Second Place - Romance

While two tired but happy men slept in each other�s arms, the rest of the wizarding world plotted, er, plodded on. Well, true, some were indeed plotting. Lucius Malfoy stewed in his meager surroundings as he contemplated the idiocy of Fudge. Really, he smirked; to call Fudge an idiot was a lesson in redundancy. The silver-haired aristocrat was certain that the entry for the word idiot in the dictionary would be accompanied by a picture of Cornelius Fudge.

And then there was the matter of that fool Auror Brighton Smythe. He had been a huge disappointment and had certainly had not been worth his fee. A malicious grin lit his face as he planned his payment plans. Oh, yes, the man would never make the same mistake again. Especially since he wouldn�t be around to learn from his mistakes.

Taking a sip of his cognac, the blonde guest of Azkaban lifted a finger, signaling his associate. The order to have a certain soon-to-be ex-Auror dealt with was silently given. Next on the agenda; a double-crossing ex-friend, a self-absorbed ex-wife and a traitorous son. This would require more thought, he mused as he continued sipping his fine liquor.

Cornelius Fudge stood outside the door to the courtroom, nervously twirling his bowler in his hands. As promised, he had been summoned to appear before the Wizengamot. Cornelius frowned as he tried to figure out how he had landed in this odious mess. He had been misled by that fool of an Auror and now he was in danger of losing his job over the incompetence of his subordinates. There had to be a way, he reasoned, to salvage this mess, but the befuddled man hadn�t a clue as to how.

The door opened and an Auror indicated that the Minister of Magic was expected inside. Cornelius took a deep breath and placing his hat back on his head, strode forward. Might as well look the part of the Minister of Magic, thank you very much, he thought to himself as he noted the large gathering of people assembled here.

"Ah, Minister Fudge, please have a seat," said Madame Bones and waving her hand, indicated the heavy chair with its intimidating chains in the center of the room. Gulping nervously, the Minister tried his best to look as though he were still in control of the situation. "Why of course, Madame Bones. And how are you doing this fine day?" he gallantly returned, even as he sat down in the chair as if it were a throne.

"Minister Fudge," the no-nonsense witch intoned. "You have been called here because of concerns we as the Wizengamot have about your ability to effectively and sensibly lead the wizarding world. This past Saturday evening at what was ostensibly a celebration of the defeat of the Dark Lord by Harry Snape-Potter and others, you instead used that occasion to publicly cast false allegations against not only Harry Snape-Potter, but also against his husband, Professor Severus Snape-Potter. After the events of that evening, having looked into the matter, we have found that your assistant was the source of the leaks given to Rita Skeeter and The Daily Prophet. In addition, it would appear that you had given the order to immediately arrest and incarcerate Severus Snape-Potter in Azkaban as soon as the Dark Lord was defeated. We have interviewed the Aurors involved and have found that you had decreed that no trial be available for the man, which is a serious violation of our civil laws. And then there is the matter of Auror Brighton Smythe, whom we believe has been working as a free agent for some time now. Now this may or may not have anything to do with you, Minister Fudge, but we do find it worrying that this is the man you personally placed in charge of your vendetta against Severus Snape-Potter. Therefore we charge you, Cornelius Fudge with gross misconduct, with behavior unbefitting a Magic of Ministry official, of conspiracy to falsely imprison a citizen, of slander against not only that same citizen, but also another citizen, and of attempting to tamper with the evidence of your wrong-doing, as some of the documents pertaining to these allegations were magically altered. How do you plead, Cornelius Fudge?"

Oh dear, oh dear, Cornelius thought. They had done a thorough job in a short amount of time, hadn�t they? And why couldn�t his people have shown that sort of dedication to him? "Madame Bones, my dear members of the Wizengamot, I do believe that this is just a serious misunderstanding. As the Minister of Magic I am only interested in protecting our fine citizens from evil and corrupt sources. After the display of uncontrolled raw power Saturday night from Mr. Potter, I am sure you can see my concern."

