Chapter 105: Fudge
"Well then, Minister."
I looked at Fudge. Bella was seated to my right, Cissy to my left, and Daphne stood slightly behind me.
"You wished to speak with us about something?"
"Yes."
Fudge looked slightly at a loss, while his deputy, the pink woman, seemed entirely unaware that neither she nor her superior commanded any respect in this room. Condescension and contempt were written plainly across her face.
"...I understand that as an apprentice in Charms and Spellwork you've been working at Hogwarts all summer. Am I right?"
"Yes."
I gave a brief nod.
"Wonderful, then perhaps you can help us. The thing is, I am greatly troubled by Dumbledore's decision to fortify the school. One gets the distinct impression that he intends to use the children as hostages, as leverage to hold all of Britain to ransom."
I blinked. This was not what I had expected from this fool. Not this at all. My surprise, however, did not prevent me from playing the part of someone who hadn't the faintest idea what was going on.
"Dumbledore?!"
"It pains me to say it, but yes, it appears he is the one behind the attacks that have been occurring lately. It is he who is opening the breaches through which monsters enter our world."
"But... this is Dumbledore..."
"I understand your disbelief, but Draco, you don't mind if I call you that?"
"Not at all, Minister."
Fudge's shoulders relaxed slightly, and the face of the pink toad grew even more sickeningly sweet. She apparently believed this made her look appealing. Personally, without Occlumency, I would have already been sick.
"Splendid."
Fudge gave a nod.
"Now then, if we recall history, he was a friend of Grindelwald, and I recently discovered that he drew his ideological inspiration from him!"
I opened my eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
"That can't be!"
"It can, and you simply cannot imagine what awaits the children if they fall into his trap!"
"But what are we to do?! Does that mean..."
I shook my head.
"What about the Heads of House and the teachers?!"
"Some of them are likely on Dumbledore's side, which is precisely why I cannot go to them. I simply don't know who he has merely deceived and who is with him willingly. But you, Draco, I have no doubt you were simply taken in."
I looked at Fudge with an expression of devoted trust.
"We were all taken in: that is what caused the Statute to fall, why the Muggles learned of us, why military action to destroy us is imminent, why the Inquisition is preparing to strike. If we do nothing, a great many people will die."
"And what is required of me?"
I looked at Fudge.
"You need to make a few adjustments to the wards, just enough to allow my people entry onto Hogwarts grounds. They will apprehend Dumbledore, after which he will stand trial."
I sighed.
"I don't know."
I shook my head.
"I'm not given access to the kind of work that would have any bearing on Hogwarts' protective enchantments."
"Oh, my dear boy."
The toad's cloying voice almost made me flinch.
"Don't worry, we'll guide you through exactly what needs to be done. What's more, we'll place your family under our protection, so that no one can use them to put pressure on you."
I half-closed my eyes and shot a quick glance at my mothers, who were simply sitting there in silence. Honestly, I wasn't sure why: whether they were letting me play my part without interference, or whether the slightest movement would cause them to burst out laughing. I was also curious why Fudge was spinning his tales so freely in front of my mothers. Did he genuinely believe I had such influence over them that they would simply do as I said without question?
"But... we're perfectly safe here."
I blinked a couple of times, trying to look as baffled as possible.
"You are mistaken. This place is full of various non-human creatures and Muggles..."
As she spoke, the pink toad made no effort to conceal her contempt for anyone who was not a wizard.
"And the moment we reveal to the world that this was all Dumbledore's plan, they will riot immediately!"
"I... I..."
I let a note of rising panic creep into my voice, or at least the appearance of it, just long enough to hold their attention. Then I made a small, precise gesture. Bella erupted with Paralyzing Jinxes. Cissy was not far behind. And I did my share as well.
"Well."
I shook my head as both visitors crumpled, immobilized.
"Give me a moment..."
Bella raised one hand, pocketed her wand, and doubled over laughing. Quiet snickers came from Daphne behind me, and Cissy wasn't holding back either, laughing openly at what had just unfolded.
"...phew. I thought I wasn't going to manage it. The way you were playing the poor baffled boy who believes every word he's told..."
She shook her head.
"I tried my best. Now then, Daphne, darling, would you bring me a Veritaserum?"
"Right away."
Daphne, still suppressing giggles, slipped out of the room. I leaned back in my armchair and looked thoughtfully at the ceiling.
"I still don't understand what possessed him."
I sighed, turning it over.
"He's not quite stupid enough for this, yet here we are."
"We'll know soon enough."
Cissy moved her wand over both prisoners with a measured hand, clearly running some kind of diagnostic.
Shortly afterwards Daphne returned with the potion, a bottle of water, and two cups.
"Who do we start with?"
I studied our captives.
"The toad, I think, just to be safe. If Fudge's constitution turns out to be fragile and something goes wrong, I'd rather it not be him. Though he may well have dosed himself."
"Well, the toad is definitely clean. The Minister, though... something is a little odd. No potions in his system, no signs of Imperius, but there's something not quite..."
"Is there even anything there to control?"
I asked the question while watching Daphna pour water into a cup, add the measured dose of Veritaserum, then draw the toad's wand towards us with a levitation charm and check it for any other focusing devices. Only after all of that did we bring her around and make her drink. A few threats were required before she complied, though she wouldn't remember any of it.
