Chapter Forty-One
Die Another Day
To the Editor,
It is becoming more obvious that the Ministry of Magic is suffering from a lack of transparency, which can be easily solved through a commitment to open government. While our dear Minister of Mysteries is entertaining known criminals as overnight guests, it is rumored that Ludovic Bagman himself is back in the country and is surely of greater concern than maintaining a questionable love interest. I shudder to think what he may be doing here, and I hope that the Justice Department and Law Enforcement Ministry haven't wasted any galleons on those expensive renovations on Azkaban. The public deserves to be reassured that their taxes are being properly used to reinforce the facility that keeps them safe from all who question the sanctity of their government.
A Concerned Citizen.
Alexandria mangled the newspaper every which way she could think of before tossing it into the burn pan and lighting it on fire, glaring at it viciously while Wilder and several Agent and Ministry owls watched from the familiar tree. Wilder hooted softly, wondering if he should even say anything.
"That bastard is calling me out! It isn't as if I don't have Agents looking all over the country for him already!" Alexandria snarled furiously.
"The Magician?" Wilder hooted.
"No, not the Magician! Ludo Bagman! I knew he was going to have something in the paper today even before Ron warned me, but he's completely taunting me. Open government! He knows transparency never applies to this department. I wouldn't be able to get anything done if it was! He is managing to get the entire Solidarity party riled up by proxy which does nothing but cause the Ministry more and more headaches," Alexandria snapped, brooding over the letter for a moment. "Well, it confirms what I already suspected. One of the rotations on both his headquarters and his house is back in this country. I need to figure out where at least one of those locations is."
"But even if you caught him, Azkaban isn't finished yet," Wilder pointed out. "There is nowhere to put him."
"I know that," Alexandria told him with exasperation. "But I need to get him out of the mindset where he thinks he's totally controlling the game. Maybe that wouldn't be enough to get him on the run, but at least enough to make him nervous. We need to buy time... and a way to get him to stop riling up Solidarity to the point that council meetings aren't a complete headache. If I can figure out at least one location to his office, maybe it'd be enough to put him off guard."
"Oh, I'll look! I'll look!" Wilder said, and some of the other owls hooted as if laughing.
"We have already looked, and we are full Agents," one of the other owls said.
"Unfortunately, I don't think he can be found by owl, Wilder, no matter how good of a post owl you might be," Alexandria explained. "As a former Minister of Mysteries, he's well aware that postal owls are sometimes the easiest way to get to someone who can't easily be found. Bagman has even used that fact to kill disloyal members of his group in the past. He doesn't have anything to do with owls, he knows just how much of a security threat they can be."
"Then how did he use owls to kill?" Wilder asked in confusion.
"Well, some of his assassins use them... Deathwatch does for certain, and likely all of them have when it's the easiest way in. But they only use their own owls and are known to kill strange postage owls who attempt to track them," Alexandria replied, but grew thoughtful. "Still, maybe there's some way we could intercept one of theirs." She got out a piece of notepaper and scribbled a note to one of her Agent cells.
"Let me try to find out what they look like and where they live," Wilder volunteered. "If I find them, can I be a full fledged Agent Owl?"
"I don't know, Wilder. It's too risky for a beginner, and since you're my personal familiar, they might actually attempt to catch you and use you against me if they know who you belong to. Let me see my wizard agents instead to see what they can find out," Alex said.
"Then what can I do to become a full fledged Agent?" he asked. "I thought Agents always did risky things!"
"Yes, but not during training. During training, I simply need you to learn how to follow instructions so that I know I can count on you. I will let you know if something comes up, Wilder, honest," Alexandria promised. "Until then, how about getting me another newspaper? I forgot to check to see how bad the gossip column was before I fricasseed it."
Ruffling his feathers, Wilder flew out, and Alexandria went over her notes thoughtfully. Garvan said that his grandfather had been in Polaris Town for the Christmas holiday, but had reset his location right after they had left on Christmas Day. What other places could he be hiding at when he wasn't in the country, she pondered, glancing at the flag board despite knowing that his flag never left the corner having blocked it a long time ago. It was true that his men were always here now, else he wouldn't have been getting such detailed reports about her day to day activities. She was certain that he was only in the country part of the time. How could she put him off his guard when he could change locations with the turn of a dial?
