Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [4]

⚡️ Chapter 77 ⚡️

When Vega returned to the conscious, she felt very warm and comfortable, and she was so sleepy that she didn't bother opening her eyes. She was hoping to return back to the dreamless sleep. The room around was still dimly lit – she was sure that it was still night-time and had a feeling that she hadn't been sleeping for a very long time. Then, she heard whispering around her –

"They'll wake them if they don't shut up!"

"What are they shouting about?
Nothing else can have happened, can it?"

Vega finally opened her eyes lightly and glanced around to make sure what was going on. She could see the figures of Andromeda, Mrs. Weasley and Bill close by. Mrs. Weasley was on her feet but Andromeda was still, fortunately, sitting next to Vega's bedside, looking quite concerned.

"That's Fudge's voice," Mrs. Weasley whispered, looking to the entrance. "And that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?"

Others – Ron, Hermione, Fred – were also around, and Vega noted that Harry had been awoken by this as well. She furrowed her eyebrows and tried to hear what was going on. She could hear them, too: people shouting and running toward the Hospital Wing and the sound terrified Vega slightly.

"Regrettable," Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly. "But all the same, Minerva –"

"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" Professor McGonagall yelled. "When Dumbledore finds out –" Her voice was drowned out as the Hospital Wing doors burst open.

It almost gave Vega a heart attack and she watched as Ron, Hermione, Fred, Andromeda, Mrs. Weasley and Bill walked ahead to see what was going on. She slowly, unnoticed, pushed herself to sit up and see what was going on around the screen. She was concerned if Crouch had escaped.

Fudge had come striding up the ward, and Professors McGonagall and Snape were at his heels. Seeing that all of them of them were here, she was concerned that it had to do with Crouch.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded of Mrs. Weasley.

"Professor Dumbledore is not here," Andromeda cut in a sharp tone. "This is a Hospital Wing, Minister, and there are patients resting here. Please take this matter out of here,"

Before Fudge could respond, the door opened again, and Dumbledore came sweeping up the ward.

"What has happened?" Dumbledore asked sharply, looking from Fudge to Professor McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you – I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch –"

"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall shrieked. "The Minister has seen to that!"

Simultaneously, Vega was shocked and scared – scared, that Crouch might have escaped and shocked, because she had never seen Professor McGonagall lose control like this. There were angry blotches of colour in her cheeks, and hands were balled into fists; she was trembling with fury.

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," Snape said, in a low voice. "He seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a Dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch –"

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall fumed loudly. "I told him you would never allow Dementors to set foot inside the castle, but –"

"My dear woman!" Fudge roared, who likewise looked angrier than Vega had ever seen him before. "As Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous –"