25 chapter 25 : Gathering of Idiots
Ron had already seen those who had stayed to wait for him to wake up in Gryffindor, he had sincerely thanked them for waiting for him and remembered their faces very well.
Fred and George almost cried when they saw him standing, they made fireworks in celebration.
Like Gryffindor, several Hufflepuff students had also stayed because they themselves had seen Ron bring one of their own back to life at the risk of his own existence in the name of their friendship and this had established a certain undeclared alliance between both houses.
At the feast, they set up several tables including a very large one where Dumbledore and the other adults were with Ron as well as those who were in his room when he woke up.
Ron: I want to know what happened in my sleep.
Arthur: (sighs) The Ministry and the Minister of Magic chose to deny the return of you know who and at the same time not only Harry's testimony but also Cedric's death which they blamed on the tournament events.
Ron: Are they stupid? There were a good number of witnesses though. Everyone saw Cédric's lifeless body. He himself knows what he died of though!
Cédric: They said it was due to a trauma related to the labyrinth.
Moody: They hushed up the affair with Bartemius Jr, they said with the support of the Daily Prophet that he was only there to kill his father.
Harry: They summoned us to a hearing to judge us and in their letter, they threatened to expel us from the school for defaming the Ministry and promoting dark mages.
Ron: A charade! It's a good thing I woke up before this comedy. When will the hearing take place?
McGonagall: In two days my child...the Ministry is completely clouded in its decisions.
Dumbledore: They also want you to appear before them when you wake up to account for the spell you used.
« Bahahahahah ! Amazing ! That I report to them is excellent. » Ron immediately scoffed.
Nymphadora: You're not afraid of them it seems!
Lupin: Sweetheart, this child was not afraid of anyone before but now that he has bargained with death itself, perhaps it is even worse than before.
Moody: That's not all, kid.
Molly: Alastor, NO!
Moody: Voldemort is gathering his army and all his forces.
Sirius: We believe a new war is coming.
Arthur: DON'T MAKE HIM INTO THIS!
Dumbledore: Arthur...
Ron: Mom, Dad, I've been involved in this whole thing since my first year at this school. Harry and I have already faced Voldemort twice. Normally this thing between Harry and him didn't involve me personally but he took the life of one of my friends, it became personal between Voldeshit and me.
Lupin: So you were serious about the secret gang you created?
Ron: And give it a name as stupid as "super strong good guys"? Obviously not. I'm going to work with the Order of the Phoenix and my little gang too, we've already discussed it.
Molly: RONALD, NO!
Ron: Mom, you adults faced the first war against him and his people, you know better than us how to recognize the signs that a second war is coming. Just because you want to protect me doesn't mean this war won't involve me or the other children here in their own right. The most effective way to survive this kind of thing is to be prepared for it, and to try to turn away from it even out of love is to condemn ourselves.
Molly:…
Dumbledore: Wise words come from the mouth of such a young boy...
Ron: We will work with them and I will take care of their training myself. If I don't want to lose anyone then I might as well teach them how to preserve their own lives and I will have spells to teach you too, spells that I created myself.
They looked at him before starting to laugh except Dumbledore, Lupine and his parents who knew that the child was really special.
Moody: Without wanting to offend you, little one, you are speaking to wizards who are much more experienced than you. What can a 5th grade student at this school teach us?!
Ron: No offense, but it was this student who easily beat the man who locked you in the small safe you were in before getting you out. But if you're not convinced, maybe a duel will change your mind...
Moody:…
Dumbledore: We have more pressing matters to attend to with your trials at the moment. Our priority is first with the ministry, we cannot face two enemies at once.
Ron: Don't worry about that, we'll sort it out soon. I have a plan but you're going to have to do what I ask and it's not going to be easy knowing what we've been through recently.
(Two days after)
Within the Ministry of Magic, in a room of the Department of Mysteries the trial of Cedric and Harry had just begun, their relatives (Molly, Arthur and Amos) were seated in the stands nearby and the two accused were already seated opposite of the minister and other members of the assembly.
