Chapter 714: Dumbledore's Measures
“Certainly, I believe them,” said Dumbledore. His eyes were blazing now. “I heard Crouch’s confession, and I heard Evan and Harry’s account of what happened afterwards. The vampires that the Ministry of magic has been tracking are also involved in it. The stories of the three of them make sense and explain everything after last year’s incident in the Albanian forest.”
“Vampires are also involved? I see, Dumbledore… I see… you are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and two boys! “Fudge said softly, “The two boys have been in trouble for the past few years in order to attract attention. We had to follow up to clean up the mess for them…”
“Evan and Harry don’t need you to clean up the mess for them!” Sirius suddenly growled angrily at Fudge. “The two of them witnessed the whole process of Voldemort’s resurrection and risked their lives to escape back, you… “
“Shut up, black!” Fudge also yelled at him, his smile fading. “You are supposed now to be capturing vampires in the forests of Albania on behalf of the Ministry of Magic, not in Hogwarts.”
“That’s the point. They are here, so I came back. Voldemort ordered those vampires to help him resurrect!” Sirius said angrily. “Look at the facts, Fudge, Voldemort is back. Don’t let your cowardice…”
“Enough, Black, Enough!” Fudge interrupted Sirius. “For the sake of Dumbledore and your deceased father, I have tolerated you again and again, just like those two boys. Now you have gone too far and you’re talking nonsense about Voldemort’s return. You’re fired. You are no longer an Auror, now go back, pack up your things and get out of the Ministry of Magic.”
Sirius seemed to want to pounce on him, let fudge know the facts with his fist, and Hagrid, who was standing by, quickly stopped him.
Fudge glared at Sirius fiercely and took a deep breath to calm himself down before turning to keep watching Dumbledore.
“I think that lunatic must have done something to Evan and Harry, which made them hallucinate, and they should be sent to the hospital for treatment.” Fudge said, blushing, “Dumbledore, tell me… you are not going to believe that nonsense, are you?”
“Listen to me, Cornelius,” said Dumbledore, taking a step toward Fudge, radiating an indefinable sense of power. “Evan and Harry are as sane as you or I. Voldemort is indeed back!”
“NO!” Fudge said angrily, taking half a step back and keeping a distance from Dumbledore.”For heaven’s sake, Dumbledore… I knew these two boys would cause big trouble. They have been doing strange things to attract people’s attention and win honor for themselves. This is the case every year. This time too, this is all a lie they made up, and you believe them… you are willing to believe what two children under 15 said.”
“You fool!” cried Professor McGonagall, looking at fudge discontentedly. “Mr. Crouch’s death, Viktor Krum’s Imperius Curse, Ron Weasley was attacked in the task, Mason and Potter were taken away by the Portkey, these things were not the random work of a lunatic, and still Cedric Diggory has not been found yet.”
“I see no evidence to the contrary!” shouted Fudge, his face purpling, and anger burning in his chest. “It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have painstakingly worked for these last thirteen years!”
There was a moment of silence, and everyone looked at Fudge with disbelief. They couldn’t believe he would say so.
In the general impression, Fudge was a kindly figure, a little blustering, a little pompous, but essentially good-natured.
Unexpectedly, now a short, angry wizard stood before them, refusing, point-blank, to accept the prospect of disruption in his comfortable and ordered world, and refusing to believe that Voldemort could have risen.
“Voldemort has returned,” Dumbledore said again, looking at him coldly, “It’s not really catastrophic. If you accept that fact straightaway and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation and minimize the losses. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the Dementors…”
“Preposterous!” shouted Fudge again. “Remove the Dementors? I’d be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the Dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!”
“The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort’s most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!” said Dumbledore. “They will not remain loyal to you! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the Dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!”
Fudge was opening and closing his mouth as though no words could express his outrage.
“The second step you must take, we must unite with the vampires,” said Dumbledore. “They are very important. Cancel the arrest warrant against them, and don’t let them fall completely to Voldemort.”
“Oh my God, do you know what you’re talking about?” Fudge said incredulously. “Those vampires are the purest Dark creatures. Do you know how much they have done in the past year? They have planned many terrorist attacks… you want me to forgive them?”
“You have to recognize that those things are actually all Voldemort’s conspiracy, we should not waste precious power on vampires. They can fight for it.” Dumbledore went on to say, “The third measure must also be taken at once. Send envoys to the giants.”
“Envoys to the giants?” Fudge shrieked. “What madness is this?”
“Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late,” said Dumbledore, “or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!”
“You… you… you cannot be serious!” Fudge was breathless, shaking his head and retreating further from Dumbledore, “First Dementors, then vampires, now giants… if the magical community got wind I was going to do this, my career would be over, they wouldn’t agree, Dumbledore!”
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