VII
Severus had expected another quiet day at the Ministry. But although things seemed quiet enough when he and Jennifer stepped into the lobby, he couldn't help but notice a strange tension in the air that hadn't been there before. Jennifer glanced over at him curiously but didn't say anything as they approached the desk.
"Good afternoon, Darla," Jennifer said to the thin, long-faced girl sitting there. "Stuck out here again, I see."
"Hullo, Professors," Darla said curiously, glancing over a strange book in front of her that was flipping about as if searching for a name. "Is someone expecting you? Nearly everyone is out of the office on Sundays…"
"We're here to see Minister Malfoy, if you don't mind," Severus said.
"Oh…well, I'm sorry, but Minister Malfoy isn't seeing anyone this afternoon," Darla said.
"And since when have I been considered anyone?" Severus asked bluntly. Darla grimaced, leaning forward.
"You are going to get me fired again," she said quietly.
"And the moment Penelope has another day off he'll rehire you again," Severus said unconcernedly. Jennifer fought the impulse to smile. "But I can threaten you with some unpleasantness if you like."
"Oh, go on then. I suppose I owe it to you, but don't be surprised if you meet with a sour reception," Darla said with exasperation as she waved them through.
"Thank you," Jennifer said with a warm smile as they walked down the hall. "You know, one of these days, Severus, we're going to run into someone in this place that doesn't owe you a favor and then what'll we do?" she teased him.
"Then I'll know I've finally outlived my usefulness," Severus said. Jennifer let out a short exasperated sigh.
"Surely you really don't believe that, Severus?" Jennifer said.
Severus said nothing, continuing down the hall until he noticed a familiar figure turning towards them from a side corridor. It was Arthur…looking unusually somber and concerned…and strangely old. It never really seemed to show when he was in a better mood, which was most of the time, but at that particular moment it was disturbingly evident, bleakly reminding Severus that the rest of the world did not stand still around them.
"Hullo, Arthur! Something wrong?" Jennifer asked.
"Hm? Oh, good afternoon," he said, shaking himself out of his thoughts and giving them a warm smile. "No, nothing wrong…with me, that is. I just had an engagement with Will Conners for lunch, only he doesn't appear to be here. Not really like him to forget, that's all."
"Well, he has probably been under a lot of strain concerning this…new initiative," Severus said carefully.
"True enough," Arthur agreed with a nod. "Well! I'd best be off for now. Come by the house sometime before you head back to the school, Severus, Jennifer, you really don't come around enough. Molly would love to see you, and she's been going on about how she hasn't met Lucky yet."
"You're right! We really ought to drop by, Severus," Jennifer agreed.
"Very well, we'll Owl you and make some arrangements…"
"I think not, Severus. Just drop by, anytime. Not like the house is ever empty, at least not if Molly can help it," Arthur chuckled, waving to them. Severus nodded back in return as they continued on.
"He really does seem worried about Will, Severus. It seems that they've known each other for ages, worked in adjacent departments," Jennifer whispered to him. "I have a bad feeling about it."
"As do I. In fact, there is nothing about this entire situation that I do like," Severus admitted. "Come on."
Chester, the Minister's faun secretary, looked quite wide-eyed to see them come in but didn't make any attempts to stop Severus as he strode through the room and straight into Draco's office with Jennifer not far behind.
Draco was hardly alone, for there were half a dozen of his advisors there, including Thomas' assistant, Adler Bosworth, who immediately squinted at them as they came in. Jennifer also noticed a faint wavering in the air, knowing that meant that Draco's private guard was present as well.
"I don't care how they did it, Bosworth! I care about who did it and when!" Draco was shouting at him when they came in. "Don't let him send you back until he has a better answer! What are you looking at?" He added in frustration, his eyes then darting towards the door. "Just how did you get in here?"
"Fought our way through, wands blazing…" Severus said casually.
"Right," Draco said. "Bosworth, are you still here? Go back to the council chamber like I told you to and fire Chester and Miss Spinner on your way! And don't you dare mention any of this to anyone!"
"As you like, but don't expect me to fill those positions for you or let you get angry at me when anyone else wanders in because they're not there…"
"Fine! Fine! I'll fire them later, just get back to work," Draco growled at him. Adler bowed his head and walked out with a curled lip, ignoring the look that Jennifer was giving him. "I don't suppose you know anything about this, Snape?"
