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0754 The Memory
🕑 Added 2025-06-22 09:54:54 +0000 UTCA sharp cry coming from Umbridge echoed from the office behind the door. The sound echoed with fury and hatred. These angry, shrieking outbursts ceased abruptly as the hesitant sound of knuckles knocking against the door came.
Dawlish stood frozen outside, his hand still raised from knocking as he found himself drowning in regret. The impulsive decision that had driven him to seek an audience with the Minister now seemed extremely foolish. However, the Minister's low summons that drifted through the door like a serpent's hiss left him no room for retreat and regret.
Pushing open the door with trembling fingers, Dawlish was immediately confronted by a scene that chilled him to the bone.
"Minister—" Dawlish said tentatively.
Minister Fudge sat hunched behind his desk like a brooding gargoyle. His brow was deeply furrowed while a gloomy aura emanated from his entire body like a dark cloud. The oppressive atmosphere was so suffocating that even the paper cranes flying out of the fireplace now shrank in the corners, too terrified to go into the toxic air that filled the room.
Umbridge's face showed an expression so murderous and malicious that it made Dawlish's blood run cold. The sight of her in such a state made Dawlish deeply regret his choice of timing for delivering his report, realizing he had stumbled into what could only be described as a lion's den.
Perhaps, he thought desperately, clutching at straws of hope, the news he carried could somehow transform the mood of these two most powerful officials in the Ministry
With this fragile hope sustaining him, Dawlish nervously shuffled into the Minister's office.
"I hope you're about to tell me that you've successfully uncovered crucial information about the sender of that damned package, Dawlish," Fudge's voice sounded threatening.
Unlike his earlier appearance in Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts, Fudge's round, plump face was now deeply etched with authority and power that befitted his position as Minister of Magic. This made Dawlish panic in terror.
"—S-sorry, Minister, M-Madam Umbridge," Dawlish stammered, his voice cracking like that of a frightened schoolboy. "The Aurors are still conducting their investigation into that mysterious package. You must surely understand... such delicate matters require considerable time."
The oppressive atmosphere in the office was like the suffocating air before a violent thunderstorm and made Dawlish struggle to draw breath.
Perhaps wizards like Dumbledore and Watson had the strength of character to ignore or dismiss the intimidating authority of high-ranking Ministry officials, but Dawlish knew that he absolutely lacked the ability to resist the overwhelming pressure emanating from these wizards who stood at the pinnacle of political power.
"However, I came here specifically to report to you both... to you, Minister, and to you, Madam Umbridge, because I've discovered something that I believe you'll find quite... interesting—" Dawlish began, his words falling over each other in his rush.
"Interesting?!" Fudge's voice exploded through the room like a thunderclap, rudely cutting through Dawlish's stammering, nervous narrative.
His last remaining shred of composure and ministerial dignity was all that prevented him from roaring at the top of his lungs for Dawlish to immediately get out of his office and never enter his doorway again.
Didn't this incompetent fool understand that absolutely nothing in the entire wizarding world could possibly be considered interesting to him in his current state?
"Oh, forgive me—not interesting at all—crucially important!" Dawlish corrected himself frantically, sweats forming across his stiff, gray hair.
Cold sweat trickled down his temples, but he couldn't spare even a moment to wipe away that was nearly dripping into his eyes. His hands shook as he immediately changed his phrasing, desperate to salvage the situation before it deteriorated further.
"Perhaps... that is to say, I mean that Hogwarts students have violated the Statute of Secrecy, and one of them is Harry Potter."
After all his hemming and hawing, Dawlish finally managed to reveal the crucial matter that had driven him to seek this audience. The information indeed succeeded in capturing the Minister's attention.
Even Umbridge, whose toad-like face had been twisted with malice, turned her sharp, calculating gaze upon him after a moment of stunned, thoughtful silence.
"Harry Potter violating the Statute of Secrecy—well now, that doesn't sound particularly fresh or groundbreaking news," Fudge replied in surprise.
But after his initial surprise had passed, he spoke with disinterest, waving his hand dismissively as if shooing away an irritating fly.
"This is hardly the first time that troublesome boy has committed such violations. He previously used a Hovering Charm in full view of a group of Muggles at his guardian family's house, and due to what he claimed was an emotional outburst—he transformed his aunt into a big balloon. And this happened right during the chaos of Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban prison, no less!"
As Fudge continued his rant, his expression was filled with anger.
"But of course, Dumbledore absolutely adores this type of rebellious, insubordinate character, boys who brazenly treat Ministry laws as nothing more than worthless scraps of parchment, suitable only for lighting fires!'"
Fudge's breathing became difficult as his anger rose.
"Just because Potter happens to be the so-called 'Boy Who Lived' and has Dumbledore's... oh, and now he has Watson's protection as well, the Ministry must remain silent about his repeated lawbreaking. I assure you, Dolores, if any other boy dared to act with such reckless disregard for our laws, even if he were some direct descendant of Merlin, I would absolutely ensure that the Dementors prepared a special, custom-designed cell for him in the deepest, darkest depths of Azkaban!"
