Dumbledore ventured into the night, leaving Severus to fend for himself.
He wasn't overly worried for him, because he had spent almost every night of the past weeks with the two remaining Marauders, making sure they understood their (and his) past faults, as well as how their childhoods had shaped them all. And how Severus needed some light-hearted fun after the darkness he had spent his last years into.
A month had passed from that terrible night, a month which Dumbledore had spent partly recovering from the fall he had had the fortune to experience, in both of his lives, and partly playing the political game. It was hard to pick up the pieces after everything had crumbled under the colossal strain of the war. Everybody wanted him to become Minister, but he had already learnt his lesson, and he had learnt it the hardest way, by dying. He was not capable of wielding power. His destiny was to be the King's advisor, and, before the King came of age, his Steward. Everybody wanted to hear his advice on this or that, but, once he gave it, they never truly listened.
A silvery leopard materialized in front of him and spoke with the voice of his dear friend Alastor: " Albus, come as soon as possible. The Minister has released Yalexy, Malfoy and Rockwood from the holding cells on account of them being 'respectable and upstanding wizarding citizens'." The voice snorted, before continuing: " Upstanding my arse. Gold has changed hands here. I don't want them out after the effort I made to take them alive."
Today had been eventful, and it looked like it was set to become so even more...
Harry Potter had once again done the impossible. He had united three broken and bitter men under the same roof, when, once, they could not stand to be in the same room. Albus had still been wondering what could have been hat strange golden thread that had united Severus to Harry, after the former had sworn to protect the latter, when he had received the patronus, but now those thoughts were forgotten, replaced by dread and anger.
He apparated mid-step in the Atrium of the Ministry, almost bumping with a witch. His mask of politeness and joy slid smoothly again into place.
"Ah, my apologies, my dear. I wasn't quite looking while I apparated..."
The woman looked at him wide-eyed for a moment, then her lips stretched in a smile. "Well I'm sure it has happened to everyone at least once, Headmaster, but do not let me detain you."
"Indeed. Well, good day to you, then, Mrs Cattermole." She nodded dumbly and scurried away, not having heard the hearty chuckle that escaped the Headmaster's lips.
She was, once again, left speechless by the man's attention to the details. She was sure the Headmaster couldn't have known that she was married, and just right of Hogwarts too... Her husband's family hadn't been supportive of their relationship, so the two of them had eloped in September, coming back only in October to present their marriage as a fait accompli.
Mary Cattermole absolutely had to tell her husband of her encounter with Dumbledore. It was exciting. She had never seen the Headmaster outside of Hogwarts, nor very much when she was still a student actually, but she had always admired and respected the man. Not to mention the fact that her friends actually idolized him, and this encounter would put her on the spotlight for a while. Her friend Ivy would be green with envy, and if that wasn't satisfying, she didn't know what it was.
After the brief encounter with the young witch, Albus went deeper into the Ministry. The mask was slipping more and more with each step. He walked swiftly, and his robes were swirling around him in a colourful and casual display of power. Under his well-known polite facade, the anger towards the corrupted ministry workers had reached a boiling point. He would no longer stand aside pretending that all was well. He would demand satisfaction for the victims of Death Eaters, and they'd better provide it, or he would make them remember exactly why they feared the Defeater of Grindelwand.
The ministry workers parted easily ahead of him, in the hallways, to allow him to pass quickly, then closed immediately behind his figure. Some of the curious started to follow him, but gave up almost immediately. Dumbledore was tall, and his long legs were moving as swiftly as they could without running. The average ministry worker didn't have a chance to keep up such a pace, they weren't half as fit as the Headmaster, even if they were decades younger than him. Whereas legs couldn't follow him that quickly, gossip could. And so the news, that the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, was incensed and was heading toward the office of the Minister, spread like fiendyfire.
Unfortunately, the Minister was currently speaking withe head of the DMLE, Bartemious Crouch, and both of them remained unaware of this new development, until Dumbledore magically pushed open the doors of the Minister's office, after having softly apologized to the secretary that had tried to make him wait in the antechamber.
"Minister!" thundered Dumbledore.
The two wizards jumped up from their seats, startled. "Y-yye-es C-chief W-wa-warlock?"
While the Minister stood there stuttering, Bartemious Crouch had extracted his wand and was pointing it towards Dumbledore. "Identify yourself immediately! This is a direct order of the Head of the DMLE and if you don't comply, you'll be our guest in Azkaban for the night."
"Ah Barty, I did not anticipate your presence here. No matter. I must speak with the Minister, in private. If you could wait outside for a moment I would be deeply obliged to you." said Dumbledore, now smiling pleasantly.
"I said to identify yourself. I cannot, in good conscience, allow you unrestricted access to the Minister, unless you comply." the Head of the DMLE raised his wand...
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you, Barty. I really wouldn't." With a flick of his wrist, Dumbledore quicky disarmed the wizard, and put his wand in a robe-pocket.
"I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore; Order of Merlin, first class; Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and you will not waste my time." There was a hard hedge in his voice, now, and it was screaming danger at the two other wizards, who swallowed nervously.
"This is preposterous, Albus. Give Barty his wand back, this instant."
There was a sudden discharge of magic coming from Dumbledore, which pushed the men back into the chairs they had been occupying a few minutes ago. The Minister gulped in fear.
"Minister. I am currently not in the mood to be trifled with. Now, I came here to discuss your choices in regard to some of the suspected Death Eaters."
"What about them?" asked Bartemious, irritated.
"The Minister decided to send home a few wizard who had been accused of being Death Eaters before they could be questioned in a proper trial. " answered Dumbledore, gravely.
Crouch couln't believe his ears. "What have you done, Erbius? What have you done? Do you have any idea of how difficult it was to take them alive? My best Auror lost his leg during one of the raids. His. Entire. Leg. Is. Gone. And now his sacrifice is belittled this way? No. I will not let you do this."
Dumbledore deemed it wise to give Crouch his wand back, now that he knew the man's opinion on the actions taken by the Minister. He handed his his wand back, handle first. Crouch took it and nodded in thanks.
The Minister, however, was obtusely refusing to believe he had done anything wrong.
"I must protest! Yalexy and Rockwood are Ministry employees, and their status of service is impeccable. As for what regards Mr. Malfoy, he is a well-known philanthropist and an esteemed member of the Wizengamot. I see no reason why they should be detained against their will." said the Minister, looking defiantly at the other two.
In that moment a thought struck Dumbledore: "I am destined to be surrounded by idiotic politicians, am I not?".
Meanwhile the Head of th DMLE exploded. "Because they were Marked! That's why. Merlin's beard I swear..." He sat up and bolted from the room, wand in hand, still muttering about "idiots", "ministers" and "incompetent fools". Dumbledore couldn't help but to agree with him.
When the last echo of Crouch's imprecations died, he spoke once more to the Minister.
"Well Erbius, it seems Barty has everything in hand for now. The mistake should be rectified before tomorrow. The trials for the accused Death Eaters will begin as soon as all the suspects are captured. I would advise you not to repeat today's performance any time soon, or I am afraid poor Barty would need to take a harder stance in regard to your meddling. Good night, Minister."
And, as abruptly as he had come, Dumbledore departed, leaving a spluttering Minister behind.