Since Fudge had become Minister for Magic, he had never been as furious as he was now. It was not because Defense Guide magazine had predicted that the public would vote him out next year, but because someone was trying to use Defense Guide to drive him into a corner.
Had Voldemort truly returned?
Fudge truly did not want to discuss that question with anyone, because the answer had to be that "Voldemort has returned" was nothing but a lie.
That was politically correct.
After flying into a rage at everyone outside, Fudge slammed the door to the Minister's office shut.
He furiously threw the wrinkled copy of Defense Guide in his hand onto the floor. Stomping on it several times was not enough to vent his anger, so he picked it up and tore it to pieces.
What did it mean, Azkaban would suffer a mass breakout? What did it mean, Cornelius Fudge would be voted out by the public next year?
"Damn Dumbledore! Damn it, damn them all!"
Fudge had never imagined that Dumbledore would counterattack like this.
He knew very well that if the news of Voldemort's return was true, then the magazine before him would completely back him into a corner. Especially once some of its so-called predictions came true, people would believe everything it said.
Would they come true?
Fudge did not know, but he did not want to gamble either. If he lost, he would truly be finished. Perhaps, just as the magazine predicted, the public would drive him from office.
Then his reputation would be utterly ruined.
This was all Dumbledore's conspiracy!
A magazine run by Sirius Black?
Fudge would never believe such nonsense. If Dumbledore were not pulling the strings behind the scenes, did Sirius Black have the brains to do something