Chapter 3.

The AMC's Atrium.

A door appeared in front of them; or rather, they appeared in front of the door, sitting next to a dusty rutted track. A moment later, the heat of the midday sun hit them both, feeling like a huge hand pushing them down with its intensity. The intense heat almost made it impossible to breathe.

Around them was a dry dusty red landscape, acacia trees dotted around along with clumps of grass. Tony stepped up to the door and pulled it open, finding the now familiar small dusty room with its single closed door and little pieces of wood attached to the wall on either side. The small gold symbols seemed to glow in the dim room.

"Top left corner," Adam said as Tony reached up, he stopped and gave Adam and incredulous look before touched the plate. The door clicked and opened, showing a long corridor with terracotta tiles and light green painted walls. Many dark green closed doors lined either side of the corridor.

"This looks like the Ministry in London. Any idea on the reception we're likely to get?" Adam asked advancing along the corridor to the first door and stopping.

"You're not a policeman and I'm not an Auror, what could go wrong?" He reached up and tapped on the door Adam had stood beside; the one had seen Luthor Crabbe exit the last time they were here. The door swung open, showing another short corridor leading to yet another door.

"What is it with Wizards and bloody corridors?" Adam asked stepping forward.

The second door opened like the first, only this time bright light assailed their eyes as they entered a huge jungle scene. Adam stood opened mouth at the huge space, for a moment he thought they were outdoors until he saw a fine lattice of metal high in the sky. It reminded him of the Eden project, only a hell of a lot bigger.

The area before them, festooned with exotic plants and huge trees stretching up into the bright sky, forming a secondary canopy that filtered the bright sunlight. Adam, not surprised he couldn't name one plant or tree. He stared at the lattice support and saw that each section was filled with a sheet of glass or plastic.

Gone was the dry dustiness of the Savanna, replaced with a rich and pleasant damp earthy smell. He could see flickers of colour throughout the many plants, expecting them to be birds, but not sure. He could hear the chirps and cheeps of smaller creatures crawling along the great branches and trunks, oblivious to the people sauntering around the many pathways, glimpsed through the trees.

He stopped staring open-mouthed as he saw Luthor Crabbe striding towards him, a great smile on his face.

"Adam, good to see you." He shouted as he came closer, his hand outstretched as he arrived, and shaking Adam's with enthusiasm. "Welcome to the Ministry for the African Magical Congress." He shook Tony's hand as enthusiastically. "I assume Gwen is well and happy?"

"Well, yes, happy, not so." He replied Luthor nodded understanding in his eyes.

Adam looked up, mouth open again before looking back at Luthor and smiled. "I never expected this, it makes the Ministry in London seem so…" He left the sentence unable to find the right words.

"You realise that this is only the entrance. This way gentlemen." He grinned again, as they both gave him a look of disbelief, before walking off, leaving them to follow in his wake. Adam gave Tony a look, seeing he was as amazed as he was.

They followed Luthor along a marble tiled footpath. Strange plants were growing profusely across it in places. Many times, they had to duck to avoid overhanging branches and the odd creature that jumped from one side of the path to the other.

He led them to a small area that had many metal chairs and tables scattered around, situated under the umbrella of some huge tree. The spot gave then an unrestricted view of a huge set of windows, hundreds of feet high. Outside was a landscape that could only be from another planet. A flat grass plain stretched off into the distance, stopping at a great mountain range, the details lost in the hazy distance. They could see a river winding its way across the scene; large woods dotted the landscape at intervals, the river bridged here and there.

Luthor sat down, gesturing for them to do likewise as he pointed at the huge windows.

"This view is of an Extension we call Wood and it is just one Extensions. As you walk around the atrium." He waved his hand around, "You can see into each of the Extensions. The main entrance to each is in the middle of the wall of the actual Extension itself. The entrance you came through from the Serengeti is the only way to the Ministry from Earth."

"So everyone has to come through that door." He nodded at Adam. "How does it cope with that many people?"

"Few people use that entrance or exit. No one here has any reason to leave the extensions. In fact, some wizards and witches, who live here, believe anything outside of the Extensions is not real."

"They live their entire lives in here?" He asked amazed.

"Generations of people live their entire lives in here, some without ever knowing of your world."

"Do people not want to explore our world?"

"Adam, you could spend the whole of your life exploring one of these Extensions and not see all it has to offer, let alone nine."

Tony held up his hand. "Why is there twelve buttons on the door, if there are only nine extensions?"

"Good question and well spotted. The first is the entrance to the atrium and the Ministry." He waved his arm around expansively at the surroundings. "The second we will come to shortly, the next nine are self-explanatory. The twelfth is the entrance, or will be the entrance to the Extension that is still to be built."

"Why would you need another one, if these are so big?"

"No idea, but prophecies show we will build another."

Adam ignored the conversation; looking upwards, where he could see fine walkways stretching across the open space at different heights, bending around the trees.

He tore his eyes away from the surrounding wonders. "Where do the ministry people work?" He asked.

"Some work in the extensions, some work here in the ministry, some below us in the great halls."

"How many people do you need to run a single ministry?" He asked confused.