Thick, powdery snow encased the small, humble cabin on every side, and not a footprint could be seen. It was too high up the mountain and too out of the way to cause anyone any interest.
As the afternoon wore on, the silence was broken by a strange buzzing noise in the distance. It grew closer and closer until finally a snowmobile burst into view, leaving its tracks as it loudly pulled up to the cabin, idling for a moment before finally getting shut down.
The driver dismounted as a man opened the door, eyeing him with suspicion and dislike.
"If you're looking for a hostel, you're way off course. It's several miles to the east, further down the mountain," he warned. "This is a private residence."
"As I am aware, Mr. Tibalt," said the stranger. An older French gentleman took off his helmet, completely ignoring the fact that the man at the door took out his wand.
"You're a wizard," Tibalt said with alarm. "What are you doing riding that thing?"
"I'm a Magician, actually," the Magician corrected, putting his helmet on the snowmobile's seat. "I rented it. I learned how to ride one after watching a James Bond film," he explained. "I knew that Ludo Bagman probably had this area sealed to prevent Apparation around the perimeter, so I took precautions. Be that as a may, I believe he's been wanting to see me, and now that the holidays are over and his wife and children have found a warm retreat, he is probably ready to listen to me."
"Wait here," Tibalt said flatly.
"My pleasure," the Magician said unconcernedly, knocking the snow from his boots and taking off his gloves as he waited for Tibalt to come back. When the door opened once more, Tibalt still had his wand in hand, but it was at ease rather than pointed at him.
"This way," Tibalt said and showed him in, leading him down a long, booby-trapped corridor and into Ludo Bagman's office.
The Magician couldn't help but pause and take interest his surroundings, momentarily ignoring the wizard behind the desk. Ludo stood and clapped, eyeing the man speculatively.
"Impressive, very impressive, Mr. Magician, if that is how you prefer to be called," Ludo said.
"It is. And you prefer?" the Magician inquired.
"For anyone impressive enough to locate this door... not to mention hogtie one of my best assassins... I believe that calling me Ludo is in order," Ludo replied.
"Enchanté," the Magician said. "I'm sorry for not making an appointment, but I have a very demanding schedule and I wanted to find a time when you were free... and alone," he added for good measure, glancing behind him at Tibalt, still holding his wand. Ludo gestured at Tibalt, who retreated out of sight.
"And just what is it that you do when you're not entertaining the masses on the street?" Ludo asked the Magician.
"Oh I travel," the Magician replied. "A sort of licensed troubleshooter."
"I see, and who do you work for?" Ludo inquired.
"Myself, naturally," the Magician said. "You have such nice prints and photographs, Ludo. Such high quality, and so rare."
"For some strange reason, I haven't been particularly fond of paintings in recent years," Ludo said evenly. "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"
"I am responding to your previous inquiry, of course," the Magician explained calmly.
"Fair enough, but first, I would like some clarity on your relationship with the current Minister of Mysteries," Ludo said.
"A gentleman never kisses and tells, no matter who or how many," the Magician said. "But I must protest those recent letters to the editor in the Daily Prophet, since there can be no doubt who they are from. Play politics all you like, I will not object, but please leave my personal life out of it. Shall I intrude on yours to compensate for your intrusion on mine? Because for some reason, I have trouble believe that Charity's loving parents would be all that keen on learning that there's more to their daughter's independently wealthy husband than they've been led to believe. Can we not make a gentleman's agreement to leave our private lives out of the public eye from now on?"
"It isn't entirely the same circumstances, is it?" Ludo pointed out. "After all, my relationship has absolutely nothing to do with my business affairs, where you cannot possibly say the same."
"If you are implying that I am one of her Agents, you would be incorrect," the Magician informed him. "Alexandria doesn't trust me enough to be one of her Agents. In fact, she highly suspects that I might be working for you, despite my cooperation in helping her test the Ministry's security. It's probably because not only have I not told her my objectives, I also did not reveal to her that I have tracked down several of your door's locations."
"How?" Ludo demanded.
"I will only conduct business with you after you agree to my proposal that we respect each other's privacy when it comes to personal relationships. Surely a man as clever as you has other tools at your disposal other than hitting below the belt. As they say, business shouldn't be personal. Business should be business," the Magician added in a strange accent.