Listening to Minister Fudge's somewhat rambling complaints and emotional outbursts, Dawlish's disappointment was visible to the naked eye.
After Minister Fudge, Umbridge, and Madam Bones went to Hogwarts in response to the shocking attack on Hermione Granger, the aftermath had showed signs about the nature of their reception.
Madam Bones had returned to the Ministry looking perfectly normal, composed, and unruffled. However, the absolutely terrible expressions on both the Minister and Umbridge, made it clear without asking they had definitely "suffered a crushing defeat" at the hands of Dumbledore and Watson.
Therefore, when Dawlish had discovered evidence of Harry Potter's law-breaking activities, he had practically sprinted back to the Ministry in his excitement, convinced that he could finally deliver news that would please the Minister and restore him to favor. But to his disappointment, Minister Fudge didn't seem to value his gathered intelligence.
"What I find myself more interested in, Minister, is—" Umbridge interjected hopefully.
Fortunately for Dawlish's rapidly sinking spirits, Madam Umbridge appeared to be somewhat more interested.
"Tell me, Dawlish—what exactly did Harry Potter do?" Umbridge asked, her voice taking on a disgustingly sweet tone.
When she approached him, Umbridge's entire demeanor underwent a startling transformation, becoming surprisingly amiable and encouraging.
"Oh, it's like this, Madam Umbridge!" Dawlish exclaimed, relief appearing through his voice.
Seeing the situation take what appeared to be a turn for the better, Dawlish dared not allow himself to slack off or lose momentum. He immediately launched into a detailed explanation of everything he had discovered.
"In order to conduct a thorough investigation into that package, we approached the Hogsmeade post office and examined their detailed mailing records. Our investigation revealed that three Hogwarts students—Harry Potter, Ron Weasley (he's Arthur Weasley's youngest son), and Hermione Granger, the girl who was the target of today's attack had visited the Hogsmeade post office before the attack incident occurred. They mailed several packages containing various items to London."
Seeing that Umbridge was listening with attention, Dawlish spoke rapidly.
"The registered delivery address was listed as a Muggle orphanage... This detail immediately caught my attention, so I conducted detailed questioning of the postal workers on duty that day. One employee informed me that he had overheard the red-haired boy—Arthur's son—say something like: 'I hope they'll like my old clothes. Oh, too bad I'm not like you, Harry, with so much gold to buy so many sweets and treats for them.'"
Dawlish paused here, watching Umbridge's reaction carefully before continuing with his narrative.
"Now, as you both know, there's only one candy shop in all of Hogsmeade that draws the most attention from students and visitors—the famous Honeydukes sweetshop. So, naturally, I took the initiative to find the shop owner and questioned him.
He indeed remembered Harry Potter visiting his shop because that boy was the most generous spender that morning. Potter purchased almost every single variety of candy available in their shop!"
Fearing that the Minister and Umbridge might not fully grasp the serious implications of this information, Dawlish pressed on with urgent desperation,
"You must know that many of those candies contain substantial magical elements and properties. If these items end up in the hands of Muggles, the existence of magic would be exposed to them. Without the slightest shadow of doubt, this constitutes a violation of the Statute of Secrecy!"
"Sending Honeydukes candy to a Muggle orphanage... well that does sound like something that boy would do," Fudge thought aloud after a moment of silence.
He reached up to touch the corner of his mouth, which had become somewhat inflamed from his earlier angry outburst, his brow furrowed in deep thought. However, his particularly lackluster and unenthusiastic reaction nearly caused the bright-eyed, increasingly excited Umbridge to choke on her own breath in frustration.
"Don't you realize the worth of this discovery... cough, forgive me, I mean to say, this represents an absolutely excellent opportunity for us to act, Minister!" Umbridge exclaimed, her voice rising with excitement.
"An opportunity... but wouldn't we still have to clean up the mess that boy has created with the Muggles involved... oh, wait, do you mean?"
Fudge looked at Dolores with some confusion. When he observed that Dolores, who had been filled with fury about her recent loss of influence and power just moments before, now appeared electrified with anticipation and scheming delight, Fudge finally began to catch on to the direction of her thoughts.
"You mean we should make a big issue out of this incident, using it as a weapon against both Dumbledore and Watson... but you must know, Dolores, that this is just a relatively small matter."
Umbridge cast a meaningful glance at the silent, trembling Dawlish, and after a moment of consideration, decided against sending him away from their conversation. Suppressing her growing excitement, she spoke in an alluring tone,
"Precisely as I explained to you earlier, Minister, Watson and Dumbledore have been making increasingly bold and obvious attempts to interfere with your legitimate decisions and authority within the Ministry. Their audacity grows with each passing day, and they will only become more excessive and outrageous in their challenges to your leadership unless we take decisive action to fight back against their influence.
Of course, attacking them directly and openly would be unwise and politically disastrous, given their public standing and reputation, but now... now we have been presented with a genuinely excellent opportunity to strike at them indirectly!"
Umbridge's breathing became noticeably more rapid and excited as she continued to explain on her emerging plan.
"We all know that Harry Potter is both Dumbledore's and Watson's most valued and protected student... Oh yes, I acknowledge that the mistake he has made is indeed a relatively small matter, but consider the possibilities if..."
