Nothing But The Truth

Percy started talking, revealing the whole truth about the day Neville had died. He admitted to being the one who killed Neville Longbottom, after stunning Harry to get his wand, among other things.

Fudge stared at his assistant in horrified shock. How could he have made such a blunder? If word got out that his aide was a servant of Voldemort, and that he had been part of a conspiracy to get rid of the boy-who-lived, his career would be over. He was going to have to do some very fast damage control. He gestured to the Aurors and a couple of them came to take custody of Percy.

Once Percy had finished talking, Harry turned to look at Fudge. "Well, Minister?"

"Oh yes, of course, Mr. Potter." the Minister stumbled trying to come up with the right words to placate a very powerful and currently very angry young wizard who was clearly capable of performing wandless and wordless magic. "I'll have the papers clearing you of all charges drawn up once you return me to my office. As well as an official apology and compensation for your wrongful imprisonment."

The Minister was rather surprised when the young man's face remained an expressionless mask. He should have looked pleased or relieved, or something. Not uncaring. Wasn't this what he wanted?

"You and I have one more matter to clear up before that happens, Minister." Potter told him.

"What?" Fudge looked baffled.

"There is the matter of my godfather's wrongful imprisonment." Potter told him.

"Black?" Fudge looked confused. "He wasn't wrongfully imprisoned."

"Just like I wasn't." Potter pointed out sarcastically. "Sirius Black wasn't even given a trial! He was just shoved into Azkaban and forgotten." The young man paused and took a deep breath. "He will be forgotten no longer though and the wizarding world will know the truth. Accio Peter Pettigrew."

An unconscious body skidded across the floor, causing the Minister to jump back in surprise. As the body arrived at Potter's feet, he gestured and the robe and mask were stripped away to reveal a small balding man with a rat like face and a silver hand. Another snap of his fingers and the man awoke.

"Minister, may I introduce you to the late Peter Pettigrew. As you can see he is no more dead than you are. I expect him to be questioned under veritaserum, the way my godfather and I were not." Potter knelt down beside the man who was cringing on the floor, and hissed. "Don't bother trying to transform, I have bound your animagus ability. I won't have you getting away again, Peter. Remember you owe me a life debt and I expect it to be repaid, by your telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

Looking back at Fudge, Harry warned him. "I expect to read an accurate story in the Daily Prophet tomorrow morning about how my godfather and I have been cleared. No politics. No editorialising. No attempts on your part to make points with the public or make yourself look good, just to keep your job. If I do not see those articles, or you have done anything to try and make yourself look lily-white in all this, then Minister, your job will not last beyond the week, because I can assure you that I will be giving an interview of my own that Rita Skeeter would give her eye teeth for."

"It will be there, tomorrow." Fudge promised, well aware that if Potter made good on his threat, the wizarding public would probably use the Killing Curse on him, not just force him out of office.

.....

Fudge barely had time to blink before he found himself in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, with Dumbledore and the remaining members of the Order and the Aurors who had gone with them. He looked around and found the Deatheaters lying in a pile near the fountain of Magical Brethren, and they were beginning to stir, just as the intrusion alarm went off.

People seemed to come from everywhere, wands out. Shacklebolt took charge, and made arrangements for the Deatheaters to be processed, except for Snape. Fudge looked around trying to find young Potter in all the chaos.

"Dumbledore!" Fudge called.

"Yes, Minster," He responded, coming over to join Fudge.

"Where's Potter?"

Dumbledore looked around in surprise. He couldn't see any sign of the boy anywhere. "I don't know, Minister. Perhaps you had better take care of those things, you promised him you would. I have a few things to take care of myself. It looks like it is going to be a long night."