'At my best when I'm terrorist, inside;
At my best when it's all me.'
--Headful of Ghosts, Bush
XI
At a little before nine, they came for him.
They pulled Lucius upright roughly. He did nothing to stop them; it's not like he cared.
Lucius had been a very egotistical man before he had been arrested. Part of his demeanour had been an act, but still, with it all stripped away, he had still been somewhat of an elitist bastard.
But there was a time for that, and now was not it. Lucius was proud in a quiet way, now - it was the sort of pride that took a man through years of horror and punishment, and helped him come out in the end. He had picked that up from Bella.
His guards noted his indifferent behaviour, but didn't care, and bound him with every counter spell available before he was to be moved up to the main floor, and then back down into the courtrooms. His guards - all twenty of them - led him through several darkened corridors and up flights of stairs, before emerging right into the main floor of the Ministry of Magic himself.
And that's where the photographers were waiting.
Lucius had expected them, but still, it amused him greatly. Yet it was also horribly depressing, so to make himself feel better he decided not to think too much on it.
He didn't have time to. After ten seconds, in which countless photos had been taken, an explosion rocked the building.
x
Usually big, violent things happen with some sort of warning. At least, that's what people like to think. They like to think that when they get on a plane there will be some engine trouble, but oh, no, it's fine now, and then the flight attendant looks a little shifty, but maybe it's her first day… and then the plane goes down, or the man sitting beside you puts a gun to your head and pulls the trigger.
There was no warning for the Ministry of Magic.
Something exploded on Level Seven. Several somethings exploded on Level Seven at the Ministry of Magic.
And that was that.