In truth, Liam hadn't misjudged Cornelius Fudge at all.
The Minister had summoned him before the Wizengamot with a very specific goal in mind.
He wanted to place Mulciber's death squarely on Liam's shoulders and brand him a murderer.
Over the past few months, Liam's reputation throughout the wizarding world had risen at an alarming pace. Ever since he exposed Voldemort's conspiracy, public opinion had begun shifting dramatically.
Some newspapers called him a hero.
Others called him a prodigy.
A few particularly enthusiastic voices had even begun referring to him as the wizarding world's savior.
Worse still, there were rumors circulating among ordinary witches and wizards that someone as capable as Liam deserved more influence than the current Minister for Magic.
To Fudge, such talk was intolerable.
The situation became even more threatening when Professor McGonagall began negotiating with St. Mungo's regarding the promotion and use of Liam's newly developed healing magic.
Every success added another achievement to the boy's growing reputation.
Every achievement made Fudge more nervous.
Then the incident at Hogwarts happened.
A Death Eater died.
The perfect opportunity appeared.
From the moment he learned Liam had killed someone on school grounds, Fudge began planning how to transform the event into a political weapon.
If he could label Liam as a dangerous murderer, public support would collapse.
The hero would become a criminal.
And Fudge's position would remain secure.
That was why he deliberately ignored large portions of Evan Rosier's confession.
That was why he continued questioning Liam despite overwhelming evidence regarding the Death Eaters' infiltration.
The Minister for Magic had no intention of surrendering his office to anyone.
Especially not a nine-year-old child.
Unfortunately for him, Liam was not an ordinary child.
Most children would have been terrified by the Wizengamot.
Most children would have frozen under pressure.
Most children would have struggled to answer even basic questions.
Liam had survived Azkaban.
Compared to that, a courtroom was hardly intimidating.
Fudge knew framing him would be difficult.
But he believed the effort would be worth it.
"Ahem."
A squat witch with curly hair rose from her seat among the judges.
Dolores Umbridge.
"Mr. Hale, please be mindful of your language."
Her voice dripped with false sweetness.
"I've heard that you're exceptionally talented. Several months ago, it required twenty Aurors to arrest you. Given your level of magical ability, surely you could have subdued the attacker with non-lethal spells."
She smiled thinly.
"Yet you chose lethal force."
Liam stared at her for several seconds.
Then he asked a question.
"If I pointed the Killing Curse at your face right now, would you calmly stop to consider which non-lethal spell might be most appropriate?"
Umbridge's smile vanished.
Liam continued.
"At the time, first-year students from both Gryffindor and Slytherin were participating in flying lessons."
His voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"Children who had never touched a broom before were in the air."
Several judges nodded unconsciously.
"If a Death Eater starts firing Killing Curses into a crowd of flying students, every second matters."
His gaze sharpened.
"The longer he remains alive, the more people die."
Silence spread through the courtroom.
Liam leaned forward slightly.
"What I don't understand is why you're defending a murderer while criticizing one of his victims."
His expression became openly contemptuous.
"Is your brain filled with anything besides pink frosting?"
Gasps echoed throughout the chamber.
Umbridge's face instantly turned scarlet.
"You—!"
She shot to her feet.
"How dare you insult me!"
In her fury, she pulled out her wand and pointed it directly at Liam.
The reaction was immediate.
"Expelliarmus."
A flash of silver light shot from Liam's fingertip.
The Disarming Charm struck Umbridge's wand with perfect precision.
The wand flew from her hand and landed neatly in Liam's palm.
The entire courtroom fell silent.
Liam glanced down at the wand.
Then he casually tossed it onto the floor.
The wand clattered loudly against the stone.
"Your Honor."
He looked toward the Chief Warlock's seat.
"Threatening a defendant during a hearing seems somewhat inappropriate."
His silver eyes shifted back toward Umbridge.
"If Ministry officials haven't taught basic courtroom etiquette, I suppose someone has to."
The smile on his face was infuriatingly polite.
Umbridge looked ready to explode.
"You little monster!"
Her voice became shrill.
"You attacked a judge! In open court! That's a serious crime!"
Yet few people seemed interested in agreeing with her.
Instead, many members of the Wizengamot were staring at Liam with obvious admiration.
A wandless Disarming Charm.
Instant casting.
Perfect accuracy.
And after taking Umbridge's wand, he hadn't threatened her or attacked her.
He had simply thrown it away.
The contrast between the two couldn't have been clearer.
"Enough!"
Fudge's voice thundered through the chamber.
"Umbridge! Sit down!"
For a moment, she looked as though she might argue.
Then she reluctantly returned to her seat.
Fudge's expression darkened.
Internally, he was furious.
Umbridge had just embarrassed the Ministry in front of the entire Wizengamot.
Even worse, Liam's performance had dramatically improved the judges' impression of him.
The situation was slipping out of control.
A troubling thought suddenly entered Fudge's mind.
Was this deliberate?
Had Liam intentionally provoked Umbridge?
Had he manipulated the conversation to make her lose control while simultaneously displaying his magical skill and composure?
The possibility sent a chill down Fudge's spine.
Surely not.
No child could plan something like that.
But another possibility was even more terrifying.
What if he hadn't planned it?
What if he had simply adapted in the moment?
Fudge swallowed.
A strategist could be defeated by disrupting their plans.
Someone who could improvise this effectively was far more dangerous.
Cold sweat formed on his forehead.
The more he thought about Liam, the more nervous he became.
And the more nervous he became, the more threatening Liam seemed.
It was a vicious cycle.
A frightening one.
At that moment, Fudge became convinced of one thing.
If Liam continued growing at this rate, the boy would become impossible to control.
His trembling hand reached for a teacup.
He quickly took a drink.
Before he could recover, Liam spoke again.
"Minister Fudge."
The entire courtroom turned toward him.
Liam's expression was calm.
"I'd like to ask a question."
Fudge felt an unpleasant feeling in his stomach.
Liam continued.
"Instead of using Evan Rosier's testimony to hunt down the remaining Death Eaters, the Ministry has chosen to interrogate a Hogwarts student who was attacked by the Killing Curse."
His voice was perfectly clear.
"Under those circumstances, I believe I have reasonable grounds to question whether the Ministry is neglecting its responsibilities."
"Pfft!"
Fudge sprayed tea across the table.
The courtroom erupted into shocked whispers.
Never in his wildest imagination had he expected a defendant to question the Minister for Magic during his own trial.
"Ridiculous!"
Fudge slammed both hands onto the table.
His face had turned bright red.
"You're the one being questioned because you killed someone!"
....
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