A new voice joined in the proceedings. "Ah, yes, Cornelius. And if you also recall, Mr. Snape-Potter was quite able to rein in his power with the help of his husband. I do not truly believe that any of us could fault our Harry for losing his composure when faced with a viable threat to not only himself but also to his husband. I believe that under the circumstances, young Mr. Snape-Potter handled himself rather admirably." Albus Dumbledore looked over his glasses at the bumbling Minister of Magic who was currently looking rather miserable.

Amelia Bones once again took up the argument. "Cornelius Fudge, it is the opinion of this body that you are unfit for the office of Minister of Magic. We request that you step down quietly and immediately from your post and in exchange all charges will be dropped against you. However, you will be forever banned from seeking public office again. The alternative is that we go through with a trial that will most certainly become a public spectacle and if indeed you are found guilty, then you will face a lengthy stay in Azkaban prison. The decision is yours, Cornelius. Either cooperate and escape further disgrace, or fight us and we will make sure your name is dragged through the mud and you will end up in Azkaban."

Defeated and now pale, the soon to be ex-Minister of Magic slumped in his seat. So this was it. This was the end to a rather glorious career. But still, they had been generous enough to give him an honorable way out. For the first time, Cornelius was glad that reporters were banned from the hearings of the Wizengamot. At least this information could remain somewhat secret. "Very well, Madame Bones, ladies and gentlemen, Professor Dumbledore. I will acquiesce to your wishes and step down as Minister of Magic. Yes, a change of scenery will do me a world of good." Not waiting to be dismissed, Cornelius stood and continued. "You will have my official resignation on your desk within the hour." So saying, he turned and stalked out of the courtroom that had been the scene of many famous trials.

"Auror Smythe," a strong voice called. The man in question looked up to his cell door to see one of his young colleagues standing there with his lunch tray. He walked over to take the tray from the young man. Sliding the tray through the slot in the door, Auror Malus Bestian stepped back and watched as the prisoner sat down to eat his food. After a couple of bites, Brighton Smythe looked up in shock as he began choking. His eyes bulged out as air refused to enter his windpipe. Clutching his hands to his throat, the man stumbled to the door, silently begging for help. Confused, he watched as the young Auror smiled at him. Gasping for air, Brighton Smythe fell to the floor and his eyes rolled back into his head as he lost the battle for his life.

Nodding in satisfaction, Malus Bestian waved his wand, vanishing the evidence of the poison-laced food from the cell. Checking to make sure that his victim truly was dead, the Auror turned on his heal and left to report his success to his superiors. Lucius Malfoy would make sure there was a nice bonus for him this month, he thought happily as he strode through the Ministry hallways.

Word soon came to the blonde aristocrat that the ineffective Auror had been disposed of and also that Fudge had been forced to resign. Lucius smirked as he heard the news of the events of that closed meeting. He just wished he could have been there himself to personally witness Fudge�s face as he heard the charges against him. The man truly was an idiot to believe he could have simply confronted Potter and that traitor Snape and gotten away with it. No, those two required the use of more sinister and devious means. Lucius just hoped that the new Minister would be easier to control. He had already put his person to work in influencing the Wizengamot�s decision on just who that should be.

Rita Skeeter was in her element as she eagerly listened to the distinguished member of the Wizengamot recount the events at today�s hearing about Cornelius Fudge. Beetle-bright eyes gleamed as the witch was taking copious notes on the news of the proceedings. As the older wizard finished his tale, the reporter smiled and placed a well-manicured hand on the wrinkled one opposite her. It always amazed her what a little charm could get her. "Thank you, my dear, this truly was most interesting," she purred. "Oh my," she then exclaimed. "I hadn�t realized it was so late. I must be off now. See you around." The witch hastily stood and blowing a kiss to the besotted fool, she picked up her things and left the restaurant. Oh, yes, another sensational scoop for the inquisitive reporter. Male heads turned as the saucy reporter smiled bewitchingly and made her way down the busy street. The nosy witch left behind her a wake of befuddled husbands being smacked by their irate wives.

The Flipside of Sanity - Chapter 24

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