Elizabeth Kane and the Goblet of Fire

Chapter 19

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𝕴 𝖜𝖔𝖐𝖊 𝖚𝖕 feeling warm and happy, and it took a second for everything that had happened to crash down on me. I felt Sirius's fur in my hands so I knew he was still in bed with me. I could hear people whispering around me.

"They'll wake them up if they don't shut up!" Bill said, sounding extremely annoyed and a bit worried.

"What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?" Ron was asking now.

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

I could hear them now, their voices getting louder, "Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva-" Fudge was shouting.

"You should never have brought it inside the castle! When Dumbledore finds out-" Professor McGonagall was shouting. I opened my eyes as the hospital doors burst open.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry sit up and put his glasses on. I stayed laying down- I didn't want to move. I whimpered softly and Sirius turned his head towards me and whined softly out of concern.

Fudge was striding up the ward. Professor McGonagall and Snape were following behind. Snape's eyes swept over to where I was hugging Sirius, and back to Fudge.

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

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

Dumbledore swept into the hospital wing now. I struggled to sit up. Sirius moved over so that he was sitting next to me. "What has happened? 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! The Minister has seen to that!" She shrieked. I had never seen Professor McGonagall lose her cool like this. Her hands were balled up into fists and she was trembling with anger from head to foot. There were angry pink blotches on her cheeks.

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events, 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-" Professor Snape said softly. I noticed he didn't call him Minister Fudge, but Mr. Fudge, a sign of disrespect and a small smile came onto my face, and faded as quickly as it came.

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

"My dear women! As Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous-" Fudge said, who was also the angriest I had ever seen him.

"The moment that- that thing entered the room, it swooped down on Crouch and- and-" Professor McGonagall was screaming. Madam Pomfrey was standing by Uncle Moody's bed in anxiety.

"By all accounts, he is no loss! It seems he has been responsible for several deaths!" Fudge blustered.

"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius. He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people." Dumbledore said in a reasonable voice.

"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it? He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!" Fudge exclaimed.