Why would an innocent champion hide his identity for more than a decade when peace had returned, even if he had only faked his death to escape?
Fudge believed it. He had no choice.
Fudge accepted the situation. He had no choice in that, either.
The most important matter now was no longer this miscarriage of justice involving Pettigrew that had lain buried for over a decade, but how to preserve his position and his power to have the final say at the Ministry of Magic.
Dumbledore merely smiled faintly at Fudge's question, although he possessed profound mastery of Legilimency that could go undetected.
But even without using that spell, he could tell what other meaning lay behind Fudge's question.
It amounted to nothing more than: you discovered this, so you need to give me an answer-and a solution while you're at it.
"In fact, I didn't know all that much beforehand, Cornelius. I merely had a few suspicions."
"There were too many unanswered questions about what happened back then."
"I believe even you had your doubts at the time, didn't you? After all, Mr. Black was sent to Azkaban without a trial."
There was another meaning hidden in Dumbledore's words, and Amelia, watching from the sidelines, picked up on it. Naturally, a woman who had risen to become Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had her wits about her, but Amelia was a little worried that her minister had failed to grasp what Dumbledore meant.
So she gave a light cough.
"Back then, I remember it was Mr. Crouch..."
Amelia left her sentence unfinished. Sometimes, a hint was enough.
*Ah, yes, that's right. It was Barty Crouch who was responsible for sending Sirius to Azkaban back then. His chances of becoming Minister for Magic had been far