Percy had not gone far. He was stood on the other side of the door taking deep breaths in. Fred and George had taken Audrey away already for which he was glad. She would be safe with the twins, and he didn't want her to see how upset he was. There was still the chance he would turn his wand on something and reduce it to smithereens, and he had no desire to frighten her.

Kingsley came to stand next to him a hand clapping on his shoulder. "She seems like a nice girl."

Percy took another breath, nodding curtly. "She is."

"When did you get engaged?"

Percy looked at Kingsley in shocked surprise.

"I saw the ring."

"Oh. A fortnight ago."

"Ah," Kingsley said. "Well, you've picked a keeper. I've always liked a woman with spine enough to stand up for herself. Where did you meet?"

"A café near my flat, nearly three years ago."

"She's staying with you at the Lodge?"

"Yes."

"Then perhaps I'll get a chance to speak to her properly. Percy, Hermione said the ring they gave Audrey was the same as they gave Helen and John. Am I to infer it was for the same reasons?"

Percy swallowed his anger and took another breath. "Yes," he said. "Yes, she is, and so no, she's not a Death Eater."

Kingsley sent a sympathetic look at him. "It was badly done, all of it."

"It's hardly the first time my mother has thrown the Death Eater card at me," Percy said bitterly.

Kingsley looked back at the kitchen door. "That seems odd," he mused. "Molly's temper is volatile, but the lot of you are the least likely to turn to the nonsense Riddle was pedalling than any family I know."

Percy rubbed his face briskly. "Well, I have no answer for you other than Dumbledore was feeding her fears."

Kingsley snorted. "Now that I could believe. Come on, we've got work to do before I can send you back to Audrey and I did promise I wouldn't keep you long. Do you have any more parchment in that folder of yours? I need a few messages sending out. I want the Aurory put on alert not to let Dumbledore into the Wizengamot chamber until the new Minister and Chief Warlock is appointed. I also should send a copy of that directive you drew up with Minerva for Narcissa to sign."

"Verbal agreement will do for now," Percy said. "Ask Minerva to send her Patronus with confirmation."

"Good idea. I'll deploy a team of Aurors to stake out the Manor in the meantime, see if we can get an idea of numbers coming and going. With luck they will be taking advantage of the fact none of the Malfoys are present, and the Manor is open to them."

Kingsley started walking towards the edge of the Burrow's garden. "I also want to put St Mungo's on alert for anyone coming in after the fact with injuries that look like they were caused by duelling. We can assume that some may lie low until they think the fuss has died down before seeking medical help."

Percy scribbled as Kingsley spoke, another quill and parchment hovering next to him writing out the messages as directed. When Kingsley stopped, Percy had the notes ready to go. "Stitches," he called.

Stitches appeared next to Percy. "How can Stitches serve?"

"Is Audrey back at the house?"

"Yes, Miss Audrey is in the library with the Mr Weasleys. Stitches brought food."

"Thank you, Stitches. Can you deliver some messages for me, please? I understand that this might not be part of the duties you have been asked to perform for me, but time is of the essence."

"Stitches can take messages."

"Thank you," Percy said again remembering Audrey's admonishment that manners cost nothing. "I need this delivering to Auror Brown. This to the head medi-witch on spell damage at St Mungo's. Lastly, I need you to take a copy of this document to Minerva and ask her to get Narcissa Malfoy to sign it as soon as she can. In the meantime, could she send a Patronus when she has received confirmation that Mrs Malfoy will cooperate? If you could bring any replies, then return to the house to watch over Audrey, I would be grateful."

Stitches took the proffered notes and nodded solemnly. Then with a pop, she vanished

"Minerva's elves?"

"Yes," Percy said. "Stitches was assigned to look after Audrey and I. Mostly Audrey. I'm not sure that Minerva meant for her elves to be used as message carriers, but I can ask for forgiveness when I see her next."

"I doubt she will mind. The Grangers have put them to good use this evening, and I am happy to say I was completely wrong in my opinion of what they wished to achieve with this field hospital."

"You were against the idea?"

"I thought it an unnecessary liability," Kingsley replied. "But they did a lot of decent work, and it saved a lot of people we might otherwise have lost. For that alone, I will take my slice of humble pie with gratitude."

