So, they've turned up at the French Ministry to save the day, or are they too late?
Disclaimer: Hp isn't mine
Chapter XII - A Darker Shade of Gold
The French Ministry's atrium was still the grandest and the most golden of all atriums, but it seemed dull to Albus now. That was the effect the corpses of those that had fallen in a magical conflict had on the place. The view sickened both Albus' and Caradoc's eyes, the silence sickened both their ears, the smell sickened both their nostrils. All around, death and burning lingered in the atrium, the air seeming thick and warm.
Caradoc turned and faced a scorched section of wall. "I cannot face that sight much more", Caradoc said, suffocating on his words as they strained out of his throat, "It looks like a massacre, Albus, a sodding massacre. How could they slaughter all these innocent people, Albus, they're magical brethren"? "It saddens me too, Caradoc", Albus said, crouching down to one of the corpses, his left arm shielding his nose, "we have to do something about this". Albus closed the open eyes of the dead wizard strewn upon the golden floor in front of him. "Now you're talking", Caradoc said, turning to determinedly stare at Albus. Caradoc hastily paced around the atrium, searching the bodies with his eyes. "I thought you couldn't stand the sight", Albus said. "That was before, Albus", Caradoc said, walking around, looking for something that could be important, "this is now, my friend. It's time I started taking a forward thinking approach to this war". Albus smiled heartily and said, "And I agree".
Suddenly, there was a spine-chilling 'ding' behind the pair of wizards, for the golden lift had risen to the atrium. Albus and Caradoc looked at each other and instantly dove to the floor, completely still, eyes closed, ears open. "I don't understand Lord Grindelwald", a slow, heavy and obviously German voice said, "you promised that the secret could be found in the Department of Mysteries". "Be patient, Mr Schutzengraben", the unmistakeable sinister voice of Grindelwald slyly said, "Clearly the French ministry have moved it to a safer location, but do not fear, I am certain it is still in this building". "How can you be so sure"? Schutzengraben asked, perplexedly. "It calls to me, my little friend, and if I can still hear it, it is still in this building". Grindelwald and this new enemy, Schutzengraben, were edging their way closer and closer to Albus and Caradoc. "Why did you ask me to speak in English, anyway, Lord Grindelwald"? "Why, Schutzengraben", Grindelwald said, chortling slightly, "you haven't realised yet. It is so our friends pretending to be dead on the floor can understand us".
At those words, Albus and Caradoc simultaneously jumped up off the ground and ran away from Grindelwald and Schutzengraben, launching Stupefy charms into their adversary's position, while the two dark wizards let Killing Curses spew forth from the ends of their wands. Grindelwald's henchman was dressed in dark green robes and upon his head he wore a helmet that took the shape of a human skull. One Stupefy charm hit Schutzengraben, knocking him to the ground, completely unconscious, landing like a dead fish.
Albus and Caradoc came to a door next to the reception area, a door that led to the stair well. The clambered through it as, slamming it shut behind them as a Killing Curse scorched the wall next to it. Grindelwald placed his wand to his neck and said, like his voice was coming out of a loud speaker, "Our friends Mr Dumbledore and Mr Dearborn are in the building. Find them; alive would be preferable, but accidents do happen". And at those words, a dozen people in skull helmets and dark green robes smiled masochistically.
"You heard Grindelwald, Albus", Caradoc said, breathing heavily as they burst through the door on the floor above the atrium, slowing their pace down to a quick walk, "we've got to leave now". "We have come a long way to get to this place, Caradoc", Albus said, similarly out of breathe, but with resilience in his voice, "We left Fleischer unguarded in a little inn, in that maniac's hometown to come here, to do something for the war, right here, right now. We're not leaving yet. There may be survivors, and that secret the German was talking about, we have to find it before they do. The race is on, my friend".
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