Recap: The Requiters set off the curse inside the Ministry, leaving it completely without power. Ron was following a lead outside the Auror Office, so he wasn't at the Ministry when the Requiters cursed it. Harry sent Hermione out of the Ministry to meet up with Ron and work out of a captive, Morris Gregor, how to release the magic. Harry and Kingsley stayed at the Ministry, trying to keep the workers calm, despite them running out of oxygen after the Ministry sealed itself. Gregor deceived them and took both of them captive.

10:00:00... 10:00:01... 10:00:02... 10:00:03...

The fireplace surged to life with green flames in a house in Westchester. Ron and Hermione fell out of it, on their hands and knees. Morris Gregor followed behind them, with his and Ron's wand pointed at the pair of them.

The room was crowded with people, and they quickly surrounded Ron and Hermione. A pair of them seized them by the arms and held them in a kneeling position.

One man stepped forward. He had a long pepper-gray beard and dark eyes. Zeus Vejovis.

"Do you have it?" Vejovis asked, looking away from Ron and Hermione.

"Here," said Morris, handing the device over.

Vejovis took it in his hands and observed it. "Perfect containment," said Vejovis. "This is all the magic powering the Ministry?"

"The girl came from the Ministry," said Morris, offering Hermione's wand. Vejovis took it and felt how cold and dead it was.

"You saved me a considerable amount of time," said Vejovis. "I really ought to thank you. I was afraid I'd have to wait for the Ministry to tear itself apart in it's panic before I could reclaim this."

He reached into the folds of his robes and withdrew a small leather-bound book. "Recognize the author?" Vejovis asked, flashing them the cover. "Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington? He wrote all his adventures down before he died, you know. Explained in detail the magic. The book was never published- he is a dreadful writer."

Vejovis flipped to a specific page and held it up for them to see. "It explains exactly how to destroy the magic altogether, so that it can never return to its origin."

"So what happens next?" asked Ron. "You take away all the magic in the world and keep yours? You become the only wizard?"

Vejovis slapped him across the face. "I would never!" the crazy old man snarled. "It is my intention to rid the world of magic entirely!"

10:06:16... 10:06:17... 10:06:18... 10:06:19...

Ron and Hermione hadn't checked in.

Harry kept glancing at his watch every few minutes. He'd resigned himself to waiting by the telephone in Misuse of Muggle Artifacts. Hermione had left nearly half an hour ago. Even with London traffic, that meant she had to be at Eazeem's apartment with Ron and Gregor. Hermione and Ron had worked out a plan into deceiving Morris, but had it worked?

There was the chance Morris had taken advantage of them and gotten away. Or they'd been taken.

Harry shook his head of such thoughts. Ron was a capable Auror and Hermione could handle herself. He had problems here he had to worry about.

"Harry," came a voice, and Harry turned around to see Neville.

"You'd better come quick," said Neville.

Harry followed Neville down the lifts- still using the climbing gear to the best of their ability- to the atrium.

Before they'd reached it, Harry could hear the raised voices. They arrived at the atrium to find it in an uproar. Kingsley was standing on the Fountain of Magical Brethren and trying to speak loud enough to be heard.

Harry pushed through the crowd and leaded up beside him. Sticking two fingers into his mouth, he let out a loud whistle, prompting the people standing close to him to cover their ears.

"Hey!" Harry shouted over the few remaining voices. "Show some respect for your Minister!"

The crowd settled into a guilty silence.

"Thank you," said the booming voice of Shacklebolt. "Now. I want to ask you all once again to remain calm. We are working on returning power to the Ministry."

"I'm with Magical Maintenance!" someone in the crowd shouted. "And we haven't been told nothin' about what's happening! We should be the ones to fix it!"

"Is this some kind of attack?" called someone, who looked suspiciously like a reporter for the Daily Prophet.

"How can we get out of here without magic?" asked someone else.

"Someone said we'll suffocate! Is that true?"

The crowd's voice surged into a panic again and Harry whistled once more. "If it's true we are running out of air," said Shacklebolt, "then the important thing is to save your beath and stop shouting."

Some of the wizard saw some sense in what Shacklebolt was saying, although none of them understood the science of oxygen and respiration.

"I will ask once more," said Shacklebolt, "that everyone remain calm. We are working to return power to the Ministry."

Harry realized his heart had been pounding the whole while. Shacklebolt clearly understood crowd control, but how much longer could they keep it up?

10:16:06... 10:16:07... 10:16:08... 10:16:09...

Ron and Hermione watched as Vejovis spoke an incantation into the device.

"How is he not using his wand?" Ron whispered.

Hermione had noticed this too. Vejovis was holding the cylinder with both hands, and his focus was entirely on it. She didn't see his wand.

"I'm not sure," she said, risking a glance at one of the Requiters. He was holding the Sir Nicholas's spellbook. "I bet the answer's in there."

