Having been pushed to the forefront by the Death Eaters and made into a rubber stamp for some time now, Piers had—
Although it had not been Piers's wish, over the past six months, he had gradually grown accustomed to his current identity.
Even after successfully breaking free of Yaxley's Imperius Curse, Piers continued doing his job while pretending he was still under its control.
Piers understood his situation very clearly. So what if he broke free? When facing Lord Voldemort, a flexible moral bottom line was what mattered most. At the very least, it could ensure the safety of himself and his family.
Besides, Piers had his own advantage.
Even though the Dark Mark had been branded onto his arm, Voldemort had put it there while he was under the Imperius Curse. That alone could not prove that Piers was a Death Eater.
After all, everyone knew he was an unlucky one controlled by the Imperius Curse.
Even if Lord Voldemort was defeated someday, no reckoning would fall on his head.
After all, becoming Minister of Magic had not been Piers's choice either. 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 Britain's Pure-blood wizards, they all tacitly exploited this not-quite-loophole loophole for their own benefit.
After the last Wizarding War ended, a great many wizards had claimed to have been controlled by the Imperius Curse and thus escaped imprisonment.
In truth, any wizard who truly understood the Imperius Curse knew that although this practical Unforgivable Curse was indeed formidable, using it to control someone over a long period was actually very difficult.
An ordinary wizard's Imperius Curse could usually control someone for only about half