171: Scandal and Another Resignation

The Muggle world changes rapidly, with trends that might be popular one day becoming obsolete the next.

The magical world is no exception. The Ministry of Magic's announcement that Sirius Black had been captured was splashed across the Daily Prophet that night, with witches and wizards everywhere cheering for Rufus Scrimgeour.

By morning, however, they were greeted with news of Sirius Black's escape due to the Ministry's incompetence.

Some people hadn't even processed the first report when Scrimgeour pressured the Daily Prophet to halt further coverage.

Unfortunately for him, he underestimated the boldness of the Daily Prophet.

Scrimgeour personally took to the podium, delivering a speech about Sirius Black's escape, implying that certain malicious forces were behind it.

In his capacity as Minister, he issued a kill-on-sight order for Black, authorizing the use of Unforgivable Curses against him.

He also criticized the chaotic state of Knockturn Alley and expressed outrage at some wizards acting as self-proclaimed rulers.

Scrimgeour announced plans to mobilize the Ministry's resources to clean up the dark wizards in Knockturn Alley thoroughly.

For a brief moment after this speech, it seemed he had escaped the tide of public opinion.

However, not even a day had passed before a storm swept through the magical world in the form of an article titled "Hero? Traitor!".

Even Scrimgeour could never have imagined that Peter Pettigrew—the war hero thought to have died a glorious death—would one day appear before the Wizengamot.

Former Auror Tommy Shelby was seen smiling as he shook hands with his old superior, Barty Crouch, even presenting him with a friendly gift.

The man who was once thought dead, hailed as a war hero, and posthumously awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class—Peter Pettigrew—was now standing there, alive.

He was locked in a cage, utterly disheveled, his beady eyes filled with fear.

A single testimony landed a brutal slap on the Ministry of Magic's face.

"Twelve years ago, we sent a true hero to Azkaban, while the traitor who betrayed the Potters shamelessly took everything that should have belonged to him!"

The speaker was a man named Pius Thicknesse, dressed in a sharply tailored suit, his neatly trimmed black goatee lending him an air of precision.

Facing the members of the Wizengamot, he spoke with eloquence and conviction.

Pointing at Peter Pettigrew, who was caged like an animal, he roared with righteous indignation, "Twelve years—twelve whole years!"

"The Ministry's hasty and baseless conviction condemned a hero to twelve years of torment in Azkaban!"

"Is this not a scandal that should serve as a sobering lesson for all? Is it not a brutal punch to the face of the Ministry of Magic?"

Pius Thicknesse's words flowed like a torrent, his speech so compelling that some present closed their eyes, unable to bear the thought of a person suffering twelve years under the Dementors'.

Rufus Scrimgeour stared daggers at Pius, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked audibly.

The kill-on-sight order he'd issued mere moments ago was now overshadowed by revelations of the true culprit's identity.

"This is nothing more than your one-sided story." 

Scrimgeour had barely opened his mouth when Pius Thicknesse smirked. Spreading his arms wide in an inviting gesture, he declared, "Acting Minister of Magic, the man is right here. You are free to interrogate him at your leisure."

The word acting stabbed at Scrimgeour like a barbed insult, his face twitching with suppressed anger.

He tried to respond, but Pius relentlessly cut him off, pressing forward with his argument. "Tell me, why would Peter Pettigrew disguise himself as a rat and hide for twelve years—twelve whole years?"

As he finished, Pius swept his gaze around the chamber, his expression resolute as he bellowed, "Voldemort fell twelve years ago! Why would Pettigrew still be hiding?"

The room fell deathly silent.

But moments later, it erupted like boiling water, gasps of shock and disbelief echoing across the chamber.

"He actually said the name!"

"When did Pius Thicknesse become so fearless?"

"Doesn't he know that name is still cursed?"

The murmurs spread like wildfire. Even after so many years, the fear of the Dark Lord still gripped many in the wizarding world. They avoided uttering his name, terrified that doing so might summon Death Eaters to their doors, as it had in the past.

Pius's audacious act of defiance earned him a reputation for bravery. The attention soon shifted back to Peter Pettigrew, who was subjected to a series of questions.

At first, Pettigrew vehemently denied everything. But the evidence against him was overwhelming.

Just as Pius had argued—if there wasn't something deeply incriminating, why would Pettigrew have chosen to live as a rat for twelve years?

When the Veritaserum was brought forward, Peter Pettigrew trembled uncontrollably and confessed the truth.

This scandal, now exposed to the public, dealt a severe blow to Rufus Scrimgeour.

