The words had barely left her lips.
The expression on Fudge's face froze.
Wh... what?
Behind him, Umbridge and the Aurors looked equally stunned, wondering whether their ears were playing tricks on them.
It took Fudge several seconds to recover. His face turned purple as he waved his hands frantically.
"Y-you certainly do love a joke."
He gave a dry laugh.
"You killed the Dark Lord yourself! Everyone here saw it with their own eyes! You're the hero of our Wizarding World. How could you possibly have colluded with him?"
"Oh, so you do know that."
Hermione's mocking smile faded, and her gaze slowly grew cold.
She started down the steps of the raised platform, one deliberate step at a time.
"Since you know the Daily Prophet was spreading lies when it claimed I colluded with Voldemort..."
"Then why did you believe them so readily when they said Dumbledore had gotten me killed?"
Fudge opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.
Her logic was airtight, puncturing his flimsy excuse outright.
The double standard could not withstand even the slightest scrutiny.
Fudge flushed scarlet, left speechless. He struggled for a response, his mind racing.
At last, he managed to salvage an excuse:
"Precisely because you're the hero of the Wizarding World, your safety is of paramount importance! That's why we must be cautious and follow every lead!"
"All these measures were taken out of concern for your safety!"
"Really?"
Hermione paced a couple of leisurely steps. "Then why have I heard that the Ministry of Magic itself started this rumor?"
Fudge nearly jumped out of his skin, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"No! Absolutely nothing of the sort!"
"That's slander! Lies against the Ministry of Magic! Lady Witch, you mustn't believe such groundless rumors!"