Chapter 25

The Ministry.

The trip into the Ministry had been simple enough; no one checked anything, except for the handing over of Tony's wand. Adam watched the pretty girl give Tony big eyes, waiting for him to speak. He ignored her. Adam saw she was smiling as she shook her head at his waiting back.

They stepped into Maldue's office and found him sitting behind his ornate desk looking unhappy. In the middle of the desk was a neat piece of pale yellow parchment, which Tony could see was the one he had placed there yesterday.

"Are you serious about this?" He asked sharply. Tony did his usual nod. "What are you going to do with yourself?"

"I offered my services to another agency, which has been provisionally accepted, I need a couple of people to provide me with a reference." He replied as he placed several small phials on the table in front of Maldue.

"I assume I am one of them?"

"Yes Minister, although I understand if you don't want to."

"I'll decide on that when I know which agency and what your job will be."

"And Adam is the other." Adam's head snapped around.

"I'll write you a reference, although I don't see how a muggle could influence anyone here." He noticed that Tony was grinning, a grin Adam recognised. "What the hell have you done?"

"I'll explain later." He pointed at the phials. "Those are our and other people's memories, which incriminate several high-ranking officials within this Ministry and the Macusa."

"Fine, the Ministry will vet them and decide what to do with them."

"Those are not the only copies." Said Tony. "We handed a copy of these memories to The Daily Prophet."

Maldue stood and walked to the window and looked down at the atrium.

"Why have you done this Tony?"

"Because I no longer feel I can trust the Ministry, this is also the reason I have resigned." He replied.

"Have you any idea how much trouble this could cause, not just for this Ministry, but other ministry's around the world?"

"You don't know who's in the memories yet."

"I can make a few shrewd guesses."

"However,", interrupted Adam, "this is not the case we were asked to investigate, we now think we know who murdered the muggles, but we don't know the reasons, or what this has to do with the perceived muggle problem."

Maldue nodded before reseating himself. "Hulda and her young friends were being controlled by Arcadius Darnell and some of his friends, still unknown as he is still hiding in the AMC, using asylum as a reason to stay there. We also know they caused the murders. It is the ministry's opinion they were indoctrinated, as are many young people in your world, used to fight wars or commit atrocities. Someone has been studying your world and it's more unpleasant methods."

"What proof do you have that Darnell was controlling Scrivens?" Asked Adam.

"Well it's obvious isn't it?" Replied Maldue.

"That's not what I asked." There was a menacing quality in Adam's voice, which Maldue did not like, but kept quiet. "It is my belief that Arcadius has nothing to do with Scrivens and they are two separate crimes. Darnell is involved in some sex ring using muggles and polyjuice, abetted by Argonia Huxley, whether of her own accord is another matter. Scrivens seems to have been driven by some need to protect the wizarding world and is trying to aid Trelawney's prophecy. As far as I can tell, she had committed no murder."

"The young lad who fell from the broom and died can be attributed to her." Maldue snapped back.

"That was an unfortunate accident. I have the muggle forensics showing he died of a fall, not some unknown spell. I believe she was trying to knock Gabrielle Lywood out and missed. She was flying a lot lower, but she hit Clerkin who was above them." Tony was nodding. "It is my opinion, the Ministry would like to tie them both together and close everything down in a neat little package, however, that would be a miscarriage of justice, that I would not be party too." Adam had repeatedly stabbed the table with his finger as he spoke. Maldue stared at him for a few moments. Adam refused to flinch from his gaze.

Maldue stood up and apparated.

"Can you still apparate in the Ministry?" He asked Tony.

"Not anymore."

They waited for some time, Tony pacing around the room, Adam staring down at the busy Atrium. Maldue reappeared, making them both jump. "Sorry I took so long, I couldn't find the Ministries Pensive." He frowned at Tony as he dropped the little rack of bottles back on the table. "I had to go to Botilda and ask politely and then wait while she made copies for me before I could view them."

"Why didn't you use the one in the Prophets office?" Adam asked.

"The Prophet and the Ministry are not on speaking terms at the moment."

"Why would that be?" Adam asked.

"Botilda went into the Profits office not so long go and confiscated many memory phials. This action was not received well."

"You've taken the memories we gave them for safe keeping?" Adam asked aghast.

"We had to get in before they made any more copies and scattered them around."

"How do you think you can get away with that?" He asked anger in his voice.

"Detective Croft." Maldue's shout echoed Adam's anger. "We do not run a democracy here in the Ministry. Our word is final. We do not wish these things to become known outside of the Ministry. If you had all of your memories, you would know and understand this. The memories we have of certain people will make them very amenable to us."

"So you'll let a murderer go free to score some political points?"

"No. We know who the murderer is, he is hiding within the AMC, demanding asylum. You have not caught him yet. Your work here is not finished Detective Croft, Auror Garrett."

"What about Luthor Crabbe?"

"I know you both suspect Luthor." His voice changed, the anger dropping away. "It was he who put the original prophecies together many years ago. It was he, who found you, Adam, several years ago and forced the Ministry to bring you in to investigate a crime."

Adam stored this information. "I know Luthor has nothing to do with this. However, I knew he had some involvement, which you have confirmed. But, Darnell is a middle man, there is someone in this Ministries, high up, that is the leader, that's who we need to catch."

"I agree and I believe there is more than one." Maldue's voice had changed again, now it was amenable. "We need Arcadius, but we can't get to him at the moment."

"And I'm not sure Arcadius is a murderer." Adam's voice had dropped to match Maldue's.

"Why?"

Tony leaned forward. "The memories we saw do not add up and Arcadius's actions do not make sense, at least they don't to me."

Maldue closed his eyes, looking tired. "I'll talk to Botilda again and see what she has to say." Tony and Adam exchanged glances.

"There's nothing more we can do." Said Adam, sensing the conversation was coming to a close. "Which stops us going any further, now Tony seems to have left the Ministry and I am retired." He looked down for a moment. "I still have no idea about, or why my memories were taken. My wife is still in Africa and I don't know how to get her back."

Maldue smiled and leaned forward across the desk, his demeanour had changed again, back to friendliness. "Your memories were removed at your request."

"Why the hell would I do that?" Adam said incredulously.

"You had an Auror partner." Adam looked at Tony.

"Adam, I'm not your first." Adam wagged his finger at him, both men grinning, before looking back at Maldue, who was now holding his wand towards him. There were no sparks or flashes, just a wave and a flick of the wand.

"The memories will come back over the next few days. I would suggest you go somewhere quiet as you're not going to enjoy any part of it, however, you will understand why." Maldue stood up. "I have two unpleasant meetings to attend, first with Percy, which will be uncomfortable; the second with Botilda will be a bloody nightmare. I'll come and find you both soon."

"The muggle problem?" Asked Adam, still seated.

"Is still a problem." He looked pointedly at Tony before sweeping across the room, his cape billowing out behind him. "One more thing Mr Garrett, the Ministry would be most grateful if you returned the pensive you borrowed." The door started to close after him, as the sound another door opening came back, followed by mumbled voices, then they heard one shouted word.

"What?"