Percy was silent a moment. "When this all comes out, when the press finds out, when the media storm takes the Ministry, and the committees come together to decide who needs to be congratulated, they won't be on the lists, will they? Does it not strike you as selfish? As a society we deride them, yet they are clearly not inferior?"

"They won't, no," Kingsley agreed. "As to the other, I have neither your perspective or the Grangers. I've never been in the muggle world, I've never spent time with any muggles. While I have headed up the Aurory, I have never had the opportunity to work with the British Prime Minister. No, the Grangers won't be recognised for their contribution. Most of the people they treated won't consider they are muggles to begin with. The robes helped with that which is why I believe Fred and George gave them some."

The conversation lapsed as the two men crossed over the ward line of the Burrow and stood together at the gate, considering their next move.

"We need to call an emergency Wizengamot meeting as soon as possible. How soon could they assemble?" Kingsley asked Percy.

"You won't get them all in one place with less than three hours' notice. When you say 'emergency' and speak of the Wizengamot, it is best to remember that these are some of the more elderly members of our society. They have some rather… set ideas, as to what counts as an emergency and what an appropriate response is," Percy answered wryly. "Three hours is the fastest they have ever been assembled, and that's once the messages have been sent, and you've no way of knowing the loyalties of the panel. If you wish to remove all the people carrying the Mark, then we will need a way of ensuring they are correctly identified. Bill's ward, you plan to add it to Ministry?"

"Yes," Kingsley said. "I do."

"Then perhaps it could be applied to a single entrance with a guard of Aurors present. The Wizengamot can enter the Ministry that way ensuring they walk through it. If it rejects marked individuals, you can arrest them at the same time."

"We need Bill," Kingsley said turning back to the Burrow.

Percy didn't try to hide his unwillingness to return to the Burrow. Kingsley thankfully didn't request it instead pulled his wand and cast his patronus, sending it to summon Bill.

They waited patiently until Bill appeared, Fleur by his side.

Fleur nodded in greeting. "I am leaving. I did not wish to stay, so I left with Bill." The witch leant up, whispered something in her husband's ear before vanishing with a small pop.

"Bill, we may need your ward sooner than expected it's just a single door, however," Kingsley explained.

Bill nodded. "Of course."

"How is it applied?" Percy asked.

Bills gaze flicked to his brother. "To the inside of the door frame, there's a small rune set and an incantation."

"Does it need to be applied to the door physically?" Kingsley asked, unhappy at the idea of having to apply it to each individual door while trying to control the flow of personnel that would need to be at their desks come Monday morning.

"Unless there's a decent ward network yes," Bill nodded. "Can I ask what you are planning?"

"In the first instance, just a single entrance at the Ministry, ideally, it would be all entrances into the Ministry," Kingsley replied.

"Then I don't know," Bill said. "You could feasibly add it to the existing ward matrix set up at the Ministry, but you'd need access, and I've not got the familiarity with the Ministry wards to work with them."

"That won't be a problem if it's possible to do it that way," Percy said. "I suggest that both you Kingsley, and Bill, floo to the Minister's office. From there we can look further at what can be done."

"Is the floo open?" Kingsley asked in surprise.

"No," Percy answered. "But it can be opened to allow you entry. Say from your own home? I can remove the connection as soon as we are finished."

Kingsley nodded. "Very well, give me a minute before you establish the connection."

Percy twisted himself away to the Minister's office leaving Bill and Kingsley stood by the gate.

"You can't just take me to the Ministry?" Bill asked.

"No," Kingsley answered. "All the entrances are currently closed. I can apparate us to the Aurory holding cells, but we would be unable to leave from there. The Ministry is locked down."

"So where has Percy gone?"

"To the Minister's office to open the floo for us."

"Percy can apparate directly into the Minister's office," Bill asked startled.

Kingsley gave Bill a long look of evaluation. "If my hunch is right, apparating into the Minister for Magic's office through the Ministry wards which have been set to keep everyone out of the Ministry of Magic, is the least of what Percy can do. Come on, I'll take you to my floo so we can begin."

Bill was taken in a side-along through to Kingsley's own study. Kingsley made the connection with the Minister's floo and waited only a moment for the link to open. Bill and he both stepped through.

