Chapter 30: Secrets in the Ministry

"Work experience today," Shona sighed. It had been a week since they'd had a lecture on what jobs they could pursue in the future. Now, however, all work experience forms has been signed by parents (all parents had received a copy of the letter via owl.) And this gave Lucy another chance to speak to Snape after her urgent letters. He had replied to these, in a frustrated manner: 

What do you mean I'm coming back to Hogwarts? Have I got the job back? Don't play games with me, Lucy! I know I've got the sack and you're upset but I can't come back...

That was the first letter she had received back, but minutes later she got another one: 

So you are correct, I will be coming back to Hogwarts. Do not fret any longer, I will be back soon. I believe that I'll be coming back after your O.W.L'S, so I wish you the best of luck. I have signed your work experience form. I hope you enjoy your time with Mr. Fudge at the Ministry. Do behave yourself.

These were not the only letters she received, she also received a letter from the Minister the day before work experience day: 

Dear Miss Lucy Snape 

I have been informed that it has been confirmed by your father that you will be joining me tomorrow for your work experience. I do hope that you will enjoy yourself! Remember to dress smartly for me, I want to show you off to all the people in the Ministry!

- The Minister for magic 

P.S) Bring Merlin's sword. 

This had confused her, obviously but she wouldn't dare argue...

"Yeah," Lucy agreed as they walked side by side in their non-school uniform. Lucy was dressed in the smart outfit Anastasia had made for her and Shona was wearing a red Gryffindor t-shirt, jeans and a pair of muggle football boots. She wanted to do her work experience at the Ministry, yet Umbridge had not approved seeing as she was a Worthing. 

"You looking forward to seeing the Minister?" Shona wondered as she crossed her arms miserably; it was evident she wasn't too happy about teaching first years their first flying lesson with Madam Hooch. 

"I'm neutral," Lucy shrugged. "He asked me to bring Merlin's sword so I'm kind of curious." 

"Really? He did?" Shona's eyes widened in surprise. "Do you think he wants to take it from you like Umbridge tried to?" 

"I doubt it," Lucy muttered sourly. "He's a big fan of our medieval adventure." 

"If he's so enthused, why doesn't he come and do it for us?" 

"Because we'd all be dead and Zuc would just laugh when he asked for order." 

The two girls laughed as they stepped into the main courtyard where a group of students stood huddled around Professor McGonagall, giving her information as to what work experience they were doing. 

"Yes, Mr Longbottom I know — Miss Weasley! Please! One at a time! — Mr Smith, I know there has been a change of plans..." the words flowed out of McGonagall's mouth in a hurry as she tried to control the crowd of students.

"Well, I'm guessing that's where you sign in," Shona sighed and walked over to the swarming crowd of students. Lucy saw the Minister standing by the fountain and he waved at her, she waved back and he beckoned her over. She obeyed his command.

 "Are you ready to go?" He asked. 

"Haven't I got to sign in?" Lucy gestured to where McGonagall was standing and where Shona had just been swallowed by the crowd, so she had lost sight of her friend. 

"I've already done the honours," Fudge smiled. "Shall we be heading off?" Fudge held out his arm as if to indicate he was going to apparate. 

"But you can't apparate in Hogwarts!" 

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy, I am the Minister. I can have the spell lifted." Fudge was almost amused by her comment. "Now, are you ready to go?" 

"I guess?" Lucy whispered and took his arm, in the next second they were on their way to the Ministry of magic. 

*      *      *

A second later, they had arrived in the main hall of the Ministry of magic. A few heads turned to look at them and greeted them immediately; it was like they were royalty. 

Fudge looked down at the dumbstruck Lucy. "Yes, my dear, you have a lot of followers here at the Ministry. I have been convincing them since your hearing that you're such a good person. It has now become apparent that they have come to the conclusion that you in fact are a good person." 

"I didn't realise this many people knew about me." Lucy waved nervously to a wizard who had just bowed in front of her. 

"Everyone reads the prophet around here, I think you're considered outcast if you don't read the prophet." 

The Minister led her through the main hall and down to some elevators, it was early in the morning and therefore the place was hectic with people trying to get to their offices. Lucy and the Minister just about squeezed in the elevator that was the only available one there. 

"Do you do this everyday?" Lucy wondered.

"No, I get my own personal entrance." Fudge sighed, he didn't seem to pleased about using this way to get to his office. 

"Then why are we going this way?" 

"Because my personal entrance does not lead to where I am taking y — " 

The elevator began to move all of sudden, Fudge grabbed hold on to one of the overhead handrails and took hold of Lucy's shoulder. 

"I couldn't fall even if I tried, Mr Minister, there's far too many people in this elevator." 

"You think this is busy, you want to come in this elevator at the end of the day!" 

"I'd rather not..."

They stood in the elevator for a while, in fact they stood in the elevator until it was empty. Lucy had no idea as to why they had to wait into the elevator until it was empty. Lucy turned around to face Fudge. 

"What — ?" She began but he put a finger to his lips. 

"Not a word until we get off of this elevator, understood?" 

Lucy nodded and faced forward again, she had a feeling she was being told off for something but she couldn't quite figure out what that was. 

Fudge took out his wand and aimed it all the floor numbers that many people had used to get to their location of work. A spell was cast but no incantation was uttered, suddenly, the elevator was moving again. 

Dark shadows covered Lucy and the Minister's face for moments at a time as the elevator dropped them down to what Lucy had dubbed the unknown floor. She was excited yet scared as to what she was going to find on this unknown floor. She clutched Merlin's sword tightly in her hands.

