Chapter 76.2- Doom Days

“Amelia Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Alexander Burke, Head of the Accounting Department, Reginald Fawley, Head of the Department of Magical Transportation, and Ellias Brown, Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures are just some of the most notable casualties of last night’s rampage against the Ministry itself. There are credible accounts that say he visited the homes of several other Department Heads, but those homes remain standing and those men and women remain alive, making this writer wonder what they did to secure their lives. What they were willing to promise He Who Must Not Be Named exchange for keeping their positions. 

This writer also wonders why the Home of the Minister Fudge was not visited at all according to several notable sources. Remember that Ministr Fudge was the one who assured the wizarding world to ignore the warnings that came from Hogwarts headmaster and Wizengamot Chief Warlock, Albus Dumbleore. He assured us that there was no reason to increase the funding due to either the aurors or hitwizards and now has us in a situation where He Who Must Not Be Named has returned, and we are even less prepared to face him. The question then becomes, was this incompetence, or was it corruption? 

Is Minister Fudge in the pocket of He Who Must Not Be Named of his own free will, or he is just too stupid to realise he has become yet another useful idiot. This Journalist believes the former, but the latter is not far from believable by any means. ”

“This is shite” The minister could be heard roaring from his office as he tossed the paper into the flames. Flames that flashed green a second later and a man stepped in.

XXXXX- THE DARK LORD’S SERVANT

“Oh thank you Lucius. Thank you for coming. I assume you’ve seen the shite they’re writing about me” Lucius gave he man a look before he walked past him and took a seat in the office chair right opposite the minister’s.

“Take a seat, Cornelius. Clear the room” he ordered.

“What?”

“I know you heard me, my friend” He replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Give us the room” The minister ordered with a sigh as he turned to his Auror guard. A guard he held ever the closer now that the attacks had taken place and so many had been killed.

“Is it true, Lucius?” He asked, and Lucius silently wondered if this man was truly as empty headed as he played himself out to be. For the longest time, Lucius had felt it to be a camouflage of sorts, a tool he wielded to make those who he was opposed to, and even his allies to underestimate him. Take him for a less dangerous man. But perhaps Lucius had overthought things. Perhaps he was actually just that stupid in the first place. That would be inconvenient.

“Take your seat, Cornelius, and then we shall speak” He ordered again, and this time he was not refused. He so did dislike having to repeat himself but Cornelius’ position, unearned as it was, had earned him a few privileges. He would keep them if he managed to remain useful.

“I’m seated now, Lucius. Answer my question please. Is it true?”

“Depends on which part you refer to, my friend. Surely you’ve seen the remains at this point” Lucius had seen pictures from his tools in the auror office. His Lord had been far from delicate in his treatment of those who refused to capitulate. It was only Lucius’ care for the man that had seen Cornelius spared the same fate. The security around the Minister’s Manor was too tight for anything less than a full mobilization. And his Lord had learned his lesson from his first war. This one was going to be no war. This was going to be much more elegant, and less bloody if all went to plan.

“Is—is you-know-who, you know?”

“Is He back? Is that your question?” He did not bother to whisper like Fudge was. That time was behind them.

“Yes, yes. Is he?”

“What makes you think he was ever gone in the first place?”