"Harry, please go back with Arthur first."
"But, Professor Dumbledore—"
"I still have some matters to deal with."
Harry walked out of the courtroom, turning back to glance at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore winked at him, just like always.
Mr. Weasley was waiting outside, clearly anxious to know the outcome.
John noticed Dumbledore hadn't left. Crouch gave John a slight nod before departing.
"That boy was a bit of a letdown," said Damocles Alex Belby with a shake of his head. He had expected the legendary savior to be something special.
But now, he seemed no different from an ordinary fifteen-year-old boy.
The two walked together toward the exit, still chatting.
"Sir Johnny Silverhand, may I have a word with you?"
Dumbledore called out. Damocles glanced at Dumbledore, then at John, and said, "I'll leave you two alone."
John paused mid-step. The people still inside the courtroom seemed to understand that this moment was meant for just the two of them, and quietly filed out.
Amelia slowed as she passed them, then quickly made her way out.
Only two people remained in the courtroom—John stood facing Dumbledore.
"Perhaps this makes you feel a bit better," said Dumbledore with that familiar kind expression. "About that incident... I truly am sorry."
John looked at him without responding.
Dumbledore went on, "I know you've been preparing something against the Death Eaters—some rather radical methods."
"I hope we can sit down and talk properly." He waved his hand, conjuring two soft chairs. "Maybe all we've ever needed was one good conversation."
He looked at John hopefully, gesturing for him to sit.
John lowered his gaze to the chair beside him, raising a hand to gently stroke its surface.
"You know, Dumbledore," he said quietly as his fingers brushed over the chair's smooth fabric, "these days, I've been thinking about something."
"Who exactly is Dumbledore?" He slowly raised his head. "The Headmaster of Hogwarts?"
"No. No, he's not."
"Dumbledore is a god."
As he spoke, there was an unreadable look in his eyes.
"He controls everything, so he should solve everything."
"He's full of compassion, full of mercy. He's like a saint... a god."
Woosh!
Flames ignited where his fingers had touched the chair, gradually engulfing it.
The fire shrouded half of the silver mask, and John's voice turned emotionless. "We're all supposed to be like this—listening to Dumbledore, crowding around him."
"John," Dumbledore murmured in stunned disbelief.
"But the god has grown old."
John's voice turned colder still. "When gods bleed, the godslayers will come."
The fire roared, and the chair was quickly reduced to charred black remains.
"You think you're a good headmaster?" John sneered. "The lack of internal education is a fact, Dumbledore. This isn't just me being petty—your education leaves students unable to even protect themselves."
"If you're a god, then you ought to show equal fairness to all living beings. And that, you have failed to do."
"Do you know what's truly pathetic?"
"You possess the power of a god, yet carry the heart of a man."
"You try to avoid your flaws, but in doing so, you only let them grow."
"You could've led the entire Ministry of Magic against Voldemort and kept casualties to a minimum."
"But instead, you chose to lead a separate force, causing unnecessary tragedies."
"You run from yourself, yet refuse to let go of everything."
The chair was completely consumed by fire, the acrid smell of burning filling the room.
As John spoke, he walked past the chair.
Looking at this god who wanted both to escape and to hold on to everything.
All of Dumbledore's lifelong failures stemmed from his avoidance.
It was true in the past, and it was true now.
His leniency toward Voldemort came from that mercy—and a trace of arrogance in his own power.
Was Voldemort really that hard to deal with?
No, not really.
All it would have taken was someone powerful enough—someone to lead the Ministry of Magic.
Dumbledore, without question, was the best choice.
His strength had already been proven during the Grindelwald era, and the Ministry had once invited him to become Minister for Magic.
But he was afraid—afraid that power would corrupt him.
So instead, he chose to form the Order of the Phoenix and fight back against Voldemort that way.... even forbidding the Order members to use lethal curses.
The result?
He allowed Voldemort to grow unchecked.
The Death Eaters gained the support of more pure-blood families, becoming a force that threw the wizarding world into chaos, with many Muggles dying tragically.
At the time, the Ministry of Magic was filled with capable talent—seasoned Aurors, veterans of countless battles.
