Having been pushed to the forefront by the Death Eaters and used as a rubber stamp for some time, Pius had gradually grown accustomed to his current position over the past six months, though it had never been his choice.
Even after successfully breaking free of Yaxley's Imperius Curse, Pius continued his work while pretending to remain under its control.
Pius knew his situation well. So what if he had escaped control?
When facing the Dark Lord, a flexible moral bottom line was what mattered most. At the very least, it could ensure the safety of himself and his family.
Besides, Pius had his own advantages.
Even though the Dark Mark had been branded onto his arm by Voldemort while he was under the Imperius Curse, that alone could not prove that Pius was a Death Eater.
Everyone knew he was simply an unlucky man controlled by the Imperius Curse.
Even if the Dark Lord was defeated someday, no reckoning would fall on his head.
After all, becoming Minister for Magic had not been Pius's choice. Things he had been forced to do under the Imperius Curse could not be used to convict him.
It was undoubtedly an excellent excuse.
Whether it was Voldemort, the Death Eaters, or England's Pure-blood wizards, they all tacitly exploited this not-quite-loophole to profit themselves.
After the last Wizarding War ended, a great many wizards had claimed they were controlled by the Imperius Curse and thus escaped prison.
In truth, any wizard who genuinely understood the Imperius Curse knew that this practical Unforgivable Curse was indeed formidable, but controlling someone with it over a long period was actually very difficult.
An ordinary wizard's Imperius Curse would usually control someone for only about half a day. Only powerful Dark Wizards could fully bring out the curse's