Fudge was so irritated by Dumbledore that he almost laughed out of anger.
He pointed a finger at Dumbledore and choked out sounds for quite a while before finally saying, "It seems our headmaster still isn't ready to give up! But that's fine, Dolores, I trust you still have even more decisive evidence, don't you?"
"Of course, Minister."
Umbridge smiled as she took out a thick stack of parchment, each sheet stamped with a bright red seal. "In fact, the moment these children came back to their senses, I asked professional Aurors from the Auror Office to help take formal statements."
"What you're seeing now are copies of those statements, stamped with the seal of the Auror Office's interrogation unit."
"Those experienced Aurors can all testify that what these children said is true."
"Link Flamel did indeed join forces with Harry Potter several months ago to establish an illegal student organization called the D.A. Army, and during classes he taught students inappropriate and highly dangerous spells!"
"Excellent!" Fudge said as he took the files, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.
"This is truly exciting, Dolores. Let me take a look… oh! This is astonishing, they even taught students the Patronus Charm and Occlumency…"
Dumbledore reached out and snatched all the files from Fudge's hands.
He carefully examined the text on them, and the somewhat gloomy look on his face gradually became animated.
In the end, he put the documents down and smiled at Link and Harry.
His gaze was full of relief and praise.
It seemed he was very satisfied with the courses Link and Harry had arranged.
Harry lowered his head in shame. He felt that being expelled tonight was probably unavoidable.
Just thinking about how he had let Dumbledore and so many others down, and how he might have to return to that old life of living in a cupboard at the Dursleys', made him so miserable he felt like he was about to die.
Link, meanwhile, simply met Dumbledore's gaze expressionlessly.
His eyes were so deep they seemed unfocused.
This was the sign that Occlumency was operating at full power.
"Well then, it seems everything is settled," Fudge said cheerfully. "You can't always get by in this world just by saying 'I didn't know' or denying everything."
"Faced with such solid evidence, I believe the students who participated in the meetings must all receive detention. As for Link Flamel and Harry Potter, the two ringleaders, they are no longer suitable to remain at Hogwarts. They..."
"Cough, cough!"
Umbridge suddenly interrupted Fudge with a cough.
When Fudge turned toward her in confusion, she reminded him softly, "Minister, the illegal student organization is called the D.A. Army!"
As soon as she said this, Harry could clearly feel Professor McGonagall's breathing grow heavier, her face filled with anxiety.
He didn't understand what was going on, and Fudge clearly didn't either.
"Yes, the D.A. Army, Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Not Flamel's Army, and not Potter's Army. But Dumbledore's Army."
A look of sudden realization flashed across Fudge's face.
He staggered back a full step in shock, so startled that he didn't even notice his robes getting shoved into the fireplace, and shouted, "You? This was organized by you?"
"That's right," Dumbledore replied happily.
"Everything was under my control. Link and Harry were merely following the orders of me, the headmaster."
"You recruited those students to form your own army?"
"I was originally supposed to meet them in person for the first time tonight," Dumbledore nodded.
"That way, I could see whether they were willing to follow me. Of course, I understand now, not everyone is willing to dedicate themselves to a lofty ideal."
Fudge suddenly turned his head toward the group of Inquisitorial Squad members covering their faces, then shouted again, "Then you really were plotting against me!"
"Yes, exactly!"
"No. That's not how it is." Link suddenly spoke up.
Though expressionless, his tone was solemn. "Professor Dumbledore, there's no need for you to take the blame for us. It's meaningless."
Dumbledore merely looked quietly at Link, his eyes holding an indescribably complex emotion.
Fudge, on the other hand, roared, "Shut up! Link Flamel! You don't get to speak here!"
The instant those words fell, Link's eyes narrowed slightly.
Fudge immediately felt an overwhelming sense of danger wash over him.
Not only Link, even Percy, who had been standing to the side watching as if it were a show, now had a ferocious expression.
The look on his face inexplicably reminded Harry of a vicious dog his cousin once owned.
Whenever someone raised their voice at his cousin, that dog would bare its teeth at them.
Fudge's earlier arrogance vanished instantly.
He opened his mouth wide, first looking at Link, then at Percy, and finally shouting again at Dumbledore, "Very well, very well, when I came here tonight, I intended to expel Link Flamel and Harry Potter. I never expected to catch such a big fish as well. You've truly given me a surprise!"
"Minister, I've already completed the statement regarding Dumbledore," Percy said with a savage grin.
"It includes not only his incitement of students to form a wizard army, but also his malicious intent to overthrow the Ministry of Magic."
"Later, I'll make copies of this record and send them to the Daily Prophet. If I'm fast enough, it might even make tomorrow morning's front page."
Professor McGonagall looked at Percy with disbelief.
She clearly couldn't believe that the student she had once held in such high regard had turned into this.
Unfortunately, Percy paid no attention at all, calmly resuming the copying of the parchment in his hands.
"Ah, that's how it is," Fudge sighed deeply.
"Dumbledore, you are now to be escorted to the Ministry of Magic, where you will be formally charged and then sent to Azkaban to await trial."
"The procedure is indeed as you say," Dumbledore replied softly. "However, I believe we may have encountered a small difficulty."
"A difficulty?" Fudge looked tired now, his voice hoarse. "I don't see any difficulty."
"No, the difficulty does exist. That is, I'm afraid I won't, well, sit there and wait to die as you expect, Cornelius."
Dumbledore said with great pity, "I have no desire whatsoever to go to Azkaban. Even though I could escape from there quite easily, it would take too much time."
"And frankly speaking, I believe I have a great many things to attend to. I simply don't have time to play this game with you."
Fudge's face grew redder and redder, as though someone had just poured boiling water into it.
