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Chapter 666: Fudge’s Decision, the War Has Begun
🕑 Added 2025-03-29 14:14:04 +0000 UTCHarry had mastered Occlumency, a fact that seemed to please everyone—except Snape and Umbridge. The opening dinner ended on a relatively cheerful note, leaving most in high spirits.
However, this pleasant mood shattered the following morning.
During breakfast, Cedric unfolded The Daily Prophet he had ordered, intending to check the front page as usual. But the moment his eyes landed on the headline, he suddenly stood up with a cry of alarm.
It wasn’t just Cedric—more and more students began to gasp and exclaim in shock, as if they had seen something horrifying.
“What’s going on?” Kanna asked, her voice laced with concern.
Cedric, visibly shaken, spread the newspaper across the table and pointed to the headline and accompanying photos, unable to form words.
The front page featured ten photographs—nine wizards and one witch. Each image seemed to radiate menace: some of the individuals were laughing wildly, while others bore smug, arrogant expressions. Beneath each photograph were their names and crimes, outlined in stark detail:
Antonin Dolohov: Responsible for the brutal murders of Gideon and Fabian Prewett.
Augustus Rookwood: A traitor who leaked Ministry secrets to You-Know-Who.
Bellatrix Lestrange: ...
As the only witch among the group, Bellatrix immediately drew the most attention. Her photo was chilling—her dark, penetrating eyes gleamed with malice, her thin lips twisted in a sneer of contempt, as though even the camera capturing her image was beneath her notice. Her listed crime was the heinous torture of the Longbottoms.
Kyle stared at the image of Bellatrix with a mixture of familiarity and disdain. He had crossed paths with her indirectly before. To secure the Lestrange family vault key, he had sent the Dementors a peculiar "gift" for her—a selection of sweets and chocolates, a mocking gesture meant to "bring her joy," though Kyle doubted she was still capable of such an emotion.
Above the collection of photos, a glaring headline read:
"Multiple Prisoners Escape Azkaban: Ministry of Magic Issues Warning, You-Know-Who Confirmed to Have Returned!"
The hall erupted into chaos.
It was no surprise that Cedric had cried out—this news was nothing short of terrifying. The very idea that multiple infamous Death Eaters had escaped Azkaban was enough to send shockwaves through the students. The Great Hall was now in complete disarray. Some of the younger and more timid students were even in tears, their fear audible amidst the din.
Even the older, more steadfast students—those who had always trusted Dumbledore, like Cedric, Mikel, and Justin—sat pale and shaken, struggling to process the grim reality. Believing in Voldemort’s return was one thing, but having the Ministry confirm it through its official newspaper brought a chilling finality that many weren’t ready for.
“Kyle, you actually pulled it off,” Kanna whispered amidst the uproar. Her voice was quiet but deliberate. “Fudge didn’t keep pretending nothing had happened. He finally admitted that You-Know-Who is back.”
“Yeah,” Kyle muttered, his gaze still fixed on the newspaper.
All his efforts—the subtle manipulations, the carefully planted illusions suggesting Dumbledore was vying for the position of Minister of Magic, and blocking Malfoy’s communications with Fudge—had been aimed at achieving this very outcome. He had wanted to push Fudge into a corner, making him feel as though his only option was to declare a state of war in the wizarding world. Such a declaration would effectively secure Fudge’s position as Minister, as no government would dare change leadership during a crisis.
His plan had worked. The moment Fudge had been summoned to the Ministry during the Christmas holidays, his fear had begun to take hold. And now, with Nicolas Flamel’s owl appearing at Hogwarts in full view of Umbridge, Fudge had been forced to act decisively.
Yet, there was one unforeseen complication: the escape of the Death Eaters. This turn of events had not been part of Kyle’s plan.
“Why did it have to be now?”
Though Kyle’s plan had technically succeeded, he frowned, clearly displeased.
If the escape had occurred just a few days later—even as a symbolic gesture—Fudge would almost certainly have bolstered Azkaban’s defenses by then.
“Forget it,” Kyle muttered with a sigh, shaking his head.