It wasn't just because he was the acting Minister of Magic, but also because he had issued a kill-on-sight order against an innocent man—a true hero.

The Daily Prophet ran with the story, distributing an avalanche of reports—nearly every witch and wizard had a copy in hand.

Amidst the explosive revelations about the Ministry scandal, other seemingly minor news items were tucked away, such as reports of "Johnny Silverhand's efforts to reform Knockturn Alley."

What seemed minor at first glance was, in truth, quite deliberate.

Under the shadow of the Ministry's disgrace, the transformation of Knockturn Alley—an area previously condemned in Scrimgeour's earlier speech—painted a stark contrast.

Some curious individuals ventured to Knockturn Alley and were surprised to find it much improved.

Gone were the hooded dark wizards pushing love potions in the open. The streets were clean and orderly, rivaling the charm of Diagon Alley itself.

The gray market hadn't vanished entirely—it had merely gone underground.

Regulation, not eradication.

Johnny Silverhand had established new rules. Unless one had the guidance of a trusted insider, it was almost impossible for the average wizard to stumble upon illicit dealings.

By the time John left the headmaster's office, news of the Ministry scandal had already spread throughout the school.

~~~

"Acting Minister Rufus Scrimgeour, ashamed of his failure to thoroughly investigate the truth, has stepped down from his position.

"He has also issued an apology for the Dementor attack on Hogwarts students and has been reassigned to the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes.

"Pius Thicknesse has been appointed as the new Head of the Auror Office, while Amelia Susan Bones is considered the leading candidate for the next Minister of Magic.

"Peter Pettigrew has been stripped of all honors and will spend the remainder of his life in Azkaban.—~~~

The Daily Prophet was passed from hand to hand among the students at Hogwarts.

Ron groaned in frustration, saying, "And to think I used to like Rufus Scrimgeour!"

Hermione turned to Harry and congratulated him, "This is wonderful news, Harry! Sirius's name has been cleared."

Harry was overjoyed.

He had long dreamed of living with his godfather, and now things had changed for the better.

"Maybe I won't have to go back to the Dursleys after all," Harry said, excitement lighting up his face. He could hardly wait to write Sirius a letter and share the good news.

Ron, noticing Pius Thicknesse's name in the article, leaned in and whispered, "My dad says Pius Thicknesse is a slippery character. I never really liked him much before."

In this scandal's aftermath, there were three prominent beneficiaries.

The first was Amelia Susan Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, now widely regarded as the frontrunner for the next Minister of Magic.

The second was Bartemius Crouch, whose unyielding integrity played a key role in uncovering the truth. Although he did not receive a promotion, his reputation within the Ministry had been greatly restored.

The third beneficiary was Pius Thicknesse. Upon becoming the head of the powerful Auror Office, he wasted no time securing a significant defense fund for his department.

Insiders revealed that this funding came from Johnny Silverhand's Speciality store.

The students enthusiastically discussed the dramatic events of the year—two Ministers, or rather, a Minister and an Acting Minister, being ousted within such a short span.

As Harry flipped through the Daily Prophet, he came across the news of Johnny Silverhand's efforts to reform Knockturn Alley.

It reminded him of something Hagrid had mentioned about Johnny Silverhand. He had also seen him briefly during his stay in the hospital wing.

Johnny Silverhand was a wizard shrouded in mystery. No one had ever seen the face behind his silver mask.

While the Daily Prophet praised his philanthropic deeds, Lupin had shared a different perspective with Harry.

"He's a very dangerous man, Harry," Lupin had warned. "I hope you never have to interact with him."

...

On the final day of the school year, Harry caught up with John to thank him.

"Thanks to you, John, Sirius and I are both alive," Harry said sincerely, still grappling with the shame of his earlier doubts.

Harry admitted that he had once questioned the source of John's wealth, suspecting Sirius had been secretly supporting him.

But Sirius had written to Harry, clarifying that he had never given John any money, leaving the matter an unsolved mystery.

Meanwhile, even after having his name cleared, Sirius was still recovering and would need a significant period of rest.

Because John had kicked him twice—both times in the same spot—and Snape, working in tandem with John, seemed to have done something unusual, the swelling on his face couldn't be healed with magic.

Adding to Harry's frustrations, Dumbledore had refused to let him move in with his godfather, leaving Harry with a small grudge about the whole situation.

As he boarded the train back home, John settled into a compartment. Passing Slytherin students glanced at him with a mix of admiration and hesitation, too awed to disturb him.

The system began tallying up the rewards.

Adding the 1 point that was not used last semester, a total of 8 arbitrary points.

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