The two Aurors who had been standing beside Fudge as guards exchanged glances. One of them stepped firmly in front of Fudge and drew his wand.
"Don't be foolish, Dawlish," Dumbledore said kindly.
"I'm certain you're an excellent Auror. I even remember that you passed your N.E.W.T.s with top marks. But if you insist on using force against me, then I'll have no choice but to be impolite in return."
The Auror called Dawlish glanced at Fudge, then at Percy, as if seeking further instructions.
"Dumbledore, you don't really think you can face so many of us alone, do you?" Under his pleading gaze, Fudge finally spoke.
But this was clearly not the answer Dawlish wanted.
Dawlish blinked a few times in confusion, looking utterly foolish.
A little farther away, Percy quietly edged his feet backward, apparently unwilling to be lumped into the "us" Fudge had mentioned.
Just then, Professor McGonagall stepped forward as well, wand in hand, "Who says Dumbledore is alone?"
Fudge and the others were shocked. Umbridge had already drawn her wand.
"Minerva, don't be ridiculous!" Dumbledore said in the sternest tone he had ever used. "Your duty is to educate students, not to engage in armed combat alongside the headmaster!"
"Enough nonsense!" Fudge roared as he drew his wand. "Do it! Seize him!"
BOOM!
The instant Fudge finished speaking, a brilliant burst of silver light exploded outward, centered on Dumbledore.
The powerful shockwave made the entire headmaster's office tremble violently. A massive cloud of dust filled the room in an instant, and even many of the portraits of past headmasters fell from the walls.
Immediately after that came a second explosion of silver light.
Harry felt his vision blur completely, his ears ringing nonstop.
Shouts, screams, and the cry of Fawkes the phoenix blended together into a nauseating cacophony.
Link yanked Harry forcefully behind him, then swung his wand. As he cleared away all the dust, he also formed a shield that completely protected both himself and Harry.
"Are you all right?" Dumbledore's calm voice quietly sounded.
The headmaster's office was now a complete mess.
Desks, chairs, cabinets, benches, almost all the furniture with slender legs had been knocked over and damaged to varying degrees.
The silver instruments on the desk, as well as the bottles and jars in the corners that were clearly used for alchemy and potions, had all been smashed to pieces.
As for Fudge and the others, each and every one of them lay unconscious amid the ruins.
In response to Dumbledore's question, Link first nodded silently. After a brief pause, he asked, "Professor Dumbledore, where are you going?"
This was clearly what Harry wanted to ask as well. Before Link had even finished, Harry pushed his way out from behind him, ignoring his still-ringing head.
"Huh… Professor Dumbledore…"
"Don't worry about this old man, Link. And of course, don't worry about Hogwarts either."
Dumbledore said with a smile. "I won't be far from you. After all, I still need to keep an eye on Hogwarts, in case Fudge turns it into a complete mess."
"To be honest, this feels like another holiday to me."
"And it just so happens that I have some very urgent personal matters to attend to."
"Professor Dumbledore…" Harry said weakly.
His face was full of guilt.
Before tonight, he had never imagined that the joking name they'd chosen for the organization would bring Dumbledore so much trouble.
"We don't have much time. They'll wake up soon. So listen carefully, Harry," Dumbledore interrupted urgently.
"You must learn Occlumency as quickly as possible. It's especially important for you!"
Seeing Harry nod, Dumbledore finally turned his gaze to Link.
This time, his expression was much gentler.
"And you as well, Link," Dumbledore said softly.
"You've done very well. Since this is what you want, and you've worked hard for it, then keep going. I believe you won't disappoint people, and I believe you can make this world better. That is what I expect of you."
"But in the process, there is one thing you must always remember!"
"Do not become obsessed with the pursuit of power, and never forget love."
"The power of love is far greater than you imagine!"
"It may not be able to split mountains or shatter stone, and it may not help you kill your enemies."
"But it can do things that pure destructive power will never be able to accomplish!"
As he finished speaking, Fawkes settled naturally onto Dumbledore's shoulder.
Dumbledore smiled at Link and gave him a wink, then grasped Fawkes's golden tail feathers.
BOOM!
Flames burst forth, and Dumbledore vanished from the office.
Link stared at the spot where Dumbledore had just been, his expression complicated.
He didn't fully understand what Dumbledore had said to him earlier.
From Dumbledore's emphasis on remembering "love," it seemed that he had already decided to act in accordance with Trelawney's prophecy.
'But… why?'
This prophecy was something Link himself longed to fulfill, but what benefit did it bring Dumbledore?
And why was Dumbledore helping him?
"Ah..."
A weak groan pulled Link out of his thoughts.
He turned toward the sound and realized that perhaps disturbed by the earlier flames, Fudge and the others lying all over the floor were now waking up.
Fudge struggled to climb out of the rubble, scanning the office with bloodshot eyes.
"Dumbledore… where is he?"
"He's gone."
Link replied slowly, his voice sounding almost like a dream.
"Gone?" Fudge clearly hadn't processed it yet.
"Where could he have gone? The entire Floo Network within Hogwarts has been sealed, and he can't Apparate inside Hogwarts. He..."
Fudge's voice was cut off by Percy's wild laughter.
He laughed so manically, so joyfully, that his entire face twisted.
Harry and McGonagall glared at him in displeasure, about to scold him, but Umbridge beside them began laughing as well.
Finally, Fudge joined in.
The three of them collapsed amid the rubble, laughing uncontrollably.
Their laughter was shriller and more grating with each person. Harry covered his ears in pain.
But for some reason, compared to the others, Fudge's laughter felt extremely strange to Harry.
It sounded less like laughter... and more like crying.