"Very well, I will agree to it, provided that it does not interfere with business in any way," Ludo said evenly.
"That is the general idea, yes," the Magician replied. "As to how I found your location, it isn't so mysterious in nature. As I'm sure you've noticed by now, I have a strong gift when it comes to sleep spells. The day I had words with Mr. Jack Cade and put him to sleep, I borrowed his Portkey and followed it to your door. Knowing that the door itself would have to be tuned to the Portkey regardless of the location of the office itself for it to work correctly, I used a carpenter's device designed to link a Portkey to a particular door and recorded its unique signature onto that device. Once that was done, fitting it with a magic tracking charm was simple. So, if you do not want me to track down your office again, I suggest you change the door itself rather than the individual locations... until I happen to get a hold of the new Portkeys, that is."
"I'll admit I make my fair share of mistakes, Mr. Magician, but I didn't get where I am today by making the same mistake twice," Ludo said evenly.
"I am glad to be of service," the Magician said with a cordial bow. "And now that I have finished with the private matter that I needed to clear up, what can I do for you?"
"Considering you have all but confirmed that you are in a relationship with the Minister of Mysteries, I am hesitant to proceed any further with my inquiry. Just as she has no reason to trust you, I certainly have no reason to trust you either," Ludo said bluntly.
"I understand your hesitation, since you are right that I would stand up against anyone who would harm her. I also understand that both her family and yours have certain rules when it comes to protecting one's own family. I can respect that, since it follows my beliefs entirely," the Magician said evenly. "But if you should need me to test your security in the same way that the Ministry hired me to test theirs, I am certain we can come up with an agreement. You may consider the advice on fixing your Portkey door a matter of professional courtesy, for being so hospitable and allowing me to leave just as I came."
"That other business you mentioned... about testing Ministry security," Ludo pressed. "Perhaps you wouldn't be above enlightening me on what you uncovered, since they certainly would have plugged any holes you found while breaking in."
"If you have anything worth trading the information for," the Magician suggested.
"I've already heard that you prefer barter rather than coin for some reason," Ludo acknowledged.
"Well, I like to do some things the old-fashioned way," the Magician replied.
"You already know what I want. What do you want? Something to do with that objective you mentioned in the papers?" Ludo conjectured.
"No, I've already completed that objective. I've gone to the next phase now, and it's something no one else can help me with," the Magician admitted. "Frankly, I am looking for the same thing you are, namely information. Just what exactly is your business back in Britain, Ludo? You have been gone a number of years with your Inner Circle doing your work for you, so why is that no longer good enough? Those plans your men are after would only be of interest to a wizard who was about to do something that might risk being caught, or why would it be worth the bother of retrieving them?"
"I am a wizard who prepares for every eventuality, my good man, no matter how remote the chance may be," Ludo explained calmly.
"I believe that you want a look on those plans to give yourself a chance to crack them should the need arise, but surely fetching them is too petty of a target to waste your personal time on. Such a mission is more suited for one of your many sets of extra hands," the Magician pointed out.
"Until you got involved, that is," Ludo replied.
"Thank you kindly, but you were dabbling in the country even when the security at the Ministry was poor. Considering your anonymous contributions to the paper, I might conjecture that the real reason you've been working closer to home is political in nature. I also believe that it has little to do with direction of the Reform party. Rather, I conjecture that you have been rather unhappy with what has happened to the Traditionalist party since the last spy war. The party become as fractured as Equinox had become, with different extremities fighting over control.
"Unfortunately, a trifecta events weakened the party to the point that it was a sliver of what it had been before; the fiasco with Rummert and his Eclipse society, the tragedy of the Coventry family, and the spy war itself. It truly isn't surprising that all of the moderate Traditionalists left considering what the party had turned into... and those moderates who left included some of your old supporters as well as your own grandson. Even your son had his reservations, as well as many other Traditionalists whose children had converted to the Reformist Party, because those children have often expressed their opinions of what they thought of their parents staying with those blackened roots.
"Realizing that the Reformist Party no longer had any true competition, you suggested to your friends in the Council and the Ministry that it was time for a new, more moderate party; one that still kept the core values of the Traditionalist party but without all of the baggage," he concluded.
