Harry Potter and the Obscurus

Chapter 47 Fudge's Reward

The damaged house, the terrified Muggles, and Harry crouching on the steps waiting for professionals to clean up the mess. All of this gave the Dursleys, who had just experienced the Obscurus rampage, a sense of déjà vu.

Penny and Dudley, having hidden in the kitchen early on, weren't greatly affected by the Dementors. Vernon Dursley, however, wasn't so lucky. He was currently slumped on the living room sofa, panting heavily.

Da da da da da da...

The clanging of teeth coming from the corner greatly annoyed Uncle Vernon. The lingering chill on his body and the weary heart pounding wildly in his thick chest caused him indescribable discomfort.

"Cough cough!"

"Are you alright, Vernon? Would you like some warm water?"

Seeing his wife approaching, Uncle Vernon shook his head with a bitter expression. He really wanted to tell Aunt Penny to tell Maggie, who was hiding in the corner wrapped in a blanket, to keep her voice down. But the problem was, that pale-faced, lifeless-eyed fat woman was his own sister.

Unlike the Vernon family, who had some understanding of magic, Maggie Dursley was in particularly bad shape after her close encounter with Dementors. Suffering from hypothermia and robbed of her joy, she was now like a vegetable. If it weren't for the Dursley family's signature golden curls on her head, no one would be able to tell if she was a human or a dead pig.

……

Soon, the Aurors and the Accidental Reversal Department arrived. With a wave of their wands and the incantations of "Restore" and "Emptiness," all the people and things on Privet Drive affected by the Dementors were restored to their original state.

"Reporting to the captain, the cleanup work at Privet Drive has been completed. Now, only Harry Potter's guardianship needs to be dealt with."

"Okay, take a break. Don't rush to pack up. The minister is on his way."

After giving the instructions, a middle-aged man smiled and slowly walked to Harry's side. He raised his hand and removed his dark brown top hat, revealing a head of tan hair, and said:

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Potter. I am Rufus Scrimgeour. According to regulations, I need to examine your wand.”

"Can't the Ministry of Magic detect whether the traces are reacting?"

"Rules are rules, and they have nothing to do with the traces. We hope you can cooperate with our Auror work, Mr. Potter."

Harry was annoyed by Rufus's words, but he understood that the other party's request was about the matter, not the person, so he stood up and handed over his wand.

"Prior Incantato." (Pre-flashback spell)

"Yes, it was the protection of peace and the blessing of all, which happened a few months ago... Thank you for your cooperation."

Rufus Scrimgeour was incredibly quick; he examined Harry's wand in a single glance.

Several Aurors were surprised to find that the spell replay from the tip of Harry's wand was far too advanced. But since even Mr. Scrimgeour, the then-head of the Auror office, hadn't said anything, they could only remain silent.

After returning the wand to Harry, Rufus Scrimgeour strode into the Dursleys' house. Watching the man's limping yet somewhat dashing figure, Harry's impression of the middle-aged man changed slightly.

"Mr. Harry Potter's guardian family consists of three people, two ladies. May I ask which one of you is Petunia Dursley?"

As soon as he entered, Rufus Scrimgeour got straight to work. Aunt Penny felt a chill run down her spine even though she didn't want to lie, being stared at by his sharp eyes.

“I am Penny Dursley.”

Rufus nodded, raised his wand, and chanted:

"Obliviate."

"Give her a check-up, prepare some euphoria drugs, and if everything is fine, send her back to her home."

"Now, as Mr. Harry Potter's relatives and guardians, you can either keep this less-than-pleasant memory, or you can choose to forget what just happened by using the Forgetting Charm, like the other lady did. I'll give you five minutes to consider."

Rufus's keen and forceful nature gave the Dursleys a taste of the stern and authoritative side of wizards in the magical world. After exchanging a glance with his wife, Uncle Vernon, panting heavily, immediately replied:

"We're fine as we are. We don't need any spells. Just don't touch me or my family with that thing."

"Alright, then I'll take my leave."

Rufus seemed to have anticipated this choice, and after giving a brief response, he put on his hat and left.

Five minutes later, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge arrived. Wearing a striped cloak and carrying a cane, he looked cold and tired. Compared to when Harry met him at Hagrid's hut last year, the little old man seemed a bit shorter. (Actually, Harry had grown taller.)

"How did things go, Rufus?"

"It's all taken care of. Only the Dursleys remember what just happened on the entire Privet Drive. Of course, if you think erasing their memories would be safer..."

"That's fine then, thank you Rufus. Ah, Harry, may I have a word with you?"

……

"I'm so glad to see you're not hurt!"

Fudge tried his best to appear as a kind uncle, saying:

"The Ministry of Magic has deployed a lot of people to stand by near Little Wheekin to protect you and your aunt and uncle... Haha, I know you probably think you don't need protection, but that Black is a very dangerous criminal, so it's necessary to be on the safe side."

