The Ministry of Magic, Minister Amelia Bones office in the DMLE.

"Knock, knock Amelia."

"Come in Shack. What's the big smile for? Something good happen today?"

Kingsley Shacklebolt walked into the Ministers office and tossed a thick envelope on her desk.

"I found the charm protecting Fudge's office failed this morning when I did my daily check. I searched his office and found some interesting tidbits including that envelope on the desk. Look what's written on it."

"Vote yes on cauldron bottom bill." Amelia laughed. She fingered the envelope and used a fingernail to slide under the seal. She glanced at the muggle pounds.

"This is about five thousand pounds. Quite a bit of money Shack."

"What do you want me to do Boss?"

Amelia sat back and pondered for a minute. "We don't know if this was a bribe or simply a reminder note for him. Why not go visit him in Brighton home and give it to him and ask him about it and see what he says? Then make a decision on the spot."

o0o0o0o

A few hours later, in the late afternoon. Shacklebolt apparated to Brighton. Using a point-me spell he quickly found the former minister near the end of the Brighton Palace Pier enjoying an ice cream cone in the unseasonably warm day.

Striding up to him he called out: "Cornelius! I have something for you;" as he held up the envelope.

Fudge took one look at the Auror and then a look at the envelope in his hand and panicked.

"Dam, Merlin's beard, he's here to arrest me;" thought Fudge. He took one last swipe of his tongue on the vanilla ice cream, tossed his cone into the water and turned and ran towards a break in the railing and scampered down a gangplank to a float at the bottom. A man was just returning a small rental skiff and about to tie it off when Fudge bumped him forcibly to the side and jumped in before he could react.

"Hey! Watch where you are doing," snarled the man as struggled to his knees.

Fudge just put the motor in reverse and backed away from the pier and turned around and then sped off away from the pier and out to sea at full speed.

Shacklebolt stood there looking at the retreating boat and signed. "What an idiot."

"You know that dolt," asked the man fudge had bumped?

"Unfortunately, yes I do." Shack held out his hand and helped the man up off the deck.

The man looked up at Shacklebolt and said: "The skiff's almost out of gas."

They both looked at each other and started to laugh. "He's going to be out all night!"

o0o0o0o

Fudge took his handkerchief out and wiped the sweat off his face. "That was a close call. How the hell did Shack get in my office;" thought Fudge? "And that witch who took my place sent him after me. She'll rue the day she came after me. Dam Witch! Dam fog moving in, I can't see a thing and the swells are picking up," thought a worried Fudge. He cast a warming charm over himself and sighed. 'How do I get myself in these things?"

The motor sputtered to a halt and Fudge looked at it. "Merlin be dammed! What else can go wrong," as he drifted along? He took his wand out and after several tries he had the boat moving. 'But where to go? Blasted fog!'

o0o0o0o

On board HMS Dolphin, Her Majesty's newest submarine.

"Just a few more days and this shakedown cruise will be over, and we'll have two weeks liberty in port while the Boffin's analyze the performance data, number 1," said the commanding officer.

"Yes Captain. Can't wait to see the family myself."

"Bring us up to Periscope depth number one."

"Make your depth 90 feet."

"Make depth 90 feet, aye sir."

"Boat at 90 feet."

"Sound. Anything?"

"A few biologics at 1,000 yards, sounds like a big Bob of seals from the noise. Slow screws about twenty to twenty-two thousand yards. No sound I'm picking up any closer sir."

"Sparks, deploy radar and go active."

"Deploying radar, going active, sir."

"No contact within 20,000 yards."

The Captain stooped and grasped the handles of the periscope. "Up Scope! He followed the scope up and swung around in a full circle. "Dam, no visibility, full surface fog. Full extension!"

"Scope at maximin extension Captain."

"I can't see anything number one. Sound anything?"

"A Bob of seals close aboard, that's it."

"Down scope, all ahead slow."

o0o0o0o

The swells and wind were picking up. Fudge was getting a little green around the gills when a Bob of seals surfaced gamboling around his bobbing boat that traveled in a circle. The jostling startled him, and as he leaned to the side to see the seal that bumped the boat, a large wave hit the slightly upturned side and flipped the skiff over plunging Fudge into the cold water. He clawed his way to the surface. Miraculously he still had his Bowler on his head.

o0o0o0o

"Holding at 90 feet Captain."

"Up scope!" The captain swung the scope around again.

"Anything?

"Nothing."

Surface!

A loud "thunk" was heard from directly above the conning tower.

The captain looked into the periscope eyepiece again. "Still can't see anything".

"Surface, lookouts prepare take station on the sail!"

The hatch opened and a sodden lime green bowler hat fell into the conning tower.

"Captain to the Sail!"

"S*%T! That's going to be a bit of paperwork number one."

"How the hell did we impale someone on the scope sir?"