Chapter 162: An Ordinary Headmaster
"Dumbledore! I'm here!" Fudge scrambled out from under the desk, his eyes brimming with tears of emotion. He was like a lost traveler on the brink of death who had just spotted a guide with a lantern.
He turned to the recovering Scrimgeour and Ralvin, who was supporting him, and praised them loudly. "Bravo! You two are the true pillars of the Ministry!"
His confidence restored, he addressed the admonishers, his voice booming. "Whatever the issue, we can sit down and talk calmly. For the things you've done wrong, you will be punished as required, and you will sign guarantees that this will never happen again. At the same time, the Ministry will do its best to improve in the areas where we have failed."
Fudge felt his words were perfectly fair and impartial, exactly the "justice" these people who had stormed the Ministry were looking for.
But the admonishers did not think so. They may have come here driven by emotion and the atmosphere of the crowd, but none of them were fools. They weren't about to let Fudge off with an apology, go home, and wait for the inevitable retaliation. They needed a permanent, comprehensive solution that was good for everyone.
"Mr. Dumbledore, Fudge has been Minister for two years, and he's done nothing but cause trouble! We can't tolerate it anymore!"
"Headmaster, when we were in school, you told us to do what is right!"
"Professor, look! Fudge still doesn't know what he did wrong! He's still threatening us!"
Dumbledore had been at Hogwarts for a century; nearly everyone in the crowd was a former student. Some called him "Mr. Dumbledore," some "Headmaster," some "Professor." Every one of them showed respect for him and dissatisfaction with Fudge.
This made Fudge extremely uncomfortable, but the situation was not in his favor. He could only swallow his joy and his current displeasure, saving them for later.
He never expected Dumbledore to turn on him. Dumbledore brought the small girl forward. "Fudge, because of your order, this girl's father was taken to Azkaban. No warrant, no trial, no legal process whatsoever. The people you sent to carry out this task even told her that his daughter was his 'weak spot.'"
"Is this something a Minister of Magic should do? Are these words he should say?"
Fudge suddenly realized Dumbledore's expression was not kind. It was filled with a cold fury, like thunderheads gathering. A powerful energy radiated from Dumbledore, dominating the room and making it hard for Fudge to breathe.
But I'm the Minister of Magic! Fudge's heart swelled with indignation, but his face honestly betrayed his cowardice. "That... that was probably... a temporary worker! Yes, a temporary worker misspoke!"
"Yes! That's it, a temporary worker!" he affirmed, as if to bolster his own courage. He looked at Dumbledore with a pathetic, pleading expression, begging him to accept the excuse and let everything go back to normal.
Dumbledore actually laughed, a cold, angry sound. He had expected Fudge to make excuses, but he had never expected him to use the "temporary worker" card. "A Deputy Minister of Magic is a 'temporary worker'? Regarding your actions, I, as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, will convene an emergency session to discuss the matter of your malfeasance in office."
"Furthermore, as Head of the International Confederation of Wizards, I formally suggest to the British Ministry of Magic that it select a new Minister, and that, in the interim, Cornelius Fudge be suspended from all official duties!"
The words landed like a thunderbolt.
Forget Fudge; even the protesters were stunned, suddenly remembering that the old man before them wasn't just a Headmaster.
Aside from that "least noteworthy" title, this old man was arguably the highest-ranking and most prestigious wizard in the entire world. Any international wizarding organization without Dumbledore was just an insignificant, self-congratulatory club.
Now that he had spoken, everyone had to listen. Even the Minister of Magic paled in comparison to his string of titles. Though Dumbledore always insisted he was "just an ordinary Headmaster," after he had just "flexed" his true power, no one believed it. They only heard his aged voice echoing like thunder across the land.
Fudge was already scared witless. He only snapped out of it when he heard Dumbledore suspend him, shrieking, "No! You don't have the right! No one can just fire a Minister!"
But Dumbledore didn't need to speak. The crowd of admonishers roared in agreement.
"Choose someone worthy! Fudge step down!"
"Agreed!"
"Agreed!"
Dumbledore raised a hand, and the room fell silent. He looked at the trembling Fudge. "Cornelius, you still need to apologize to the wizards who have been traumatized by your decrees. Starting with Miss Luna Lovegood!"
At this, Kingsley, who had been praising Harry to boost his confidence (noticing the boy was a bit star-struck by the whole event), paused. Many in the crowd also recognized Harry's signature scar and vividly remembered the power of his earlier Disarming Charm.
But in this grand scene, Luna was surprisingly calmer than Harry, who stood with his mind blank and limbs numb. Seeing the focus shift to her, she stepped forward confidently. Her voice, usually dreamy and uncertain, was now firm and logical. "The Headmaster told me my father was treated unjustly because of a decree. But I believe my father was attacked by a group of Dark Wizards. They broke into our home, ignored the law, and used his family to threaten him. I don't believe they were Ministry employees. They were just Dark Wizards!"
That's slander! Watch what you're saying, child! Fudge thought, but he didn't dare say it aloud.
Ralvin stepped forward. "I can testify to Miss Lovegood's words. I happened to run into Umbridge at the Ministry as she was returning from Azkaban. She was bragging about her 'victory' in arresting Mr. Lovegood. She was even on her way to our Minister Fudge to discuss how to 'take care of' the Diagon Alley shopkeepers to 'shut them up.' I merely suggested that she investigate the actual situation first before making plans, rather than just making things up and then running away from the consequences."
The speech was well-received, winning praise from the crowd.
"Well said!"
"The Ministry belongs to all of us! It should listen to us!"
Harry also felt that this Senior Ralvin was a good official. It was just a pity his words didn't carry enough weight, forcing him to stand by and watch people like Fudge and Umbridge run rampant.
"It was truly an accident!" Fudge's face turned red—not with shame, but with indignation. "Umbridge acted on her own! I knew nothing!"
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