"On my mark, grab it," said Ron. "It can't be long now."

Vejovis stopped speaking then. The cylinder remained motionless.

Some of the other Requiters started to murmur amongst themselves. "Did it work?" one asked. Ron surreptitiously stuck two fingers down the backside of his boot. He felt something warm and wooden in his boot and muttered an incantation. The ropes binding his and Hermione's hands loosened soundlessly.

Vejovis didn't answer the Requiter. He could only stare at the cylinder, clueless.

"I don't understand..." he said.

"Does this help?" asked Ron.

Vejovis looked around to see Ron pointing his wand at him. "Now!" Ron said.

Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and lunged for the spellbook. As soon as it was in her grasp, Ron turned on his heal and disapparated.

The Requiters stood in shock. Vejovis slowly turned to Gregor Morris.

"B-but..." Morris stammered. "I have his wand!" He held up the stick, perfectly identical to Ron's wand. Then, it transformed into a rubber chicken. Morris could only stare at it haplessly.

"The cylinder is a fake too! Follow them!" Vejovis growled.

10:23:49... 10:23:50... 10:23:51... 10:23:52...

Ron and Hermione landed in a deserted alleyway in London. They stepped out into the light. There were Muggles everywhere, going about their day as if nothing was happening.

"I know the number," said Hermione. "Follow me!"

She grabbed his hand and the pair of them ran to the nearest red phone box. Hermione inserted the coins and dialed the number. Ron kept his wand out and stared out the windows of the little box.

"Any sign of them?" Hermione asked, as it rang.

"Not yet," said Ron.

Hermione listened to the phone ring several times.

"They're not picking up!" she said, frustrated. The phone box interrupted the ringing to ask for more coins.

"Hermione!" said Ron.

Two Requiters were walking out of the alleyway Ron and Hermione came from and were scanning the crowd. One of them locked eyes with Ron in the phone box.

"We need to go!" said Ron.

He ripped open the door and the pair of them ran into the crowd. Cars honked at them when they crossed the road. Several people shouted angrily at them. Ron turned back to see the Requiters hot on their trail.

"We have to get somewhere we can take a stand," said Ron, hurrying around a man lifting a massive box.

"I can't use magic, remember!" said Hermione.

"I know- I know-" said Ron.

They stopped to catch their breath and Ron looked back. The Requiters appeared to be gone for now.

"What's this?" Ron asked. They were standing next to a tall building with plastic sheets covering the windows.

"It's being remodeled," said Hermione, panting. "From the fire."

"Perfect," said Ron. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in.

The Requiters, watching from a distance, saw them.

"Inform the others that we've got them," said one.

10:30:09... 10:30:10... 10:30:11... 10:30:12...

Ron led Hermione into the abandoned lobby. "Hide behind the welcome desk," he instructed. "Find the passage to return the magic and use the phone to call Harry. Keep trying him."

"What about you?" Hermione asked.

"I'm going to draw them away," said Ron, pointing to the stairs.

"No, absolutely not," argued Hermione. "It's too dangerous!"

"Hermione, your magic's not working," argued Ron. "Find the answer and get it to Harry. The sooner you get in touch with him, the sooner they can send reinforcements."

Hermione nodded. "Okay."

Ron smiled. "I love you."

Hermione tried to smile back. "You too."

Ron left her there and ran for the stairwell. As he waited, he faintly heard Hermione turning pages in the spellbook.

Then, they came. The Requiters opened the door with their wands already drawn.

Ron shot a nonverbal Stun at one, who yelped and fell flat on his back. Ron cast several more jinxes, and made a show of running up the staircase. It led to the first floor directly above the welcome desk. He risked a glance down to watch Hermione reading over the spellbook.

"Come on, then!" Ron shouted. "Come at me!"

More Requiters followed them into the building, taking refuge behind the chairs, coffee tables, and potted plants in the waiting area.

Making sure he was in full sight of them, Ron retreated, running to the far end of the building. He found himself in an open area with several cubicles. He waved his wand and magicked them into a somewhat defensible position. He designed it to constantly have something he could take cover behind- a desk or a cubicle wall. Each time he fell back, though, the Requiters could use what he left behind as cover, too.

Ron realized he wasn't going to last long.

He hid behind his first life of defense, a cubicle while. Peering around the corner, he could hear the Requiters thudding up the stairs. As soon as the first one passed the corner, Ron cast a spell on him, and he passed out cold.

They pulled him back and Ron cast a few more spells. Right now he had the advantage. He lost focus though, and a spell shot at him. He dodged it and it hit the cubicle wall behind him.

He retreated to behind the flames and ducked down, underneath a desk. The smoke could work as a screen, hiding him from their attacks. He saw a few pairs of feet advancing past the corner.

He shot burning spells at them, and they collapsed, tearing at their shoes and feet.