Bill looked around with interest, he had never been in the Minister for Magic's office before.

Percy gestured to the door separating the Minister's office and his own. "If you would show me, Bill."

Bill glanced between Kingsley and Percy, on receiving a nod from Kingsley he approached the door. "I'm not going to be arrested later for this am I? Meddling with the Minister for Magic's wards, seems to me, to be something you might find yourself in trouble for later."

"I'll put a good word in for you," Percy replied drily.

"Thanks," Bill responded just as drily. He took the enchanted blade from the sheath at the small of his back and made the marks on the inside of the door frame where, when the door was closed, they would be hidden. When he had finished, he stood back and drew his wand. Bill centred himself and pushed his magic into the ward set, powering them up. Once he was satisfied they were running correctly he stepped back and indicated that he was finished.

Kingsley looked at Percy who stared at the door leaning back on the Minister's desk. One arm was crossed over his middle supporting the elbow of his other arm, and fist he rested his chin on, considering the problem in front of him.

Bill watched Kingsley watching Percy and took in his brother once more. There was more going on that he had a handle on, and after what had been said back at the Burrow he had a feeling there might be more to the split between Percy and his family.

Percy made a slight noise before standing upright and heading across the office to pass through the door. He waved a hand to illuminate the lamps moving to his filing cabinets. "Perhaps," he muttered unaware that both Kingsley and Bill had followed him into his office.

He pulled the drawer open and pulled out a large rolled parchment. The drawer closed with a thunk, and Percy cleared his desk with a wave of his wand sending all his things to the nearest shelf. The desk expanded under Percy's wand, and he flicked the parchment out, unrolling it over the top, smoothing it down so he could peer at the schematic it showed.

Bill and Kingsley approached.

"This is the schematic of the Ministry," Percy explained. His wand touched the parchment, and the image on it changed to show a different level of the Ministry. "It's the old way of drawing plans," Percy added absently. "Completed when the Ministry was built and since they have fallen out of favour. They are deemed too difficult to complete, and we have adopted the muggle way of doing things by having a drawing for each level on more modern buildings. This, as you can see details all the entrances and exits to the Ministry from the public ones, the staff ones, the trades and service entry points, and the house elf quarters," Percy said making the map flicker showing everything as he spoke of it.

Bill looked on in fascination, Kingsley looked more disheartened. "We cannot possibly place the rune set on each door. The man-hours alone are too high. Even if we brought in extra bodies, we could only allow those with the necessary skills to complete the work. Damnit, I thought we had something."

Percy looked up at Kingsley. "I think we still do. This document is tied to the Ministry. We can use this to guide us in instructing the wards to change. If we use the rune set Bill has just placed on the minister's door then we can use that to feed the rest of the Ministry."

"The rune set on the door can't take that much power," Bill said shaking his head. "Its only designed to be a barrier over one entrance, you are talking what? A hundred or more doors?"

Percy laid his wand on the map communicating his will to the document. The drawing faded away leaving a neatly printed list in its place. "One hundred and twenty-three exits and entries to be exact," Percy told them. "How much power would it need. Could we use the magic of the Ministry to stabilise the runes to allow it to do what we need it to?"

"In theory," Bill said. "But you are talking about the Ministry of Magic's wards, they were laid down generations ago. You'd need to find someone with the ability to manipulate them directly, and I don't think after a few hundred years you will find anyone."

"Percy?" Kingsley asked.

"It can be done."

"Percy, I'm serious you can't just tweak these kinds of wards. If you destabilise the matrix you risk the lot falling and I don't think there are enough 'good words' in the English language to keep us all out of Azkaban should that happen," Bill protested.

"It won't," Percy said. "Show me the enchantment."

"Might there be someone in the Department of Mysteries?" Kingsley offered.

Percy shook his head. "There isn't. Take it off this door Bill. Teach me the enchantment, and you can check my work."

Bill exchanged a look with Kingsley who waved a hand at Bill giving permission. "Before we go any further," Kingsley said. "I feel that I must ask for your oath Bill. I am aware that on receiving my message you will have been asked to inform the Order of as much as you can, but this," Kingsley waved a hand around the office. "Doesn't get passed on. You can tell Albus we have warded a door to ensure the Wizengamot is free of marked individuals if he asks but no more."

