Fudge recognized the Dark Wizards' faces. Several were members of his entourage, and three of them were even Aurors.
"Damn you! I'll kill you all!" Fudge, who had been cowering like a stray dog moments ago, suddenly found his courage and shouted in their faces.
"Cornelius, enough. There's no need to say more," Dumbledore said quietly.
Fudge stiffened and fell silent. Like a timid child who had just been scolded by a parent, he stood to one side, meek and subdued.
Dumbledore aimed his Wand at a Wizard's head and used Legilimency.
A few minutes later, a "hand" emerged from the metallic object, holding a large bottle of potion.
Dumbledore took the bottle and sighed. "Cornelius, you've seen it for yourself. Darkness has spread into corners we cannot see. The people you rely on, the officials you thought were 'on your side,' may have been corrupted long ago."
"Th-then what exactly happened?" Fudge asked, still meek.
He now understood that if Dumbledore had not arrived in time, he would have become a cold corpse tonight. The ministerial position he took such pride in would have become a complete joke.
"This is what happened..." Dumbledore calmly told Fudge everything he had seen. "First, you need to know that Voldemort has returned, and these are Death Eaters he sent..."
The plan itself was not complicated:
This group of Death Eaters had been tasked with replacing Fudge. The plan had two parts. First, they would capture Fudge and use Polyjuice Potion to impersonate him, taking his place and seizing control of the Ministry of Magic.
Second, they would bring Fudge to Voldemort, who wanted to examine his memories personally and uncover the Ministry of Magic's secrets. That would help the Death Eater impersonating Fudge maintain his cover while giving Voldemort what he wanted.