AN: As always, thanks for all your support!
stars90 - It's pretty cathartic writing Fudge getting smacked down. That people are enjoying it is just a bonus.
scrappy8 - Yeah, Umbridge is the worse. She's about to have things rougher though.
GreengrassRebel - Glad to know you want more. More will definitely come. Glad you enjoyed Harry ensuring everyone got back safely, and bonding more with other members. I agree, as a general whole, Harry really bonded with so few in canon, or at least bonded with so few on screen. The politics is definitely a fun way for me to further my plot, change up OotP a bit, and do some world building. I'm sure you'll enjoy this next chapter. Umbridge's days of saying terrible things like she's been doing are going to really start biting her in the ass.
michaelc100 - Thanks!
Mando-Vet - Bit by bit. I suspect you are going to enjoy this chapter quite a bit.
Arctic Wolf Fury - Oh, she'll try, but after this chapter, she's going to find her position much more unstable.
Guest - Thanks! Glad you enjoyed my slight modifications that created the Grim Consortium, and how the meeting went compared to canon, and yes, Fudge is continuing to take hit after hit.
minerdude - Thanks! I felt it was more interesting to make the Blood Quills as vile, but still legal, rather than them being flat out illegal and making both the Hogwarts Professors and many Ministry personnel as super incompetent.
MonkeyKing22163 - Thanks! Happy to know your enjoying my story. Not sure about your slight complaint on update schedule. Maybe you're not getting the notifications? Could be an issue with . I update every week, on Sundays, not biweekly. So, no need to wait two weeks for a new chapter. I'm also a bit surprised you think even biweekly is not active enough for updates. You must have found some good fanfic writers to follow. I swear, nearly every story I'm following is updated, at best, every couple months, and a great many I fear will never be finished, having been 6-12 months since an update has occurred.
AhsokaTano2291 - Thanks! Hopefully you'll continue to enjoy how I deal with Fudge and Umbridge. I too felt like they got away with way too much way too easily. While the Ministry clearly had a lot of problems, it bugs me to think that seemingly 90% of the Ministry leadership were perfectly fine with what they did and allowed it to happen.
Chapter 56
"Is there anything that needs to be brought up and discussed before we get to today's docket?" Fudge called out.
"Several things, Minister," Sirius said, and tension filled the room immediately.
Fudge glared at Sirius, but nodded.
"Lord Black, the floor is yours."
"Madam Umbridge is out of control, and if this body does not reign her in, then House Black and House Potter will do so ourselves," Sirius said coldly.
"You threaten the Wizengamot?" Fudge demanded in angrily.
"It's a warning, Minister," Sirius said firmly.
"What has she done?" Torson Abbott asked. "From what I understand, there are still tensions, yes, but she has mostly curbed her attitude."
"No, she's curved her attitude in front of the other faculty," Dora responded archly. "Minister Fudge has ignored all complaints made to the Professors of her actions that are not witnessed by those Professors, deciding that they are biased and are not of worth."
"Just this week, she has overridden the Gryffindor Quidditch team from their properly scheduled practice, giving it to the Slytherins. She ensured they were unable to practice every day this week," Sirius said.
"Wait, she's taking their practice time and giving it to another House?" Ethan Parkin demanded.
"Yes," Sirius said.
"Did she provide a reason?" Theseus Scamander asked.
"Members of the Gryffindor team were unable to stay out of detention and lost a large number of points over the week," Fudge said smoothly. "She was showing them that they aren't above the rules."
"Except that's effectively double punishing for a single infraction," Emmeline Vance said with a frown. "Besides, that also affects the members of the team who did not do anything wrong."
"I could possibly agree with Madam Umbridge and Minister Fudge," Sirius said darkly, "if it wasn't for the fact that only one professor gave them detention and docked points from them all week . . . and every interaction was outside of the view of any other faculty."
"Madam Umbridge punished Lord and Lady Potter and their friends throughout the week," John McAvoy said in grim understanding. "She then sabotaged their team and ensured that they were punished even when they hadn't done anything wrong."
"Bingo," Dora said with a glare at Fudge.
"Are you saying that none of those interactions with Madam Umbridge deserved punishment?" Fudge said. "Many of them were blatantly rude to her, and she has a right as faculty to punish unruly and rude students."