"Partially correct," Ludo acknowledged. "It is true that I may have suggested the idea of starting a new party, but it was technically founded by my son and my friend, Ambassador Aldus. The need for an alternative party was so great that it didn't need more than a nudge. You are correct; many of my old colleagues weren't happy with the direction that the Traditionalist Party was going, nor were they willing to yield to the radical reforms of the current majority. Of course, playing the middle isn't always easy. Since they must make alliances with the traditionalists on some concerns and reformists on others, Solidarity will always need to be tactful with both sides. They must learn to use their growing numbers as a bargaining chip if they are to seek compromises within the council that favors their opinion."
"I see. Still, that doesn't answer the question of why you and your family are spending more time in the country," the Magician said.
"Ah, those are two different questions!" Ludo said with a smile. "The second of which I will happily answer as a courtesy of my own, since it is innocent enough. You see, when I had my youngest two children, I kept it quiet for some time, thinking it would be a fun surprise announcement for my son and grandson. When I finally had an opportunity to meet my son for tea, he told me that he already knew, much to my surprise. He had been informed through Thomas Craw, who had told him that my children's names were on the Hogwarts registry. I knew from the moment I heard they were there that I didn't want them to miss the experience just because their father got himself on the Ministry's 'Kill On Sight' list. That wouldn't be fair. My country punishes enough children for being born into the wrong family, and I'm not going to let it happen to mine," he explained.
"Despite the fact that Professor Snape is the Headmaster?" the Magician inquired.
"I do not deny that I find Severus Snape a dangerous political adversary, and he's even more dangerous as a wizard, considering how reckless he has been with both Ancient Magic and that blasted Elixir. I also do not care for many of the policies he has introduced since he first took over that school," Ludo said bluntly. "Even so, after he realized that Garvan was my grandson, he was treated with the same respect as every other student, nor protested any of his friendships. If there is any saving grace for the man, it is that he gives all of his students equal treatment regardless of family. I only wonder if his security is up to the task, considering the challenges ahead."
"I must admit that I don't know what you mean. As I have come to understand, things have been quite peaceful at the school in recent years. The last incident was that dreadful circus, and that affected a great many more people than just the school. And while many died, the Ministry's report stated that the school's quick action was responsible for making certain that all of the children were returned safe and sound," the Magician said.
"Since you're quoting a report, I assume you were not there during the time," Ludo ventured.
"You are correct, I was not. I came to England to explore a new country, as well as to escape the harsh winters in the States," the Magician confirmed. "I did not get interested in the politics there until after I was told that I was unintentionally breaking Ministry laws and decided to dig into the workings of government for my own preservation." Ludo laughed.
"Get yourself a good counselor son, it'll save you a lot of time and work," he suggested.
"When it comes to gathering information, I prefer to do my own digging," the Magician replied.
"And while you were researching Mirage's circus, did you happen across who it was who sponsored them to come here in the first place?" Ludo inquired.
"It was the Clan MacSin, better known in modern times as the Maxens," the Magician replied.
"The Maxens will do anything to achieve total control of their surroundings, including turning on members of their own family," Ludo informed him seriously. "So far, they've only tested the waters, but that tentative behavior won't last forever. They've already taken over the Traditionalist Party, and it won't be long before they begin to set their sights higher. Once they've brought their peers to heel, they'll be coming after the majority, and then go after their enemies. We must be ready."
"So that is the real reason your attention is back on Britain... it is because of your concern over the Maxen family," the Magician concluded.
"If I intend to settle my family back into England before my children reach school age, I would prefer to avoid any complications. The Maxens are most decidedly a complication worth my concern," Ludo replied. "Your Minister would do well to reassign one of her many teams following my men about and start conducting surveillance on them instead."
"I will suggest it. And since this matter has nothing to do with Alex herself, does that mean your not here to start another spy war?" the Magician asked bluntly.
"I wouldn't guarantee it, that is too close to giving my word," Ludo told him evenly, but then seemed to change his mind. "However, I will admit that Minister Clemmons has been more cautious of her approach in recent years. She hasn't attempted to oust Deacon or any of my other conservative friends out of the Ministry, nor has she made any attempt to curb my freedom of speech when it comes to expressing my views in the paper. If a spy war were to start at this present time, it would be because she herself has done something extremely foolish... such as harassing my family while they go about their daily lives, for example."
