Summer, 1990. British Ministry of Magic.
The door to the Chairman's office of the Experimental Charms Committee was slammed open, hitting the wall with a loud bang that startled several self-recording quills floating in the air, causing them to fall to the ground.
"Willy Shafik!"
"I have evidence that the serial bombings on the lower Thames last week are related to the alchemically modified rabbit, code-named 'White Branch,' from your committee!"
Behind the desk, a handsome man was looking down, writing something in a notebook. Hearing the accusation, he merely paused his pen nonchalantly, his slender fingers tapping gently on the tabletop.
Willy looked up, his grey-blue eyes calmly watching the panting Wizard before him.
The Wizard in front of him was named Cornelius Fudge, the current Junior Assistant to the Minister for magic and Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes.
Fudge was currently wearing a pinstriped suit, clutching a roll of parchment documents tightly in his hand. Under his dark green bowler hat, his face was flushed red with the excitement of an impending success.
Behind him, two assistants holding wands stood expressionlessly, guarding the doorway.
"That rabbit was supposed to be destroyed last month, but it escaped, and..." Fudge waved the parchment in his hand as if brandishing a royal sword, "You didn't report this major blunder. As the Chairman of the Experimental Charms Committee, you must take full responsibility for this."
The air in the office seemed to freeze. In the surrounding cubicles, many employees poked their heads out, watching the scene nervously.
Willy slowly stood up, smoothing out his unwrinkled deep blue robes, his gaze sweeping over Fudge and the assistants behind him.
"And so?"
Fudge froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting such a reaction, but he quickly adjusted his expression and puffed out his chest: "Therefore, until the charges against you are cleared, according to the 'Management Regulations for Ministry of Magic Civil Servants,' you are temporarily suspended from your post as Chairman."
"Furthermore, I suggest you start preparing for the upcoming trial right now."
"Trial?" A playful curve touched the corner of Willy's mouth. "When?"
"July 10th," Fudge said quickly. "During this period, you are required to be suspended for reflection."
"July 10th... how interesting."
Willy gave a light chuckle and walked around the desk, leaning against its edge. "Waiting specifically until the Minister's election is over to hold the trial? Fudge, I can hear your little scheme all the way from my office."
Fudge's expression shifted: "This is the procedural arrangement of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement..."
"As far as I know, I'm not the only one who has been accused or suspended for various reasons lately." Willy interrupted him with a wave of his hand. "If you look closely, you'll find that all of us have one thing in common: we share the same good friend, or former colleague."
By now, the corridor was crowded with staff watching the spectacle, and whispers rose and fell.
"The Chairman and Director Crouch are good friends..."
"It seems Fudge is purging dissenters for the Minister's election..."
Seeing Willy tear away the fig leaf in public, Fudge appeared a bit flustered. He quickly raised his voice: "Quiet, Shafik! We have solid evidence. This is an official document approved by the Council of Magical Law. Don't try to confuse the public here!"
"Evidence?" Willy narrowed his eyes slightly, his originally gentle aura gradually disappearing. "Then bring it out and let me see exactly how that so-called rabbit crossed half of London to bomb the Thames."
"The evidence has already been submitted to the Legislation Committee and sealed!" Fudge shouted with forced bravado. "As a suspect, you have no right to view it before the trial begins!"
"He has no right to view it, but what about me?"
An angry voice rang out.
The crowd automatically parted to both sides as Barty Crouch strode in.
His meticulous toothbrush mustache was now trembling slightly with rage, and his stiff Wizard robes rustled with every step.
"B-Barty?" Fudge clearly hadn't expected the man himself to arrive so quickly. He subconsciously took half a step back. "You... weren't you attending the International Confederation of Wizards conference?"
"I was already on my way back the moment I heard the Ministry was being turned into a mess."
Barty Crouch stared coldly at Fudge, his eyes as sharp as a blade. "Cornelius, to win the Minister's election, you've actually used such underhanded methods to fabricate charges and slander my friends and colleagues? I believe the relevant reports and files are well-preserved; you can check them at any time."
"Do you need me to have someone find them for you right now, Deputy Head Fudge?" Willy folded his arms, watching Fudge with great interest.
Cold sweat broke out on Fudge's forehead. He seemed to totter under Barty Crouch's powerful presence. The murmurs around them grew louder; what originally looked like a righteous law enforcement action had instantly turned into ugly political persecution.
Just as Fudge was about to collapse, a sickly sweet voice suddenly cut in.
"Oh, Director Crouch, you've quite misunderstood Cornelius."
A short, squat woman stepped out from behind Fudge. She was wearing a garish pink cardigan with a large velvet bow on her head, looking very much like a pale toad.
Dolores Umbridge.
She stood beside Fudge, a fake smile plastered on her face: "Cornelius is merely following procedure. We do indeed have the relevant documents signed by the Legislation Committee. This is just handling matters impartially, isn't it?"
Willy looked at the two of them acting in concert, a flash of understanding in his eyes: "It seems our Senior Undersecretary has weighed the pros and cons and chosen her side."
Umbridge's appearance was within Willy's expectations. As the Chairman of the independent Experimental Charms Committee, his rank was not as high as the Heads of the Seven Departments, but he was certainly no weaker than a Deputy Head like Fudge. He didn't believe Fudge would dare to accuse him alone.
"Hehe, Mr. Shafik is joking," Umbridge let out a string of bell-like laughter. "We are only doing this for the order of the wizarding world. As for the Minister's election, that is a major affair between the candidates and indeed has nothing to do with you or your other colleagues."
"In any case, the document is in effect." Fudge said, straightening his back as if grasping a life-saving straw. "We must act according to the document and temporarily relieve Willy Shafik of his duties."
Although Umbridge didn't really want to offend a high-ranking official from a pure-blood family like Willy, she had already placed her bet on Fudge.
Through a series of interest exchanges, they had finally managed to obtain this legal document. Now they were in a position where they couldn't back down; they had to see it through.
There was no turning back now. Today, they would thoroughly suppress Willy Shafik, the Chairman.