Albus Dumbledore was a busy man, but instead of filing papers for the Weasley twin's latest prank's damage cost, he was walking down the Ministry halls with Fudge. He kept an outer appearance of polite interest as he listened to the Minister speak.
"Now Dumbledore, I assure you, in the summer- three months ago to be precise- we made the most unusual discovery. Absolutely astonishing, I've never seen something of it's like before, and there are no records of it found in the entire Ministry. It could be classified as a new magical species, Dumbledore!" the portly man ramble on excitedly, his bowler hat spinning with equal eagerness.
This got the Headmaster's attention. Fudge continued. "Absolutely astonishing, tremendous magical power, and it was carrying a weapon when we found it."
"A weapon, you say?"
"Yes, yes, a large cleaver of a sword. It's being observed as we speak. Over three hundred pounds of pure steel, and the creature swings it as easily as a wand! Monstrous strength, this one."
"I see." Dumbledore's head was turning. A new magical creature with strength like that would be a nightmare in the hands of Voldemort. And the one Fudge has caught couldn't be the only one of its kind.
"Ah, here we are!" Fudge cried cheerfully. They had stopped by a worn metal door. The hallway was empty, without a single Ministry worker in sight. It was eerily quiet and still without the usual bustling of the purple robed wizards and witches. Fudge stepped closer to the metal double doors. He whipped out his wand and tapped the door, much like a certain brick wall in the Leaky Cauldron. The password for the door, however, was much longer and more complex. Finally, on the last hit, Fudge stepped back.
From behind the door came multiple sounds of heavy bolts and chains as the doors slid open. When the locks were all magically disabled, they moved open, revealing a dark, unlit staircase leading down. Dumbledore noticed that the doors were as thick as his hand and made up of dense iron.
"Now, Dumbledore, the creature is wild and uncontrollable, and so we took extra security measures to keep it restrained. It's magical abilities are incredible, so much that it increases the pressure of the air. Quite amazing specimen, if I say so myself."
Dumbledore only raised his eyebrows slightly at the mention of the magical powers. But inside, he was thinking like mad. Enough to affect the air pressure, what have they caught?
But Fudge had already bounded down the stair, still twirling his hat. Dumbledore walked in with him and shut the door behind him, encasing the two men in darkness.
They walked down the stairs as Fudge continued to ramble on about the creature.
"It reacted most violently the first time it awoke, and nearly destroyed the entire basement floor. We had to gas it in the end, and it still fought for another hour with the gas in its system. Terrible repair costs, Dumbledore, absolutely horrible. Mountains of paperwork for days." Here, Fudge shuddered before going on.
"Of course, we kept it sedated from then on, and cast barriers and charms to prevent it from breaking out again. And don't worry, Dumbledore, you'll get to meet the beast soon, but first I'm afraid we're stopping here."
Fudge, like he said, stopped by another door. This one was even thicker than the last, the thickness was the size of Fudge's head. It was covered in what seemed like burn marks and deep cuts decorated the dense iron surface. The Minister pulled out his wand and like before, tapped a password onto the door. It creaked open, the bottom grating heavily against the floor. The two men stepped inside.
Unlike the stairs, this one was brightly lit and filled with bustling wizards. Some were pointing their wands at something on a table, while others took notes on parchment. Most, when seeing their superior step into the room, stopped working and stepped aside to make room. They walked up to the wizards casting spells and Fudge cleared his throat.
"Ah- Minister! I'm very sorry, I didn't notice you! Please excuse my rudeness sir!" cried a wizard as he stopped in the casting of his spell. He then wildly gestured for the others to step away. They did so at great haste, seeing the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the Prime Minister approaching the table.
"No problem at all, none at all! Just here to show Dumbledore the weapon of the beast!"replied Fudge easily, brushing off the apologizes. "Dumbledore, behold the creature's sword!"
The older wizard observed the object on the table. His blue eyes widened with shock. On the flat stone surface lay a black blade around 6 feet long. It was one-bladed, with a silver edge curving into a triangle-like shape. It was almost like a kitchen knife in shape, but Dumbledore doubted it would be used to chop carrots. He let his gaze roam down the point of the cleaver and onto the hilt. There was no guard like he had expected there to be, but just a plain handle with white bandages wrapped around it. He extended an aged hand and lightly ran his fingers over the hilt. It was worn where its wielder had held it. The bandages were wrapped tightly, the end of the cloth flowing at the end of the handle.
It wasn't beautiful, but it was proud and dignified as it lay on the stone. It silently radiated power and strength like a throne. He silently wondered who could have possibly wielded such a powerful weapon. He trailed his fingers over the groves of the handhold and slowly wrapped his hands over the hilt.
"Now Dumbledore I wouldn't do tha-" but Fudge suddenly gasped and fell forward. Everyone in the room did the same, collapsing like birds and clutching their throats. Even Dumbledore fell to the ground, eyes wide. A roaring voice filled his head like a wave, bashing his skull. Who are you! You are not him! Bring Ichigo back! You are not him! It screamed and scratched Dumbledore's brain, cursing and demanding something. At the same time, the air became heavy, like they were too deep in water. The pressure was incredible, like an anvil pressed onto his head. It was like trying to breath in cement, he couldn't, it was impossible. He let go of the sword, and gasped for air.
And it suddenly stopped. The pressure was gone. The people the room stirred and some tried to stand. Fudge wobbled to his feet and so did Dumbledore. They both stood for a minute, filling their grateful lungs with oxygen. Finally, Fudge spoke in a shaky breath. "That, Headmaster, is what happens when someone grabs the sword."