"— What on earth is Sirius Black trying to pull?"
A roar of cursing and the sound of breaking objects echoed from the Minister for Magic's office. Knowing that Fudge was in a fury, everyone consciously steered clear of the area. Even those with genuine business for Fudge quietly postponed their visits; nobody wanted to provoke the Minister's wrath.
Ever since Sirius Black dropped several bombshells at the Three Broomsticks, Minister for Magic Fudge had been in deep trouble. The situation instantly sparked fierce criticism across the wizarding world, particularly after news leaked that Fudge had accepted half of the Pettigrew family fortune in exchange for allowing Mrs. Pettigrew to visit Peter Pettigrew in Azkaban Prison. Worse still was Mrs. Pettigrew's subsequent stunt, using Polyjuice Potion to smuggle Peter out of Azkaban, which inevitably led many to suspect a conspiracy. People even believed Fudge had known all along and tacitly allowed Mrs. Pettigrew to break Peter out of Azkaban, with half the Pettigrew fortune serving as the transaction's payoff.
Chapter 852