"Yes, but she could have given them detention at the times they had practice if she wanted to punish them in that manner," Griselda Marchbanks said. "Then the teammates who weren't punished could still practice. She did not have to override the proper system for scheduling practices and basically create even further tension between Houses by rewarding one specific House at the expense of another. We are also once again in a situation where, if the students are telling the truth, Madam Umbridge is not only out of line, but should be immediately fired, both from Hogwarts and from her position at the Ministry. It's hard to fault rudeness towards even a faculty member when that person in question goes out of their way to cause strife, and insults them directly to bait them into a punishment."
"I really don't need to hear more on this," Franklin Boot said. "It's clear the Minister has either not sufficiently reigned in Madam Umbridge, convinced her to act as she is acting, or she is deliberately ignoring our mandates because she doesn't feel she has oversight. At this point, I worry about the scores should we remove her, but clearly she needs oversight, and it will not come from Minister Fudge. He clearly needs to be removed from any further action at Hogwarts School."
Fudge opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off.
"I agree," Patrice Shafiq said. "It's time for either one of us or a designated representative from the Ministry to periodically check in at the school and evaluate her."
"It cannot be anyone who is biased against Madam Umbridge," Fudge said, glaring at both Sirius and Dora.
"It can't be anyone biased for her either," Sirius retorted. "With all due respect, I demand that either myself, Lady Nymphadora Potter, or someone we designate are present for these evaluations so that not only can it be observed how she reacts to us, since she has proven to be confrontational in the past, but also so we can verify that proper evaluations of her character are being done."
"You don't trust us?" Nicholas Frobisher demanded, looking affronted.
"No," Sirius stated firmly. "We'll get to the reason why right after this vote."
There were raised eyebrows and shock shown about the room.
"Very well, I vote that someone unbiased should evaluate Madam Umbridge. It must be someone who also has a proper knowledge in her subject to evaluate her teachings," Carter Ollivander said. "I nominate Theseus Scamander."
"Seconded," Dora said, "as long as he does not mind either myself or Lord Black or someone we designate accompanying him."
"I have no complaints with either," Scamander said. "As active aurors, your knowledge of changes in the subject might enlighten my possible criticisms or praises to Madam Umbridge's methods."
"Lord Black and Lady Potter will do everything they can to show Madam Umbridge as unreasonable," Fudge protested.
"Are you saying that I won't be able to tell if they are baiting her?" Scamander asked with a raised eyebrow. "Are you also suggesting that she can be so easily baited into acting just as they have said she acts?"
"Of course not, Lord Scamander," Fudge said through clenched teeth.
"All for?" Amelia Bones asked, and soon the motion was approved.
"Now, let's get to the next thing," Sirius said. "That which you removed from the agenda and have attempted to delay again," Sirius finished sharply.
"What are you talking about?" Fudge demanded.
"I'm talking about the Ministry's investigation into the dementors," Sirius said. "It has been nearly two months, and we have heard nothing. A meeting was scheduled for the findings to be presented last month, which was canceled, and another meeting was scheduled, but I noticed it was removed from this week's agenda."
"That was intentional, Lord Black," Fudge said. "The investigation is not complete."
"At this point in time, I'm not, nor is House Potter sufficiently satisfied that the Ministry is even conducting an investigation," Sirius replied coldly. "I want to see whether any progress has been made."
"I gave the order for an investigation to occur, Lord Black," Amelia Bones said sharply.
"Then you won't have a problem with the lead Auror presenting their findings," Cyrus said mildly. "I have already submitted the proper paperwork to have them subpoenaed for this session because I'm also curious, being that it was a case I was the defense for."
"You - you what?" Fudge demanded. "Why were we not aware of this?"
"Because it is not in our prerogative to allow the Ministry to renege on its deal. This body promised House Potter that an investigation would be conducted in a timely manner. Now, Madam Bones, are you aware of any updates to the case?"
"No, the Auror Office has not updated me," Amelia admitted, and Sirius frowned at her.
"Very well then, we call Auror Clayton Norton to the stand," Cyrus said.
"We don't have time for this," Fudge said.
"We do if you don't want us filing a claim with the ICW for the Ministry reneging on its ruling," Sirius said coldly. "We demand some sort of proof that any sort of investigation has occurred."
"You don't trust your own department?" Amelia asked, looking affronted.
"It's because I work for the department that I doubt anything has been done," Sirius replied. "I would love to be proved wrong, and if I am, then I will submit to disciplinary actions for my disloyalty."
"Lord Black is right to demand proof of an investigation," Augusta Longbottom said. "We failed to perform an investigation when we charged Lord Potter, and did promise an investigation for the attack, and something should have come from it by now. An update is hardly a lot to ask."
"Agreed," Ignatius Prewett said.
"Agreed," Lord Marcus MacMillan said. "This is a chance to prove we have not broken our word."
Sirius wanted to grin, seeing Fudge's face start looking nervous.
"Very well," Amelia said with a sigh. "Get Auror Norton in here."
Sirius didn't like that what was going to happen was going to negatively affect Amelia, but she should have paid more attention to the inner workings of her subdepartment and less attention on politics.
It took ten minutes, but finally a rather nervous looking Clayton Norton came into the Chambers.
"Auror Norton," Fudge said. "Has there been any progress on the investigation into Potter's accusation of dementors attacking him?"
"Er, no, Minister," Norton replied. "There has been no progress."
"What have you discovered?" Amelia said, with a frown, and Sirius could see her jaw clenching. She suspected, and soon she would know.
"Before that, I would like the Minister to be fined for continuing to not call my godson by his proper title in this hall," Sirius said, staring at Fudge who looked apoplectic. "It's gone on long enough."
"I second the motion," Macmillan said. "It has been brought up before, and the rest of us would expect the respect to be shown to us. We also have had the same issue with Madam Umbridge. It's clear where she gets it from."
"I third the motion," Theseus Scamander said. "I propose a 100 galleon fine for every time the minister insults House Potter."
Soon the Minister was raging silently as the motion was passed.
"Now, let's get back to the topic at hand," Sirius said, glancing down at Norton.
"We haven't ruled out that the bodies presented weren't actually dementors," Norton said.
"Just more lies by Potter. I knew it," Fudge said gleefully.
"Another 100 galleon fine, Cornelius. In fact, I'd say that is a 200 galleon fine, both for not giving him his title and for calling him a liar without due proof," Amelia said, before she looked down at Norton with a glare, and Fudge scowled.
"Interesting," Sirius said, loving the fine. "So, you confirmed that no dementors are missing from Azkaban?"
"That is correct, Lord Black," Norton said snidely.
"Well, then, I submit the last two months of the dementors census," Sirius said coldly.
"What is this?" Fudge demanded.
"It's the accountability report for the dementors at Azkaban," Sirius said, and a copy of the report appeared in front of every member of the Wizengamot. "You will notice that there is a discrepancy numbering exactly seventeen dementors. They seemed to have been out on mission when last they were counted, with proper documentation being submitted for their leaving Azkaban. However, last I checked, they were forbidden from leaving Azkaban by this body. I took a little trip to Azkaban myself two days ago with the census official, and it seems that the warden was paid to help cleverly cover up seventeen missing dementors," Sirius continued coldly. "I had all seventeen of the dementor remains remanded to the Department of Mysteries who confirmed that they are in fact deceased dementors. So, it seems to me that little to no investigation has been done, other than what work was needed to cover up the Ministry's attack."
"Auror Norton? Did you check the census? Did you have the remains investigated at all?" Amelia asked, looking beyond angry.
"I looked at it, Director," Norton said nervously. "All the dementors were accounted for. The dementors were out on missions. I did not look at the remains, since they were in Lord Black's possession."
"Were there dementors reportedly out on mission, despite this body's orders? Exactly seventeen, two months in a row?" Bones asked, eyes narrowed.
"Yes," Norton said, and mutters broke out around the room.
"Why did you not speak to Lord Black about examining the remains?" Bones asked with her jaw nearly locked. "Not doing so is something I wouldn't even expect a rookie Auror to make, let alone someone of your station."
"The census suggested they weren't dementors, so I didn't want to feed the lies," Norton said nervously.
"So, to sum up," Sirius said, his voice shaking with rage. "In two months, the investigation could not conclude that the remains belonged to dementors, despite my being able to do so through the Department of Mysteries within one morning. The investigation couldn't find that the dementors had come from Azkaban, despite my ability to do so in one afternoon. It seems to me that the Ministry isn't conducting an investigation again. It seems to me that my godson's lack of trust was well warranted."
"Now, see here, Black," Fudge said angrily. "We do not answer to Harry Potter."
"On this, you do!" Sirius snapped back. "Since the Ministry did not conduct an investigation, then the Ministry broke its own ruling."
"Lord Black, I will personally look into this," Amelia said, trying to placate him, and he was satisfied seeing very scared looks around the chambers. There was a reason that Sirius had brought Jamie Spinnet with him today.