The minister presented today's hearing and the case that was going to be handled, he introduced himself as the accuser and addressed the two accused.
Fudge: Where is Dumbledore in your defense?
They wanted to respond but they were beaten.
"Dumbledore is busy elsewhere than participating in this circus, this court of idiots. So, I'll be the one who defends them. Forgive my delay by the way, I had to speak to my brother Percy whose ambition made him choose power at your side over support for those close to him..." Ron said as he entered with his cane, he was carrying an outfit almost identical to that of Vergil from the DmC game (the one developed by Ninja Theory) but his clothes were dark red.
Several people recognized Ron, he was a world Quidditch star but also because they were present for the judgment of Hagrid and Buckbeak the hippogriff while Ron had served as their witness and defender.
They felt like a headache was starting to take over them.
Fudge: Mr. Ronald Weasley, we have not been informed of your awakening from your coma.
Ron: And why should you be? Which of you has been at my bedside or shown any support? Anyway, let's hurry and get this over with, I need to rest and if I'm here in particular it's because I was told that I owe you an account. What are the charges against the two accused?
Fudge: They are guilty of defamation, heinous lies about the return of a certain dark mage lord, thus disturbing public order. (to the accused) Do you admit the accusations against you?
Cedric: Yes.
Harry: Yes.
"At least they have the honesty to admit their guilt!" A lady criticized in the assembly with contempt.
Ron: Madam, some order please and speak if given the chance. We are at a serious audience where several experienced mages are judging children because these same old mages are afraid.
They started to get angry and Fudge asked them to be quiet.
Fudge: What are you saying there?
Ron: I'm saying you're as scared as mice. You are putting two boys on trial in a private audience as if they were death eaters when, with the complicity of the Daily Prophet, you have made their accusation public, thus bringing contempt and doubt upon them . Why didn't you make this hearing public like the prosecution?
Fudge: Young man, we're not at Hogwarts and you're not talking to-(interrupted)
Ron: With all due respect Minister, I am not here as a student but as their defense. Likewise, you seem unable to answer my question so let's move on. You have accused these two of lies, do you have any proof of your accusation? Neither all of you here nor I were with them when Cedric Diggory was killed.
Fudge: Killed? Yet here he is, alive and well!
Others: AHAHAHAH!
Ron: Don't make a fool of yourself like that Minister, you are an experienced wizard and you were there. You saw Cedric's corpse, you saw Harry mourn him, you saw his own father here pick him up to mourn him, and you saw me bring him back to life with my resurrection spell. Are you also going to accuse Mr. Amos Diggory of lying about his dead son? And why would the Ministry hold me accountable then if I hadn't brought someone back to life?
Fudge:…
Ron: Look, we're going to sort this out real quick and clean. You didn't bother to investigate before accusing them, did you?
Fudge: BECAUSE THERE IS NO NEED FOR AN INVESTIGATION!
Ron: Then an official accusation has no right to be there either! It was also due to a lack of investigation that Mr. Sirius Black was unjustly locked up for 12 years in Azkaban. The ministry undoubtedly has competent legilimens capable of searching their memories in order to reveal the truth or otherwise of their statements. Why was this not done? Harry never learned occlumency so it should be easy right?
Fudge:…
Others :…
Ron: There are also certain potions capable of making them tell the truth or not, but you have not used them in public in front of a general witness to preserve your power of decision over children who have faced death. You even accused Albus Dumbledore, who has been fighting darkness and dark mages for a very long time in front of everyone, of wanting to take your place. We are talking about Albus Dumbledore who was once chosen by the Qilin to lead the International Magical Confederation and refused the honor but you accuse this man today of envying your position? Yes, Mr. Minister, I am aware of this old affair, I read a lot.
