or erased by conventional means, not with a high-level spell designed to leave absolutely no trace. Someone wanted to hide that he went to Azkaban. Then, we have the guard. He acknowledges himself that he's not sure whether these were Dementors he saw. He said they could only have been shadows, and he was disturbed by an approaching Muggle boat to ensure it didn't come into contact with the island. Nonetheless, he judged the details important enough to signal the incident, and he is clear about the fact he sent a report. A report that we never received because someone probably intercepted it. Then the attack happens, and someone hides the fact that your niece was there and that her Trace registered the Patronus Charms that were thrown against the Dementors. To me, it is clear that someone is trying to hide something."

"Yes. However, we still have no clue as to who might be behind this."

"Well, Madam Bones…" The investigator seemed to hesitate, but Amelia encouraged him with a nod to speak his mind. "The Dementors swore none of them left the island since June. That's what they told me when I interrogated them. They must be lying. And if they lied to me when I'm investigating under your authority… that can only mean two things. The first… is that the order came from someone higher than you within the Ministry."

Amelia pursed her lips. Very early, she suspected and feared that the attack of Dementors might come from someone inside the Ministry. But it wasn't anybody who could order such an attack. The person had to hold high authority, or to be acting under high authority. As Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the department who held responsibility and authority over Azkaban, Amelia was one of those authorities, and if someone had given such an order to the Dementors by pretending he did it under her request, the Dementors would have told the investigator she sent them. That could only mean one thing.

"We both know there is only one department in the entire Ministry who has higher authority than my office," Amelia declared.

The man in front of her nodded. "The Minister's Office and his support staff."

This was not something new. The idea had throttled into Amelia's mind for a while, and she knew it was a distinct possibility. She was not of those people who closed eyes to ignore the truth. She faced it straight ahead. But with recent advancements in the investigation, it was more than a possibility now, and hearing an employee she trusted say it loud still caused something between dread and despair to creep within her. For as aware as Amelia was of the flaws of the Ministry, she still had dedicated her entire career and her whole life to this organization. And to know that someone in the higher echelons of the Ministry was behind all this, behind an attempt of murder on two children, including her own niece and goddaughter… That made her angry and determined to catch this criminal.

"We are entering dangerous territory," she stated. It was a fact. Suspecting the Minister or someone close to him was very dangerous, especially those days as Fudge saw enemies everywhere.

"Madam Bones, we cannot abandon the investigation. We are getting close to the goal," the young man in front of her argued.

"I know. And I have no intention to stop investigating. But we must be careful. The Minister will certainly never think that someone in his staff ordered this attack. He's at best barely open to the idea that these two children were truly assaulted by Dementors. All the people he's listening to are telling him this is a lie. We need strong proofs to accuse someone in his entourage. And for now, we only have clues pointing in a certain direction."

"Do you think the Minister could have ordered this hit himself?"

Amelia appreciated the blunt and direct way her employee suggested something that might get you fired those days, if not worse.

"No, I don't think so." She sighed. "The Minister has many flaws, but he's not an assassin. He wouldn't order somebody's death. But I wouldn't put it past some of his close advisors to do such a thing. The Minister probably doesn't suspect his staff, for he doesn't believe this aggression took place."

"Well, forgive me my frankness, Madam Bones, but if someone so high in the hierarchy of the Ministry ordered this, we must stop him. No matter what the Minister says."

"I agree. Let's keep it between us. Keep investigating. Look around the Minister, but make sure he or his staff doesn't suspect a thing."

"This is going to be difficult… and long."

"Do it. We cannot take the risk of whoever having done this suspecting a thing, or else the Minister will shut the investigation and the culprit will escape." And that was the best scenario. Amelia wouldn't put it past Cornelius to fire her investigator and even herself if he came to know they were suspecting his team of releasing Dementors upon two children. He would probably believe that Amelia was working for Dumbledore. It took less than that to convince Cornelius you were his enemy right now.

"Understood. But… There's a second possibility. That no one within the Ministry gave the order. That it came… That Dumbledore is right."

