Hogwarts: I'm Harry's older cousin

Chapter 228, Section 226: Under the Wise and Powerful Minister Fuji

"Are you saying Sirius Black was framed?"

Fudge sat nervously in the principal's office, listening to everyone's account. He wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced at Sirius, saying, "But this is too unbelievable."

"If he was innocent, why didn't he defend himself when he was arrested?"

In response to Fudge's questioning, Dumbledore explained, "Cornelly, Sirius Black willingly entered Azkaban to atone for his sins."

Unfortunately, even when he spoke up for Sirius, Fudge retorted rather bluntly.

"Albus, you've never been Minister for Magic, so you don't understand. I can't just think about him alone. Overturning the verdict is very complicated. A wrongful conviction of twelve years will be a huge challenge to the credibility of the Ministry of Magic, and the public will be utterly disappointed in it."

Although Fudge did not explicitly refuse, his words were full of reluctance.

It's practically saying outright—this is none of my business, don't bother me.

Are you kidding me? He's already overwhelmed dealing with the Dementors, and his public approval rating has plummeted to an all-time low. He's been going to Dumbledore for advice every day because of this. And now you want him to exonerate the "most heinous criminal" Black? Isn't that just asking for trouble? If he can't even handle his own situation, he'll be in serious trouble as Minister of Magic.

More than one high-ranking official in the Ministry of Magic was eyeing his position; no one wanted to be at the pinnacle of power.

Compared to fairness and justice, Fudge cares more about his official position. As long as he can keep his position as Minister for Magic, he is willing to turn against anyone, including Dumbledore.

Rather than exonerating Sirius Black, he would rather just arrest him and bring him back to his senses, at least that way he could salvage some of his already pitiful support.

If it weren't for the high level of difficulty, he would have done it long ago.

Even without this incident, the public was already utterly disillusioned with the Ministry of Magic.

How many useful policies did the English Ministry of Magic introduce during Fudge's tenure?

The answer is zero.

Most wizards spend their days doing three things: eating, sleeping, and cursing the Ministry of Magic.

Fudge's behavior left Dumbledore somewhat helpless. He wanted to hear Fudge's opinion, but he was also wary of him. He really didn't know what to say.

If he insists on capturing Sirius, it will be a rather troublesome matter.

Dumbledore has been away from the center of power for too long due to personal reasons. His former friends, such as Nicholas Flamel, have passed away one after another over the years. Among the wizards who are still alive today, perhaps only the one in the tower remains with great magical power.

He may never meet the one in the tower in his lifetime.

Harry felt a bit angry. Although he didn't like Sirius Black much either, he wanted Peter to be punished as he deserved. He couldn't understand why the Minister of Magic was dragging his feet on something so obvious, but he had no choice but to look at Dudley.

Feeling Harry's gaze, Dudley, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.

"Mr. Fudge, the order to arrest Sirius Black was not given by you."

"Oh, yes, Mr. Dursley." Fudge paused slightly upon hearing this, then nodded.

While Fudge was wary of Dumbledore, his tone towards Dudley was much more favorable.

Their current relationship can barely be described as that of business partners.

Dudley strolled over to Fudge's side; he was a full head taller than the diminutive Fudge.

"Then what do you have to worry about?"

Dudley said softly, "I think this is how things went."

"Shortly after assuming the post of Minister of Magic, the brilliant and resourceful Fudge, with his extraordinary intuition, discovered that Sirius Black's case was not simple. In order to uncover the truth and to prevent any wizard from being wrongly accused, he secretly investigated on his own. Finally, through his tireless efforts, he discovered an astonishing secret."

His story immediately caught Fudge's attention. His tone was seductive and manipulative, and as he narrated, Fudge's breathing became heavy.

"The vicious criminal Sirius Black is actually innocent."

"Minister Fudge is a proper and kind wizard who cannot tolerate any wrongful conviction."

"This was a failure on the part of the previous Minister of Magic, but Minister Fudge is willing to take full responsibility and apologize to the public on behalf of the Ministry of Magic."

The former Minister of Magic, Millicent Barnold, has been retired for a long time. If we don't label someone who has left the center of power, when will we?

Shifting blame to one's predecessor and then using that predecessor to climb to power is a quality that every excellent politician should possess.

With each word Fudge spoke, his eyes brightened a little more; Dudley knew that only the final push was needed.

He leaned down and whispered in Fudge's ear, "Because of the Dementors, your reputation is already quite low. If you don't do something about it, your position might be in jeopardy. As far as I know, Mr. Barty Crouch has reflected deeply on his failure to compete with you last time and has now garnered many supporters."

"This is not good news for your loyal ally."

"We hope that you will continue to serve as Minister for Magic; it is in our best interest."

If Fudge still doesn't get it after all this, then we should really consider finding someone else. People can be stupid, but they can't be too stupid.

"You're a smart person, you should know what to do."

After Dali finished speaking, he sat back down.

Fudge thought about it for a moment with his not-so-developed brain and found that the plan was perfect. It could not only reverse the current predicament, but also potentially boost his approval rating to its peak.

Dudley's last comment, "a smart man," particularly pleased Fudge.

Yes, he always thought he was very good, otherwise why would he be the Minister of Magic and not someone else?

"Well, well... I deeply regret what happened to Mr. Black, and I deeply abhor Peter Pettigrew's heinous acts. Please rest assured, the Ministry of Magic will never wrong an innocent person, nor will it let any bad person go unpunished."

As if under a spell, Fudge's tone changed completely, abandoning his previous evasiveness and speaking with righteous indignation.

"We will definitely give everyone justice."

Fudge's words nearly made everyone else's jaws drop.

Sirius, Lupin, Harry, Hermione, and others looked at him with strange eyes, but Fudge remained unmoved, his wrinkled face not even blushing. Thick skin is a quality that every excellent Minister of Magic should have.

Dudley sat calmly in his seat, seemingly oblivious to everything, while Dumbledore watched him with a smile, lost in thought.

In the original story, Fudge was very short, described as: a stocky little man.

This guy is not only power-hungry, but also quite greedy.

(End of this chapter)