Part Two: Hostile Takeover
The Death Eaters were quickly losing steam. They had been casting nonstop since the alarm was tripped, and each wave of Aurors that arrived pushed farther each time. They were losing precious ground. They had all been preparing, too. For months they had worked on building their stamina so they would have a fighting chance against a horde of Aurors. It was getting to be more than they could handle, though. They grew steadily outnumbered by the Aurors and employees. Stamina could only do so much in a battle. Positioning was everything, and right now, the Death Eaters had lost their offensive edge. Most of their efforts had switched to defense to lessen the assault of spells flung their way. There couldn't mount a proper attack, not when they could barely defend themselves. Every backward step they took pushed them closer to their defeat.
The Carrow twins joined the skirmish just in time. Their fellow Death Eaters were being pushed back, energy depleting quickly after fighting so many Aurors and employees. The Carrows, on the other hand, had expended no energy so far and began unleashing furious stunners at the crowded Aurors. It gave the Death Eaters a second wind and they made another push, stronger than the first. Their numbers had only increased by two, but Death Eaters were not a force to be trifled with, even in small groups. The Dark Lord's other followers fought with renewed energy, too. Spells of all kinds flew across the room, some missing completely and others striking their targets. The Death Eaters were swift, almost incorporeal as they evaded spell after spell. They stuck to stunners, slowly but surely reducing the number of Aurors in the room. It was an uphill battle, but they didn't give up. They reminded themselves why they were fighting, what this was all for. The future was so close. It was almost within reach, they just had to keep fighting.
The Aurors began arriving slower, a trickle of witches and wizards joining the fray of battle. They were taken by surprise, but some of the more experienced Aurors managed to evade the first attack sent their way. Mad-Eye was one such Auror, quickly noticing the lack of two high-profile Death Eaters. Hermione and Bellatrix were not part of the attack as he would expect them to be. He retreated to Grimmauld Place unnoticed. Something else was going on, something they needed to stop. Bellatrix and Hermione were dangerous, even if it was only the two of them, and the Order would need to rally together to stop them. He woke Sirius and Lupin, Apparating them to the Burrow and waking its occupants. He explained what was happening at the Ministry and how something else was going on.
Their numbers were even, no more Aurors were arriving. The floor was packed with unconscious wizards and witches. Some of the Dark Lord's followers had fallen, a few seriously injured. There wasn't time to get them to Malfoy Manor, though. Not yet. Both sides were facing off, fighting for what they thought was right. The Death Eaters made one final push against the remaining Aurors, working together in a way the Aurors couldn't. It wasn't until after the last Auror fell to the ground unconscious that they began to gather their wounded and take them to the Manor. The tingling in their Marks didn't register with them yet. They were still giddy from the fight and trying to get their injured people taken care of. The bodies of unconscious Aurors and Ministry workers were placed in holding cells by those not transporting the injured followers to the Manor. It was no small task and the holding cells barely fit everyone that they had incapacitated.
The Dark Lord sat in the Minister's chair, hands steepled on the desk in front of him. He leaned heavily on his elbows, staring at the man quivering in his chair across from him. He said nothing, and the Minister was too cowed to speak. He hadn't expected Voldemort to be waiting in his office when he arrived, even if he did look drastically different. Hell, he hadn't expected a small army of Voldemort's followers to be taking out his Aurors and employees while he just sat here. He was too afraid to help everyone. He wasn't great at magic, had only been elected Minister by pure luck and a better campaign than his opponents. Besides, even if he weren't too afraid to help, Voldemort would not let him leave the room. It was clear he wanted something. The Minister sat in fear-fueled silence, waiting for Voldemort to begin. He tried not to shake too much, but it wasn't something he could help. The wizard so aptly dubbed 'The Dark Lord' sat in his chair, staring silently at him with an unreadable expression.
The Dark Lord sighed, tired of waiting for the Minister to say something. "Here's what's going to happen. My followers are securing this building as we speak, and they will continue to do so until they have total control of the Ministry. For now, you may keep your position, so long as you agree to abide by my rules. Should you break these rules, I will kill you. Should you disobey any of my followers, they will kill you. Do you understand?"
The Minister of Magic nodded fervently. He was too afraid to even try to speak.
"Speak, man!" the Dark Lord shouted, slamming a hand on the desk. The Minister jumped, eyes shining with tears of fear.
"Y-y-yes. Yes, I under-understand," he stammered.
"Good," the Dark Lord smiled, "I believe it is nearly time for me to go, but before I do, there's just one more thing. Your position as Minister is entirely temporary. Come dawn, you will be replaced, and you will not fight it. You will never work in the Ministry of Magic again."
"I understand." The Minister hung his head in relief. As long as he abided by this man's rules for a few hours, he would keep his life. He would have to find another job but it was well worth staying alive.
"Good. One of my followers will inform you of the rules. I wish our chat didn't have to end so soon but I have other matters to attend to."
The Minister nodded as the Dark Lord stood from his chair. He tried not to shake more than he already would as the wizard strode past him without a glance. The Dark Lord could feel the magic of his spell coursing through him. The spell to summon his Mark in the sky. Dumbledore was dead. The Elder Wand would be destroyed by now. Hogwarts was vulnerable to attack. The end of the war was upon them all, and most of Britain was still asleep. At dawn, everything would be over. His new society would be in place and the world would adapt to the change, as it always did. He strode through the halls of the Ministry, taking in the signs of battle. His followers were working smoothly and soon everything would be secure.
The Death Eaters watched the Dark Lord as he walked through the Ministry. One of his followers scrambled up to the Minister's office. The others continued their work. They would be staying here while the Death Eaters traveled to Hogwarts for the final battle. Everything was drawing to a close and soon this would all be over. They were so close to victory, it was all up to the Dark Lord now. He Disapparated, quickly followed by the Death Eaters. They were exhausted and a little banged up, but they would fight to the end. The courtyard of Hogwarts was quiet when they arrived. From inside the castle, faint sounds of fighting could be heard. The Dark Lord waved a hand and his Death Eaters went to fight again. He stood in the courtyard alone, waiting for Harry Potter. The boy would come, even if his Death Eaters had to drag him here.