"I'm afraid you should have done that to begin with," Sirius replied, a bit sadly. "The Ministry is apparently incapable of providing justice or being unbiased against my godson. House Potter and House Black demand that within a week, either this Ministry admits that it does not have control of the dementors, it issues a statement admitting to attempted murder on House Potter and House Black, or it shows progress on the investigation. Real progress that is presented to us. We also demand that those responsible for the investigation or lack thereof are all suspended from duties and investigations are conducted on them and the reasoning behind their dereliction of duties. I expect several to not only face termination, but jail time once the culprits are found."
"One week is not enough time," Franklin Boot protested.
"Then you shouldn't have wasted almost two months," Sirius replied coldly. "That is not my problem. This should have been the Minister's and the Head of the DMLE's top priority, since it risked our entire legislative body's international power. Instead, the Minster has focused on Hogwarts, and putting in an unqualified teacher. One week, or we submit our grievances and all case files to the ICW. Ms. Spinnet will be publishing the results of this session in tomorrow's paper. We're not letting you sweep this under the rug. We're done giving the Ministry time. We're done letting the Ministry think it is above the law and above reproach. One week. Lady Potter will take my vote for the rest of this session, but she is not authorized to go against what I just vowed. I'm off to make a statement."
Sirius didn't even listen as people tried to reason with him and he walked out of the chamber with Jamie. Sirius smirked. Fudge wasn't going to be able to hold out for much longer. Soon he would be hung out to dry, assuming he even survived the day.
*HP*
Dora watched Sirius storm out and she hid her smirk. He had gotten quite good acting the part of a demanding lord.
"What are we going to do?" Torson Abbott asked, looking worried.
"He's all talk," Fudge said savagely. "We don't need to do anything."
"Minister, don't be a fool," Cyrus said sharply. "Lord Black doesn't care about any of us. None of us stopped his illegal incarceration. He is also well known for hating most of our institutions. I assure you, he is deadly serious, and we should be worried. You also are not one to even be in this discussion, since you have managed to get a 300 galleon fine just in this session because you are incapable of keeping your head when it comes to Lord Potter."
"I can assure you that House Potter and House Black are both locked into that week's deadline," Dora said calmly. "You will not change our minds, no matter what. We're tired of this body's lack of accountability, and the disrespect. Frankly, my vote was to immediately go to the ICW, without even giving any of you a courtesy of the notification. Really, that's what you should be trying to convince me not to do."
There were slightly panicked stares all around the room.
"Auror Norton, you will get Lieutenant Travers, Captain Dawlish, Assistant Head Robards, and Head Auror Scrimgeour immediately," Bones said sternly. "You will return with them."
Norton nodded a bit nervously and left the chamber.
"Amelia, how did this happen?" Franklin Boot demanded.
"That is what we must find out here and now," Amelia said.
"You should have taken better control of the Aurors!" Franklin Boot exclaimed. "This was your responsibility!"
"I gave an order," Ameila said firmly. "I expected my Head Auror, Assistant Head Auror, Auror Captain, Auror Lieutenant, and Aurors to do their duties. Somewhere in the chain, they must have received different orders. We will find out today who issued those orders and deal with them. Whoever it is, likely also ordered the attack on House Potter."
"Nobody ordered an attack on Potter," Fudge said. "The boy is delusional."
"Minister, act rationally or leave right now!" Augusta Longbottom said furiously. "It's your fault we are in this mess. It is your fault why a fifteen year old boy can destroy our reputations, and would be well within his rights to do so. The attack happened, unless you can prove that Lord Harry Potter somehow ambushed our dementors away from Azkaban, and we were unaware of their attack and failure to return, or that he snuck onto Azkaban, killed them and took their bodies, and again we were unaware of the infiltration and deaths, neither of which would be good for us even if it proved we didn't attack him! Since someone covered up their removal from Azkaban, it stands to reason that someone in the Ministry ordered the attack. Now, we need to find out who, fast, or we're going to have to make some serious revisions to dementor use and approval."
"You can't seriously be taking that boy's lies in?" Fudge demanded.
"We have to! They aren't lies!" Patrice Shafiq snapped. "No investigation was conducted for us to fight Lord Potter, and he had ample evidence for his claims. You have become an incredible liability to this organization. If we find that you are the reason that no investigation was conducted into this matter, I can promise that I will see you in Azkaban for the rest of your miserable life! I'm ready to have your bloody fine raised to a thousand galleons if will teach you some fucking respect! You already just earned yourself another three hundred galleons!"
"How dare you speak to me like that!" Fudge snapped.
