For a moment, the three Ministry veterans said nothing as they emerged from the Pensieve. They looked at one another, each searching for the right words—but nothing came.
If what they'd seen was true—and they had no reason to doubt it—then the Ministry of Magic had condemned an innocent man to the darkest corner of the wizarding world for over ten years.
Morally, it was no better than handing someone a death sentence—ten years locked away in that place without a fair trial, without even a chance to speak for himself. Especially for these three, who were known for their integrity and sense of right and wrong, this wasn't something they could simply shrug off just because it was an old, buried case.
And politically, for those responsible, it was a disaster waiting to explode—not just for them individually, but a stain that would affect the entire Ministry. A failure so profound, it could shatter public trust and bring down entire careers in a single stroke.
Finally, after a long pause, as if a silent understanding had passed between them, the three then turned to the one who had brought them here.
And almost in unison, they asked the same question—
"Where are they? Where are Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew?"
"Peter Pettigrew is alive and being held captive in the dungeons of this very manor. As for Sirius Black, I have him secured in another location."
Now that they seemed to understand—or at least realize that everything they had believed about the case was likely false—Maverick decided to show them Pettigrew as well. It would be the final nail in the coffin to fully convince them.
Moreover, their reactions were more or less what he had expected, so the plan could move forward—and showing them Pettigrew after the memories had always been part of it.
Then, glancing at Jameson, Maverick gave a slight nod, signaling him to proceed.
Lord Greengrass caught the signal, stepped forward, and motioned for the others to follow. Without another word, the group was led through the manor's halls and down into the dungeons—where the rat who had started it all was waiting.
---
Some time later…
"You must have some incredible Healers at your disposal—or was the violence we saw in the memories all staged, Lord Greengrass?"
Amelia Bones narrowed her eyes at Peter Pettigrew, who, despite what she had just witnessed in the Pensieve, appeared uninjured and quite intact. After all, she and her colleagues had seen the brutal beating he had taken from Sirius and Lupin, enough to leave any man barely clinging to life.
"I healed him," Maverick said cutting in before Lord Greengrass. "If you don't believe me, feel free to beat him to death again... I can patch him up just fine."
And right when Maverick was speaking, it just so happened that Peter, who had been sleeping in the cage, also woke up from his miserable nap—and heard every word that was said.
A chill ran down his spine, and the color drained from his already pale face as memories of that day—the beating, the healing, and the pain again and again—crashed back into his mind.
"No! No, no, no, please, don't!" he screamed, trembling as he scrambled against his chains. "I already told you! It was me—I betrayed James! I'm the one who killed the Muggles! Please, don't hurt me again... I'll tell you everything... the Death Eaters... I'll give you all their names—even the ones you don't know about! Please... just get me out of here... please—"
"Really lives up to his Animagus moniker, doesn't he?" Maverick muttered, then flicked his finger and fired a Stunning Hex, shutting up his annoying rant.
He really has had enough of the miserable thing's wailing for a lifetime, having listened to Sirius and Lupin beat him up for nearly an hour the other day.
Looking back at the trio, he said, "If you need to clarify anything else, go ahead—use Veritaserum, torture... I honestly don't care."
"I think we've heard enough for now," Rufus Scrimgeour said, eyeing the fat man chained in the cage with a scrutinizing glare.
Kingsley and Amelia both nodded in agreement, having reached the same conclusion. They didn't linger much longer. After confirming that Pettigrew was indeed alive and well, the three of them returned upstairs to the dining room.
---
"I want to see Sirius Black!"
Back in the dining room, no sooner had everyone settled than Amelia Bones spoke up with a firm demand.
"Soon. But on my terms, Madam Bones," Maverick locked eyes with her.
"What terms? I thought you wanted to clear his name. Hand over Pettigrew and Sirius Black, and we'll take it from there. There's nothing complicated about this..."
"You're right… but I don't want to hand either of them over to the Ministry. Not yet."
Bam!
It seemed the woman could no longer hold her patience—Bones slammed her hand hard on the table.