Harry had the ability to speak in official jargon, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. He asked directly:

"Do you know what happened with the Dementors that just attacked us?"

"Did the Dementors attack you?"

Fudge looked surprised.

"The department didn't send any Dementors to patrol Little Wheekin. Could it be that they came here because they were chasing Black? Oh my god, Harry, you can't stay here for the summer vacation any longer. You have to be moved to a safe place with more people!"

"Wait a moment."

Harry called out to Fudge.

"The Black you mentioned, he's a very powerful dark wizard, right? Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to escape Azkaban and cause such chaos in the entire Ministry of Magic."

Fudge's expression was very unnatural, and he subconsciously raised his arm to scratch his nose.

"what……"

He said.

"I'm not sure if these things are too early for you..."

"tell me."

Harry said it with absolute certainty.

Looking at Harry, who was now more than a head taller than him, Fudge, who was already short and stout, suddenly felt a sense of unease, as if he were seeing Dumbledore. He blinked, shivered, and said:

"Okay, maybe you have the right to know these things, but all I can tell you is what I know."

“Black knew your parents, he had known them since he was very young. Shortly after they graduated from Hogwarts together, they joined the fight against Voldemort with a few other friends. However, what no one expected was that this man had actually been working for the mysterious man all along.”

"Ironically, he revealed his true identity himself. After you first stopped the Mystic, and all the Death Eaters stopped causing trouble because the tide had turned, Black displayed the madness of the Mystic's most steadfast supporter. He attacked Peter Pettigrew, who was also a friend of your parents."

Why did he do that?

"Harry asked."

"I don't know. The people in the department couldn't figure it out, but the thinking of this kind of madman is different from that of normal people. Maybe he firmly believes that the mysterious man will make a comeback, and then he can take the second seat based on his loyalty?"

Fudge's words didn't seem like a lie, so Harry didn't interrupt him anymore.

"Actually, once you've witnessed Black's methods, you won't doubt his identity as a dark wizard. Back then, in order to personally end the lives of his former friends, he created an explosion that destroyed half a street and took the lives of thirteen Muggles in one fell swoop. Peter Pettigrew was blown to bits, leaving only the remains of his little finger."

"I spent a long time explaining to the Prime Minister, including how he used his metal wand to hit the gas pipe and blow up the street. After all, Muggle lives matter too, and anyone who encounters a crazy outlaw like him would be in mortal danger."

“I know you have great magical powers, but that’s precisely why I don’t want to tell you the truth. Black is a madman, Harry. Madmen act without restraint or rules. Even if you want revenge for your parents, don’t go looking for him alone.”

"Leave the matter to the Ministry of Magic, just leave it to me. The guards in Azkaban aren't pushovers. Once we bring him to justice this time, you might even..."

"Should I go and get revenge on him?"

Harry, sensing something was off about Fudge's words, squinted and asked:

"Are you hiding something from me, Minister? Could it be that Black helped Voldemort kill..."

"Shh!"

Fudge's breathing instantly became much heavier.

"Don't mention that name, Harry!"

“I did hide some things from you, but if you want to know them, you have to promise me that you will never go looking for Sirius Black alone.”

"Okay, I promise you."

"call……"

Fudge, letting out a long sigh of relief, didn't realize that his mind had already been affected by Harry's advanced Legilimency magic. He wiped the sweat from his brow and said in a low voice:

"Many of those who fought against Voldemort and the dark wizards who were captured and imprisoned in Azkaban know that your parents' hiding place was protected by the Faithful Charm cast by Dumbledore and others. It is a very complex and profound spell that can magically bury secrets forever within the soul of a living person. As long as the chosen Secret Keeper does not reveal the secret, even if Void pressed his face against the glass of your parents' living room, he would not see them."

"Calm down, Harry."

Just as Harry was starting to become somewhat irrational due to anger, Mo Ran's voice appeared in his mind at just the right time.

"Let Fudge finish speaking first. There are unknown secrets behind this matter, so don't act rashly."

"it is good."

……

"Sirius Black was your parents' choice to keep secrets, and that's not even the worst part."

Cornelius-Fudge took a deep breath and said:

“From the past to the present, he is still the godfather that James and Lily have chosen for you.”

……

It was the dead of night, and the lobby of the Leaky Cauldron in London was already deserted. Apart from Sirius Black's wanted poster, which looked haggard but was being shouted at the top of his lungs, only the owner, Tom, who had been busy all day, was still working overtime.

Boom, boom, boom.

“Mr. Potter, it’s me, Tom. The Minister asked me to arrange your meal. You must be a little hungry after a busy night.”

Upon hearing the knock, Harry immediately opened the door for his boss. He intended to take the bread and steak from the man's hands, but Tom insisted on personally delivering the food to the table.

“I’ll take care of it, Mr. Potter.”

Tom said:

"Please feel free to ask if you need anything else. Don't worry about the room fee; the minister has already arranged everything for you."