If Voldemort himself orchestrated this escape, no amount of extra security would have made a difference. It would have only led to more unnecessary sacrifices. After all, only Dumbledore had the power to stand against Voldemort, and expecting him to leave Hogwarts to guard Azkaban was entirely unrealistic.
Kyle dismissed the thought and focused on the scene around him.
Fear and unease were palpable in the Great Hall, rippling through the rows of students. Fortunately, the professors seemed to have anticipated such a reaction. Professor Sprout, seated at the staff table, rose to her feet and addressed the students in a steady, reassuring voice.
“Do not panic, everyone. Hogwarts is well-protected and safe. You have nothing to fear here.”
Her calm words managed to soothe the crowd somewhat. The rising tide of anxious whispers began to subside, and the tense atmosphere eased slightly.
Shortly afterward, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Snape arrived, followed finally by Dumbledore himself. The mere sight of the headmaster entering the hall silenced the last lingering murmurs.
Dumbledore, however, said nothing. He walked to his seat at the staff table and sat down, calmly assembling a sandwich as if his only concern were breakfast. His composed demeanor radiated an unspoken reassurance that helped stabilize the atmosphere further.
Meanwhile, Kyle returned his attention to the newspaper, continuing to read the report in detail.
"The Ministry of Magic announced yesterday evening that there had been a mass breakout from Azkaban. In an interview conducted in his office, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that ten high-profile prisoners had escaped during the night."
"This was a Ministry oversight," Fudge admitted. "Despite the improved security measures we have implemented with the help of Sirius Black, we overlooked certain external factors."
The report quoted Fudge further:
"Last night, we located one of the surviving guards, who revealed that someone had forcibly breached Azkaban’s defenses to rescue the Death Eaters, accompanied by Dementors."
"A Hit Wizard stationed at the scene caught a glimpse of the intruder’s face, and Aurors arriving shortly after saw the Dark Mark hanging ominously in the sky."
"Yes, I regret to confirm that You-Know-Who has returned."
The article continued:
Minister Fudge also issued a public apology to Headmaster Albus Dumbledore:
"'I must express my regret to Professor Dumbledore, who was the first to realize that his nemesis had returned. We at the Ministry failed to take his warnings seriously."
"To demonstrate my sincerity, I will personally visit Hogwarts shortly to apologize to him and discuss how best to face the threat posed by the Dark Lord."
"The Ministry of Magic will do everything in its power to ensure the safety of the wizarding community. However, I urge everyone to remain vigilant, stay prepared, and always carry your wands. The war has already begun!"
...
“Huh, Fudge is smart,” Cedric snorted, finally recovering from his initial shock. “How could he say something like that with a straight face after the Ministry spent six months insisting Dumbledore was a senile old lunatic?”
“That’s true, but of course, he’d never admit it,” Kanna said, flipping through the newspaper. “The entire wizarding world is in an uproar. Kyle, do you think Professor Dumbledore knows about this?”
“I think he does,” Kyle replied, glancing up at the teachers’ table.
Right on cue, Dumbledore looked over, his blue eyes glinting behind his glasses.
After breakfast, Professor McGonagall approached the Hufflepuff table.
“Please wait a moment,” she said to Kyle. “The Headmaster has given you leave from your first Transfiguration class. Instead, go straight to the Headmaster’s Office. The password is the same as before.”
“Understood,” Kyle replied.
Once she was gone, Kanna turned to him, curious. “What does the Headmaster want with you?”
“I think it’s related to today’s Daily Prophet,” Kyle said calmly.
“So, what happens now?” Kanna asked, looking a little unsettled. “If they’re suddenly declaring the wizarding world at war, can we even stay at Hogwarts?”
“Don’t worry,” Kyle reassured her. “Now, more than ever, Hogwarts is unlikely to close.”
He smiled and added, “Besides, you don’t need to worry about Voldemort leaping out of the shadows just because of a newspaper article. Go to class as usual. That said, what we’ll be learning from now on might not be as simple as before.”
“As long as Hogwarts stays open, that’s all that matters,” Kanna said with a cheerful wave before heading off to Transfiguration.
