Okay, it's probably not the POV you were hoping for, but since I wanted to show more how things were going inside the Ministry of Magic, Amelia's perspective was becoming insufficient as there are things happening inside the Ministry she is unaware of. So I turned to the worst Minister of Magic in history to give us the opportunity to see those things.

Here we go. As you probably guessed with the previous chapter's end, looking into Fudge's mind will not be very pretty. And it will be very political, in all senses of the term.

CORNELIUS I

"HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!"

Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic for Great Britain and Ireland, Order of Merlin First Class, was shouting feverishly in his office. Right now, no matter his titles, no matter his position as the most powerful man in the British wizarding world, he was only a scared, angry, furious individual, lashing at the woman standing in front of him.

"I didn't let this happen, Minister," Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, replied. "In fact, before you summoned me, I was doing my utmost to recapture these convicts."

"Your utmost?" Fudge roared, outraged. "We have eleven criminals roaming free, and you claim that you did your utmost?"

"I do," the woman replied calmly.

They were in Fudge's office. His personal staff, in fact the whole Ministry was in a state of chaos after they found out that eleven inmates escaped the prison of Azkaban. Fudge had first heard it from Percy Weasley, one of his Junior Assistants, who reported hearing it while visiting the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Cornelius first didn't want to believe it, as this seemed utterly ludicrous. But then another person on his staff reported the same thing, and not two minutes later, he received a message from Amelia herself writing to him about the mass breakout. Only ten minutes later, everyone within the Ministry seemed aware of the terrible news.

Cornelius had immediately summoned Amelia to his office, but she had taken more than an hour to arrive. In the meantime, Fudge had been hard at work with his support staff, especially communication experts. They had to contain the information. It couldn't leave the Ministry. And most important, they had to figure out how treat the news. Everything was frantic. This was a catastrophe. And Amelia dared to arrive late after he summoned her. Worst than all, to add to his frustration and panicking state, she behaved as if everything was normal, calm as always.

She looked at her watch, as if she was losing time. Cornelius was about to explode again.

"Do you want to fire me?" The question she asked took him completely by surprise, so much that he was left speechless after being about to lash at her again. "Or do you have something to tell me that would help in recapturing those criminals? Because unless you want to do one or the other, I would rather go back to leading the efforts to find and bring back those criminals to their cells."

Cornelius was totally disoriented. He just had not expected this kind of reaction.

"I… I…" he stammered. He tried to regain his sense. "I… Just tell me what happened!" he snapped, desperate. He needed explanations. He needed to understand what happened.

"We are putting the pieces together, Minister," Amelia explained. Although she was calm, it was obvious she wanted to get done with it as quickly as possible. "All that we know for sure is that those prisoners are no longer on the island of Azkaban. The Dementors themselves don't seem to know or understand how they all disappeared in an instant."

"Don't tell me they have Apparated. This is impossible on the island of Azkaban."

"In theory, indeed no one is supposed to be able to Apparate on this island. We are investigating every track, every clue while trying to find the fugitives. There is nothing else I can tell you with certainty for now. So you can either keep me here to ask me questions I don't have answers to yet, or let me go back to work so I may answer them later. Which one do you prefer?"

Fudge grew more frustrated. He was even more frustrated by the fact that she was right. Amelia would be more useful to him if he let her handle the chase of those criminals. That was why he placed her at this position.

"Fine. You may go," he finally released.

Amelia Bones left. Cornelius Fudge was now alone in his office, back with his own thoughts as lone companions.

This was a nightmare. It was worse than everything he ever faced in his career. Not even during the previous war, not even when Peter Pettigrew escaped the same prison, not even when Dumbledore and Barty turned on him… Never did he face such a terrible crisis.

How could it happen? How could eleven of the most dangerous criminals in the country, let alone the world, could escape the most impenetrable, isolated, secure place in the wizarding world? Traitors, murderers, assassins, torturers, rapists, terrorists… The worst kind of the wizarding community was free.

And it was his administration who had to face this ordeal.