Amelia nodded. "Dumbledore is still very respected by many people, whatever the Minister thinks. And most people would do well to not ignore whatever he says. Whether it is true or not."

Her investigator understood. Amelia had taken the habit of speaking through veiled words, even with people she trusted, to avoid giving a clear impression that she believed Dumbledore. Or else someone could report her opinion to Cornelius.

"As I said, keep investigating. Wherever this leads us, whoever this leads us to, we will deal with him. Or her."

Her employee took his leave on those final words Amelia said. She returned to work on other files, making disappear the blackboard he previously created. There was a report she needed to read on the use of magic among underage wizards who had not been admitted to Hogwarts yet. They were given more freedom than those aged eleven or more. Their magic often manifested itself in innocent ways that were rarely noticed by Muggles. Wizarding families usually hid those manifestations from Muggles, and they were the ones who could be prosecuted if they failed to contain their children's magic. As for Muggle families, if their children showed any magical prowess, they either didn't see it, ignored it if their children talked about it, or hid it, afraid of it. Very few Muggle adults believed their children if they said they could perform surpernatural actions. The Ministry, while still closely monitoring those children's actions, allowed them to discover and even explore their magical powers to a certain extent. They were considered a small risk to the secrecy of magic for allowing kids to discover their abilities. The Statute of Secrecy only began to be truly enforced when the children arrived at Hogwarts.

Amelia smiled while remembering the first time her niece showed magical abilities. She was only eight-years-old and Amelia happened to be visiting her brother for a dinner in family. As they were cleaning dishes after dinner, Susan had unwillingly made one of the plates she wanted to dry levitate towards her. They had all been surprised, Susan the first. And they had been even more surprised when Susan made another plate levitate to her, this time almost consciously. But some first manifestations of magic could be more problematic to maintain the secrecy of the wizarding world. There were even cases of Muggle-born kids making their school teachers levitate over the floor in the middle of their classroom. It was those situations that her department was tasked to deal with when they happened. This often involved the use of a few Memory Charms.

Time passed so fast. Sometimes, Amelia had the impression it was yesterday that she began working at the Ministry. Or that it wasn't that long since she last saw her brother Edgar. Or that Susan was small enough to be carried into her arms. It was sometimes difficult to think that she was now Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, that Edgar was dead, and that her niece was already sixteen-years-old.

Someone knocked at her door.

"Come in," she said.

Mafalda walked in. "Madam Bones, the Minister wishes to speak with you."

Amelia put back the report on her desk and stood up. "I'm going." She looked at her schedule for today. "It shouldn't take long, but if Scrimgeour arrives before I return, tell him to wait a little."

"Yes, Madam."

Amelia left her office. It wasn't unusual for Fudge to ask to see her immediately. Though it had become more frequent in the last few months. And Amelia was certain that he would ask once again if her team of investigators had found anything compromising about Dumbledore. And she would have to give the same answer than all those previous times.

The corridors of her department were as busy as usual. She saluted several of her employees on her way to the elevators. She walked into one that was already full and headed for the first level. There was already one of Fudge's employees in the elevator.

"Madam Bones," Percy Weasley saluted her as the door closed and the elevator moved.

"Weasley," Amelia returned. "I'm meeting with the Minister."

"Ah, yes. I guess you have a lot to discuss together."

"You will ask him, Weasley. When the Minister summons us, we answer."

"Indeed, Madam," the young man replied quickly. Way too quickly.

Percy Weasley had been the former assistant of Barty when he was still at the Ministry. Amelia recognized the efficiency and enthusiasm of the young man. She herself had considered hiring him when he applied for a job at the Ministry. But today, she didn't regret leaving him to Barty. He didn't correspond to the kind of employee she wanted for her department. His behavior toward her right now was proof enough. He approved anything a superior was saying.

"I heard you contributed significantly to the creation of the position of High Inquisitor," she said.

"Yes," Percy Weasley, seeming very proud. "This was a lot of work, I will not deny it. The Minister asked a lot of me. But I never relinquished a challenge. I'm glad to have contributed to this. This will start a new era for Hogwarts. In fact, this era has already begun."