Ron checked behind him- there was only about twenty feet between him and the back wall. He was running out of time.

A killing curse struck the desk above him, incinerating it. Ron cast yet another stunning spell in that direction and retreated further.

More and more of the wizards were filling the room now. A few of them ventured into the smoldering ruins of the first cubicle.

Ron was running out of time.

10:38:04... 10:38:05... 10:38:06... 10:38:07...

Hermione was furiously flipping through the spellbook. She could hear the battle raging on the floor above her. She didn't know how much longer Ron could hold them off.

She found one excerpt that looked promising. The Stolen Magic

I wasn't aware what the thief, Jupiter, intended to do with the magic once it was stolen. I committed years of study to the phenomena of "contained magic" after the events. I discovered that once magic is contained it can be destroyed or released. The incantations for both are as folllows.

Well that's what I'm looking for, thought Hermione. But how to release the magic if you didn't have any magic. She thought back to Vejovis as he recited the incantation to destroy the magic. He hadn't been using a wand... was it possible for someone without magic to do that? Of course not, she chided herself. You have to have magical blood to perform magic. That's basic stuff.

"Crucio!"

She heard the voice, amplified by the effects of the Sonorous Charm, followed immediately by Ron's anguished screaming.

"We know you can hear him!" they shouted.

They were speaking to her.

"Bring the spellbook and the canister and his suffering will end! Crucio!"

Ron screamed harder now.

Think, Hermione. Think! Vejovis didn't need his wand because... because...

Then it hit her. She grabbed the phone at the welcome desk and dialed the number. She listened to it ring once before someone answered. "Hermione?" It was Arthur Weasley's voice.

"Mr. Weasley!" said Hermione. "Thank God! There's an incantation to return the magic!"

"But how can we use it if we don't have magic?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"We can use the magic inside the device!" Hermione said. "Hold the phone to the device, and I'll read the incantation."

"It's there," said Mr. Weasley, quieter, as he wasn't speaking directly into it.

Hermione took the spellbook in her hands, and spoke in a loud clear voice in a language she didn't understand, praying all the while that it would work.

10:53:17... 10:53:18... 10:53:19... 10:53:20...

The crowd was getting angry again. Harry and Shacklebolt were still standing on the fountain, trying to shout over the crowd. Most were shaking their wands angrily. Harry knew they wouldn't do any good, but the sight unnerved him.

"Stand down!" Harry shouted. "I don't want to have to arrest any of you!"

"How would you even?" someone shouted back.

Harry grabbed his own wand, and raised it high. Then, without warning, a spark like a firecracker shot out of it and soared sky high. The whole crowd fell silent.

The canister! Harry turned on his heal and Apparated up to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The wizards there were holding their wands, now lit. Light was returning to the Ministry. Harry ran into the Muggle Artifacts Office and grabbed the receiver.

"Ron?" he asked.

"They've got him!" said Hermione. "They're torturing him! We're at that burned building near the London eye!"

"Hang on!" Harry turned around, ran into the Auror office and grabbed his cloak. He shouted the address to the Aurors around him and disapparated.

He arrived inside the welcome area. Hermione was running to meet him. "They're upstairs!"

More Aurors were arriving now. "Anti-apparition spells," said Harry, and they all obeyed. The building was secure.

Harry charged up the stairs to see about ten-to-twenty Requiters gathered around Ron. They all looked up at him in surprise. "The Magic's back on!" said Harry, and without another word, he shot a stunning spell at the face of the wizard torturing Ron.

The Aurors behind him joined in, stunning and disarming all the Requiters present. They never had a chance to fight back. Most of them dropped their wands in surrender.

Ron stood up weakly, and conjured a rope around the wrists of his torturer. "All of you bastards are going to Azkaban," he said. "Try to Cruciate me again."

Harry was forced to smile. "You alright, Ron?" he asked.

Ron grinned back. "I've been awake for the past thirty hours. I've been arrested, promoted, visited Azkaban, been captive, fought, and been tortured in all that time. Yet after this, I feel bloody brilliant."

10:59:57... 10:59:58... 10:59:59... 11:00:00

END OF ACT 1

For everyone who's stuck with me this long, thank you. To new readers, welcome.

I'm still not halfway done, but this seems as good a place as any for a hiatus. Band and school are starting up, plus I'm already doing The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, which demands a new oneshot every two weeks.

I'll bring this story back in a couple of months with Act 2- just for a teaser, you can expect more corruption in the Ministry trying to stop the House-Elf Liaison Office and more Percy angst. Find out where Vejovis ran off to now that he's realized he's lost and what his plans are for the last device/ cylinder/ canister (I really should have given that damn thing a proper name). And Harry will have another battle of Hogwarts to fight.

Reviews: I loooove Reviews. If you like the story, if you think it's the stupidest thing you've ever wasted your life reading- whatever. Just tell me what you thought.