Kyle, meanwhile, made his way to the eighth floor.
When he reached the Headmaster’s Office via the spiral staircase, he noticed Fawkes perched on a branch, evidently having left the suitcase at some point. Dumbledore was already there, waiting.
“I’m curious,” Dumbledore said, regarding Kyle with a mix of interest and amusement. “What exactly did you do to make Fudge admit Voldemort has returned—without even seeing Tom for himself?”
“Not much,” Kyle replied. “We’ve discussed this before, haven’t we? I just applied a bit of pressure to make him act to save his job.”
“I know,” Dumbledore said, “but I want to know how you did it.” He leaned back slightly, his gaze sharp. “I know Fudge. He never takes unnecessary action, and he only believes what’s in front of him. I’ve approached him many times, practically placing all the evidence under his nose, and still, he refused to believe."
“Anything that threatens his position as Minister—even a remote possibility—is something he avoids at all costs.”
Dumbledore’s gaze flicked to the Daily Prophet spread out on the table, his eyes lingering on the front-page headline.
“‘The war has begun...’” he murmured. “To Fudge, this decision is like drinking unicorn blood to prolong life—an absolute last resort. What exactly did you do?”
“Just wrote a few letters,” Kyle said with a shrug, briefly recounting his actions over the past few days.
Dumbledore’s mouth twitched when Kyle described instructing Fawkes to deliver an unmarked letter to St. Mungo’s. By the time Kyle explained how he had involved Malfoy and sent a letter to Dumbledore himself, the Headmaster looked utterly bemused.
He had only been away for a short time, yet Kyle had managed to stir up a whirlwind of activity. No wonder Fudge had been forced to act so out of character.
In hindsight, Dumbledore thought, it wasn’t entirely surprising. If something similar happened at Hogwarts—say, if an owl from the school governors flew into Professor McGonagall’s office every day—he’d have to suspect she was angling for the Headmaster’s position too.
“But I think what finally pushed Fudge to act was the prison break,” Kyle said. “Ten people escaped, and that’s not something you can just brush off with an excuse.”
“No, you underestimate Fudge,” Dumbledore replied. “If it weren’t for the pressure you applied, he might have managed to concoct some explanation... like he did with Barty Crouch Jr.’s escape.”
Dumbledore paused, then added with interest, “But there’s something I’m curious about—were you certain Fudge would choose this method to protect his position?”
“Honestly, I couldn’t guarantee it would work 100%,” Kyle admitted. “That’s why I also sent letters to Nicolas Flamel, Newt, Mr. McPhail, Madam Maxime, and Director Sykes. Three of them have already written back, agreeing to cooperate with me on an alternate plan if Fudge hadn’t made the announcement by the twentieth.”
Kyle glanced at Dumbledore but didn’t elaborate further. He suspected the Headmaster wouldn’t want to hear the rest.
One way or another, Kyle wasn’t about to let the Ministry become a roadblock in their fight against Voldemort. If it came to it, Dumbledore would just have to take on the additional role of Minister for Magic.
In fact, one of the replies had come from Nicolas Flamel, who seemed quite intrigued by the idea of Dumbledore as Minister and had even offered to come to Hogwarts to lend his support. With Nicolas’s help, success would be almost guaranteed.
As for the Hogwarts headmaster position—if Dumbledore couldn’t juggle both roles, Kyle thought Professor McGonagall would be an excellent choice.
Of course, that was part of the original plan, and thankfully, it wasn’t necessary anymore.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore felt a chill run down his spine. He had a sinking suspicion about where Kyle’s thoughts had been heading—and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know if he was right.
“Kyle...” Dumbledore said carefully, “don’t you think it would be better to consult the person involved before making such decisions?”
“It’s all in the name of defeating Voldemort, Professor,” Kyle replied with a smile. “Sometimes you need to employ... special measures. Besides, I distinctly remember you saying at The Hog’s Head that you’d be willing to sacrifice anything to defeat him.”
“Did I say that?” Dumbledore asked, pretending to think.
