Damaged Raven

55

"What do you want Fudge?" Harry asked bluntly just as Sirius took a seat next to Fleur.

"Um...well Harry..." Fudge began speaking. "...it's just that I..."

"I don't recall anyone giving you permission to address him as Harry," Bellatrix said, interrupting him. "it is Mr Potter as far as you're concerned."

"Now, now, I really don't think there is any need for..."

"It is Mr Potter," Harry cut him off. "as far as you're concerned." He said while giving Fudge a look that basically said 'I dare you to argue'.

"Um...alright...Mr Potter," Fudge said with a forced smile on his face. "well firstly I just wanted to say well done on being able to escape from those horrible assassins, it was truly an amazing spectacle."

"Oh?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "Is that right? You liked my little 'performance'?" Harry asked in a cold voice.

"Um...no!" Fudge quickly backtracked.

"So I get hurt and you don't even find it interesting?" Harry asked, his voice not changing from before.

"Harr...I mean Mr Potter, I did not mean to say it was a performance."

"Really because 'spectacle' means a visually striking performance or display."

"I am sorry, that was the wrong thing to say." Fudge apologised.

"It was." Bellatrix agreed, glaring at Fudge.

"Now what do you want tubby?" Harry asked. "I have better things to do and better people to waste my time with so hurry the hell up."

"Well..." Fudge looked like he wanted to argue that there was not a better person for him to waste his time with but decided against it. "I understand that between those Libra assassins and you-know-who.."

"Who?" Delphi asked in an innocent voice.

"You...know who." Fudge said.

"If I knew then I wouldn't have asked." Delphi retorted. "So...who are we talking about?"

"The...dark lord."

"What? Grindelwald?" Sirius asked with fake confusion.

"No! Not him!"

"Then who?"

"The other one."

"Is that his name? 'The other one'?"

"No...you know his name!"

"I would like a reminder please."

"Fine...his name is V...vold….Voldela…..Voldemort!" Fudge hissed as he and the aurors behind him shuddered, Fudge sat on his chair looking like he had just insulted his own mother.

"Ah now see, was that so hard?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"You know perfectly well that..."

"Fudge," Harry interrupted. "with no respect at all, shut the hell up and get on with this! I want to go home, today preferably."

"Very well." Fudge sighed, closing his eyes, he took several breaths before he opened them and put on a fake smile.

"Get rid of the smile, it's fake and you look constipated." Harry said, causing Fudge to drop the smile immediately, though now Fudge was frowning. "You've got all of ten seconds to start saying something that interests me before I walk out the door."

"I need your help!" Fudge blurted out, deciding that it was better to just be upfront. "Soon there will be a vote to decide if I will remain minister of magic. I need your help if I am to remain minister of magic."