Chapter Twenty

The Next Stage

To the Editor;

It would seem that your only newspaper peer, the Veritable Wizard, seems to have gotten the exclusive of the year. But since they have no editorial column, I have decided to write to you on the matter of the impressive exposition of the wizard of the moment, the Dashing Doppler. As usual, it would seem that Hogwarts once again has chosen to side-step the Ministry in its quest for dominance. Truly, its influence over the government knows no bounds. That said, I would like to commend our young aspiring journalist for his pluck at acquiring such an intriguing interview... assuming it actually happened. As for the cunning Doppler who has put the entire Ministry on his head, I am certain that there are many interested parties who would be eager to employ his services, and are willing to give him anything he wishes to bring back justice, honor, and true transparency to the Ministry of Magic.

An Interested Party

Alex read the letter again in annoyance and put the paper back down on her desk, propping her head up in her hand.

"Are you alright?" Wilder hooted from the familiar tree.

"Yeah, just brooding. How about sending for a cup of coffee?" Alex suggested.

"You didn't drink the last one," Wilder hooted. Alex looked at the full cup of cold coffee on her desk.

"Oh. Tea then," Alex said, and the owl flew out. She heard a chime and looked over at the door until Aurelius stepped into the room, gazing at his sister searchingly.

"I see you noticed the letter to the editor," Aurelius said, stepping over to the desk. "Do you think it's Bagman?"

"Of course it's Bagman, he even signed it this time," Alex pointed out.

"Actually, it says, 'An Interested Party,' but I guess that's even more proof it was him," Aurelius said.

"He was intentionally thinking his name so that I could confirm it," Alex said grumpily.

"It also proves that the Dashing Doppler isn't working for Bagman, since that letter was also meant as a counterproposal," Aurelius pointed out.

"He isn't working for him yet, you mean," Alex brooded. "Really, Rel, what can I have to offer that would compare to anything that Bagman might offer? I know I'm allowed to stretch the law a bit and pardon who I like, but even with my extended government powers, I can't possibly offer anything that could remotely compare to what Bagman could, whatever his motivations are... which I still don't know, since I can't figure out what 'objective' the Dashing Doppler has with the Ministry."

"An item of some kind?" Aurelius pondered.

"Unlikely at best," Alex replied. "We don't keep anything sensitive in the Ministry anymore, you know that. The only thing in the Artifacts' vault these days are recent confiscations that are waiting to be tagged and inventoried, and they get rotated out on a monthly basis."

"True, but there are a lot of artifacts that don't get rotated out that are part of the Ministry's décor and security systems... paintings and the like, or tools like the Scales of Ma'at... or Ministry records. Maybe it's information on something or someone that he can't get to," Aurelius suggested.

"All sensitive items of that nature are kept in the Mysteries Annex. He'd have a hard time getting in there, we've heightened the security tremendously since Bagman's been out. We had to change everything just to be safe," she added, pausing when Wilder flew back in.

"Your tea is behind door three," Wilder hooted.

"Thank you," Alex said, opening the postbox door and pulling out a small tea set. "Want some tea, Rel? We can go down to the Annex afterwards," she suggested.

"Tonight?" Aurelius asked skeptically.

"There's no time like the present! The sooner we can eliminate his objectives, the better!" Alex said.

"Objectives?" Wilder hooted curiously.

"The Doppler isn't interested in dusty old relics. He is probably interested in something more priceless," Austere hissed from where he was wrapped around the tallest branch of the familiar tree. "Oh, no! Maybe he is after me!"

Wilder began flapping his wings wildly, nearly falling off his perch as it made screechy owl noises that was the closest thing the poor owl could get to laughing.

"I'm sure that whatever the objective is, it has nothing to do with you, Austere, sorry," Aurelius said.

"Then perhaps it is a dusty old relic, since he doesn't have good taste," Austere decided indignantly.

"All the same, I have no intention of spending all night going through the Mysteries Annex, Alex, and you shouldn't either. You're as tight as a drum, and I can plainly see you've been really getting sucked into this case so much you haven't taken any time for yourself. You won't be able to solve anything if you make yourself sick. Maybe you should take the night off."

"The night off? When so much is going on?" Alex protested.

"There's always something going on, Alex. The world revolves whether you're in this office or not."

"Maybe, but I feel much better having a finger on the ball so it doesn't stop spinning," Alex said.

"You also haven't eaten," he pointed out, gesturing at the full cups and discarded full plates. "Why don't you come home with Ginger and me for dinner? You can say hi to Justice and the girls and get some real food in you for a change."

"No thanks... and don't give me that look," Alex protested.

"What look?" Aurelius inquired.

"That 'I know what you're going through' sympathetic look. Because you don't," Alex said.