“I’m quite sure, Professor,” Kyle said confidently. “And there were witnesses—like the owner of The Hog’s Head. We can ask him if you don’t believe me.”
“Fine, I did say that,” Dumbledore admitted with a sigh. When he’d made that declaration, he’d been speaking about his own resolve, never imagining how broadly Kyle might interpret “anything.”
“I have to admit, Kyle...” Dumbledore said, shaking his head, “you come up with plans I would never have considered.”
“It’s nothing,” Kyle replied modestly, shaking his head. “You don’t need to give me 200 extra points or a Special Award for Services to the School or anything like that.”
Dumbledore stared at him for a moment, then said with deliberate calm, “Very well—no extra points.”
Kyle blinked, stunned into silence. He had only been trying to be polite, but Dumbledore had taken him seriously.
But Kyle didn’t dwell on the matter of points and instead asked, “Professor, is that why you called me here?”
“In part. And then there’s something else—you helped Harry learn Occlumency. Professor Snape told me about it. He said you were the one teaching Harry.”
“That’s nothing,” Kyle replied dismissively, steering away from the topic. His eyes fell on the newspaper spread out on the table. “Professor, do you think the Dementors have also sided with Voldemort?”
“I’m glad we’re thinking along the same lines,” Dumbledore said with a small smile, though his expression quickly turned serious. “That’s precisely what I intend to find out.”
“After receiving the news last night, I visited the island where Azkaban is located. The number of Dementors there has decreased significantly.”
“How significantly?” Kyle asked.
“About half,” Dumbledore answered gravely. “What we need to determine now is whether the missing Dementors have been destroyed—or if they’ve defected to Tom’s side.”
“Wait,” Kyle said, raising a hand. “Professor, isn’t the Patronus Charm the only way to kill a Dementor? Neither the Death Eaters nor Voldemort can use that spell, can they?”
The Patronus Charm was truly unique, believed to be accessible only to wizards with pure hearts who could channel their happiest emotions into a corporeal Patronus. For a dark wizard with an evil heart, attempting the charm would not only fail but could also result in a catastrophic backfire. In some cases, it was said that a wand might summon worms that turned on the caster, devouring them.
“Most Death Eaters certainly can’t use it,” Dumbledore agreed. “But Tom... he perceives happiness and emotions differently from us.” His fingers tapped lightly on the table as he continued, “Moreover, there are other ways to destroy Dementors. The Patronus Charm is primarily for repelling them. In truth, the Killing Curse works just as effectively.”
“I see,” Kyle said thoughtfully. “So, Professor, what do you need me to do?”
“Fudge will be coming to Hogwarts this afternoon, and he’s bringing with him two Dementors—both from last night’s guard,” Dumbledore explained. “I need to determine whether the missing Dementors have defected to Voldemort. This will influence whether we need to revise our current defense strategy.”
“No problem,” Kyle agreed readily.
“There’s one more thing...” Dumbledore’s tone lightened slightly. “Fudge has finally aligned with us in the fight against the Death Eaters. Would you mind writing a letter to Dugald and the others, explaining the current situation? It’s important they’re aware, so they don’t act rashly or without full understanding.”
“There’s no need,” Kyle said after a moment’s thought. “They should read The Daily Prophet. It explains everything clearly.”
“It’s better to err on the side of caution,” Dumbledore said firmly, his piercing blue eyes fixed on Kyle.
“Alright, I’ll write the letter when I get back,” Kyle relented.
“No need—you can do it here.” With a wave of Dumbledore’s hand, several sheets of parchment and quills appeared on the table. “Once you’re finished, I’ll have Fawkes deliver the letter. Owls can’t exactly reach Nicolas Flamel, can they?”
Dumbledore’s gaze flicked to Fawkes, who was dozing on his perch. He silently resolved that no matter what Kyle requested in the future, he would refrain from lending him the phoenix again.
Kyle considered mentioning that he had other methods of contacting Nicolas and didn’t necessarily need Fawkes’s help, but he held his tongue. It might be better to keep that card up his sleeve for now.
So, without a word, Kyle sat down at the table and began writing the letter under Dumbledore’s watchful eye.