"That would depend on what exactly you're referring to," Severus said calmly.
"To these accusations, of course! Get out…get out all of you," he said, shooing away the rest of his assistants who seemed quite relieved to be leaving. "Bad enough they keep picketing magic neighborhoods, the constant Howlers…as if I were solely responsible for what the Council does!" Draco shouted angrily at Severus, who simply gazed expressionlessly at him in return. "I suppose you're here to apologize for your brood's actions in all of this?"
"My what?" Severus' expression changed for a split-second before recovering. "I came here to apologize for no one. What accusations are you speaking of?" Draco squinted at Severus a moment as if trying to discern his intentions. At last he shrugged slightly and grabbed a paper off his desk, thrusting it at him.
"See for yourself if you like! Despite what it indicates, I have nothing to hide!" he said defensively. Severus took it and unfolded it with Jennifer crowding to look over his shoulder.
"'To the Minister Pretender," Severus read, adjusting his glasses. "Your efforts at corruption will soon be at an end, for your dishonesty in gaining your position has been revealed. The scales of injustice will be your undoing. Resign now, or prepare to be stripped from office.'"
"Scales of injustice?" Jennifer repeated questioningly.
"Yes," Severus mused. "I wonder if they're speaking of an actual item instead of just a metaphor."
"Bosworth wondered as well, which is what led us to the council chamber. It appears that the Scales of Judgment has been tampered with," Draco said. "And I'm sure you can guess the last time that thing has been used."
"It's used during the general election, isn't it? To tally the popular votes for Minister of Magic," Jennifer said.
"And determine who will receive fifty extra council votes when the Council is convened," Severus added with a nod, bringing the note up closer.
"But what reason would you have to tamper with such a thing? You were the clear cut favorite from the beginning, Draco," Jennifer said.
"Exactly! Someone is trying to frame me!" Draco agreed emphatically. "If anyone needed any vote tampering, it's that loser Conners! He never had a chance! He has as much people-skills as a wet blanket." Severus cleared his throat softly.
"I suppose you haven't spoken to him about this note, then?" he asked, handing it back.
"Of course not! Do you think I'm stupid enough to mention something like this to anyone? Besides, he's been driving me crazy with all these complaints about this silly non-magic registration issue. As if I personally was the one responsible, and not the council!" Draco said, his temper rising again. "Why is it that no one ever seems to realize that I can't pass laws on my own? Why is it that I am always seeming to take the fall for what the entire council does?"
"No one actually forced you to run, Draco," Severus pointed out, his low steady voice somehow muting Draco's bellowing. "That you come under attack for the Council's actions is hardly unusual. It happens in every republic and democracy I have ever heard of. It's easier for people to blame an individual person for their actions rather than realize they themselves might have something to do with them coming about. But if you didn't know that when you decided to enter politics, you've no one to blame but yourself. You should have known what you were getting into…"
"Perhaps I did, Snape," Draco snapped, although his voice had somehow lost its edge. "But someone had to step in to that shambled mess we once called the Ministry and I was the only one capable of putting it back on its feet."
"I wouldn't disagree with that," Severus said evenly. "In fact, I don't believe Jennifer would even disagree with that." Jennifer did a double take.
"Well, you're quick to put me in a spot lately, aren't you?" she muttered to Severus. "Perhaps I wouldn't, and I also agree that you did know what you were getting into, Draco. Still, I would think this set-up attempt is rather obvious. Mind if I go take a look at the Scales?" Draco waved her on immediately.
"Check the feather that balances the Scale, Jennifer…"
"I know, I know, Severus," Jennifer said with a sigh as she walked out of the room.
"Now, Draco, you and I had better discuss the way your handling this," Severus said.
"You have no room to talk! I have seen you blow up over lesser things in your day…"
"I wasn't speaking about your attitude," Severus said, raising his voice for the first time. "And I will thank you not to refer to anything I did in the past as 'in my day!' I was speaking of how you were politically handling this. If you wish to storm about and come off like a spoiled brat who had his favorite toy taken away from him, I couldn't care less. Storm away all you like."
Draco gazed at Severus warily, apparently not in the mood to storm anymore.
"Exactly what do you mean, how I'm handling this politically?" Draco asked at last.
"Attempting to hide the note is helping no one but your enemy. Just because those who know you personally can plainly see that this is a set-up doesn't mean the public at large will. They are just as distrustful of the government as they always have been and will be quick to condemn you, especially if you try to cover it up."
"Do you mean you expect me to go to the public with this?" Draco gaped at him.
"I expect you to do more than that. I expect you to withdraw any and all Ministry officials from the case at once and immediately hand this to an independent inquiry. If you attempt to cover it up, you will be committing political suicide," Severus said, suddenly getting into his cloak pocket and pulling out a book, tossing it at Draco.
"All the President's Men? What is this for?" Draco asked.
"It is a warning. The only one I plan on giving you," Severus said. "If I were you, I'd also have a chat with Conners about all of this before too long. I believe I shall have a chat with him myself in point of fact, and then I plan on washing my hands of this. I have meddled more than I wanted to as it is," he said and strode out of the room.
"Clever," Jennifer said as her eyes focused in on the feather in front of her. It was long and sleek, and only with careful inspection did she see the cause of the problem. "Quite brilliant, actually."
"A useful observation, I'm sure," Adler said, getting an icy look in response.
"Were you expecting something else?" Jennifer asked with mocking innocence as she turned back to her examination.
"Not really from you, no. I was planning to get a real expert in items in here. As has been often said, those who can, do, those who can't, teach," Adler sneered. Jennifer stopped cold, staring at him again.
"Don't ever let me catch you saying that in front of my husband, Bosworth," Jennifer said flatly.
"Why? It's a common phrase, I doubt he would fight me a wizard's duel over it," Adler said amusedly.
"No, but I might," Jennifer said seriously.
"Is that a threat? You know how seriously threats against Ministry officials are taken these days, Mrs. Snape…"
"It's not a threat. It's a warning, and I suggest you heed it."
"Get off my crime scene, Mrs. Snape," Bosworth said tiredly. Suddenly there was a curious knock at the door and Jennifer quickly turned her attention back to the feather, gently picking it up with her glove.
"I see the two of you are getting along about as I expected," Severus said as he strode in, looking between them. "What have you learned?"
"It seems that the perpetrator got through their advanced systems quite easily because they used no magic at all. The tips of each barb of the Ma'at Feather have been carefully brushed with a faint dust layer of pure gold, and nothing corrupts like gold does," Jennifer said, handing the feather out for him to inspect, but he glanced at it only briefly.
"Clever," Severus murmured. "Rather brilliant, actually…"
"Exactly what I said," Jennifer said, glancing over at Adler.
"However, you should probably get a specialist in here," Severus finished.
"What?" Jennifer said.
"Exactly what I said," Bosworth put in.
"An expert in ostrich feathers, Jennifer, as you said yourself this isn't a case of a charmed item but an intentionally damaged one," Severus said. "This feather has been artificially preserved over the years, but the gold has done its work, and perhaps a bird specialist may be able to at least guess how long this gold has been on it. For without a time frame, even a stray Muggle who wandered in may have done it, if he knew what to look for."
"So it may have been done recently to cover something else…" Adler mused.
"Yes, well, I doubt that is what happened but better to be safe in matters like this. Come Jennifer, let's get out of his way," Severus said abruptly, coaxing her with a hand on her arm.
"You're right, Severus, he probably needs all the room he can get," Jennifer retorted. Adler gave her a forced smile, while Severus ignored it entirely.
"I think we've done all we can here for one day," Severus murmured to her as they walked out.
"Did you learn anything more from Draco?" Jennifer asked.
"Yes, I learned that Draco has a lot to learn," Severus murmured.
"That doesn't sound helpful," Jennifer commented.
"No, not really…" Severus admitted, but paused when he heard some commotion down the hall. "Oh, now what?" he asked grumpily, but picked up the pace.
"I want everyone here to just take a seat somewhere, nobody is leaving the building! I don't want anyone going in or out without a wand check!" Thomas ordered, glancing their way. "I'm afraid that includes both of you as well. No one leaves until they are cleared."
"Cleared from what?" Severus asked.
"For the death of William Conners," Thomas said. Jennifer stared at her father in shock; while Severus simply resigned himself to the fact it was going to be a long night.