The excitement coursing through Umbridge's veins made her appearance even more toad-like than usual, her face took on an unpleasant reddish color that made her resemble a bloated frog.
However, she remained completely oblivious to the ugliness that her malicious smile created. Her tone became more and more vicious as she continued,
"If... those magical candies were to cause more serious harm to the Muggles..."
Seeing the sinister gleam in Umbridge's eyes, Fudge felt a chill race down his spine. Cold sweat began to form on his forehead despite the warmth of the office, and his hands trembled slightly.
He wanted to rebuke this female assistant who had always stood firmly and loyally by his side through thick and thin. The words of objection had just formed on his tongue, ready to spill forth, but just as they reached his lips, ready to be spoken aloud, the vivid and humiliating scene from just a few hours earlier in Dumbledore's office flashed through his mind.
Watson's absolutely domineering manner, his casual display of overwhelming power, Dumbledore's unusually solemn and threatening demeanor—these memories flashed through his mind severing whatever moral objections he might have said.
"Of course, I understand perfectly well that this particular course of action requires taking considerable risks, Cornelius—" Umbridge whispered with seductive persuasion.
"But consider this carefully: just this once, if we execute this plan flawlessly, we can completely and permanently eliminate the threat they pose to your authority. From that moment forward, the mighty Dumbledore will have no choice but to bow his head in submission and compromise with your demands, forced to follow the Ministry's instructions without question or resistance. And the increasingly troublesome Watson will be expelled from Hogwarts..."
The intoxicating vision of making Dumbledore completely obedient and subservient, of forcing Bryan Watson to leave Hogwarts in disgrace and even depart from Britain completely, filled Cornelius's mind like a powerful drug.
Without even realizing it, his face began to flush red, his temples pounding with a rhythm that matched his racing heartbeat. This beautiful, tempting future was indeed extraordinarily appealing, almost irresistibly so.
If they could truly use that troublesome Potter boy to achieve this goal, the Ministry would finally be free from all external constraints and interference.
"This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Cornelius. Dumbledore's and Watson's attention is completely focused on that little witch Granger and her recovery from the attack. They won't realize that we've obtained this crucial leverage first, giving us the perfect time to prepare and wait for precisely the right moment to strike—" Umbridge continued in her persuasion.
While Dumbledore and Watson weren't technically high-ranking Ministry officials in the traditional sense, their position in the public perception was immensely high, their reputation throughout the wizarding world was absolutely enormous and seemingly unshakeable.
Combined with their unfathomable, almost legendary magical power and abilities, they were a more dangerous and persistent threat than any political enemy.
"What are you still hesitating about, Cornelius?"
The growing urgency in Umbridge's voice, the desperate edge of ambition and hunger for revenge, gradually began to make Cornelius's eyes turn bloodshot with desire and determination. His breathing became increasingly heated, his chest began rising and falling rapidly as adrenaline flooded his system.
"What do you plan to do, Dolores?" Fudge asked, his voice now carrying a dangerous edge that hadn't been there moments before.
'Success!' Umbridge thought triumphantly, her heart racing with vindictive joy.
In that instant, her breathing became smooth and controlled once again. She suddenly turned to look at the cowering, trembling Dawlish, who had been attempting to make himself as inconspicuous as possible during this intense conversation. Her face now had what could generously be described as a pleasant smile.
"Dawlish, may I trust that you are absolutely loyal to the Ministry, absolutely loyal to our Minister and his vision for the wizarding world?" She asked with deceiving sweetness.
Startled by the sudden direct attention, Dawlish's short, stiff gray hair seemed to bristle like the fur of a frightened animal. He looked up with wide, startled eyes to find that not only Umbridge but also the Minister himself were both looking him with serious expressions.
"Of course! Without question or hesitation!" He shouted, though his voice had somehow become hoarse and strained from the emotional tension of the moment.
Despite his neck flushed red from the pressure and his hands shaking slightly, he still managed to straighten his chest and shoulders, and tried to show an image of dedication and reliability as he expressed his loyalty.
"My loyalty to the Minister is completely beyond question!"
"Excellent, absolutely excellent, Dawlish!" Umbridge responded with a series of high-pitched, disgusting bell-like laughter.
"You know that Bones has been working to expand the Hit Wizard squad, don't you, Dawlish? This matter has already passed through all the necessary channels and received official resolution.
The implementation of these changes will begin very soon. This newly expanded squad will be led by an employee who demonstrates absolute loyalty to the Ministry and to our Minister's vision for the future of magical law enforcement."
Step by step, Umbridge approached the trembling, excited Dawlish. Her laughter continued to gurgle forth, taking on a coquettish tone.
"Go now, Dawlish. Go and put a stop to the foolish, reckless act that Harry Potter has committed—an act that could potentially lead to the exposure of our entire wizarding world to the Muggles. I'm confident that you can complete this task with absolute perfection. You won't disappoint us, will you?"
Watching Dawlish stride away, Cornelius Fudge behind the desk finally showed a sinister expression.
"You started this war first!"
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