Barty Crouch?
Kyle realized it had been over half a year since he’d last thought about that na. Ever since Sirius was acquitted early in the school year, Crouch had faced severe scrutiny for his role in incarcerating Sirius without a trial, throwing him directly into Azkaban.
At the ti, it had seed reasonable—even Sirius himself had admitted as much. Kyle recalled that Sirius had even spoken respectfully of Crouch on occasion.
During Voldemort’s rise to power, Crouch had been a staunch advocate for aggressive, borderline draconian asures. Under his leadership, Aurors were granted unprecedented authority: they could arrest and execute Death Eaters, as well as use Unforgivable Curses. The lack of a trial for Sirius wasn’t unique; several others had t the sa fate.
This violence-for-violence policy had its costs, but it also provided a fragile balance that kept the Ministry from being entirely overwheld by the Death Eaters. The harsh asures saved lives during the chaos, even if they turned Aurors into sothing perilously close to the enemies they fought.
Crouch’s downfall began when his own son, Barty Crouch Jr., was revealed to be a Death Eater. That scandal had paved the way for Fudge’s rise as Minister of Magic.
Sirius, for his part, held no ill will toward Crouch. His priority had been securing his freedom so he could look after Harry, not pursuing retribution. But the public outcry over Sirius’s case had been relentless, and an investigation into Crouch was inevitable. Accusations of deliberately covering up Peter Pettigrew’s cris and tarnishing the Ministry’s reputation dragged on for six months.
Kyle stared at the accompanying photograph in the Daily Prophet.
The once-imposing Barty Crouch looked utterly defeated. His ticulously grood beard was now scruffy, and his deanor seed broken.
In contrast, Fudge stood beside him in the photo, exuding smug self-satisfaction.
“He must be thrilled that no one can challenge his position as Minister now...” Kyle muttered.
Still, he wasn’t particularly concerned about Fudge’s political maneuvering. He returned his focus to the article.
The investigation had uncovered no conclusive evidence linking Crouch to the Death Eaters. Consequently, he retained his position at the Ministry, though not without consequences.
Crouch was demoted, reassigned from the prestigious Departnt of International Magical Cooperation to the far less influential Departnt of Magical Transportation. While not the least significant departnt—that dubious honor belonged to the Departnt of Magical Gas and Sports—it was a dramatic step down.
By comparison, given the choice between the two departnts, most would still prefer International Magical Cooperation.
The fallout wasn’t limited to Crouch. Others implicated during the investigation had also been reassigned, many to the aforentioned Departnt of Magical Gas and Sports.
Kyle chuckled faintly at the thought. Ludo Bagman must be ecstatic—this is probably the first ti his departnt has seen such an influx of personnel.
Despite the reshuffling, the Ministry seed intent on downplaying the matter. The story, which under normal circumstances would have been front-page news, was buried in an inconspicuous corner on the back page. Its tone was brief and dismissive, the details scant, and the conclusions almost an afterthought.
...
“It must have been Fudge,” Sirius muttered under his breath, leaning close to Kyle during the first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the morning.
Professor Moody was apparently on leave due to the Crouch investigation, and in his absence, Sirius had been brought in to teach the fifth years. He had tasked the students with reviewing the Shield Charm while he quietly discussed the newspaper’s contents with Kyle.
“It’s definitely Fudge,” Sirius continued. “The man is obsessed with power. He’s used this whole situation as an opportunity to push Crouch’s supporters out of important positions."
“Have you noticed? Nearly everyone in the Departnt of International Magical Cooperation and the Departnt of Magical Law Enforcent is under investigation. anwhile, those in other departnts who also supported Crouch haven’t been touched.”
“Need I say more?” Kyle replied. “No one else besides the Minister of Magic could have orchestrated sothing like this, even with legitimate reasons.”
“I don’t like Fudge,” Sirius said, glancing around the classroom and lowering his voice further. “Even though I regained my freedom because of him, I just don’t trust him. He’s far too obsessed with consolidating his power."
“He’s hinted multiple tis that he wants to give more interviews to The Daily Prophet, focusing on how I was acquitted.”
“Obviously, he wants to build an image of himself as fair and just,” Kyle said. “He led the retrial, and if anyone talks about the retrial, they can’t help but ntion him.”
“Exactly,” Sirius said, irritation creeping into his voice. “I’ve already given three interviews, but he keeps sending owls asking for more. It’s as if he wants to cry my story out in The Daily Prophet every single day.”
“Well, who told you to go and beco a tragic hero?” Kyle said with a smirk. “Of course, he’s going to use this as a publicity stunt for himself.”
“Who’s to say he isn’t?” Sirius shook his head with a frustrated chuckle. “I’ve grown tired of saying the sa things over and over, so I started dodging his requests by making excuses. That’s why I ca to Hogwarts."
“I never expected Dumbledore to agree to let teach here... Honestly, I should thank Fudge again. If he hadn’t been so insistent, I wouldn’t have had this chance to teach Harry directly.”
Kyle watched Sirius, who seed genuinely happy, and felt unsure how to respond. If anything, it was Dumbledore who should be thanking Fudge the most—finding a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor each year had always been a major headache for him. Naturally, when soone volunteered, Dumbledore wouldn’t refuse.
Sirius, however, didn’t seem concerned with that at all.
Not wanting to draw too much attention to himself, Sirius moved away to help students who were struggling with the Shield Charm. So had forgotten the spell after months without practice, so Sirius patiently made the rounds, offering guidance.
It wasn’t until near the end of the class that Sirius returned to Kyle.
“I really don’t know what the Ministry will beco in the future,” he said, gazing out the window. “Fudge’s thods are clever, I’ll admit that, but his character... Never mind. After all, he’s the reason I’m free now.”
Sirius let out a deep sigh. “Still, without Crouch keeping him in check, Fudge no longer has to worry about anyone threatening his position as Minister. Honestly, that’s not a good thing for the Ministry of Magic.”
“Isn’t there still the headmaster?” Kanna chid in from nearby. “People say he trusts Professor Dumbledore a lot. Whenever he encounters a tricky problem, he cos to Hogwarts to ask for advice.”
“Yes... Dumbledore,” Sirius said, though his tone was tinged with reluctance.
I don’t know what happened in past years, but since I’ve been here, Fudge hasn’t co to see Dumbledore even once.
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