Bill nodded. "Of course, Albus isn't aware of the purpose of the ward unless you told him? I didn't mention it on the recommendation of Fred and George. I am not sure what is going on, to be honest, but I can keep my mouth shut."

"Thank you" Kingsley replied.

Bill turned back to Percy. "Ready?"

"Yes," Percy said. Bill went through the wand movements slowly, enunciating the incantation clearly. Percy watched frowning slightly in concentration as he took in every nuance of his brother's actions and speech. Bill repeated it twice more before Percy nodded indicating his readiness. Percy mimicked his brother's actions, Bill corrected his wand movement slightly but nodded in affirmation that Percy had it correct. Percy ran over it once more, and Bill confirmed that it was exact.

"Alright let's give this a try shall we?" Percy turned to face the door and channelled his magic at the rune set. His magic swirled out and settled in the runes which Percy thought he could hear humming faintly.

Bill approached the door running diagnostic charms over the frame. "It's up and running. Feels a bit different though. It's not sitting on top of the frame as I would expect. Its sunk into it a little more. That's not a bad thing," he hastened to explain at Kingsley's sharp glance. "Means that it will last longer."

"OK then," Percy said taking a deep breath and steeling his nerves. "Let's get it on the doors, shall we?"

"Percy?!" Bill said spinning to face his brother.

"You didn't think we went through that so I could show someone else, did you?" Percy asked with humour.

"Well, yes?" Bill said.

Percy shook his head and walked back into the Minister's office. Standing in the middle of the room he centred himself and reached for the wards. The buzz of the magic flared over his senses. Percy gritted his teeth, it was becoming easier to interact with the wards the more he did it, but the raw power of them was still a shock every time he touched them.

Percy's wand moved, the enchantment fell from his lips, and his magic instructed the wards. He felt them shift and he felt the rune set on the door falter. Percy moved the magic around, propping up the runes on the door, then stood waiting as the wards settled down around him. Waiting to see if the changes he had made were having any effect on the matrix. The wards settled into their new makeup and Percy could detect no problems. The rune set on the door was trickle fed magic so not to overload it and Percy estimated at the rate of magical flow it might take a few hours for every entrance and exit to be affected. He pulled back from the wards and faced the two wizards in the office with him. "It's done. It is probably going to take all night for it to feed through the Ministry as the runes can't take the load, as we expected. If we are to call the Wizengamot, I suggest we open the floo nearest to their chambers. Have them floo in and apply the ward directly to the door they need to pass through. It would speed things up and ensure that we didn't accidentally pick a door that wasn't yet affected."

"Let's do that," Kingsley said. "We can not afford to delay in having them sit to select a new Minister." Kingsley led the way back into Percy's office towards the schematic laid out on the desk.

Kingsley touched the map, the schematic changed to show the Aurory and the holding cells. "Wait," Kingsley protested. "That's not what I wanted."

"No," Percy said. "But you are the Head of the Aurory thus that is what you can see. It's old magic from when we were all a little more paranoid."

Percy touched the map, and the Wizengamot chamber with its tiered seating showed up on the parchment. The surrounding rooms came into view, and Percy examined it. "This one?" he suggested pointing to a chamber. "It has a floo we can open and is large enough to hold everyone until they are all assembled."

Kingsley nodded. "Seems reasonable. I want to post a team of Aurors outside the door. Will that be possible?"

"Of course, you'll want the doors open to allow them to walk through after all," Percy answered.

"We'll keep the doors in the corridor outside the chamber locked," Kingsley said. "And that one there at the end, that way they can't make a run for it. The Wizengamot can't apparate through the wards, can they?"

"No, no one can," Percy confirmed.

Bill coughed lightly. "You can."

"Yes," Percy said. "I can."

Bill raised an eyebrow waiting for further explanation. It was not forthcoming. "I don't mean to step out of line, but you can apparate through the wards. You can manipulate a document to show every level of the Ministry that doesn't respond to Kingsley the same way. And unless I miss my guess, you've just manipulated the Ministry wards, wards that have been laid for generations. That is something that some of the best Curse Breakers and Ward Masters who have studied for years would struggle to do. Especially something as far-reaching as you've just done and yet you did it in under five minutes with what appeared to be relative ease."

