This was written for a 30hath at livejournal, a great ficlet community for HP. Anyway, this is an accompaniment to 'Reflecting', but this can be a stand-alone piece as well.
"I don't know anything. They don't tell me anything!"
"Who are they?"
"I don't know."
"Crucio."
His new office. His new position. It all feels very comfortable, very safe. He never got this sense of security on the Auror Force, where his life was always on the line. He glances at the Sunday Prophet on his desk. There he is, on the cover, a courageous smile on his face. Underneath the paper peaks an older headline, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Returns. He allows himself a smirk. Not for long.
"What do you do against us?"
"Nothing! I just send the Aurors, support the public. I'm not fighting!"
"Crucio."
He sends Dawlish. The man can control the situation, he always can. He'll have the plan down immediately and it will be flawless. Tonks will go as well. She seems so distraught over being on leave, it'll do her good. Together, with a few others, they can defend Hogsmeade perfectly. Everything is under control.
"What do they do?"
"I don't know! They do a lot of things."
"Like what?"
"I have no idea. Ask them, you know who they are!"
"Who are they, then?"
"I don't know."
"Crucio."
Foolish old man, he doesn't know who he's dealing with. What power does he have? None. He is the leader, he is at the top. He's not afraid of Dumbledore or his little society. He's not afraid of anything.
"Crucio."
"He's done, Rab. Come on, we should get rid of the body."
"Fucking useless."
"Yeah, I know. Let's go though, we can use the lake."
Rodolphus Lestrange takes a long drag off the cigarette. The ripples in the water are fading as he and his brother lean against the bridge. Rabastan stares at the lake, his face showing little emotion. Rodolphus smiles.
"So much for the fearless minister, eh?"
Rabastan chuckles, a harsh sound in remembrance. "Yeah."
"Well, at least we'll have the public in a scare," Rodolphus says in his usual throw-away voice. His brother glances up at him.
"It's what we do best."
The older sibling flings the smoke into the water, watching it fizzle lightly. It's strange to think that they had just killed the Minister of Magic; a man looked upon in these times of need. A man who was the very vision of pride and strength. And it had only taken a few Unforgivables to crush him. If he was so weak, what of the rest of the world? Could it shatter just as easily? Or was the Minister's strong point, his fearlessness, his own defeating factor? Maybe if he had allowed the fear in, allowed it to destroy only a bit of him, he wouldn't have given up so easily...
Rabastan gives him a playful punch in the arm and he is broken out of his reverie. Rodolphus grins and reminds himself that he has just inflicted fear upon the whole nation. And fear is the most important strength you can have.