"ENOUGH!" Bones thundered. "First, we will conduct an investigation. Everyone, clear your schedules for the day and possibly the week. We need to salvage this, because Minister, if Lord Black is not bluffing, and I have no doubt that he and Lady Potter are true to their word, then we have one week to prevent our international ruin, and the destruction of all of our professional reputations."
Dora waited patiently as angry mutterings filled the room before finally Norton returned with Travers, Dawlish, Robards, and Scrimgeour. Dora didn't think it was a coincidence that Norton was the Auror assigned, nor that he belonged in that chain of leadership.
"Let's start with you, Auror Norton," Bones said coldly. "Why did you not conduct a proper investigation? Why does it seem that you conducted no investigation whatsoever?"
Norton glanced around nervously, looking at Travers.
"I was advised that Potter was lying and that we needed to find the evidence that proved him guilty," Norton said.
"Even if that means disregarding information to the contrary, and seemingly doing no work whatsoever," Bones finished with a growl. "Auror Norton, you are hereby suspended without pay from your duties until a formal board can be gathered on your actions throughout your entire career to see if you will be permanently terminated."
"You can't do that!" Norton exclaimed. "I am a pureblood from a good family!"
"That doesn't matter!" Ishaan Patil snapped. "As a pureblood from a good family, you should know better! Your actions go against your mandate as an Auror. Lord Potter is the Head of a Noble House himself!"
Norton scowled, but said nothing further, lest he get himself into further trouble.
"Lieutenant Travers," Bones said, moving on. "Why did you advise Norton to go against this court's mandate?"
Travers scowled.
"I refuse to answer," Travers said, and Bones scowled.
"Were you ordered to do so?"
"I refuse to answer," Travers said again.
"Lieutenant Travers," Bones snapped. "Your commission is hereby revoked, permanently, for failure to conduct your duties in accordance with your oath. You are suspended without pay until a formal review board can be gathered to determine if your suspension will become a termination."
Travers's hands clenched, and he glared up at Bones, before stiffly storming out of the room.
Dawlish, Robards, and Scrimgeour were all exchanging startled looks. They could see the writing on the wall
"Captain Dawlish," Bones moved on. "Why did you not ensure that a proper investigation was being conducted?"
"Travers and Norton assured me that an investigation was being done, and that they were attempting to track down leads about Potter's guilt," Dawlish said nervously.
"Despite the fact that the investigation was on the actions of dementors and not Lord Potter," Bones said, her eyes narrowed.
"I was assured that Lord Potter was guilty and had only gotten off on a technicality," Dawlish said nervously.
"By who?" Bones demanded.
Dawlish licked his lips.
"I refuse to answer."
"John Dawlish, your commission is hereby revoked, permanently, and you are suspended from your duties without pay, until a formal board can be gathered," Bones said in disappointment. "Clayton Norton, John Dawlish, please remove yourselves from this room and from the building. You are not authorized to take any files with you."
The two suspended Aurors stormed out of the room. Dora couldn't help but be excited knowing that two of the worst leaders in the Corp had just permanently lost their positions, and another one of the worst Aurors in the Corp was also suspended. This could be a major turning point for the Auror Corp, even if they survived from being fired.
"Head Auror Scrimgeour, Assistant Head Auror Robards, were you aware of the direction of the investigation or the lack of one that is?" Bones asked, and the two men exchanged glances.
"I was unaware of any issues with the investigation," Scrimgeour said. "I was last updated that there were promising leads being followed."
"I was aware the investigation had gone beyond the original scope," Robards admitted, and Dora knew it was to save himself possible jail time later. "However, I too was informed that they had credible evidence against Lord Potter's testimony."
"What evidence?" Fudge demanded eagerly.
"I am unaware of any," Robards admitted. "They informed me that they were still gathering it."
"You mean, they were still happily delaying it until such time as the House of Potter and House of Black wouldn't be an issue, or until it was clear they were dropping the issue," John McAvoy remarked snidely. "Lord Black and Lady Potter were correct, and within half an hour, we have become utterly fucked."
Most of the room nodded in agreement, while many of the darker elements looked a bit worried, and the Fudge sycophants started looking very worried.
"Head Auror Scrimgeour, I am placing a formal mark against you in your file, just as one will be placed in mine," Amelia said. "I will be more involved in the Auror Corp until this issue is resolved and going forward. All of your future decisions will be vetted by me and I will be looking into your affairs in the department. Gawain, you are hereby removed as Assistant Head Auror for not doing your due diligence. You will take Dawlish's Captain position. By the end of the day, I want you to submit your chosen replacement to me for approval, as well as the replacement for Travers. I have let the Aurors manage themselves for too long, it seems. That ends now. I expect an entire team to be dedicated to this investigation, and we need results in three days. Now, get to it."