"What nonsense are you talking about, kid? Aren't we here to help clear Sirius Black's name and lock up the real criminal?"
"Amelia…" Rufus quickly reached over and placed his palm over her hand before she went too far and ended up pissing off the seemingly harmless young man. Did she forget who this man was? he wondered, cold sweat forming on his brow.
A moment of tense silence settled over the room before Maverick finally let out a quiet sigh.
"Madam Bones, if you'll allow me to finish speaking first..."
"Mr. Speaker, please. Tell us what's on your mind..." Kingsley also chimed in as gently as possible, trying to cool the air.
He hadn't forgotten how, not too long ago, that this kid effortlessly massacred Greyback's werewolf pack like they were nothing.
Fortunately, the boy was quite civil—and not easily agitated. Otherwise… tsk, tsk, he thought, glancing at his female colleague, who now, thankfully, looked a lot calmer.
"My apologies, Mr. Speaker..."
Maverick waved it off. He really didn't mind, and besides, if he lashed out now, it would only make it harder to get them to fall in line later.
"As I was saying, I do not want this case brought to the Ministry just yet…" — he stressed the final words — "because while Sirius Black gets his long-overdue trial, I also want it to be the hearing where Cornelius Fudge serves his final day as Minister for Magic."
Bones, Kingsley, and Scrimgeour exchanged glances. They were well aware that Maverick was backing Lord Greengrass's so-called neutral faction in the Wizengamot, and no one believed he was doing it out of idle interest.
It wasn't unusual, really. In many countries, powerful mages often stood behind political parties—or factions, whatever one preferred to call them. So the fact that he was pushing his own candidate for the top seat didn't come as much of a surprise.
What did surprise them, though, was how quickly it was all happening. Maverick was only in his early twenties, and it couldn't have been long since he started involving himself in the country's politics. They all had the same thought.
And then there was the other matter. It was true that Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban during Fudge's term—but he had been imprisoned long before Fudge ever took office. Technically, the blame for that wrongful conviction couldn't be laid at his feet.
So how, then, was Maverick planning to tie Fudge's removal to Sirius Black's trial? Doubts lingered in their minds, but none of them voiced it, and waited listening as Maverick continued.
"On the day of the trial," he said, turning to the noble Lord seated to his right, "Jameson here will put forth a motion under Article 42B of the Magical Governance Charter, citing gross dereliction of duty and endangerment of the public. Specifically, he will move for a vote of no confidence in Minister Fudge."
"He will argue that Fudge authorized Dementors to patrol the entire country... most notably, a school full of children... based purely on blind faith that they could be controlled. Jameson will also present evidence that the Ministry holds no formal or legally binding contract with the Dementors. Only a loose agreement with absolutely no accountability. No oversight. Nothing in writing."
Maverick leaned forward slightly.
"That alone would be enough, of course, to put forward the motion I mentioned earlier... but when you factor in the multiple documented cases of Dementors attacking children over the past month, it stops being just incompetence. It becomes recklessness."
"The impeachment proposal," he went on, "will be filed in full accordance with Section 14 of the Wizengamot Disciplinary Code, which permits the assembly to dismiss a sitting Minister if one-third of the members support the motion and half agree to the vote following public hearing and evidence submission."
He gave them a small, confident smile.
"As of today, Jameson and his allies already hold a third of the seats. I have influence over others whose support I won't name just yet, and more are joining with each passing month. By the time of the trial, I am confident the votes will be there."
"And when that vote passes, a new Minister will be elected."
He let that hang in the air for a moment, then added,
"And that person, Madam Bones, gentlemen… I don't think I need to spell it out. He's sitting right in front of you."
The three looked as though they were about to speak, but Maverick raised a hand firmly.
"Let me finish."
"The hearing's main goal is to clear Sirius Black's name... but once it begins—after the opening statements and formalities—there'll be a motion put forward to impeach Cornelius. Grounds: gross negligence and endangerment."
He paused, then added, "Because the two things are directly connected. Fudge isn't just some bystander in Black's case—he's the one who gave the Dementors free rein. They attacked students on the train, and again during the Quidditch trials. These weren't minor slip-ups. A lot of noble families are furious—it was their children who got caught in the middle, after all."
"It will hit him fast... before he even gets a chance to breathe."
"Then, once the Wizengamot votes him out and the new Minister's in place, the hearing for Sirius will go ahead like planned. And if everything goes the way it should… we'll have one less idiot in charge, and an innocent man will finally get the justice he deserves."
Maverick finished speaking and gave them a small nod, inviting their thoughts. "Go on then... say what you're thinking."
Rufus, being the most senior, was the first to speak once a brief silence had passed.
"Don't get me wrong, Mr. Speaker—I'm not exactly a fan of Cornelius either. But what you said has a lot of ifs... How sure are you that you'll get the votes you need in the next few months?"
"I know I can secure at least half the Wizengamot," Maverick said confidently. "Jameson's faction already makes up a bit over a third, and like I said before—without naming names—I can pull in a few votes from the pure-blood hardliners. That just leaves Dumbledore's side. And believe it or not, I already have something in motion to sway most of them."
He then added with a small smirk, "And if I'm not mistaken, the three of you fall under that camp..."
"If it means booting out the fat man and giving an innocent bloke his justice..." Kingsley shrugged, "you've got my vote, Mr. Speaker."
Maverick nodded once, then turned to the woman across from him.
"Madam Bones?" he asked, raising a brow. She hadn't said a word yet, but she looked like she had a lot on her mind.
Then finally—
"Why?" she asked, eyes narrowing. "You're moving too fast, Mr. Speaker... If you want my support, you'll have to be honest with me. Why are you so desperate to install your puppet in the Ministry?"
She paused briefly, turning her gaze to Lord Greengrass without a shred of apology.
"No offense, my lord," she added dryly, then returned her stare to Maverick.
"But if I'm backing this, I need to know the truth."
The room grew heavy for a moment after her blunt words. Lord Greengrass's jaw tensed, but he held back, waiting for his leader to speak first.
Maverick met her stare calmly for a moment, then slowly broke into a grin.
"You really do live up to your nickname, Madam Bones. The Stone Lady."
Having said that, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Time for a proper presentation.
The sharp snap echoed through the room. The lights flickered briefly, casting dancing shadows on the walls, and for a moment, the air seemed charged with something. Then... everything appeared to settle back to normal.
"My Lady. Gentlemen," Maverick said, drawing their attention back. "You're not wrong. I am indeed in a rush..."
He leaned forward slightly as his expression turned a shade serious.
"I don't mind telling you why. But once you hear the reasons… there's no turning back..."
"That sounds like you're about to do something very dangerous and very illegal."
Maverick smiled faintly.
"I'll neither confirm nor deny that, Madam Bones."
He glanced at all three. "Now. Make your choice."
The three exchanged looks once more, silently weighing their options, and Maverick gave them space. If they chose not to dig deeper, fine. Though he would still have their help with Fudge's removal and Sirius's exoneration. But beyond that? They wouldn't be part of his inner circle.
Moments later, Rufus, the senior man, spoke up once again on their behalf.
"Alright. Tell us, Mr. Speaker. What's got you so desperate to seize control of the Ministry?"
Maverick smiled, deciding to go all out from here on. The spell he had triggered earlier took hold the moment Scrimgeour asked his question.
With plenty of reasons, heaps of evidence, and plenty of convincing—showing them things they never realized were happening all around them, slowly, they came to understand exactly why he needed the Ministry in order and under his leadership.
And the benefits to the magical world he laid out clearly appealed to them. But breaking apart something the entire magical world had clung to for as long as anyone could remember wasn't going to be easy. And when he finally explained how he planned to do it, the three of them exchanged looks, and quietly marked him as a madman.
Unfortunately, by then, they were already aboard the very madman's ship.
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