The elevator suddenly creaked and shuddered as it came to a halt. Fudge stood in front of Lucy as the doors opened up and revealed a narrow dark corridor which led onto a large circular room. Lucy held her breath. The only thing her mind would keep into focus was that.

This place was familiar.

Lucy stepped out of the elevator and turned to Fudge. He looked at her and the look in his eyes encouraged her to ask questions. 

"Is there something you would like to ask?" 

"Yes." Lucy nodded. "Well it's not really a question, it's a statement." 

"Tell me." 

"I've been here before." 

Fudge blinked in surprise.

"I've been here in my dreams, I can remember everything that happened even now. It was a dream I had the day before I started my third year at Hogwarts. It was the first dream I ever had regarding evil." 

"If you would elaborate, please. I would like to know every detail of this dream."

Lucy took a deep breath and began. She started off with where Kingston himself had taken on a new allias as Mr Gulleys and this is how she first saw him. She also told him about how Kingston had killed Mr Bullivarda who had gone after the gifted the year before and was being punished because he didn't get te orb. 

"Such a fascinating story..." Fudge nodded understandingly. "Do you know why I have brought you here?" 

"No, I'm sorry." 

"I have come to show you the aftermath of your dream." 

Fudge began to walk forward, Lucy followed behind a few second later, nervous as to what she was going to see. Surely they had cleared up the mess that Kingston had made after making a wall explode down to Dover. 

They entered the circular room then took another hallway which was lined with doors either side, almost in a decorative manner. Their footsteps echoed just like Kingston's had in Lucy's dream until they reached black tiled steps. They descended the stairs and then stopped in front of a door, this was the last door available in the narrow corridor.

 "This room," Lucy whispered. "Has Mr Bullivarda - ?" 

"Yes, Lucy, he is gone. You don't think the Ministry would leave a corpse to rot in a room, do you?"

"Of course not," she muttered as the Minister pushed down on the handle and nudged her into the room, he followed closely behind. They were both immediately met with the sight of an entire wall blasted off on the side, you could still see the white cliffs of Dover. 

'Instead of walking one thousand miles I only have to walk down one hundred steps.' Lucy recalled Kingston saying just before he jumped out of the massive hole. 

"Why hasn't this been fixed?" Lucy said in wonder, voicing her thoughts aloud. "Surely it would have been fixed by now..."

"The Ministry saw no need to have it fixed, this room was to be no longer used therefore there was no point." 

"But Kingston could just climb back in and cause havoc!"

"No, trust me, he could never get back in. The Ministry is a highly safe place with guards everywhere." 

"I didn't see them."

"That's because they're hidden, no one can see them unless they properly paid attention." 

"But — "

"Why don't you go and take a look at the view of Dover?"

Lucy nodded weakly and stepped towards the hole in the wall until she was a metre away from it. She looked down and suddenly felt very nauseous. She couldn't believe she was standing just where Kingston had, it unnerved her a lot. She had no idea what to say. 

"Surely muggles can see this." She gulped. 

"Charms, Lucy, charms. Just how dear Hogwarts is protected." The Minister laughed, still amused by her comments. "You don't think we'd let muggles see us, do you?"

Lucy shook her head. But even though she trusted the Minister she wasn't so sure. 

"Do you really know why you're here?" 

"Work experience?" 

"No, I took you out of school on the only opportunity I had. I thought that it was vital for you to see the evidence the Ministry has of Zuc, Kingston and the medieval islands." 

"Oh...is there anything else to see but the aftermath of my dream?" 

"Of course, this part involves Merlin's sword." Fudge pointed to the sword and Lucy instinctively stepped back. "Do not fear, I will not take it from you."

"I didn't think you were going to."

Fudge gave her a look before leading her back to the old elevator and to another floor that Lucy didn't think many people knew about. She found herself in a massive room with weapons lining every wall. 

"Weapons." Fudge nodded to the bow in his hands that he had picked up, a sheath of arrows on the wall behind him sat there menacingly. "Only few people know that these are here, I personally had this secret department set up."

"But why?" 

Fudge blinked in surprise. "For you, of course!"

"For me? Why for me?"

"Well, I heard about how only magic wouldn't help you in defeating Zuc. Therefore I suppose you would like this alternate option..."

"It's great but I'm supposed to be getting on with my work experience!" 

"You're right, I shouldn't be showing you weapons...but, just to humor me..." he pointed to a nearby model of a knight. "Go chop that knight up."

"Mr Minister — " 

"No, no, I want to see if this is good enough for you." Fudge smiled and nudged her towards the figure. "Go on." 

Lucy stepped forward and took out Merlin's sword and looked at the fake knight. She felt like she had entered a big kids' playground. Instead of the swings, like in Spinners end, there was weapons. Even Lucy had to admit it was truly fantastic. 

She swung Merlin's sword at the figure of the knight and immediately is arm fell off. 

"Are we happy now?" Lucy asked Fudge as she turned around. He was still holding the bow that he had picked up earlier. 

"Yes," Fudge nodded and looked at the bow and then at Lucy. 

"Is there something wrong?" 

Fudge looked at the bow once more and at Lucy. It was as though he wanted to say something but he placed the bow down, thinking better of it. 

"No, nothing at all." Fudge smiled weakly. "Now shall we head up to my office and start your work experience? For I think Hogwarts might tell me off if they found out I'd been showing you weapons and a destroyed room rather than educating you in the ways of work." 

Fudge cringed slightly as he stepped towards the elevator. Lucy took one last look at the bow on the wall before joining him to head up to his office.