After the two men left hastily, one relieved, one slightly happy to have not been suspended, even if he was a little angry about the loss of position, Amelia turned to the rest of the Wizengamot.
"Now, we need to seriously discuss our three options, pending the investigation does not find our culprits in the next three days. One is praying for mercy and a continuance from Lord Black and Lady Potter, which I wouldn't expect." She glanced at Dora, who shook her head firmly. "They will show us no mercy, nor can I blame them. The next option is publicly admitting to Ministry members using dementors to attack citizens, which will likely lead to open revolt against our administration, not to mention the removal of all diplomatic ties and reciprocity for all qualifications throughout the wizarding world. Lastly, we can admit to losing control of the dementors and let them take the blame."
"That last option is out of the question," Fudge said. "We need the dementors! The people will panic if we claim we can't control them. We'll lose our jobs within a month."
"We'll lose our jobs and possibly our lives if we admit to using the dementors to attack fifteen year old boys, seventeen year old girls, and a lord and lady of a pureblood house," Sarah McDonald snapped. "Many of us still remember how the dementors were used against us fourteen years ago when they served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"He is not back!" Fudge shouted.
"I didn't say he was," McDonald said icily. "I'm pointing out that while some people feel safe, there are a lot of people that remember that the dementors have served almost every dark lord or lady in the history of our bloody country. If we admit we are using them to rob innocent people's souls, we'll face open revolt, and as it is. If we decide to let Lord Black go public, it will look like we are covering up that we did try to murder Lord Potter, whether we did or not, and then we'll still be facing an open revolt. As it is, I believe that our only option is to sell the dementors out, unless we can find out who ordered the attack. We can spin it that they rebelled against our authority and that they went after House Potter because he is a threat to them. He is possibly the only person in the country able to kill them after all. We can paint it as a unique situation."
"You want us to accept that?" Dora demanded incredulously.
"If we are unable to find out who ordered the attack, then that is the best we can offer in a short timeframe," Tiberius Ogden said.
"We need to acquire funds to create a guardforce for Azkaban," Scamander said. "If the dementors are to be sacrificed, we need to have something to reassure the people that Azkaban will still be impenetrable just in case the public doesn't seem reassured by the unique situation and decide that Lord Potter's proposition of destroying them is the better option."
"Will you accept these actions as a step in the right direction if we are unable to determine the overall culprit?" Cyrus asked, looking at Dora.
"If you follow through on it all," Dora conceded, knowing it was the best they were probably going to get. "We will want proof and benchmarks to show progress is being made. We will also demand proof that a proper investigation is being conducted to find the actual culprit."
"Of course, we've burned the bridge for trust," Cyrus said, causing many twitches of anger and horror at those words.
"We don't owe you anything!" Fudge said angrily to Dora.
"We do," Scamander said coldly. "We ruled we would investigate. This is the first time in my time on the Wizengamot that we did not deliver on our word, and the first time in hundreds of years that our word isn't worth anything internationally either. Our relations are strained thanks to the Triwizard Tournament and our body not stamping down on the Prophet's articles which angered many throughout the continent in their unfair and blatantly false information on the foreign champions."
"You can't be serious!" Fudge said, looking aghast.
"Minister, this is all we can do, unless you want to try and kill Lord Black, Lord Potter, both Lady Potters, and Jamie Spinnet, and then you have to somehow cover it up from the whole of Hogwarts, the Ministry, and the world, something that isn't possible," Thaddeus Nott said in exasperation, and Dora snorted, rather amused that a Death Eater of all people was forced to weigh in their favor. "We can't cover this up, no matter what we do. Frankly speaking, even Lord Black, Lady Potter, and Jamie Spinnet's deaths would accomplish nothing, but stain the reputation of our body, since people would rightly draw conclusions that we did it, and we'd probably still face the consequences, only those consequences would also include the dementor's kiss or a trip through the veil of death, unless Lord Potter demanded we take life in prison. Something tells me that the servant of Hades isn't going to wish us punishment in life. He'll let his patron torture us in death."
Startled looks were exchanged around the room, realizing that they had indeed pissed off a wizard who could plead to his patron to give them eternal punishment in death. Dora grinned wickedly and they all eyed her a bit nervously.
"We need to make a plan," Tiberius Ogden said. "We need to have an answer, and we only have one week."
