Hogwarts: Legacy of the Necromancer

Regulus Black took a large gulp of the Zizzing Honey Tea in his hand—it was indeed the taste of Veritaserum. He turned his head to glance at Snape and Dumbledore beside him, only to be completely ignored by both.

Dumbledore, of course, didn't need any explanation. He knew exactly what had been added to the refreshments he provided. Playing dumb at this point was to be expected. As for Professor Snape, he was an authority in Potions; just one sniff and he could tell what was in the food and drink. Not to mention, the potions had been supplied by him to the headmaster. Notice how his own cup of Zizzing Honey Tea remained untouched?

Regulus Black shot them both a glare, then downed the rest of the tea in one go. With a loud Duang, he slammed the cup on the table, the sharp sound startling everyone and naturally bringing the argument between Minister Fudge and the Head of the Auror Office to an abrupt halt.

"Mr. Rufus Scrimgeour! You're not wrong, but even after taking Sirius Black away, you still cannot escape responsibility for dereliction of duty."

Regulus Black's words immediately darkened Scrimgeour's expression. Indeed, whether or not the escaped prisoner from Azkaban had been recaptured, as head of the Aurors, he was accountable. The reason no action had been taken against him earlier was simply because the outcome was still pending.

After all, Sirius had been in hiding since his escape. Though he had briefly surfaced, it was more like a thief stealing food. If Sirius had harmed or killed someone, the first to take the fall wouldn't be the fugitive himself, but Scrimgeour—the Auror chief. Every sector would pin the blame on him, and resignation would be inevitable.

From Scrimgeour's perspective, the ideal scenario was to recapture Sirius after the escape without any new crimes committed. That would minimize his liability. With some maneuvering and the right support, he might even be cleared entirely.

So, in his eyes, the current situation was just right—and Regulus Black's words were of no concern to him.

"You don't need to remind me. Today, I must take this fugitive away."

With that, Scrimgeour waved his hand, ready to lead several Aurors to the medical wing to apprehend their target.

"Twelve years ago, Sirius was wrongly imprisoned. And now, twelve years later, after proving his innocence, he's to be jailed again. The Auror Department of the Ministry of Magic truly lives up to its reputation for exceptional efficiency! Minister Fudge! For having such an effective enforcement department under your command, we should raise a toast."

Regulus Black made no attempt to stop Scrimgeour. Instead, he praised Minister Fudge.

But no matter how you heard it, his words sounded ironic. Fudge forced a very awkward smile. He hadn't even been Minister twelve years ago, yet now he had to shoulder the blame. And not just him—the Auror Department couldn't escape it either.

To be fair, back then was a different era. The fall of the Dark Lord had just occurred, and Death Eaters were being captured and processed in rapid succession. As long as the evidence was even halfway sufficient, sentences were issued immediately. Death Eaters were locked up in Azkaban en masse unless they had serious influence or powerful connections.

At the time, the foolish Sirius, wracked with guilt and harboring a death wish, was thrown into Azkaban with insufficient evidence. Even the Order of the Phoenix gave up on him. Naturally, the Aurors weren't going to look for evidence that might clear his name.

But now, a burden from twelve years ago had to be carried by the people of today. Rufus Scrimgeour involuntarily stopped in his tracks.

Even Snape, the Serpent King himself, chuckled at the remark. Though Sirius was his sworn enemy, the Auror Department wasn't exactly his friend either. Sure, he'd been protected by the Order of the Phoenix, but the Mark on his arm remained. Who knew if he'd still enjoy such freedom after Dumbledore's death?

So, to Snape, the Aurors were enemies too. It was a matter of perspective.

Scrimgeour wanted to arrest Sirius immediately only because he didn't want the Aurors to continue shouldering the blame. But from what Regulus had said, arresting Sirius now might result in even greater backlash—that was not an outcome Scrimgeour wanted.

Seeing Scrimgeour pause, Minister Fudge couldn't help but let out a scoffing smile. Still, as Scrimgeour was an important subordinate, Fudge had to protect him—at least until a replacement was found. After all, safeguarding the Ministry's interests and reputation should be the Minister's top priority, more so than indulging in sulky subordinates.

"Regulus! Scrimgeour is a stubborn man of action. Let's instead discuss how to handle this matter properly."

Minister Fudge forced a smile as he looked toward Regulus Black, awaiting the perfect solution.

"Regulus! Last time, during the witch pregnancy incident, your advice helped resolve things flawlessly. No one could find any fault. I believe this time too, under your guidance, the fallout from Sirius's escape can be perfectly managed."

Fudge's words were directed at both Regulus Black and Rufus Scrimgeour. Even though the Aurors had taken the blame for that past incident for a while, they were eventually cleared, and the outcome gained understanding—even praise—from all sides.

"Sirius's escape should, of course, be followed by his re-capture. However, he was wrongly imprisoned. A retrial of the case from back then is absolutely necessary."

Regulus Black began to reveal his plan—one he had already rehearsed countless times in his mind.

"The honor of the Black family must not be tarnished. Sirius must be exonerated, and the Ministry of Magic must offer some form of compensation. Naturally, Sirius will voluntarily waive those compensations, and in return, the Ministry will offer certain administrative conveniences."

The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, understood what Regulus meant. Some of the Black family's assets were still being held by the Ministry. If the Ministry offered compensation and Sirius declined it, then releasing those assets back to the Black family would seem like a natural outcome.

"I understand, I understand! Those Black family properties will be smoothly transferred after this matter is settled. However, regarding Sirius…"

Fudge knew Regulus Black well enough, but Sirius was far more unpredictable.

"I'll handle Sirius myself. The Ministry needn't concern itself with that," Regulus said as he clenched his hand, and a wave of compressed air burst outward, brushing over everyone present like a passing breeze.

This clearly wasn't magic, though it seemed unrelated to the topic at hand.

"Today, you may take Sirius into custody at the Auror Department. Tomorrow, I expect the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot to begin a full review of Sirius's escape from Azkaban and the events of twelve years ago. I also expect everyone present today to testify in court."

With those words, Regulus looked at each person, one by one.

"If the Ministry and the Wizengamot intend to re-try Sirius Black, he will naturally be held in the Auror Command Center," Rufus Scrimgeour declared proudly. As the head of the Auror Department, such formal statements came easily to him.

"With such overwhelming evidence, the Ministry has no reason to oppose reopening the case. The only concern is the Wizengamot…" Fudge glanced at Dumbledore. Though the old man's official post was headmaster, he also served as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Without Dumbledore's approval, the bureaucratic nature of the Wizengamot would delay the appeal process to a maddening extent.

"Headmaster, do you not wish to clear the name of a member of the Order of the Phoenix?" Regulus noticed Dumbledore still hesitating, lost in thought while continuously eating sweets.

If the case were reopened, it would mean the Wizengamot had made a mistake. The Ministry and the Aurors could blame their predecessors, but Dumbledore had presided over Sirius's trial as the Chief Warlock. That burden couldn't be passed on.

"I'm willing to testify," said Snape, "even though I only witnessed part of the events. But I can confirm that after Lupin transformed into a werewolf, Sirius turned into a black dog and bravely stopped him."

Snape, as always, managed to criticize while helping two people at once.

Even the distracted Dumbledore couldn't help but glance over in surprise—was Snape seriously planning to testify that way? If the Wizengamot chose not to lean in Sirius's favor, he might end up imprisoned again right after being released, this time for being an unregistered Animagus.

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