Cornelius Fudge

Chris was originally planning to return to the Ministry of Magic, but as one of the referees after the Triwizard Tournament, he still had a lot of cleanup work to do... such as returning the Fantastic Beasts that had appeared in the maze to their original locations.

The ones Hagrid provided are easy to deal with; they just need to be returned to the Forbidden Forest. But many of the Fantastic Beasts were provided by Newt, and Chris needs to send them back as well.

However, after what had just happened, he suddenly changed his mind. Before leaving Hogwarts, he wanted to go see Dumbledore first.

"I think you'd better go later, or choose another time," Kyle advised. "Minister Fudge is also in the Headmaster's Office; the atmosphere there probably won't be very pleasant."

"It's alright, I can wait," Chris said, then glanced solemnly in the direction of the castle.

As a member of the Ministry of Magic, he certainly knew Fudge's personality and was well aware that Fudge would absolutely not believe the news of Voldemort's resurrection.

Therefore, the conversation between Dumbledore and him could not have been very pleasant.

"They're in the Headmaster's Office. Do you want to go straight there?" Kyle asked. "Or should we wait a bit? We can go to the lounge and get something to eat first; I'm a little hungry."

"No, there's no need for that." Chris stared at the corner, where he could faintly hear a jumble of footsteps.

"Evidence, Dumbledore! You can't fool me with a memory whose veracity is uncertain!"

Fudge's somewhat exasperated voice rang out, "Or are you saying you're willing to accept all of those two kids' nonsense? Don't be ridiculous."

Then came Dumbledore's voice.

"I've said it many times, Cornelius, I was there too. You can have the Auror examine my memories."

"Memories can be faked... especially by a wizard like you."

"I can assure you, absolutely not," Dumbledore said. "Listen to me, Cornelius, it's not too late. We must act immediately and send messengers to the Giant ... lest they side with Voldemort again."

"Send messengers to the Giant!" Fudge shrieked. "What madness is this? People hate Giant to the core, Dumbledore... If the Wizarding World finds out I have dealings with Giant... I can forget about keeping my job as Minister!"

"Cornelius, you're too obsessed with your position; it's clouded your judgment..."

"Nonsense, you must be crazy, just because of the nonsense two children are spouting..."

As the group drew closer, Fudge soon noticed them.

"Oh, Chris." He quickly changed the subject, "Have you seen Kyle? I have some questions for him."

"What?" Chris subconsciously turned his head, only to find that he was now all alone.

Kyle didn't want to talk to Fudge at this point, as could be seen from their conversation earlier; there was no point in saying anything now.

He didn't even believe Dumbledore's memories, so naturally he wouldn't change his mind because of a few words from me. We need to think of another way to handle this.

Before that, he didn't want to argue too much with Fudge, nor did he want to make himself uncomfortable.

Although he didn't know the targeted magic of the Department of Mysteries, it was late at night, and the Disillusionment Charm was working well.

At least Fudge didn't find his location.

"No, he must have gone back to the castle," Chris said calmly, having guessed Kyle's thoughts.

"Then let's go to the Hospital Wing first," Dumbledore said. "Harry is there; he can testify just as well."

"Ha...testify?" Fudge let out a shrill laugh. "You're all insane...I'd like to see what kind of ridiculous nonsense you can come up with."

Dumbledore turned his head, his gaze lingering for a moment on Kyle was under the Disillusionment Charm, before saying:

"Come on over, Chris, if you're not in a hurry to get back."

"Okay." Chris nodded and followed.

The group quickly crossed the courtyard and disappeared around the corner of the stairs leading to the Hospital Wing.

At the same time, Kyle also dispelled the Disillusionment Charm and couldn't help but rub his forehead.

Dumbledore hasty; the tougher his approach was with Fudge, the more counterproductive it would be.

This approach might have worked in the past, but Fudge no longer needs to rely on Dumbledore's name for support.

With Crouch no longer a threat, Fudge had just tasted the sweetness of absolute power, and it would be unwise to go against him now.

However, there was no other way. Whether Fudge wanted to believe it or not, this matter had to be told, and it could only be told by Dumbledore.

If it were anyone else, Fudge probably wouldn't even listen... no matter who it is.

Harry might have a tough time, though, as he'll be woken up shortly after falling asleep.

Kyle sighed and walked towards the castle.

On his way back to the castle, he encountered Mrs. Weasley, who looked anxious, along with Bill and Charlie.

"Kyle, I'm so glad you're alright." Mrs. Weasley rushed over. "Where's Harry? Have you seen him?"

"Harry's in the Hospital Wing," Kyle said, noticing Mrs. Weasley's face turn pale. He quickly added, "He just drank Dreamless Sleep Potion and is asleep there."

"That's good, that's good," Mrs. Weasley said with relief.

"Hermione said Harry is missing," Charlie said quietly as he approached. "Then we went to find Professor Dumbledore and ran into Sirius, who told us everything."

"So it's all true?" Bill asked gravely. "The You-Know-Who really came back to life?"

"It's absolutely true..." Kyle said. "I saw it, and Harry and Professor Dumbledore saw it too."

"Oh..." Bill gasped.

Mrs. Weasley's hand, which was gripping Kyle's, trembled violently a few times.

"I suggest you go find Harry later," Kyle said. "The headmaster and Fudge have already gone. How about we go to the Hufflepuff Common Room first? We can grab something to eat; I'm really hungry."

"No, we have to help him," Mrs. Weasley said, her face pale. "I know what kind of person Fudge is. He won't believe this, and he won't believe Harry either. With me here, Harry will at least have an easier time."

"Bill, go and tell your father that Dumbledore probably needs our help."

"Okay, Mom."

Mrs. Weasley hurried toward the Hospital Wing, and Bill and Charlie turned and went to the Owlery. In the blink of an eye, Kyle was alone again.

Alright... there shouldn't be anyone here now.

Kyle shrugged and finally made it back to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

The lounge was brightly lit, and the table was covered with cakes and delicious snacks.

As is Hufflepuff tradition, Kyle's victory in the Triwizard Tournament naturally warranted a celebration.

He came back a little too late; there weren't many people left in the lounge, and most people were already asleep, so it wasn't really a good time to celebrate.

However, everyone still congratulated Kyle and agreed to hold another celebration party for him the next day, to which Kyle agreed.

He walked to the table, picked up a sandwich, and took a big bite.

"What happened? Why are you so late?" Kanna handed him a glass of lemonade.

"It's a big deal, a really big deal." Kyle took the lemonade and drank a few sips; the sour taste made him more alert.

"Didn't the Triwizard Tournament already end? What other big thing could have happened?" Cedric asked, puzzled.

"It can't be explained in a few words." Kyle glanced at the few people in the lounge. "Come with me."

He led Kanna and Cedric to a table in the far corner.

"You may not believe it, but I must say it... Voldemort has been resurrected."

"Bang!"

Cedric dropped the Butterbeer he was holding onto the floor.

"Ha, that's not a very good joke." He chuckled dryly, using his wand to wipe the Butterbeer off the floor.

"The You-Know-Who is dead; everyone knows that."

"I wish this was just a joke, but it isn't." Kyle finished the last sip of his lemonade. "Professor Dumbledore will probably tell you soon."

Cedric's wand also fell from his hand.

And then there's Kanna, who's practically mashed her sandwich into mashed potatoes.

"It's not that I don't believe you, Kyle ... but how could this be?" Cedric stammered. "Harry Potter ... the Chosen One who killed the You-Know-Who ... he's in Gryffindor ..."

"So what I'm talking about is resurrection." Kyle glanced out the window. "You don't need to believe it now, just be prepared."