"That's all great, but I think we've finally reached the point where we need to have a discussion about whether Minister Fudge is to be removed from office," Patrice Shafiq said, looking tired, a far cry from her previous outrage.
"What?!" Fudge nearly bellowed in outrage, and Patrice Shafiq leveled a glare at him.
"You are a liability. We probably won't be able to prove that you are the reason this investigation has failed again, but I'm not sure I can even persuade myself that it wasn't you. If it wasn't, then it clearly was someone who is determined to keep you in your position, no matter what, and that scares me even more. At the very least, your time as Chief Warlock is over."
Fudge gaped at her.
"I have successfully run this country for over a decade!"
"Yes, and in these last few months since the end of the Triwizard Tournament, you have been a fucking disaster," Shafiq said firmly. "It all stems from the fear that we all feel at Lord Potter's claims."
"He's not back!" Fudge snarled.
"I don't know if I believe that anymore!" Shafiq said angrily, and Fudge's eyes widened in shock. "You and the Daily Prophet painted the picture of a deranged and unbalanced kid, and despite what he had done for us, despite what he has accomplished even since his return to our world, I was willing to believe it because I had heard many of the rumors of things he'd gotten into. I could believe a kid his age could crack! I could! Who wouldn't crack under that pressure? If anything, I was just sad that his guardians weren't seemingly helping him and I generally had a poor opinion of Lord Black and Lady Potter. I owe them a great apology for that," Shafiq said, nodding at Dora, "because the only deranged person I see anymore is you!" Shafiq pointed a firm finger at Fudge.
"The papers ripped Harry Potter apart for months, and we did nothing. They lied about the other Champions, and we did nothing. Then he comes back with his dead friend, our country's champion, a boy barely of age, and we not only did nothing, but we basically allowed or encouraged the Prophet to ramp up its persecution. Then that trial. That fucking trial. I didn't see some deranged, unbalanced teenager in that trial. I saw a scared young man, who displayed anger only when he was very justified to do so. I saw a fifteen year old boy who has gotten nothing but contempt over the last year from our society, scared because we were going to treat him more harshly then we have ever - ever - treated another boy his age . . . and we didn't even verify to see if we were right, and our leader - you - were an unruly, petulant child who was trying to use his position and his power to take advantage of that young man."
Shafiq glared at Fudge whose jaw was open, his face slack.
"I learned things in that trial that made me feel ashamed of our country, and all I could think about was that I was very, very wrong about Lord Potter, Lady Potter, and Lord Black. All I could think was that Lady Potter is probably a saint and we should be on our knees thanking her for what she did because she at least took care of our hero that we left to rot out in the cold. Albus bloody Dumbledore owes her his gratitude, but he at least seems to have realized that. Then it was over, and I thought we could get back on track, but now, we know that our representative - his teacher - has deliberately targeted him, made him carve a scar into his hand, and done her absolute best to make his life, his adoptive sister's life, and his closest friends' lives miserable . . . all because he's who you've decided to target. And she's still fucking doing it!"
Shafiq sighed, her eyes closed.
"The sad part is, if he is correct, we have not only been fools, but we have invited the Dark Lord to destroy us. All because of fear, and I do fear the Dark Lord's possible return just much as any of you. It's terrifying. However, I've been realizing that Lord Potter being unbalanced and his claims are not mutually exclusive. He could very well be insane. He has every right to be with how much we have failed him. However, you and your cronies have accused him of being a liar over and over and over again, and yet the more we dig, the more we look, the more anyone - fucking anyone - digs a little deeper and actually verifies something . . . the more we realize that Harry Potter doesn't lie. I have no doubts that his claims on Umbridge's bias, attitude, and treatment of him at school, away from other faculty, is true. She's a cruel, vile woman, and I have no doubt she's just as bad as they claim. I don't want the Dark Lord to be back, just as much as anyone, but more and more, I'm becoming convinced he indeed could be back . . . and that makes me hope you are the liar."
Fudge's eyes widened impossibly further.
"Because otherwise," Shafiq continued, "I think we should be very scared of who Lord Potter will become. Lord Black and Lady Potter are happy to extoll his virtues and abilities, but his record speaks for itself. He's powerful. He's competent, and he has powerful deities that have claimed him. We better hope he isn't insane, because he could be very dangerous to us one day, and if the Dark Lord is back, Harry Potter is one of the only beings in this country to have gotten the better of him . . . and if he's been telling the truth, he's gotten the better of the Dark Lord four times, if we count his encounter as a babe. I hate that the pressure might fall on the boy his age, but if that isn't Fate telling us who can kill that bastard, then I don't know what is . . . and if the Dark Lord is back, and we've spent a year turning our hero against us, well then we fucking deserve everything coming to us."
