Kingsley frowned as he stepped into the lift. How had it come to this? Almost a year after the Battle of Hogwarts there was another one even bigger. He was just about to make a statement to his counsel who would then relay this to the wizarding world. The lift finally stopped and he got off and walked briskly down a badly lit corridor. He reached a door breathed in and entered.
'Good afternoon all,' Kingsley said as the people in the room stood up. Once he found the comfort of his chair he allowed them to sit down. He scanned the room. Arthur Weasley (and his assistant Alastor Gumboil), newly appointed leader of the Law Enforcement squad, Amos Diggory, Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Mafalda Hopkirk, Head of the Department for the Improper use of Magic, pulled out of retirement Gawain Robards, Head of the Auror Office, Percy Weasley, Head of the Department of International Magic Co-operation and Dirk Cresswell, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement were there. They sat with stern faces and heaps of paper beside them which they occasional rifled through and looked at before putting the paper back.
'As you were made aware this morning, Gellert Grindelwald has trapped a group of ten people inside a maze. No one has yet to penetrate the maze and Mafalda had already informed me that a sacrificial charm has been put upon it as well as an anti-apparition charms, anti-summoning charms…the list goes on. Basically we cannot get inside the maze or contact anyone in it. But bigger problems have emerged as well. Supporters of Voldemort and Grindelwald are gathering around the maze and have made their intentions to kidnap muggles and kill them to get into this maze. Not only can we not allow this, we can't condemn it. Mainly because we need to get into the maze as well,' explained Kingsley gravely, 'Any ideas.'
'Let me first commend you on sending ten people to their deaths, including our saviour Harry Potter. There were thirty of them. Yet you split them up and left them to their own devices. Harry told me that they were outnumbered and you were treating it like they would just round them up easily,' Arthur Weasley said coolly. Dirk Cresswell nodded in approval.
'I'm sorry Arthur. I made a mistake but now is the time to rectify that mistake. That is why I need your help. You did your research today. Now I shall ask you questions. Because at the moment from thirty magical countries there are ten thousand witches and wizards gathering at the maze to support Grindelwald,' Mafalda muttered 'Here, here,' and with a little confidence he continued, 'Dirk, How many are currently part of the Law Enforcement squad.'
'One thousand plus five hundred in training. This training is due to complete next week. The news about this has got out through out the day and a further thousand would like to join. We have researched these people and they are of the standard we might expect,' Dirk said slowly. Kingsley nodded.
'Mafalda, how many wizards are there of age in this country?' Kingsley asked.
'In this country, two thousand. But only five hundred between the age of twenty and forty,' she said quickly, stumbling on her words.
'Can you conscript them by next week?'
'With the right help,' she answered.
'Amos, I need fifty of your department to deal with animals once we are in the maze. Can you give me these people?' Kingsley asked.
'Yes, I will lead them for you. But, how will we get into the maze?' asked Amos in return.
'At the beginning of this meeting I admitted we can't condemn sacrificing people to get into the maze. We will have to do it ourselves,' Kingsley admitted. Everyone in the room looked shocked.
'Percy, how many people is there serving life sentences in Azkaban and prisons in countries we are in correspondence with?' Kingsley asked. Percy looked at his notes,
'In this country, thirty and in others, about a thousand.'
'Okay. Thank you Percy. I have a plan. Five hundred of the Law Enforcement Squad, the Auror department, the conscripts, skilled members of society and the magical creatures squad will buddy up-'Gawain Robards rose and interrupted Kingsley.
'This will never work. They outnumber us,' he shouted, red with rage.
'It will give us time. The rest of the law enforcement squad and conscripts will hold off the enemy while we get into the maze. Then they will retreat and defend our borders with the help of wizards sent by the Luxembourg, Slovakia and Tunisia. Once in the maze we shall find Grindelwald and kill hi and as many Death Eaters as we can. This will be the only way to disband this massive force outside the maze. They will be likely to dishearten them. But we have to act. Now.'
Angry, nervous, apprehensive, the people in the room nodded in approval as Kingsley swept from the room.