Cornelius Fudge thought he had managed to get matters into control. A crushing majority in the wizarding community didn't believe in Dumbledore's lies. Cornelius had managed to make them see where the truth lied. He even succeeded in removing Dumbledore from all his positions, except that of Hogwarts' Headmaster. Though even this was a matter of time. Thanks to Umbridge's work and the new legislation they adopted, they had compiled more than enough evidence to remove the old silly man from his office when the time would be right. It was only a matter of time now. They had slowly, quietly gnawed at its absolute hold on the school, to the point that they were now in position to remove staff who supported him and to replace them by more accommodating professors, with eventually enough to remove Dumbledore himself. The minor hurdles on the way, such as this prefect who used a gap in the legislation to overstep Dolores' authority over disciplinary sanctions, a gap they filled by discreetly amending the Educational Decree Number Twenty-Five today, were only what they were. Minor hurdles.

But now this? Cornelius knew what would happen. Dumbledore would stand again, tell everybody he warned Cornelius about this, that he saw it coming, that if only Cornelius had listened to him, Albus Dumbledore, none of this would ever have happened.

But Cornelius knew the truth. Dumbledore didn't care about protecting the wizarding community of Great Britain and Ireland. All he cared about was to replace him, to become Minister of Magic instead of Cornelius. But he wouldn't let that old, manipulative, crazy man reach his objective. He wouldn't have it!

Fudge summoned his team, a group of his closest advisors with who he discussed the most important issues of the Ministry. They were all part of his personal staff, owing their position and even their entire career to Cornelius himself, and to no one else. This included Percy Weasley, a dishonored former employee of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Dolores Umbridge, his Senior Undersecretary and High Inquisitor at Hogwarts, Blaise Wilkinson, his responsible chief for communications and public relations, and four others.

"I guess you all know by now what happened an hour ago," Cornelius said bitterly as an introduction.

"I'm afraid everyone within the Ministry is aware, Minister," Weasley said on a disapproving tone. Cornelius also despised those who spread such news.

"And we must expect the news to already have reached the community outside the Ministry," Wilkinson added.

"Is there any way to contain the information?" Cornelius asked, already knowing the likely answer.

"I'm afraid not, Mr Minister. Even if we managed to stop all outgoing letters unrelated to work, even if we prevented our employees from informing their families and friends tonight and miraculously prevented anyone from sharing the news with the medias, tomorrow the employees will head back home. They will tell their wives and husbands, their children, their parents, their brothers and sisters, their friends, everyone they know about it. Such crucial information cannot be retained for long, if at all."

Cornelius rubbed his head, annoyed. If they couldn't keep the information secret, they had to react rapidly if they wanted to retain control over the narrative surrounding this crisis.

"Alright. Then we better get ahead of this and release the information right away," Cornelius voice up.

"I totally agree, Mr Fudge," Wilkinson approved. "I already prepared a press release with my team." He handed a piece of parchment to Cornelius. "We have time to review it and to ensure we deliver the appropriate message, in line with the latest events as they unfold. The Daily Prophet and the radio will not be able to release the information before tomorrow morning. The priority should be to reassure the population, to show them the Ministry controls the situation and that…"

"Control? CONTROL!?" Cornelius roared, crunched the piece of parchment and threw it at his expert in public relations. "The worst criminals in our country have escaped, and you want me to reassure the population by saying that we control the situation?!"

Everyone was looking at him in fear, but Cornelius didn't care. He went on.

"People don't care if we control the situation. The moment they hear that these convicts are free, they will want to know who's responsible. They won't care what we do now or next! They will only care what we did or didn't do before. They will be asking for heads to roll. And which heads do you think they'll be after? OURS! Not just mine, they will be coming for you all!"

Cornelius paced furiously around his office, his mind rolling with the implications of this catastrophe.

"I don't want people to know we are doing everything to solve this mess. THEY WON'T CARE! I want them to ask for someone else's head. I want a culprit!"

He stared at all of them. Some looked scared, others confused, and a few even calm, which only put Cornelius further on edge.

"Why not Dumbledore?" Cornelius continued, going farther. "He's the one to benefit from all this. People will flock to his side once they hear about the fugitives. They will think, he was right, the Dark Lord is back! Those idiots will believe anything to explain what happened. I want Dumbledore to be held accountable. I WANT HIM TO BE FOUND GUILTY!"

He was done after that. He was winding from the burst of anger he let out. He felt heat on his face, and suddenly, a part of him was afraid of the image he might present to his closest advisors. At least, these were his personal advisors and not the community in general. The impact would have been way different if his outburst happened in front of his voters.

"Mr Minister," Wilkinson tentatively said, "I agree that we cannot let the blame for this mass breakout fall on you, for we all know here that you are not responsible for what happened." This remark irritated Cornelius. He knew he wasn't responsible for this. "But trying to put the blame on someone else right now would be counterproductive. Yes, the people will want to know who's responsible shortly, but when they hear the news, they will want to be reassured first. If we don't do this, then they will blame you for a late and inappropriate reaction. And designating someone responsible right now could also backlash. People might think that we are more interested in removing any responsibility from you than to address the crisis."

Cornelius was breathing loudly. As much as he despised admitting it, Wilkinson was right. He had to show the population that he was in control, or at least give them the impression that he was, or else he was finished. He couldn't let Dumbledore win and let him believe he was weakened by this crisis. He had to show everyone that he was the real Minister of Magic.

"Very well," Cornelius said between his teeth. He would have to be patient before he dealt with Dumbledore. For now, he had to deal with the rest of the community and ensure it remained behind him. "I'll tell people that the situation is under control…" He hated this word right now. "… that we are doing everything to recapture those criminals, that they are safe with the Ministry, that the Ministry remains strong despite this… setback, and that we caution everyone to be careful if they ever see those people. The same thing we did when Pettigrew escaped two years ago."

"It may be good to provide an explanation," Wilkinson pointed out. "People must be reassured, but they must also be given an idea of how these Dea… these criminals escaped."

Cornelius ignored the near reference to the title these criminals once gave themselves. He supposed they might as well claim that their master was back. It should be expected, considering how crazy dangerous and deranged they were. This would only feed into Dumbledore's propaganda. He clenched his fists.

"What kind of explanation do you want to provide? My Department of Magical Law Enforcement is unable to give one for now."

"That doesn't mean we cannot offer one," Wilkinson insisted. "And we happen to have a very convenient suspect. Bartemius Crouch Junior." Cornelius turned to stare at his expert right away. "He escaped Azkaban himself, so this would be no surprise to anyone if he did it again. Of course, we cannot affirm with certainty that he is behind this, but the mere mention of his escape would be quite… useful. Not to mention that people will link this to his father, which can only be good for you."

Indeed. Cornelius immediately saw the benefit. If they only referred to Barty's son, implicitly suggested that he might be involved, the father's reputation would be further sullied.

Ever since Cornelius sacked him, Barty had been a pain in his side, almost as much as Dumbledore himself. Though people were more skeptical of Barty, especially after he admitted to helping his son escape prison, his apparitions in the medias supported Dumbledore's claim, and he was also using his connections on the international stage to discredit Cornelius' administration not only at home but also abroad. Cornelius almost had an entire team watching him, responding to his every comment, movement and action. Right now, he was in Canada, discussing with representatives from both the legitimate and illegitimate Ministries of Magic there.

Everyone in the British Ministry hated it when they had to deal with the Canadian wizarding community and its governments. It was a random joke that being assigned to handle matters regarding this country was a punishment. Canada was a historic ally of Great Britain and Ireland on the international stage, but it was increasingly becoming a burdensome ally. The troubles in Quebec following the referendum had turned the situation into a true diplomatic nightmare. Although the International Confederation of Wizards didn't acknowledge the rogue Ministry, some countries did. They were a tiny minority, so there was no immediate risk of a general recognition for now, but Fudge's Canadian counterpart proved utterly incompetent in reining in the independence movement in Quebec, which made it more difficult for Fudge's administration to simply deny recognition to an organization with over 80 per cent of support from the citizens it claimed to represent. Fudge's colleague had made the biggest blunder when he refused to allow Quebec players to rejoin the Canadian Quidditch team after the referendum.

Independence movements were an issue in Great Britain and Ireland as well, but far from the point it had reached in their former colony. The smaller wizarding population in Europe when compared to North America and the utter respect of the Ministry for local traditions and cultures had ensured for a long time that Fudge's Ministry only had to deal with fringe independence movements, whether they came from Ireland, Scotland, Wales or even Cornwall. Nearly all of them had their own Quidditch teams. But the Canadian Minister of Magic had to throw a bucket of water on an open pack of Dr Filibuster's Wet-Start Fireworks. Refusing Quidditch to people was the best way to set them against you.

And now Barty was making things heat up further. Fudge's staff was now certain that Barty was providing information to other Ministries, including the two in Canada. In a rare case of unity, the two Ministries asked Cornelius together whether Lord Voldemort was still alive. Quebec representatives were more vigorous in their requests, their Canadian counterparts showing more respect and restrain, but it frustrated Cornelius to be forced to reassure other governments all the time, including Canada. But he had no choice but to support the Canadian government. Although in private, they asked Cornelius about the Dark Lord, in public, they always showed their support, which dampened criticisms from other countries who were better disposed towards Dumbledore. And Fudge couldn't let this country be divided in two, or else this could feed separatism within the territory his own Ministry represented.

Fudge realized he would need to reassure the international community as well. But for now, he needed to focus on his support at home. It was the community in Great Britain and Ireland who elected him. Neither the International Confederation, nor any other country could depose him. It was the loyalty of his compatriots on the islands he had to secure first.

"I agree," Cornelius said. "Direct the attention on Barty's son. Let's remind everybody that he was the first to escape Azkaban, and that he's likely to be involved in this mass breakout as well. Remind everyone of his ties to the Lestranges. They were brought in for the same crime, after all." Cornelius looked at his watch. "Write me a script. I'll meet the press in an hour. Better to get them the information they want, or else they will get it somewhere else, and not the way we want."

"I'm on it, Mr Minister," Wilkinson replied, standing right away.

"Leave me alone now. All of you," he said, noting the surprise on everyone's face. "I'm facing the media soon. So leave me alone!"

They all left quickly. All safe for one. Dolores Umbridge remained behind.

"I said to leave me alone!" he repeated as Weasley closed the door behind him.

"This is about Dumbledore."

This caught Cornelius' attention. Dolores was his High Inquisitor. She could watch over Dumbledore on a daily basis. "Have you found something?"

"No, but… You are right in saying he is the only one who could benefit this. We must expect everyone in Hogwarts to know about this event tomorrow. And Dumbledore will certainly not miss an opportunity to exploit this with his students."

Cornelius froze. "You're right. We've got to do something about this. We cannot allow Dumbledore to put ideas into the children's minds."

Dolores smiled widely. "What about restricting what professors can tell? We already questioned the quality of teaching at Hogwarts. Let's force the staff to only discuss what is directly related to their subjects."

Cornelius smirked. "Good idea. Will you have an educational decree ready for me to sign tomorrow?"

"I can have it ready tonight," Dolores said.

"Good. Let's do it."

He sat behind his desk. At least, one good thing could come out of this crisis. He could further impede Dumbledore's ability to brainwash the students in his school. He noticed that Dolores was still there.

"Something else?"

"This is about what Wilkinson said. He is right that for the time being, we cannot point to someone for being responsible for all this. However, in the next few days, it will become inevitable. Sooner rather than later, we will have to provide someone to blame for the population."

Cornelius sighed. "Yes, I know." He thought he could put this behind for the time being, but Dolores was right. They had to be proactive.

"And I believe we have the perfect culprit for all of this," Dolores said. She sat down in front of Cornelius' office. She looked troubled all of a sudden, as if she was planning to do something she would regret. "I don't like saying it, but the prison of Azkaban is under the Ministry's responsibility. So it should be the person in the Ministry who is responsible for the prison who should be held accountable."

Cornelius let the words sink in. Then he thought about this carefully. "It might work," he said slowly. "The one who is responsible for ensuring the good management of the prison… what was his name…?"

"I know, Minister, but unfortunately, I'm afraid we cannot put this on him. He doesn't even manage the prison himself. He is only an overseer, who visits the prison from time to time to ensure the Dementors are doing their job well. The true people who manage the prison are, ironically, the Dementors."

Cornelius froze for a moment. Then he blew the air. "We cannot make the Dementors responsible for this. It would be like saying this is a hippogriff's fault. Or a dragon's!"

"I agree. Which is why I believe it is better to let the person with the highest authority aside from you take the blame."

