There have been rumors circulating for years about Argus Scrimgeour's sudden retirement from the Auror Office in 1864, but there has been little reason for the subject to resurface — until now, at least. With Mr. Scrimgeour's sudden arrest (for none other than the serious charge of aggravated assault) making headlines following society gossip about his seemingly wayward daughter, many have questioned what might have led Mr. Scrimgeour from a life of crime-stopping to crime-doing.

While the Ministry has revealed startlingly little information on the circumstances surrounding Mr. Scrimgeour's assault on his daughter, Miss Annabelle Scrimgeour, there have been plenty of sources that have stepped forward to offer explanations into his actions.

"His retirement had nothing to do with any wrongdoing on his part — rather, it was the opposite," revealed a former auror, who requested his name not be revealed for privacy-related concerns. "He was an honorable man at work who faced an unfortunate face."

Comments then followed about the supposed "irony" of the situation, and when pressed further, the source revealed a shocking face — one never revealed to the public before. "He was tortured, you know, with the Cruciatus Curse. It was a nasty situation, alright. He was never the same."

The source then revealed that by no means does he feel that this excuses Mr. Scrimgeour for the actions against his daughter. "He was an honorable man at work, but there was always talk about- you know, his prejudices. He spoke ill of muggles. Poor people. I wouldn't be surprised if Miss Scrimgeour's discovery in 1880 put him in a moral dilemma of sorts. She wasn't raised in his family; she was raised by poor muggles."

When asked if he believed that Mr. Scrimgeour was hiding any dirty secrets within the walls of his home, the source laughed. "Dark magic? I don't think so, not Scrimgeour. I think he let that nasty temper of his — along with those prejudices — get to his head, and unfortunately his daughter was at the receiving end."