People like the Longbottoms all came from that system.
But Dumbledore chose to rely on freshly graduated students like James Potter, Lilly Potter, Sirius Black, Arthur Weasley, etc.. unwilling to make use of the Ministry's strength.
In terms of education, Dumbledore was also a complete mess.
Knowing full well that Voldemort hadn't been truly eliminated, he still allowed the Defense Against the Dark Arts curriculum to drift without structure.
Each new professor restarted the subject, leading to wildly inconsistent learning progress among students.
If not for the Constellation Society and the trio of students, John was certain this year's Hogwarts class would have gone down as the weakest in history.
Mercy was always extended where it shouldn't be—a symptom of pride.
"Your failure was born of your contradictions."
John walked past Dumbledore, speaking in a calm voice, "A god should stay upon the altar."
Brushing past him, John didn't spare a glance at the old man who stood frozen, unable to recover his thoughts.
Once more, John passed by that black door of the Department of Mysteries.
He looked at it for a moment, then turned and stepped into the lift.
"I will make the god bleed the first drop of blood."
...
Crouch Sr. was in a very good mood—this time, Harry Potter had not been convicted.
The matter could be made big or small, but ultimately it wasn't serious enough to warrant pressing charges.
Consider it giving Dumbledore some face.
More importantly, this allowed them to strip away some of Dumbledore's power.
Though Dumbledore was still the strongest wizard in the magical world, the crown of the White King had been taken from his head.
"As for the investigator to be sent to Hogwarts..." Crouch Sr. looked at John with anticipation. "Sir Johnny Silverhand, who do you think should be appointed?"
"Crouch, you're the Minister," John replied with a smile tugging at his lips. "But I do have a candidate in mind."
"Dolores Umbridge."
"Her?" Crouch frowned. "She used to work under Fudge."
"We need someone to counterbalance Dumbledore. He's only been suspended, not removed," John said with a smile, waving his hand casually. "It's not exactly a pleasant job."
Crouch thought that made sense—if someone was to restrain Dumbledore, it had to be someone unafraid of him.
Umbridge was just such a person—or, more accurately, someone too ignorant to know fear.
And so Crouch happily approved it, while John casually mentioned one more name.
Oz Hield.
"To reform education, we naturally also need to strengthen it," John said meaningfully. "We need to show others the Ministry's determination to fix the education system."
Umbridge might be decent at managing people, but as for teaching—better not count on it.
Crouch Sr. had no objections. After all, if Oz turned out to be a good teacher, he would eventually work for the Ministry anyway.
When it came to education, one couldn't afford to be careless.
After a review process, it would be decided whether Oz Hield would be appointed as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.
The Ministry's involvement in Hogwarts' education was a double-edged sword.
On the plus side, just as John had pointed out, Dumbledore's laissez-faire attitude toward both students and staff led to wildly inconsistent performance—students with talent thrived, but the average student floundered. This move could raise the floor for everyone.
On the downside, if a future Minister harbored ulterior motives, Hogwarts could easily become a cradle for political indoctrination.
However, this problem wasn't too concerning.
Because their goal wasn't to control Hogwarts' education—it was to strip Dumbledore of his power.
Dumbledore, the Hogwarts Board of Governors, and the Ministry of Magic.
Three factions balancing each other out.
Crouch Sr. had never intended to become Dumbledore's mortal enemy—he only wanted to curb his authority.
So even though Dumbledore's authority was being trimmed, they still intended to show him respect.
His philosophy was the same as John's: either let Dumbledore remain a god, lofty and untouchable—or make him fully human.
But not this contradiction—occupying a god's throne while acting with human flaws.
And after this trial, another issue had been brought to the table.
The Dementors.
"Dementors have been serving the Ministry for many years," Crouch Sr. said with a frown. "Dumbledore mentioned the potential threat they pose, and now it seems that threat is real."
"Finding a way to remove them won't be easy in the short term."
Dementors weren't just glorified prison guards—they served as a kind of suppressant, draining the will and energy of Azkaban's inmates, keeping them too lethargic to stir up trouble.
That kind of utility was hard to replicate with any other magical creature.
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