Perhaps it was Dumbledore's reassurance that did the trick, but this time, Fudge actually listened. He didn't rush to find Dudley in the middle of the night. Instead, he showed up bright and early the next morning, accompanied by a group of Aurors.
"When did all this get here?" Fudge muttered, staring at the towering gates of the castle's outer wall, lost in thought.
He'd been to Godric's Hollow before—not just once, but several times, including visits to the Potter family's old home after James and Lily's tragic deaths. Back then, this place was the most desolate corner of the village, abandoned and forgotten.
But now? Not only had the Potter house been restored, but a grand new building had sprung up beside it.
When had this happened?
"I heard the Caro family helped build it," a Ministry employee at Fudge's side explained.
The fact that the Caro family was close with Dudley was practically an open secret among the upper echelons of wizarding England.
The gates in front of them could only be described with one word: massive. They were so enormous they might as well have been a small mountain.
Most manor gates, like those at Malfoy Manor, were wrought iron, allowing a glimpse of the gardens beyond. But these gates? They were different. Solid, impenetrable, more like a fortress wall than a gate. You couldn't see a thing on the other side.
It was as if they drew a line in the sand, completely separating the world beyond from everything else.
The real puzzle, though, was that these massive gates had no handles or keyholes. None at all—not on the castle gates or the garden gates surrounding them.
So how were you supposed to get in?
"How do we contact Mr. Dursley?" That was the problem Fudge and his group now faced.
Send an owl? Sure, that could work, but they were already standing at the gate. Sending a letter now felt a bit ridiculous.
Blasting the gate open with magic wasn't an option either. Fudge was here to check on Harry Potter, not to break into someone's home.
And even if they wanted to use magic, where would they start? There wasn't even a keyhole for an Unlocking Charm to work on.
The Aurors Fudge had brought were standard Ministry types—not Rufus Scrimgeour, the Head of the Auror Office, who might've had other tricks up his sleeve. Scrimgeour was off chasing Sirius Black and had only been with Fudge the previous day by chance.
As Fudge stared at the mountain-like gates, he noticed something odd. The intricate patterns carved into them almost looked like countless doors layered on top of each other. Could it be… pushed open?
Fudge gave it a try, shoving with all his might.
It didn't budge.
"What a ridiculous thought," he chuckled to himself, shaking his head.
No normal person could move a gate like that. Maybe a giant could.
"What are you lot doing loitering outside someone's gate?"
A cool, slightly stern voice cut through the air behind them.
Fudge and his group turned to see Draco Malfoy, holding a cane in one hand, eyeing them warily.
He'd just finished his morning training and was on his way to Diagon Alley to pick up some supplies for Dudley.
"Lucius's son, Draco Malfoy?" Fudge's face lit up with recognition.
He and Lucius had a decent relationship, so he knew Draco well enough.
"You're… Minister Fudge?" Draco paused for effect, then widened his eyes in exaggerated delight.
Of course, he'd recognized Fudge instantly but played it up, letting his expression shift gradually. People loved that kind of thing.
And yeah, in his head, he was already calling Fudge an idiot.
"What brings you here, sir?" Draco asked, his tone perfectly polite.
Fudge, clearly pleased by Draco's demeanor, warmed up considerably. "Oh, Draco, I'm here to see Harry. Harry Potter," he explained. "Dumbledore said he's here. Is he?"
"Harry? Oh, he's definitely here," Draco replied with a nod. He glanced at the gate, then back at Fudge, a sly glint in his eye. "Why don't you just go in?"
"Go in?" Fudge blinked, confused.
The gate was sealed tighter than a Gringotts vault. Was Draco suggesting they walk through walls?
"Oh, right, this must be your first time here," Draco said, feigning sudden realization. His lips curved into a perfect smirk, flashing exactly eight teeth—top and bottom.
"Yes," Fudge admitted, feeling oddly like he was facing a younger, less aggressive Lucius. Draco had all the charm of a gentleman, unlike his father's aristocratic intensity.
"Do you have a key?" Fudge asked.
"No need," Draco replied. "This gate doesn't use a key."
"No key? What do you mean?"
Draco didn't answer right away. Instead, he strolled up to the gate and gave it a firm pat. A dull thud echoed, confirming it was solid as stone. Then, in a slow, deliberate tone, he said, "Ordinary methods won't work here. No keys, no spells, nothing like that."
He paused for effect. "D calls it… the Door of Trials."
"The Door of Trials?" Fudge echoed, intrigued.
"Exactly. Only those who pass the trial can enter. And the trial? It's simple."
Draco tapped the gate with his cane. "Push it open."
"That's it?" Fudge asked, skeptical.
"I tried pushing it," he added quickly. "It didn't budge."
Draco shrugged. "Maybe you didn't push hard enough. This gate's heavy."
Fudge shot a glance at one of the Aurors, who stepped forward eagerly, ready to impress the Minister. He braced himself and shoved the gate with all his strength.
Nothing.
The Auror, now a bit embarrassed, gritted his teeth and pushed again, putting his entire body into it.
Still nothing.
Fudge's skeptical gaze shifted back to Draco as the Auror panted, red-faced from effort.
"Not enough strength," Draco quipped, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Didn't you eat breakfast, Mr. Auror?"
When it came to sharp tongues, Draco was every bit his father's son—and he'd learned a thing or two from Snape.
Fudge, starting to lose face, nodded at another Auror to join in. "You, help him."
The two Aurors pushed together, straining with everything they had.
No movement.
Just as Fudge began to suspect Draco was pulling his leg, the gate gave the tiniest shudder.
Before he could say anything, the Aurors collapsed, exhausted, and the gate settled back into place.
"It really is about pushing it?" Fudge muttered, utterly shocked.