"This is definitely a new era," Amelia commented on an even tone.

"Yes. Dumbledore must have thought himself to be very cunning when he made Lily Potter a professor. But that will not stop the Ministry from watching him closely and preventing him from naming… dubious individuals to teach."

The barriers of the elevator opened, and the characteristic female voice announced the first level where the Minister of Magic and his support staff were located.

"I remember reading your application when you decided to join the Ministry," Amelia told Percy as they walked forward.

"Well… I'm surprised, Madam. And flattered. You see so many applications. I didn't expect mine to have caught your attention."

"And I remember the reference letters that accompanied them. One came from a certain Professor Remus Lupin. The werewolf who Dumbledore hired."

Percy Weasley lost some color all of a sudden. "Well… Professor Lupin was…"

"An excellent professor, Mr Weasley," Amelia completed for him. "It was under his supervision that you got an Outstanding in Defence against the Dark Arts for your last year at Hogwarts, and all your fellow students agreed he was the best professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts they ever had. Even my niece was of this opinion."

Amelia remembered Susan writing to her about this when Remus Lupin resigned. She felt very guilty about it. Her niece thought it was her fault that her professor left school, and she asked Amelia if there was anything she could do to make him stay at Hogwarts. Amelia had kindly replied to Susan that she didn't have to feel responsible for this. Unfortunately, there was nothing Amelia could do. She didn't decide who taught or not at Hogwarts, and it wasn't part of her duties to interfere in Hogwarts' matters. And Remus Lupin had resigned. He wasn't fired. They couldn't force him to come back and teach.

"He was… a decent professor, I agree. But still… He was a werewolf… And he hid it…" Percy Weasley clumsily explained.

"His name is on the Werewolf Registry, and both Dumbledore and his staff knew of his situation, Weasley. Even I was aware of it."

"You were?" Weasley asked, surprised.

"I was. And I don't regret that he was my niece's teacher for an entire year. She learned more with him than with her two previous professors in that subject together. Let's not forget, Weasley, that the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures allowed Remus Lupin to teach you and your comrades back then. The Ministry never opposed it. We knew this man was a werewolf, and we let him teach nonetheless."

"Yes, indeed," Weasley stammered. "But… It wasn't us who decided… And at the time, we gave way more freedom to Dumbledore… And this resulted in catastrophes."

"Indeed. Patricia Rakepick, a criminal who ended in Azkaban. Qurinius Quirrell, another criminal who ended up dead. Gilderoy Lockhart, a fraudster. And Bartemius Crouch, another criminal who impersonated Alastor Moody and managed to infiltrate the school. All criminals that my department and the Ministry failed to arrest in time, and who we allowed to put our children in danger."

They arrived in front of Cornelius' office. She looked at Percy Weasley before they walked in. He was listening attentively to her.

"We must not forget our own failures, Weasley. We are in part responsible for all the troubles that took place at Hogwarts over the years. It is not Dumbledore's job to arrest criminals. It is ours. And we failed on those occasions. Let's not forget that. Our Ministry must improve his way of doing things as well."

"Yes," Percy Weasley approved, though on a very uncertain tone.

Amelia nodded and walked into Fudge's office, leaving the young man behind. His secretary let her in, and she found the Minister alone with his Senior Undersecretary.

"Ah, Amelia. Thank you for coming," Cornelius said.

"What a pleasure to see you again, Amelia," Dolores Umbridge said.

Amelia nodded towards both of them. "What do you need me for, Minister?"

"Well, in fact, we need to discuss a few things," Fudge said, clearing his throat. "But first, it concerns Mrs Umbridge's work at Hogwarts. She is facing some obstacles to conduct her work as High Inquisitor."

"Minister, my department has no jurisdiction over the position of the High Inquisitor, nor over educational decrees, nor over Hogwarts itself. So unless a crime has been committed within the walls of the school, I'm afraid there is nothing I can do for you about it."

When Cornelius adopted the recent educational decrees, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was consulted to ensure the decree didn't conflict with any existing legislation, but it was the Minister's Office that directly led the development and adoption of the decrees, and that was also charged with applying them. Amelia judged most of these decrees to be useless. Number Twenty-Two wasn't applied in the end, for Dumbledore found a teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts. As for the Number Twenty-Three, which created the position of High Inquisitor about a month ago, Amelia knew it was simply an attempt by Fudge to put people favorable to him at Hogwarts. But she couldn't stop Fudge, so the best she could do was to let him handle this mess he was creating.

"I know. Hogwarts is not under your department's responsibility. But… I believe Dolores is best placed to explain you."

"Thank you, Cornelius," Umbridge said, turning to Amelia. "As the Minister just explained, Amelia, I am facing a few challenges. The committee responsible to review my reports and to follow the recommendations of the Minister has proven… recalcitrant and difficult, so far."

"Really? I thought I heard a professor was already on probation, on your advice, Minister," Amelia said.

"Yes," Fudge confirmed. "What was this teacher's name?"

"Sybill Trelawney. She teaches Divination. And I highly doubt that she has any real capacity to foresee the future," Dolores declared, a subtle satisfied smile on her lips.

"Well, if the committee judges she is unfit for the position, that will be its decision. But I still don't see what this has to do with my department," Amelia pointed out. She never considered Divination to be a particularly important subject at Hogwarts anyway.

Fudge made a sign of head to Dolores, who spoke up on a tone that meant her words explained everything. "They refused to put Lily Evans Potter on probation."

A silence followed. Then Amelia shrugged. "That is their decision."

"You have nothing to say about this?" Umbridge pressed.

"What would you like me to say, Dolores? I am not responsible for the choice of the teachers at Hogwarts. Has Lily Evans committed a crime or violated any law in the exercise of her new job?"

"No," Umbridge replied.

"Then this doesn't concern me. My department is not responsible for judging the competence and abilities of professors. This is your responsibility."

It was as if Dolores was slapped in the face. Fudge jumped in, his voice calm, though he sounded a little irritated.

"Amelia… Evans was your Auror for some time… and you fired her…"

"Technically, Cornelius, she resigned. She left the Ministry, not the other way around."

"Her place is not at Hogwarts."

"Maybe not, Minister, but unless Dumbledore decides to fire her or that the committee that Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three created decides to remove her from her position, for now, we have no choice but to let her where she is."

"Do you know that…?"

"Cornelius, please let me explain it to her," Dolores said. Cornelius nodded, and Umbridge went on. "The teaching methods of Lily Evans are inappropriate, and even dangerous. She forces her students to throw spells at each other in her classroom. She also showed them horrible images of people being slaughtered. Add to this that she was clearly unprepared for this year, and that she commanded books that are judged inappropriate by the Minister…"

"Dolores," Amelia stopped her. "Has Lily Evans Potter done anything that resembles a crime?"

"No," the High Inquisitor replied dryly.

Amelia turned to Cornelius. "Minister, I appreciate that you would like my help, but education matters are not under my responsibility. I don't see the point of all this."

"Let Dolores finish, please," Cornelius said, his voice tensed.

Amelia returned her attention on Dolores, who resumed speaking. "But more than everything, she is abusing her position as teacher to frighten her students. Including your own niece."

Amelia frowned at this. She stared at Fudge, who invited her to further listen to Umbridge, although now he looked a little uncomfortable.

"I have been questioning the students on their professors as part of my duties as High Inquisitor. I'm trying to get their opinions on their professors to better my reports on them. And many students seem… afraid to talk against their professors. Your niece included. I had a lengthy discussion with her some time ago, and she was… obviously… intimidated by Evans. The Minister and I have discussed this, Amelia, and we are of the opinion that you should intervene, in the best interests of your niece."

Amelia felt a certain amount of anger grow within her. Were they really involving Susan in all this?

"Do you have any proof that my niece or any other student was intimidated or threatened by member of the staff at Hogwarts?" Amelia asked between her teeth.

"Well… Very few people are talking right now," Dolores began, "but I suspect there is a toxic climate at Hogwarts…"

"My niece told me she felt intimidated and threatened at Hogwarts."

Both Dolores and Cornelius looked surprised by Amelia's sudden revelation. She watched their reactions carefully.

"Really?" The Minister stood up. "Amelia, this is grave. Your niece… We cannot allow someone to intimidate a family member of one of our employees." He seemed to be in quite a state. Umbridge looked quite satisfied. "You should have told us."

"I hesitated to tell you, Minister…" Amelia declared. "… because she says that it was Dolores who intimidated and threatened her."

Silence fell upon the office, as if all air was sucked from it. Cornelius looked multiple times from Amelia to Dolores, then back to Amelia. As for Amelia herself, she stared at Dolores and spoke in very clear terms for a public servant of the Ministry of Magic of Great Britain and Ireland.

"My niece wrote to me after a discussion she had with you in the school's library. She claimed that you tried to force her to talk against her professors, and that you threatened to ruin her chances to make a career at the Ministry if she refused to do as you asked."

Amelia made sure that Umbridge understood she would not tolerate any threat to her family in any way. And Umbridge seemed to realize she was in trouble. But Amelia knew she couldn't let things stop there this way.

"This is probably a false impression she had, for I wouldn't expect someone with the trust of the Minister to intimidate a family member of another employee. Especially not my niece."

She cast a short glance towards Cornelius, who seemed to be unsure as to what to do. But he seized the ball Amelia just threw at him.

"I'm sure this is only a misunderstanding," he declared. "Amelia, Dolores would never threaten your niece. Your niece must have… misinterpreted what Dolores probably told her. I know things are difficult for her, given everything that happened this summer, and that this is the year of her O.W.L.s too… This must all be a terrible mistake."

"I certainly hope so," Amelia said, her voice still showing she was displeased. "But the mere fact that my niece had this impression has me wondering…"

"Okay, okay," Fudge said, exceeded. "Dolores, out!"

"Cornelius…" Umbridge began, as if to protest.

"Out! I need a word in private with Amelia."

Dolores Jane Umbridge didn't dare to contradict the Minister further, and she left. She threw an assassin look at Amelia on her way out, and almost slammed the door. Fudge almost slumped behind her desk.

"I apologize, Amelia. Look… I would never do anything to your family, especially not your niece. You have been very clear about that, and I respect that."

"And yet, I receive letters about how employees of the Ministry… the Ministry, not Hogwarts… harass and intimidate her," she pointed out.

"This is only a misunderstanding." He exhaled deeply. "Umbridge… Things are not going as they should at Hogwarts." Fudge let a groan of frustration. "Most of the students don't want to tell us what's going wrong in the school. Your niece among them. That's why Dolores was so angry and insistent on them. As for the staff… No one wants to help us, even those who were hired the most recently. A good example. Lily Evans gave a detention to the son of Lucius. For nothing. Only because she doesn't like Lucius. Umbridge went to the committee with this, along with all other inappropriate things Evans did, and you know what happened? The whole Board of Governors took her defence! One of them even produced a letter from Severus Snape, the Head of the Slytherin House to who Lucius' son belongs, saying he approved her decision and even added additional detention. Can you imagine this?"

Amelia didn't have as much trouble imagining this as Cornelius seemed to have. She wasn't aware of all the details, but the son of Lucius Malfoy wouldn't be the first student to end in detention. And if his Head of House approved Evans' decision, knowing who Severus Snape was, Amelia would suspect there had to be good reasons behind this disciplinary decision.

"And you haven't heard the best yet," Cornelius went on, venting all his frustration. "The person on the Board of Governors who showed the letter when Umbridge was about to convince them to put Evans on probation… This is a woman by the name of Madhara Patil. She is a neighbour of Lily Evans, and apparently her daughter is a great friend of Harry Potter. He even dated her!"