"I quite understand," the Magician said. "I feel the same way about my Alexandria. I too would step in if I feel she's in danger, even if it's business related."
"Then it would appear that we are now on common ground," Ludo said. " I would regret if the two of us ever had to come to blows. I admit that I've taken a liking to your style, and I would hate to have to kill you."
"Then I will put your fears to rest. You're incapable of it," the Magician informed him.
"And your boldness," Ludo added dryly. "But now that I have told you what you wanted to know, it is time that you told me what I want to know. What did you uncover about the Ministry security?"
"Ah, yes. Well, I suppose since you have several Animagi and a somewhat talented shapeshifter of sorts in your employ, I am guessing that you were already aware of some of the Ministry's security holes already," the Magician began.
"Somewhat talented?" Ludo repeated.
"He's in the room," the Magician noted.
"Point taken," Ludo replied calmly. "It's true they have been able to dance in and out of the Ministry on occasion, although it must be done quickly so that no one notices a change in the flag board. How is it that they don't notice you?"
"Because I'm not on the flag board," the Magician explained. "As you're surely aware, to add a flag to the board, the Ministry has to file the proper paperwork to get it to work. They've never captured me to process, nor have they formally arrested me. All they have is a warrant without a name... and since they don't know it, there is no way they can ever file that warrant in way that would make the flag board respond."
"Ah! Clever," Ludo said with a spark in his eyes. "But surely Alex knows your name."
"She does not. She simply calls me the Magician," he admitted.
"Even now? Perhaps she has a good reason not to trust you, then," Ludo said with amusement.
"Perhaps," the Magician said with a shrug. "It is true that I don't tell her everything, any more than you tell your wife everything."
"Far from it," Ludo replied. "So since you're not on the flag board, I assume that meant you were under no time constraints to get the job done."
"I had time enough to get into every office necessary, including the Minister of Magic's personal office, as well as the Minister of Law Enforcement," the Magician admitted. Ludo raised an eyebrow at that, uncertain if he believed those last two or not. "I took all of the files and piled them on Alexandria's desk when she was out of her office. Realizing just how vulnerable they were, they decided the best thing to do was to move them somewhere more secure until changes could be made to the Ministry."
"And where was it moved to?" Ludo asked.
"It's hidden deep within the Craw Mansion... somewhere I can't get to," he explained.
Ludo frowned.
"My men and I can't get anywhere near the place without alarms going off," Ludo said with annoyance.
"It wouldn't matter if you could. Even if you managed to get inside, it's impossible to go anywhere inside without permission. Many doors are cursed so that only Craws may enter; even guests living in the house cannot go into certain areas without Craw blood. Some rooms seem to go a step further and only one may enter, and there are paintings, devices, and security in every inch of the place," he explained.
"I'm well aware of it," Ludo replied briskly.
"Once it was established that I could not get through Craw security, they realized that blood magic was the key, so they are adding detectors and other devices to perform blood checks. Until then, they are temporarily making use of the one that archives and the justice departments use for authentication to not only secure files, but to enchant the paper so only certain people can read them," the Magician explained.
"So they've rendered it pointless to even attempt it," Ludo concluded.
"Yes," the Magician agreed.
"Well, there's more than way to find out information. They may have stopped any attempt at obtaining those plans directly, but there are many ways I can find get the information I need indirectly, and they can't possibly stop them all," Ludo replied.
"Yes, I am certain you are correct in that," the Magician agreed. "I will be polite and wish you luck, since I see no harm in it since those plans mean nothing to me. But with that, I believe our exchange is done and I'll be taking my leave, with your permission of course."
"Come show our talented guest out to his contraption, Tibalt," Ludo said, and the wizard appeared in the doorway again. "I do not know if we will be on amicable terms on our next encounter, Mr. Magician, nor do I trust you any more than you should trust me. However, if you ever need an alternative to prison, I'm sure something could be arranged."
"I will keep it in mind," the Magician said with a cordial bow, but without taking his eyes from Ludo until he finally turned and accompanied the bodyguard back out to the snowmobile.