Strings Attached

Chapter 22

She was pulled on her feet and dragged to the exit door of the room. "Jeez, I can walk." Celeste groaned as she tried to keep up with her captors. "Then walk." The auror on the right said, slowing down a bit.

And she realised why. The entire ministry was looking at her. Some with hatred in them and some had sympathy. But the majority of the people present there were angered at the sight of one of the best hitwitch in the history of the wizarding ministry being dragged as if she was a drag doll.

"Where are you taking her?" A voice broke her out of her trance. It was her father, Albert, who raised her. "Azkaban. Minister Fawley's order." The auror on the right answered, trying to pull Celeste towards the carriage waiting for them.

"What crime has she committed for her to be dragged like a prisoner to the Azkaban?" He asked, anger flashing in his eyes. "I have no answer for that. I am not informed about the charges. I am doing something I was told to do, Mr. Fischer." He answered, glaring at the man.

At that answer, the whole ministry broke into an uproar, and a unified shout of 'injustice' rang across the room. Even the people who didn't like Celeste were stunned at the decision taken by the minister.

"Stop being a puppet, and think. If there were any coherent charges, don't you think you would have been informed?" It was Gilbert's turn to butt in. "I don't care what you two think, I need to bring her in." The auror was adamant, making Celeste let out a low whistle. "Lapdog." She muttered under her breath before looking at her father.

"Let him do his overly loved job. I will be fine. Fawley already understands that he is fucked." Celeste said. Her eyes deceived her, her eyes conveyed that she was scared of the outcome. Does Fawley know something she doesn't? Will she be tried for Grindelwald's crime?

The auror gave the two males a look, before pulling Celeste towards the exit alongside another auror, who looked uneasy but went along with Fawley's plan.

Once they were out of the ministry's hall, Celeste was forced to walk towards the carriage waiting for her. "Merlin's crap, Can you two be any softer?" Celeste hissed, as her ankle twisted as she was pulled by her arms.

"People like you deserved to be dragged." The auror said, opening the carriage's door. "Oh wow, It's people like me now. I saved this ministry's ass more than once, yet this is what I get?" Celeste laughed bitterly, ducking down to avoid getting hit by the carriage's top edge.

"Watch your mouth." The auror growled as he sat in the carriage, opposite to Celeste, who just shook her leg and tried her best to look non interested. "You sure are calm knowing you are about to spend a night with dementors." The auror smirked, tilting his head as if he was curious about her.

"There is no reason for me to panic. It's happening, nothing I can change. And I know I am innocent, so spare me your condescending talk." Celeste chuckled, looking directly into Auror's eyes. The auror's body tensed up at the laughter that left Celeste's lip.

"You are not afraid at all?" He asked, carriage jolting to life as the thestrals took off towards Azkaban. "What is there for me to be afraid of exactly? I am just Celeste Fischer who wanted to change this ministry. But I am afraid that the ministry is resistant to change. And if we are talking about Grindelwald, he murdered my real mother to gain a weapon out of me. If you think after years and years of rigorous work for catching him, I would side with him because he is delusional enough to think I would be by his side after the revelation, you don't know me at all." Celeste scoffed, eyes flashing with disappointment.

"You never caught him though, which kind of makes sense now." Auror countered, leaning forward, his elbows propped on his thighs. Please let me punch you. Celeste gritted her teeth, trying to regulate her breathing. "I did it twice. Once it was the ministry's fault to literally not take quite major steps to ensure he doesn't escape. And the second time, it was quite literally life or death for everyone." Celeste leaned back in her seat, headache already taking over as she continued to argue with the auror.