Amelia decided to maintain her calm as much as possible to not antagonize Fudge while making things clear between them. "Cornelius, I understand that things are not going as you would like in Hogwarts. But if you believe that I will allow your employees, even someone like Dolores Umbridge, to mistreat a member of my family because they are too incompetent to do their job…"

"I will speak to Dolores. This will not happen again. She must have gone too far without realizing it. I promised you no one would cause trouble to your family, Amelia, and I'm going to respect this promise." Fudge exhaled. He seemed a little more calm. "I just wished I could deal with Dumbledore more easily. Get done with him and turn the page. But no. Instead, I must contend with the Board of Governors and parents who are crying to a scandal each time we want to involve ourselves in their children's school. I don't get how they can be so blind."

"Many people still have respect for Dumbledore," Amelia reminded Cornelius. "Even with everything told in the Daily Prophet. He remains the man who defeated Grindelwald and one of the most powerful wizards of history. You couldn't expect the entire world to turn on him in a matter of minutes, Minister. One of my employees recently reported to me that the Daily Prophet lost a certain amount of subscriptions since they started writing regularly against Dumbledore. Even the newspaper refuses to go too far against him because that would mean losing revenues."

That was why the Daily Prophet refused to share Fudge's beliefs that Dumbledore was plotting to overthrow him and even training his students to create some kind of personal army. The management of the Daily Prophet and journalists to who Fudge and his associates talked about their suspicions either found it ludicrous or feared, with just cause, that their readers would find these allegations totally stupid. It was easier to depict Dumbledore as a crazy old fool than as a traitor. The Daily Prophet might have lost all credibility if it began to share this line of thoughts.

Fudge looked bothered by what Amelia just told him. "Have you found anything on him yet?"

"No," Amelia replied, knowing very well who he was talking about. "As soon as my investigators find something, you will be the first person notified, Minister."

"Then find something! I already have more than enough problems. Find a way to prosecute Dumbledore! I want results!"

"Minister… What do you want?" Amelia asked him.

Fudge looked confused for a time, before he roared again. "I want Dumbledore to be neutralized!"

"Well, if you want him neutralized by arresting him, this is not going to happen anytime soon. Not before we can find a serious crime he committed, or else we can only expect another humiliation in front of the Wizengamot. And we must be careful with how we're dealing with them right now. They are not happy with recent decisions. Two even resigned when you named Umbridge High Inquisitor."

"No need to remind me about this."

"If you didn't like Dumbledore on the Wizengamot or at the Confederation, it was your right to remove him. But we cannot send someone in prison without proofs. Not in this country."

"Then find proofs! Find a way to get rid of him once and for all."

"Do you really believe it is that easy, Minister? Your staff has been trying to take away Dumbledore's Order of Merlin First Class for months now, and they still haven't succeeded. Umbridge cannot even get a teacher to be placed under probation. Simply because the Ministry is not all powerful. There are laws in place to protect the wizards both in Great Britain and Ireland, and these laws guarantee that people are free to say and believe what they want. If the Wizengamot doesn't believe Dumbledore is guilty of a crime, we will never be able to sentence him. If people don't want to believe what the Daily Prophet or we are telling them, this is their choice. And if students don't want to tell the High Inquisitor what she wants to hear, we cannot force them to do so."

Fudge pursed his lips. He stared at Amelia. Then he sighed.

"Sorry for bothering you, Amelia. You may go. Tell Umbridge to come inside as you leave."

Amelia left, quickly telling Dolores what Fudge just asked her to, but without granting a single glance to the woman on her way. She had more important matters to deal with. Cornelius might believe that Dumbledore was the greatest danger for the Ministry… or for himself… but Amelia had to deal with criminals, murderers and organized crime. These was her daily challenges. And with Voldemort who was back and the Minister refusing to admit the truth, she had to walk a fine line while preparing her department for a war. And also worrying about a niece who might be targeted by Fudge's minions. The Minister would be better to not let that happen, or else Amelia was ready to show him she could cause way more damage by leaving than Barty ever did. Rosa might not be able to give much attention to her daughter's problem for now, given what was taking place in Canada, so Amelia had to keep a closer eye on Susan.

Amelia hoped that whatever was going to happen by the end of October, this would mean her department facing less issues when dealing with Canadians. And Rosa stopping to work like a mad woman and being more able to focus on her daughter.

Please review.

Next chapter: October 30, 1995