Percy looked at Bill and Kingsley.

"He has a point, Percy. You've done things this evening I didn't know were possible."

Bill looked at Kingsley quickly, his eyebrows raised then back at his brother.

Percy rolled his eyes. "I am the Minister for Magic's Undersecretary and Aide. What is it you find surprising? That I can pull a document from the Archives? That I can use the document because Merlin forbid the Minister for Magic does his own research? That I can apparate into my own office?" Percy gestured around him. "You are possibly reading more into these things because it is rare for anyone to see the inner workings of the Minister's office. The Minister's personal floo is the only floo in the Ministry that can be accessed from outside that doesn't lead to the main foyer. It is no great feat to open a floo connection I assure you."

Further discussion was interrupted by the silver tabby cat that shimmered into being in front of Kingsley.

"Narcissa Malfoy has been retrieved and agrees to the plan. The document will be signed, and I shall bring it to the Lodge in the morning."

"Excellent!" Kingsley exclaimed pulling out his wand. He cast two patroni giving each instruction and sending them on their way. "I need to check on the cells see how we're doing with filling them up."

"The schematic?" Percy suggested indicating his desk. Kingsley nodded turning back to the document. Bill moved away from the desk wandering around the office.

"So, this is where you spend your days?"

"Yes," Percy said watching his brother.

"It's nice."

Percy snorted at the inane statement. "It's less nice after a twelve-hour day let me assure you."

Bill hummed shooting a glance at Kingsley. Seeing the man was still examining the schematic Bill put a hand on Percy's shoulder drawing him across the room. "Listen, Percy, what Mum said, about your girlfriend. Well, she was out of order, alright? Dumbledore too. No one should have Legilimency used against them like that. I just want you to know that, well, maybe I don't know everything that went on between you when you had that fight with mum and dad. But you're clearly working on our side even if it's not with the Order directly. I've missed you, Percy, you're my brother and other than that visit to the hospital I've not seen you in years. I didn't even know you had a girlfriend. This probably isn't the time or place, but do you think we could meet up? Me and Fleur with you and Audrey and be introduced properly?"

Percy rubbed a tired hand over his face. Today was becoming a day to go down in history. "Yes," he said. "Yes, probably. I'll need to speak to Audrey and make sure she is comfortable with the idea, but I'll let you know. The next few weeks are going to be mad, will muggle be alright?"

"You too?" Bill asked in surprise.

"Me too what?" Percy asked.

"Fred and George drink muggle beer. Shop in a muggle supermarket too."

"Oh," Percy said. "I do that too."

Bill blinked.

Percy took pity on his elder brother. "I'll owl you as soon as I can."

"Percy?" Kingsley called drawing the wizard's attention back across the room.

"Kingsley? Do you need more space?"

"No, we should be fine, but I should go. I'll take Bill back through if you'll close the connection? As soon as you can, can you summon the Wizengamot? I don't suppose they will come tonight, tomorrow morning is the earliest we can expect them. I still want them flooing into that room. Can you send out the messages for me?"

"Yes," Percy answered. "If Bill can return in the morning to do the warding on the door frame?"

"Can't you?" Bill asked.

"I don't have a fancy knife. If you can spare the time?" Percy replied.

Bill shrugged. "Sure. Do you want me to give my statement when I come back in the morning then Kingsley?"

"Yes." Kingsley agreed. "I can have one of the Aurors take it from you."

Percy rolled the schematic up now it was no longer needed and returned it to the filing cabinet. A wave of his wand reverted his desk back to normal size, and his belongings returned to the top of it. Kingsley and Bill made their way to the floo and Percy closed his office up behind him as he waited for the two wizards to leave.

"Do you still need me?" Percy asked before Kingsley left.

"No," Kingsley said. "Go back to the Lodge, grab whatever sleep you can. Severus wants to see us first thing, so I'll be with you by seven."

Percy nodded his acceptance and waited for the flames of the floo to die down after their departure to disconnect the link, lock and ward the floo once more. Then after turning off the lamps, he apparated to McGonagall Lodge to find Audrey.