"The AMC is considerably larger than the Ministry in the UK. The AMC covers the whole of Africa although most of its indigenous people live in the Extensions."

"How old are the Extensions?" Asked Tony, tearing his eyes away from the surrounding wonders.

"The AMC, as far as I can tell, was the first Ministry, far older than yours, although there is some argument about this." He looked at them both. "We keep to ourselves mostly and avoid allowing anyone from outside to wander around."

"So, you'd rather not have us here?" Adam asked.

"We avoid it where possible, but no. Percy Weasley and his family spend a few weeks here each year."

"Why do you avoid allowing people in?"

"Because they would never leave again. By the time you've finished your work here, you will understand why."

Adam nodded while still trying to take in the surrounding views. "What plan do you have for us?" A small tray with cups saucers and a pot of tea or something appeared on the table before them.

"That is not for me to decide, you are still trying to find the wizard who is or was organising the murders."

"We have a good idea, but Darnell has been given asylum in your Ministry," Adam said taking his drink, not recognising the taste, but enjoying it all the same.

"Arcadius Darnell did not turn up for his hearing, so he is in effect not under any protection from our ministry. If you can find him, he is yours. As your Ministry has declared him a person of interest in a crime committed within its jurisdiction, we will honour the accords and hand him over." He took his own drink. "However, he has broken no laws in the Extensions."

"What about the port key?"

"Do you have proof that this was his doing?"

"No." Luthor shrugged his shoulders. "Do you have any idea where he is?"

"None, however, in times like this, I always find it a good idea to start at the beginning." He smiled at them both as they leaned towards him. "Float."

They both looked at him, wondering this was an instruction.

"The second extension is Float, which is a village and a major trading post within the Extensions. If you need something or someone, Float is the only place to go."

"Odd name?" Adam said.

"When you see it, you'll understand. I have arranged transport, which will be ready and waiting for you after we finish this drink. No need to hurry." He picked his own cup up and drank.

"Transport, why can't we apparate?" Tony asked, joining in after gaping at the scenery between sips of his drink.

"Apparition is not banned in the Extensions, you just can't do it." He put on his most charming smile.

"Why?" Tony asked.

"The people who originally made the Extensions or at least the first to live here; decided that apparition just allows you to flick from one place to another without regard to what is in between. They decided that the journey was more important than the arrival." He leaned forward in his chair. "You have had a hectic couple of weeks, consider this a chance to slow down and catch up with yourselves." He finished his drink and plonked the cup down at the same time as Adam, Tony having already finished his.

He looked up and smiled at them both. "If you're ready, I'll walk you to your transport."

"You're not coming with us?" Tony asked.

"No. I have work to do and as much as I would enjoy going with you, I cannot. However, I have arranged for you to have a guide who will aid and hopefully protect you from some of the more nastiness that can be found in the Extensions." Adam looked at Tony and received a noncommittal shrug.

They followed him across the atrium, following many paths, some small, some large, always travelling in different directions. Adam was thinking the atrium went on forever, knowing he was already lost and would never find his way back.

They rounded the bole of a particularly large unknown species of tree and found a small nondescript wooden door, like all the wooden doors they saw it was aged and worn, Adam assumed this was just for effect. Above it was a small piece of weathered wood with a symbol on it, which they assumed was the same the sign on the doorway from the Serengeti. Above this were windows, stretching upwards for many storeys, however, all they could see from their vantage point was the bright blue sky.

Luthor pushed it open and went out, followed by the other two, entering a pleasant harbour area. The dock was wood, again aged and worn, stretching out some distance from the doorway. On either side, there were small shops and storage warehouses, many boxes of all sizes piled up in places, a few people sitting, chatting, or moving objects around.

About a hundred meters away at the end of the dock stood a small boat. It had a small cabin, a standing area at the back with the tiller bent over, which looked like an English barge handle. The prow had a rail and little else. Luthor gestured towards the boat which they duly accepted, walking resolutely forwards, Tony in the lead, eager as usual, until he halted, Adam walked into him.

"What's wrong?" He asked stepping around him. His breath caught in his throat as he looked out at what he expected to be a lake. The strange little boat was hanging motionless in the air, just as Tony's Aunt Matilda did, which wasn't the reason for the sudden surprise. Below the boat, many hundreds of feet below was the canopy of an enormous jungle, which seemed to stretch to the horizon in all directions. Small fluffy clouds were scattered across the landscape, a long way below them.

Luthor stood beside them both.

"Amazing sight isn't it, I remember my first view, took my breath away, just like you two." He took a deep breath. "Enjoy this moment, because you will never see it again in this light." They both looked around in concern. "I often wish I could come and see it again, for the first time."

"How high up are we?" Tony asked Luthor shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no idea." He looked at Adam. "Wizards aren't really bothered about heights, if they fall, they can always use a spell, or hopefully someone sees them and helps. Every boat will have catch spells underneath them. If you fall don't worry, you won't be the first or the last." They all went back to the view.

"I'd like to say I feel better after knowing that." He said unable to take his eyes off the view.

"You will, when you fall," Luthor replied matter-of-factly.