Fudge:…
Ron: Hogwarts is not the enemy of the Ministry, never has been. Cédric and Harry wanted to warn of the threat but if you and public opinion think that they are lying then so much the better, it's your word against theirs and I doubt that it will cause any real trouble since you have convinced the population that 'they were already lying. Here is what I propose to you, to maintain your influence and ridicule this affair, you withdraw your accusation and blame them on the trauma following the last event of the Triwizard Tournament and we are almost all happy. Or…
Fudge: Or...?
Ron: Or Hogwarts will demand that this trial be made public and from there I will knock you down from a great height...BE SURE!
"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN THE MINISTRY, YOU INSOLENT CHILD?!! » Dolores Umbridge complained in the assembly.
Ron: You misunderstood, I'm not threatening the ministry. As I told you earlier, Hogwarts is not the enemy of the Ministry or the Minister. What I do is not a threat but a guarantee. You have nothing to lose, Mr. Minister, we are not rebels and we do not question the authority of the ministry. If future events prove that they lied then you will be a winner against children who would have made a fool of themselves.
Fudge:…
Ron: As for me, I don't see why I should answer to you. I created a resurrection spell with my own resources and my superior genius, the first true and effective resurrection spell without having violated a single law of the wizarding world.
"It's necromancy!!"
« It's a dark art!! »
Ron: No, please don't show me your stupidity, I'm allergic to it. Necromancy allows you to reanimate corpses without their souls and make them servants without their memories or emotions, it is not resurrection. I did not resuscitate Cédric's body but I brought him back to life and the minister saw his soul returned to him with his own eyes. You don't have to ask me or impose anything on me. The proposal I made to you is 100% in your interest and the ministry can keep the school under its supervision if it wishes. You didn't mind sending Dementors there two years ago.
"Who votes for the accused to be exonerated?" Amelia Bones, the president of the justice department asked and the majority raised their hands including herself as at Hagrid's trial.
Fudge: Very well Mr. Weasley, the Ministry will accept your proposal for the common benefit of our society. (looks at the accused) The accused have nothing to add about their trauma due to the ordeal of the Triwizard Tournament?
Cédric: (sighs) I have nothing to say.
Harry: I have nothing to say.
Fudge: Very well, I declare this hearing closed. The Ministry will put Hogwarts under surveillance so that incidents like this do not happen again.
When they left, the minister wanted to suggest that Ron start working alongside the ministry as his abilities were definitely beyond his grade level but that idea was chased away immediately.
Ron would be too dangerous within the ministry and he had to be kept away. He and many others in the room seriously began to distrust him.
Later, at Sirius Black's residence, the Order of the Phoenix was reunited and they were told how the session went.
Lupin: Once again Ron you couldn't help but be insolent!
Ron: It's not me who's insolent, some people just expect too much docility from people like me.
Nymphadora: Totally agree!
McGonagall: Still, putting it down to trauma is insulting Weasley, Cedric was killed!
Ron: You can believe me professor, I'm the first one upset. Only we can't deal with the Ministry's nonsense and the threat of Voldemort at the same time.
"He says his name without even blinking, I love that kid..." Nymphadora said laughing.
Ron: Voldeshit and his men will move soon, the public and the Ministry will see with their own eyes how ridiculous they have been when it happens. Voldemort is a lord among his own and will want his followers to find him, the rumors will no longer be in front of everyone and they will know who told the truth. Sometimes consequences make better evidence.
Moody: He's right, it's just a little necessary evil.
Cedric: We will bear it.
Harry: Yes, the stakes are way too high.
[The entities]
Death: These Ministry guys, I hope they suffer for their stupidity.
Eternity: Clearly they are idiots and this Umbridge, I think it is during this year that she will be at their school.
Reality: Yes but I really doubt things will happen the same way.
Death: Yeah, the kid will show her who's the boss I hope. (eats snacks ) GO RON!
Eternity:...
Reality: Aren't you a little too involved !?