Fudge could only gape, words having escaped him. All around people were giving Shafiq sympathetic and also tired looks. Dora smiled, proud that somebody, other than her and Sirius, had finally publicly stuck up for Harry and had done so passionately.
"I think you are right, Lady Shafiq," Franklin Boot said grimly. "I think it is time for the conversation. Minister Fudge, you have become a liability, and I too believe this smear campaign and persecution of Harry Potter has gone way too far. We should have curbed the papers when they started. He shouldn't have been in that tournament in the first place, and it's well proven that it wasn't his fault. That trial was a sham, no matter how much you say he is a liar, all the evidence points to the contrary. I don't know if I believe that the Dark Lord is back, but whether he is or not, the way you've gone about trying to fight Lord Potter's claims have been reprehensible. Whether you remain Minister or not, it is time for your influence to be curbed."
"All motions to remove Minister Fudge as Chief Warlock?" Tiberius Ogden said solemnly, and seventy percent of the room raised their hands, and Fudge slumped in horror.
"All motions to remove Lord Fudge as Minister of Magic?" Tiberius Ogden said again, and Fudge's eyes widened in fear, which only relaxed slightly as he barely held out with it being an even split for and against.
"Minister, you are on your final straw," Theseus Scamander said. "I will be reigning Dolores Umbridge in, but I would advise you to stress to her yourself your new position. If I find her as intolerant as she has been reported, then I will be doing my damndest to ensure not only are you out of your position, but you and she are both formally charged by this organization for everything I can get to stick."
Fudge could only nod slowly, shock and horror etched on his face.
*HP*
Dora was quite happy with the way the Auror Corp was going to be looking. By the end of the day, Bones had shot down Robards's and Scrimgeour's initial leadership replacement suggestions, publicly telling them that "them playing favorites is what got them in this mess."
Savage was made the new Assistant Head Auror. Kingsley took Savage's old Captains position, though he protested that it should have gone to Alexis. She however, was happy to not have that job. Rye Williams and Christina Lowell were made lieutenants to replace Travers and Kingsley's old position. Dora didn't particularly care for Williams, but he did have seniority and was a solid Auror. Her only complaint was that he was like Robards and Scrimgeour, and tended to care about politics over the law, but by his record, he was deserving of the position.
Scrimgeor and Robards were both openly reamed as well once Bones reviewed cases and demanded to know why Sirius and Dora, herself, had not been assigned any cases or sent out on any real assignments in nearly three months. Scrimgeour almost lost his position right then and there, Robards too, despite them following orders from Fudge, but Bones retained them and gave strict orders that all orders from Fudge or even anyone outside of the department had to be vetted by her, and anymore "I was just following orders" would be met with immediate termination. She also got approval from the Wizengamot and all three, Fudge, Scrimgeour, and Robards were fined three months worth of an Auror's salary, since the three men thought they could waste taxpayer money.
By the end of the week, Magical Britain was still reeling from the Shadow Chronicle's article outlining that the Ministry had again attempted to quash the investigation into the dementor attack on House Potter, and the only thing that the Ministry was able to do to help their case was having the Prophet release an article corroborating the story and adding the suspensions and removals from positions, while a new investigation was opened. The Ministry soon buckled and admitted that they were unable to find any proof that someone in the Ministry ordered an attack on House Potter, and thus their conclusion was the dementors had gone rogue after deciding Lord Potter was a threat, due to his rare ability to kill them.
Sadly, it didn't work out as well for House Potter and Black as the members of that family and their friends would have liked. If the Ministry hadn't worked so hard to hide or destroy an investigation, people might have been less harsh towards the Ministry as it was. People were understandably upset about the dementors going rogue, but, as was predicted, they felt it was an isolated incident that could be prevented in the future, and only really applied to a boy who had strange powers that made him a threat to the dementors.
As it was, the Ministry was able to push back any decision on the dementors due to the public's divisive opinion on their continued use, much to Dora and Sirius's frustration, however the public did call for strict reforms on dementor control and accountability, to make sure they couldn't go rogue again, and to ensure that no single person could authorize their use, just in case it had been a Ministry ordered attack. There was little Sirius or Dora could do about it, but at least the dementors were now bound to Azkaban as far as the Ministry and the public were concerned. The Ministry ruling about dementors not leaving Azkaban had become basically permanent for the foreseeable future.