"What do you mean?"

Dolores pursed her lips before answering. "Amelia Bones."

The air froze in Cornelius' office for a long time. Then he burst into laughs. "You've got to be joking!"

"I do not suggest it with pleasure, but this is the best thing to do for the Ministry."

"The best thing to do?" Cornelius said, incredulous. Then he got angry and stared straight at Umbridge. "I nominated Amelia to this position myself. Do you realize how bad it will look on me if I fire her?"

"You do not have to fire her. At least not willingly. You can seem as if you were defending her, but that in the end you will follow the public opinion if they ask for her resignation. We can discreetly push the population in this direction, if we put the right words in the right place. They could come to blame her so much that she could resign on her own, without needing your intervention."

Fudge looked away for a time. Yes, true, they could do that. Like they did for Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Bartemius Crouch Senior and others, they could use medias such as the Daily Prophet to push the public opinion in a certain direction. However, there was a major issue. Contrarily to Potter or Dumbledore or Crouch, Cornelius had no desire to tarnish Amelia's reputation, and even less to get rid of her.

"I cannot get rid of her," he admitted in a low voice.

"You can. You are the Minister," Dolores reminded him. Indeed, he could, but he didn't want to.

"I named Amelia Bones at the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement because she is among the few I can trust. She is loyal, competent and…" He voiced a word that applied to very few employees within the Ministry. "… apolitical. She does her job, and she does it well. She never seek a promotion in her life. All those she had, she earned them without asking. That's why I asked her to manage this department. She is among the few competent people I can trust with this task without fearing that she might stab me in the back."

When Cornelius had become Minister of Magic, he had promoted Barty to another department. Barty had been on the small list of people, along with Cornelius and Dumbledore, to be considered for the position of Minister. Cornelius couldn't trust him to manage the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the department that almost managed and led the Ministry in its totality. For if the Minister was officially the head of the government, it was the Head of Magical Law Enforcement who managed the Ministry in its entirety on a daily basis, with the exception of the Department of Mysteries. All other departments had to answer to Magical Law Enforcement. This was why Cornelius had chosen Amelia to lead it. She had no political ambition. She was a pure, loyal product of the Ministry's bureaucracy, the kind of employee any superior could trust. He already had to fear the maneuvers of his political opponents, so having a neutral, competent figure at the head of this department was a great boon for Cornelius. Amelia Bones was the kind of high official he had everything to gain with keeping at his side, and everything to lose if he fired her, for he would likely have to replace her with someone way more ambitious in political terms.

"It pains me to say that, Cornelius, but I'm afraid that Amelia's competence has been quite questionable since she took her office," Dolores contritely said.

"How?"

"Well, look at all the crisis we endured since she arrived. All the problems we had at Hogwarts since her arrival."

"Hogwarts is outside our jurisdiction. This is something I granted to Dumbledore when I came to power. I let him do as he saw fit and ordered my employees to leave the castle alone." Something he deeply regretted today. "We are in the process of rectifying this, but we cannot blame the accidents that took place there on the Ministry, let alone Amelia."

"What about Peter Pettigrew's escape from Azkaban? Her failure to control Dementors while they were at Hogwarts? Their failure, under her supervision, to apprehend Pettigrew?"

"Well…" Cornelius began, not really knowing what to say.

"Or the riots at the Quidditch World Cup?"

"This wasn't entirely on her. Crouch and Bagman were the main ones responsible for this event, including the safety. And Amelia still managed to catch one of the rioters."

"Her failure to catch Bartemius Crouch Junior? And her choice of Lily Evans Potter to lead the chase?"

On this, Cornelius had nothing to say. But Dolores went on.

"And then, there is the fiasco of the Triwizard Tournament."

"She wasn't responsible either. Again, this is mostly on Crouch and Bagman."

"The trial of Harry Potter? She singlehandedly sabotaged the case you built against him."

Cornelius tapped on his desk, angry. "Maybe you should have thought twice before instructing one of your protégés to hide information from her!"

Dolores grew pale at this. She was the one who ordered a former colleague of hers to not only hide information about the presence of Amelia's niece on the scene, but also to confiscate Potter's wand without a disciplinary hearing. Dolores was lucky that Cornelius didn't tell Amelia about this, or else she could have started a full investigation on Dolores' activities, some of which were more than dubious and about which Cornelius wanted to know as little as possible.