"Your name is Dolores Jane Umbridge?"
"Yes."
"You are the Deputy to the Minister for Magic, Fudge?"
"Yes."
"Why did you come to the district being built by the Blacks?"
"We came to convince Draco Black that Dumbledore intended to take the children prisoner, so that he would help us bring our people into Hogwarts."
"Why did you want to bring your people into Hogwarts?"
"We lack the funds to build our own district. We intended to seize Hogwarts and compel the wealthy aristocratic families to pay us in order to meet all our needs."
I exchanged a glance with Cissy and Bella.
"Why did you feel confident enough to attempt to pressure the Black heir in the presence of his mothers and his secretary?"
"We had learned that back in his first year he purchased potions that suppress the will and administered them to his mothers and to his secretary."
I looked at Cissy in profound astonishment. Then at Bella. Then, finally, at Daphne. All three of them appeared equally taken aback.
"Where did you obtain information suggesting that Draco Black had given his loved ones subjugation potions?"
"At first we dismissed it as a foolish rumor. But then we began to analyze the available information. We also bribed several Ravenclaw students, and they told us that the Black heir managed district affairs even from school, relaying instructions to his mothers. After that it became clear that he did in fact exercise some form of control over them, and that they would not act on their own initiative."
I blinked.
"I wouldn't have thought you could weave any of that into such an idiotic theory."
I shook my head.
"What did you intend to do with Bellatrix and Narcissa Black, Daphne, and the other people close to Draco Black, those whom he was supposed to hand over to you as part of your plan?"
"Imprison them and use them to blackmail Draco Black."
I sighed.
"Sacrificial altar."
"Wait."
Daphne put a hand on my shoulder.
"Did anyone persuade you that this course of action was right?"
"No."
"Is this entirely your own plan?"
"Yes."
"May she go to the sacrificial altar now?"
I looked at Daphne with mild sarcasm. She ignored the sarcasm entirely.
"Yes, my lord, now I have no objection."
"Mothers?"
"She can certainly go to the altar. But what do we do with him?"
"The usual: question him, then send Her Majesty our memories of both interrogations. We won't be carrying out a sentence ourselves, not yet. We don't have judicial authority. But I don't imagine the Queen will object to that particular outcome, so..."
I drew the edge of my hand across my throat.
"Right. Let's question him."
Cissy gave a resigned shake of her head and lifted the binding from Fudge.
"Forgive me!"
He had heard everything, and he knew perfectly well what was coming.
"Forgive me! The devils led me astray! It was all her! All her!"
He was scrambling backward from us, nodding frantically in the direction of his re-paralyzed deputy.
"I can be useful! I have connections! I have people who owe me!"
"You know, there's a great deal I can forgive, but not an attempt to put my loved ones in prison. So we're going to question you now, and after that your fate will be decided by the Queen."
"I beg you!"
One spell, and his body went rigid, though his head remained free. I walked towards him with a cup.
"Drink."
"No! Never! You have no right!"
"We have every right. Drink."
"No!"
I flicked my wand, and a Pain Curse shot from it, not an Unforgivable, so there would be no consequences for me. Fudge's mouth opened in a silent scream, and I half-turned to see Daphne standing with her wand raised.
"I'd rather not hear him screaming."
I gave her a nod, approving and grateful, then canceled the spell.
"Drink."
Fear was plain in Fudge's eyes. He drank. The interrogation that followed produced exactly the same account Umbridge had given moments before.
"Shall we send word to the Queen?"
Bella posed the question, though her voice made it clear she would have been perfectly happy to kill them both on the spot.
"Yes. We must preserve our humanity above all else, and that means the judicial system must function. At this moment, only the Queen can adjudicate this particular matter, given that Fudge is a member of her Cabinet."
"Very well. Kreacher, parchment and a quill, please. I have a letter to write."
The house-elf appeared within ten seconds and placed everything directly in my mother's hands.
"Good."
She gave a nod.
"These two..."
I nodded towards the prisoners.
"...to the cells. Feed and water them just enough to keep them too weak to attempt an escape. Strip them of everything: nothing that could be used to take one's own life."
"It will be done."
The ancient voice of the house-elf rang with quiet satisfaction. Then he vanished, taking the prisoners with him.
"Right. I imagine our immediate problems are resolved, though I very much doubt Fudge's trial will pass without consequences for us."
I looked thoughtfully at Cissy, then at Bella.
"True, but it won't just bring consequences. There will be benefits as well. The key is to play it correctly."
"Indeed, we'll need to play it correctly."
I smiled grimly.
"Still, I don't understand how it came to this. So many problems, and yet everyone is biting the person closest to them as hard as they can."
"It has always been this way, and always will be. That is exactly why it matters that we avoid it within our own district."
------------------------------------------
Chapters on Patreon progress: Currently at;
1. Harry Potter: Satan? Nah, Just My Family Crest = CHAPTER 374
2.Harry Potter: Beyond Good and Evil in the Wizarding World = CHAPTER 389
3.Harry Potter: Reborn as Draco Black = CHAPTER 195
support me on Patreon for instant access to the 120+ advance chapters: patreon.com/redofic