Harry took a deep breath and stepped onto the stone staircase leading to the Headmaster's office. He finally stopped before the Hippogriff door knocker, raised his hand and knocked three times on the wooden door. Without waiting for a response from inside, he pushed the door open and walked straight into the Headmaster's office.
Ignoring the looks from the others, Harry swept his gaze across the already crowded office before settling on Dumbledore. The elderly man sat behind his desk, his long fingers folded together, his expression peaceful. He even smiled at Harry when he entered, as though everything happening was entirely under control. Professor McGonagall, standing beside Dumbledore, looked extremely tense instead.
Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic whom Harry despised, was here too. He stood beside the fireplace, looking rather excited when he saw Harry appear. He probably thought he had caught Harry red-handed and could finally expel him.
Harry found that utterly laughable. He truly could not understand what exactly filled Fudge's head. U-No-Poo?
It was astonishing that a minister could be this stupid.
The guard beside Fudge was someone Harry knew: Kingsley Shacklebolt of the Order of the Phoenix. Harry pretended not to recognize him. He did not know the other guards. The last person was Ron's brother, Percy Weasley, who held a quill and parchment, ready to record everything that happened here.
What surprised Harry was that he did not see the "traitor" here.
"Very good, very good!"
Cornelius Fudge glared at Harry, his face wearing a gloating expression.
"Good? I don't feel good. I heard you let all the prisoners in Azkaban escape." Harry's heart was pounding wildly, but his mind was astonishingly calm and clear. He immediately cut off the momentum Fudge had been building, choked back whatever he had intended to say,