"Her failure to find something compromising on Dumbledore." Her mention of this failure left Cornelius speechless again. "Not to mention this new failure. She is technically responsible for the management of Azkaban. And yet, she let eleven dangerous criminals escape, twelve if we count Pettigrew before, and she has no idea about how they did it or where they are now."

Cornelius was deep into his thoughts. Yes, he had faced several crisis he wished he could have avoided, and it was technically Amelia's responsibility to deal with them.

"Not to mention," Dolores went on, "that I begin to seriously doubt her loyalty, Cornelius."

He turned his head straight to look at Dolores. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged with a sad smile before she began to explain. "We cannot omit, Cornelius, that half her family was slaughtered by the very man Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter claim to be back and alive…"

"I know, Dolores, no need to remind me," he snapped.

The slaughter of the Bones family was among the multitude of crimes and horrible things that took place during the war. Cornelius had seen Amelia back then, continuing to work, hiding her sorrow from everybody, going on despite her terrible loss. He had been greatly impressed by her resilience back then. In her place, he didn't know what he would have done if almost all his family was murdered. To his shame, he might have cowered and hidden instead of going on like she did. That was another reason why he respected that woman.

"Do you think she might actually believe that this man… is back?" Cornelius asked.

This was a question that unfortunately plagued him. He had asked Amelia her opinion over the matter once, and he also saw other people ask her. Each time, she avoided to answer the question, saying that only how she worked mattered and not her beliefs, that she wouldn't do anything that would harm the Ministry, or outright returning the question to the person who asked it. She never declared that the Dark Lord was back, but she never declared the opposite either. But Fudge relied too much on her at this position to get rid of her when everything still indicated she was loyal to the Ministry. At the extreme, he could tolerate an employee, even in a high-ranking position, who believed Dumbledore, on the condition that he remained totally loyal to the Ministry.

"I cannot claim to know Amelia Bones' thoughts, but I have to admit that her actions speak a lot. And what they speak is not reassuring," Umbridge replied. "Her niece is dating Harry Potter, the very same boy who claims, side by side with Dumbledore, that the most dangerous wizard in history would have returned."

"Amelia does not control what her niece is doing. She's her niece, not her daughter," Cornelius reminded her.

"Her goddaughter," specified Umbridge. "And yet she does nothing to even discourage her to spend time with this dangerous boy. We should also consider how Amelia defended him at his disciplinary hearing. Without her, the boy would be out of Hogwarts today."

Cornelius sighed and began to pace again. He knew that only too well. Only, there were other factors to consider. "You literally accused her niece of committing perjury in front of the whole Wizengamot. No wonder she tried to defend her."

Cornelius had children himself, and also nephews and nieces. He would have done everything to defend them if they were accused.

"There are also her many interventions in our efforts to curb Dumbledore's influence at Hogwarts," Umbridge pointed out.

"That was because you went after her niece, again. She posed no problem since you stopped doing this."

"She chose Lily Potter herself to search for Barty's son. Her investigation on Dumbledore gave no result and shows no sign of ever resulting in anything." Dolores sighed. "I do not claim that she is a traitor, Cornelius. I would never do that. Amelia Bones has done more for the Ministry and for your administration than most people. But it is possible that, without realizing it herself, her personal history and family ties may have affected her judgment. And she may not be the right person when dealing with someone like Albus Dumbledore. Her mind is probably clouded by the respect he once inspired and preventing her from doing what is necessary."

Cornelius scratched his head. He knew that Dolores and Amelia did not get along. Amelia had warned him multiple times against Dolores. Now it was Dolores' turn to speak against Amelia. Only, he couldn't get rid of any of them. He needed them both.

"Even if it was true," Cornelius said, "even if Amelia's mind was indeed clouded, she remains one of my most efficient officials, and one of the few I can be sure that will not stab me in the back. If I was to replace her…"

Cornelius didn't see by who he could replace Amelia. He needed someone competent to manage this department. It was too crucial to name someone out of favor. And he didn't see how he could find another competent person without a political agenda, who would display the same level of loyalty.

