The Wolf's Lion ~ Harry Potter (Editing)

Chapter Fifty-Four | Cornelius Fudge, Man in Denial

"They'll wake them if they don't shut up!"

"What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?"

Those were the harsh whispers that Ariana woke up to. She didn't want to leave the peaceful and cosy place she was in but the voices made her curiosity made her eyes flicker open. The witch felt like she had only slept for a couple of hours at most, so she was still extremely tired. Nonetheless, the witch hauled herself into a sitting position, blearily taking in her fuzzy surroundings.

The room was dimly lit by lamps and candles, due to the fact that it was still dark outside, which told Ariana she had been asleep for a very short amount of time. Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Hermione and Ron were standing by the foot of her bed, Sirius was obediently sitting by the sleeping Harry's bedside, his printing in the same direction the Weasleys were looking at, and Remus was sitting at the foot of her bed. Fiera was asleep on the bedside table, head tucked under her wing. Apparently she had only allowed herself to sleep once Ariana had.

"That's Fudge's voice," Mrs. Weasley whispered. "And that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?"

Ariana's vision had cleared, so she saw Harry wake up. His hair was dishevelled from sleep, then he sat up, putting his glasses on.

He leaned over to the edge of his bed, whispering to Ariana, "What's happening?"

She, too, leaned closer to Harry, her voice barely audible, "I don't know. I just woke up."

"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva -" Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly. He, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall were storming towards the hospital; Ariana could hear their heavy footsteps and smell them.

"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" yelled Professor McGonagall. "When Dumbledore finds out -"

The screens around their beds were preventing Ariana from seeing anything but she heard the hospital doors burst open, then Bill pushed the screens back, allowing them all to watch what was going on.

Fudge came striding up the ward. Professors McGonagall and Snape were at his heels.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded of Mrs. Weasley.

"He's not here," said Mrs. Weasley angrily. "This is a hospital wing. Minister, don't you think you'd do better to -"

But the door opened, and Dumbledore came sweeping up the ward. "What has happened?" said Dumbledore sharply, looking from Fudge to Professor McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you - I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch -"

"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" she shrieked. "The Minister has seen to that!"

Ariana had never seen Professor McGonagall lose control like this. The closest she had come was when the Slytherin Quidditch team had performed many illegal moved against the Gryffindors during the last match of the school year; they had injured almost every member if the team. Now, there were angry blotches of color in her cheeks, and a hands were balled into fists; she was trembling with fury.

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," said Snape, in a low voice, "he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch -"

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall fumed. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but -"

"My dear woman!" roared Fudge, who likewise looked angrier than Ariana had ever seen him, "as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous -"