Author's Note: This is a little side story that goes with my multi-chapter fic "The Bloody Babies." You don't, however, have to read that story to understand this story. This story just references something that happened in Chapter 3 of "The Bloody Babies." In that chapter, Lucius murdered an Auror inside the Ministry with a Minister worker's wand. Lucius then returned the stolen wand before going to a meeting with Fudge. Lucius did this on Voldemort's order in order to create chaos and panic within the Ministry itself. This story is the events that occur immediately after the Auror's body is discovered. This story happens before Chapter 4 of "The Bloody Babies."
Lucius was talking with Fudge in his office about donations he wanted to make to various places when the screams were first heard.
"What's going on?" Fudge asked in a frightened voice.
"I have no idea," Lucius replied calmly, "but we should see if we can be of any assistance." Lucius stood up and began to make his way out of Fudge's office.
"Lucius, are you sure that's a good idea?" came Fudge's voice from behind him.
Lucius turned his head and noticed that the other man was still seated.
"The screams sound pretty bad," Fudge explained. "What if someone dangerous is out there?"
"Someone could be hurt," Lucius responded. "If they are, we should try our best to help them. That's only the right thing to do."
Fudge could not argue with Lucius on this, so he reluctantly followed the blond-haired wizard out of his office and towards the direction where the screams were coming from.
They were not the only curious ones, though. In fact, they quickly became a part of a good-sized crowd.
Lucius had spent enough time in the Ministry to know that most of these people did not really care if someone was hurt. They just wanted to see whatever was causing all the drama.
Lucius could not help but roll his eyes. These people pretended to care about the Wizarding society. These people pretended to be better than the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters.
These people were hypocrites. They were no better than anyone else.
Yet, if these people had known that Lucius was a Death Eater, they would feel justified in judging and condemning him.
They eventually came upon the hallway where all the commotion was coming from. It was the hallway, to no surprise to Lucius, where he had murdered an Auror earlier that afternoon.
So, the body had been discovered before Lucius had left the Ministry after all. He had wondered whether or not that would happen.
Lucius quickly spotted a group of wizards and witches that were nearest to the body. It was clear that they were there to both investigate the murder and to keep the crowd away.
Lucius recognized most of the faces (he spent a lot of time in the Ministry, after all), but several faces really stood out. Millicent Bagnold, the current Minister of Magic, a woman who could not be easily manipulated. Barty Crouch Sr., the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, a man known for his ruthlessness towards suspected Death Eaters. Alastor Moody, an Auror that no Death Eater wanted to meet in battle if it could be avoided. Arthur Weasley, an Order of the Phoenix member, a man that Lucius absolutely hated. The blond-haired wizard curled his lips slightly.
"Very bold indeed," Moody remarked to the wizards and witches gathered with him. "A murder inside the Ministry itself. And he's a fellow Auror. Very bold indeed."
"Murder?" one of the witches gasped, her face pale with fear. "Impossible."
"I know the Killing Curse when I see it," Moody growled.
"How long do you think this man has been here for, Moody?" Arthur asked.
"No more than a couple of hours," Moody replied. "I walked through this hallway to get back to my office after lunch, and he was not here." Moody shook his head. "I just saw him this morning, alive and well. Poor Thomas."
"Do you think it's possible that the murderer is still here?" Crouch pressed.
"It depends on whether or not murder was this person's only motive for being here," Moody answered. "There's no telling. The murderer may still be in the Ministry, or he or she may be long gone by now."
"Well, if there is a chance that the murderer is still somewhere in this building," Crouch snarled, "I want him or her found."
Crouch turned to Bagnold. "Minister, do the Aurors and I have permission to seal off the entire Ministry and to check everyone's wand?"
Bagnold nodded her head.
"Thank you, Minister," Crouch responded. "All right, let's get to work. And make sure to check everyone's wand. I don't care if you think they're your best friend. Everyone is a suspect, no matter who they are."
"I'll go put wards on the building," Moody offered, "so that no one can leave until his or her wand is checked."
Crouch nodded his head. Moody was known to be extremely skilled with wards.
Moody walked off, the crowd parting for him with no needed encouragement. He had quite the reputation, after all.
Meanwhile, Crouch and the rest of the Aurors approached the gathered wizards and witches.
"Everyone, take out your wands," Crouch ordered, "and don't try to leave until you are cleared."
"A murder inside the Ministry itself," Fudge whimpered from Lucius's side. "I can't believe it. Are we not safe anywhere? I would think that we would at least be safe here."
"We are at war, Fudge," Lucius responded, even though he made sure to keep his voice respectful. "Safety just does not exist, no matter how much we wished it did."
Fudge looked around nervously. "And to think that there's a possibly that the murderer is someone in this crowd, someone so close to us."
He did not notice the slight smirk on Lucius's face.
Lucius watched as several Aurors left the hallway, no doubt to find every single individual in the Ministry who was not in this hallway.
Lucius also noticed that no one left alone after they had been cleared. Instead, they waited for several others to be cleared as well before they left. It was clear that no one wanted to go anywhere alone, not when there was the possibility that a murderer might still be on the loose somewhere inside the building.
Chaos and panic, Lucius thought. Exactly what the Dark Lord wanted.
Lucius and Fudge were both still waiting for their wands to be checked when Moody returned.
And as fate would have it, Moody spotted them.
It must be my hair, Lucius thought with some amusement.
Moody made his way towards them. He glared at Lucius. Lucius just inclined his head at the Auror.
"Your wand, Mr. Malfoy," Moody said.
"Has Arthur Weasley's wand been checked yet?" Lucius asked casually.
Arthur, who was nearby, heard Lucius's voice and glared at him. The blond-haired wizard just smirked.
"I don't see what Mr. Weasley has to do with this," Moody growled.
"Crouch said to check everyone's wand, regardless of whether or not they are a friend," Lucius drawled. "I just wanted to make sure that there will be no favoritism here."
Moody sighed in annoyance. "Arthur, come over here please."
The red-haired wizard made his way over to them.
"Let me check your wand," Moody spoke, "so that Mr. Malfoy here doesn't think that I'm being unfair towards him."
Arthur glared at Lucius, but he handed his wand over to Moody.
The Auror performed several spells on Arthur's wand.
"All right, Arthur," Moody finally said, returning the wand, "you're good to go."
Moody then turned to look at Lucius. "Happy now?"
"Yes, very much so," Lucius smirked. "Thank you for your kind consideration of my feelings."
"Just give me your wand," Moody hissed.
"Of course," Lucius said in his sweetest voice.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lucius noticed that Arthur was looking at Moody with a hopeful expression on his face.
Lucius's lips curled. He knew that Arthur Weasley would love nothing more than to see him in Azkaban.
Not going to happen today, Arthur. Sorry to disappoint you.
"You're clear," Moody finally said, with obvious reluctance in his voice.
Lucius had to resist the temptation to laugh at the look of outrage on Arthur's face.
There was suddenly the sound of a cry of distress.
"No," a man's voice said. "No, it wasn't me. I swear it wasn't."
"Your wand has performed the Killing Curse recently, very recently," Crouch spoke.
"But I didn't do it," the man insisted.
"Is this your wand or not?"
"It is, but-"
"Then I need no more proof," Crouch interrupted.
"Wait a moment, Barty," Moody spoke. "Let me ask him a few questions first."
Crouch sighed, but he stepped aside for the Auror.
"Have you had your wand on you the entire afternoon?" Moody asked the man.
"No. I've been out my office for most of the afternoon, and I forgot to take my wand with me. I left it on top of my desk."
Moody looked at the man in complete astonishment. Clearly, it was complete foolishness to Moody for any wizard or witch to not have their wand on them. It was also complete foolishness to the Auror for any wizard or witch to just leave their wand out in the open, where anyone could see it and pick it up.
This was the only thing that Lucius and Moody would ever agree on.
"A likely story," Crouch sneered at the man.
"A story that can easily be checked by Veritaserum," Moody offered. He looked over at Bagnold.
"I agree with Alastor," the Minister said. "I want this man's story checked first before we take any further action on him."
"Fine," Crouch said, with noticeable reluctance in his voice. "I still want everyone else's wand checked, though, just in case someone else was involved."
"All right," Bagnold replied. "I'll be with Alastor, to see what we can learn from our suspect."
Lucius watched as Moody led the man away, closely followed by the Minister. The crowd once again got out of Moody's way with no needed encouragement.
"I know him, Lucius," Fudge spoke. "He's a good friend of mine. There's no way that he could have ever done something like this."
"If he didn't do it," Lucius responded, "then I seriously doubt the murderer will ever be caught."
Most of the people in the crowd were still looking around nervously. It was clear that they were thinking along similar lines.
What if the murderer was still among them? What if the murderer decided to strike again? It was now clear that being inside the Ministry was not enough to keep you safe. What then could possibly keep the murderer from striking again?
Chaos and panic indeed, Lucius thought with a slight smirk.