"She may not stab you in the back willingly or consciously, Cornelius," Dolores said. "But what if someone used her to replace you."

This time, all of Cornelius' senses were on alert. "What!?"

"Dumbledore seeks to overthrow you. We always assumed he was seeking the position of Minister for himself. But what if, instead, he was looking to replace you by someone who would be doing everything he wanted. Someone that would be loyal to his own idea of what the Ministry should be."

Cornelius' mind was running wild. "You actually believe he could use Amelia to do this?"

"It would make sense. She is respected by the entire wizarding community. He could hide behind her while he assumes power in reality."

"This is nonsense! Amelia would never go for something like this."

"Amelia has always accepted the promotions she received. If Dumbledore managed to convince the Wizengamot to replace you with Amelia, do you think she would refuse?"

Cornelius thought carefully about this. After a moment, his mind came to the inevitable conclusion. No, indeed, Amelia would not refuse if she was ever elected Minister. And what would be her ties with Dumbledore then? The old man had always managed to have very good relationships with all Ministers of Magic. Even Cornelius got along well with him at the beginning. In hindsight today, he knew that Dumbledore was trying to control and manipulate him. The old man only revealed his true colors a few months ago, when he decided to spread lies in order to destabilize Cornelius' administration. He couldn't let Dumbledore go away with this. He threatened to destroy everything they built over the last fourteen years. Could he be trying to replace Cornelius by another, more malleable Minister, one that would listen to him? Could that be Amelia? Would she actually listen to Dumbledore?

"I don't know." He looked at Dolores. "Do you really think Dumbledore could use Amelia to get a hold on the Ministry?"

She shrugged. "I wouldn't put it behind him. And… maybe we should ask ourselves… whether Amelia is not unconsciously already working for him."

"No, that I can't believe it," Cornelius snapped. "Amelia Bones has always been loyal to the Ministry. She would never conspire against me with Dumbledore. That… That is just impossible. That's not within her character."

Cornelius was no idiot. Dolores despised Amelia. Whatever she said about his Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he knew that Dolores' view of Amelia would be tainted by her own personal opinion.

At the same time, as brilliant as Amelia Bones was, she was not immune against manipulation. Cornelius himself had allowed Dumbledore to use him, at the very beginning of his administration. Would it be that unlikely that he could also manipulate his subordinates?

He sighed. His job as Minister of Magic had always been difficult, but it had been turned into a living hell within the last two years. He had to prevent so many crisis that it became impossible to control them all.

Wilkinson came back at this moment.

"Mr Minister, the medias are there to see you, as you asked," he informed Cornelius. "We still have a few minutes to prepare your speech. I suggest you take a look at it." Cornelius snatched the piece of parchment from his hands, noticing right away the many erasures, crossed lines and notes in the margins. He noticed something in the middle of the speech.

"Why was the whole section about Barty Crouch Junior erased?" he asked.

"We ran the script by people in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. They told us we couldn't link this breakout to that of Mr Crouch's son. According to Madam Bones, it would only lead people to assume wrongly that he helped them to flee."

Indeed, Wilkinson was right as Cornelius kept staring at his speech. Instead, Amelia suggested they only mentioned that another fugitive, Crouch Junior, still remained at large. That wouldn't do. If he said it the way she suggested, people would only be reminded of a previous failure, not of a plausible explanation for this mass breakout.

Cornelius circled the section Amelia's had removed. He would say it the way Wilkinson initially drafted. He went quickly through the rest of the text, taking a few notes to indicate an expression or intonation he should take at some point or another during the speech.

"Okay, let them come in," he said.

Wilkinson walked away. Cornelius sat behind his desk, smoothing his robes and his hair, ensuring he would have a good appearance for his face-off with the press. Dolores remained behind him, in retreat.

The journalists came in a few moments later. Flashes began right away. Cornelius maintained a good composure, making sure that all they would see was a Minister in complete control, master of the situation.

"Thank you for coming," he said once the journalists and photographs were all in place. "I have asked you to come here in the middle of the night because I have dire news to give you."

Cornelius Fudge was about to give the most difficult briefing to the press he ever had to make in his life.

By the way, Cornelius Fudge will return as a POV.

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Next chapter: Amelia