The gloomy and dimly lit Courtroom Ten was illuminated by the glow of various spells, and screams erupted everywhere, with few people able to remain calm.
The automatic defensive barrier of the Flamel Ring struggled to withstand the attacks of 10 Auror simultaneously, but the time it bought was enough for Vincent to retrieve his Serpent Staff.
"Finite Incantatem— "
The magical light vanished instantly, and the Courtroom Ten returned to its gloomy and dim state.
Dumbledore was behind Vincent, had disappeared, while Fudge burst into maniacal laughter.
Dumbledore is going to Azkaban. If we can't stop him, so be it. The people will just think he's running away.
"Wayne, you can't escape!" Fudge climbed onto the table, a cruel smile curving his lips as he looked down at Vincent. "You were the one who did the Azkaban thing, weren't you?"
He muttered one lie after another to himself, "I know what you did last year with the Time-Turner. For a whole year, every Dementors guarding Hogwarts was attacked by you."
Everyone was talking about it, Fudge was still making up lies, "You've been planning tonight's events since last year. The Dementors left Azkaban because of your orders!"
Scrimgeour stared in horror at Fudge, who was perched on the table. "Mr. Minister, that was clearly—"
"Rufus, I'll confess everything now." Fudge turned to look at the group of Wizengamot members beneath him.
He glanced at the audience seats on both sides. "Vincent Edward Wayne, the party to the hearing, doesn't your Wayne Enterprises have quite a few employees who are dark wizards from Knockturn Alley?"
Cheshire and her group are the dark wizarding gang with the highest completion rate in Knockturn Alley – Fallen Paradise. If the Ministry of Magic really wanted to investigate, they could definitely find out.
Vincent did not refute, his gaze grew increasingly cold, and he didn't even look at Fudge.
How does power corrupt the mind? When Fudge desperately denies the existence of darkness, he has already become a part of it.
From feigning composure to hysterical struggle, and now to utter madness, what difference is there between the seemingly glamorous Minister for Magic and Voldemort?
"Wayne, you and Dumbledore lengths to create the illusion that the Wizarding World is not peaceful."
Fudge's smile gradually turned sinister. "You're enjoying the flowers and applause, aren't you? But let me tell you, you're a fake hero! The British Wizarding World doesn't need you to save it!"
By dismissing Vincent's contributions to the Death Eaters the camp in just a few words, Fudge is trying to destroy the young hero he himself created and make him a scapegoat for all these events.
Scrimgeour felt a chill run down his spine. He turned to Fudge. "Mr. Minister, are you crazy? Wayne is just a child."
"Ha—" Fudge sneered repeatedly, "Rufus, I'm exposing the evil truth that the Wizarding World has hidden for many years, how can you say I'm crazy?"
He gripped his wand tightly, aiming it steadily at Vincent. "Auror, heed my command! Vincent Edward Wayne has engaged in armed and violent resistance. According to Section 39 of the Ministry of Magic, Special Circumstances Supplement, his actions constitute a serious unlawful act. He should be considered a criminal and arrested immediately!"
The Courtroom Ten erupted in chaos.
"Wait!" Bones slammed his hand on the table. "Hearing officer, according to the Wizengamot Charter of Rights, when the life of a hearing party is threatened, he has the right to exercise legitimate self-defense and it cannot be considered as armed violent resistance."
As a prosecutor, her duty is to supervise the legality of the hearing process and ensure that it is conducted in strict accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
The Wizengamot Charter of Rights, revised under the direction of Dumbledore when he was Chief Warlock, stipulates the Wizengamot's power of judgment and protects the legitimate rights of the accused during the trial process.
However, in Fudge's eyes, Bones's disciplined behavior was a challenge to his authority.
"Amelia Bones, you must be joking." Fudge didn't turn around; his eyes remained fixed on Vincent.
"Albus Dumbledore Percival Wulfric Dumbledore, another party to the hearing, left without permission, which constitutes the crime of escape, and Wayne, who assisted him, is also a criminal."
Bones was clearly angered by his words; how could the seemingly glamorous Minister for Magic have such a shameless side?
He's got all the referee, witnesses, and circumstantial evidence against him; he's shameless. Why bother with a vote by the Wizengamot group? They might as well just declare the charges valid.
"What a farce!" After a long silence, Marchbanks slowly stood up. "I swear on my 80 years of proctoring experience that tonight's hearing is emptier than the brains of Troll."
Even when reprimanded by the elders of Wizengamot, Fudge remained unmoved.
Legal expert Ogden also stood up, "Is this a hearing? Why do I see a courtroom controlled by a dictator?"
He took out the Wizengamot Charter of Rights that he always carried with him, and snapped his fingers to make the words on it float in mid-air, "Judicial independence is above executive power, and the Ministry of Magic should not be above the Supreme Wizarding Court!"
Fudge ignored the speeches of the two Wizengamot elders and glanced with slight displeasure at the Auror who had yet to take action.
Luke Wood's self-destruction turned the entire Auror Office into ruins. Vincent and Dumbledore rushed to the rescue, and later Lukewood even visited St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
Emotionally speaking, they certainly wouldn't want to arrest Vincent.
Fudge winked at Delilah, who kept a straight face, and it was unclear whether he understood.
"Wayne, I advise you to give up and surrender obediently. You are still young, and I will try to get you a reduced sentence."
Vincent glanced at him dismissively. "Mr. Minister, stop pretending to be a good guy."
They spout platitudes about benevolence and morality, but in private they engage in all sorts of filthy and despicable deeds.
Fudge didn't keep up the pretense any longer and ordered in an unyielding tone, "Arrest the criminals immediately. I don't want to say it a third time."
The Auror raised their wands with complex expressions.
Vincent didn't want to make things difficult for them, so he looked at the restless Delores and suddenly raised the Serpent Staff in his hand.
A dazzling red light shone directly at the wand that Delores was gripping tightly, causing it to spin backwards and fly into the air.
"Chain!"
The red light of the Disarming Spell did not disappear; instead, it instantly split into ten parts, shooting towards the wands in the Auror's hands at bizarre and tricky angles.
The Courtroom Ten fell into a deathly silence as everyone stared blankly as Vincent gently caught their wands.
There were ten wands in total, but not one belonging to Delores. It fell to the floor with a crisp sound.