"I could make a case for it," Aurelius said seriously, sitting down. "Because I vividly remember all of the stages of grief I went through when I lost Pali."

"That is definitely not the same," Alex said.

"It's closer than you think it is," Aurelius informed her firmly. "Pali was my Cosmic Match." Alex frowned.

"Surely not. Is that even possible?" Alexandria asked.

"Mother confirmed it one morning over a cup of coffee in her office," Aurelius replied. "The thing was, that after she told me, I realized that I had known it all along and just didn't know how to quantify it. From what Mum told me, it's pretty common to feel like that about someone's Cosmic Match. Of course, it made the hurt come back all at once. All the same, I feel better knowing it. I probably would have guessed it sooner if I'd known before that point that Cosmic Matches weren't exclusive to humans. But now that I think back on Pyther and Alicia, not to mention Diana and Leu, I really should have figured it out on my own. Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that I understand what you're going through better than you think. I lost my life partner as well, and I know all about that hollow void that comes afterwards, lasting through all other stages of grief, including during the 'muddling through' stage when someone is going through the motions in hopes of getting to the 'moving on stage.' The guilt and regret. The loneliness. It's all natural, you know..."

"There is nothing natural about how Ben died," Alex snapped.

"I know you don't want to hear that everyone goes through it, Alex, but everyone does... regardless of the circumstances. If only I had acted faster. If only I had kept him home that day. If only I hadn't been driving. If only I had listened. If only I had insisted he had gone to the doctor earlier. If... if... if... Everyone does it," Aurelius said firmly. "I've heard all of the ifs as an Auror... coming from every loved one who lost someone they cared about, and from every parent whose child turned into a Dark Wizard, wondering what they could have done to prevent it. It's time you moved out of the muddling through stage, Alex, and the first thing you must do is to acknowledge the fact that everyone goes through it," Aurelius said firmly. "Maybe it's even time you thought about dating again."

"Not you too," Alex groaned, pushing her tea away.

"Why, has Mum been in here?" Aurelius asked.

"Craters, no. I never talk to Mum unless I have to," Alex protested. Aurelius sighed silently. "It came from Ludo Bagman, actually."

"Ludo Bagman?" Aurelius repeated with a baffled expression.

"I accidentally blundered in on his holiday trip to Villahexen last year when he took his family to the ski lodge for Yule and we decided to treat it like a parlay and had a game of chess," Alex explained. "He told me it was time I started dating again, and he thought that I would benefit from finding a partner I considered an equal rather than someone to watch my house for me."

"Well, you have to admit, he's a perceptive bastard," Aurelius commented with a slight chuckle. "And he's also dead right. You really do need someone like that."

"I'm the Minister of Mysteries, Aurelius, I have no equals," Alex said to him with exasperation.

"There's the side of you that Austere gets his personality from! I get it now..."

"Ha, ha, that's very funny, Rel. I'm serious! Who is there with as much power as I have? Draco, Grandfather, Father perhaps... maybe we could throw in that bloke from the WIAB in the U.S. But they're all married or members of the family."

"And what about Ludo? He's got your brains and was an ex-Minister..."

"Married with kids and he's older than Father..." Alex protested.

"Exactly. Who did he marry? Did he marry an equal?" Aurelius asked.

"He said he did. He said he married someone who wasn't afraid to put him in his place," Alex replied.

"Well, for some reason, I have my doubts that she's a criminal mastermind. She's probably just someone with the strength of will to go toe to toe with him," Aurelius replied.

"Maybe. He's so protective of his family that there's nothing out there on them. The only way we know they even exist is that he talks about them when he sends Peter and Garvan greeting cards," Alex admitted.

"But doesn't that at least give you some hope?" Aurelius asked.

"That my greatest rival found a second chance at happily ever ever? Yes, that makes me feel so much better!" Alex snapped at him, fuming as she got up. "I'm going to the Club."

"No wonder you don't meet anybody. There's nothing but a bunch of old guys smoking cigars in there..."

"Good. I'm not in the market for meeting anybody," Alex told Aurelius curtly. "I'm much too busy, and I have too much to worry about to waste my time dating. Thanks for caring, but I'm fine and I like things the way they are now. Besides, I don't want another liability for Bagman to go after... that's probably all he really wants, anyway," she rationalized, storming out the door.

Wilder hooted worriedly.

"Humans are irrational creatures, they're ridiculously emotional all of the time. You'll get used to it," Austere hissed at Wilder.

"She's just trying to work some stuff out right now," Aurelius explained to the worried owl. "If you're worried, you could probably keep an eye on her. I'm pretty sure that she won't complain if she spots you. She's heading to the Quibble Club."

Hooting at that, the tawny owl flew out the window.

"He's emotional too," Austere complained.

"I think he reminds her of her old owl," Aurelius explained.

"I don't see why she would need another familiar. She already has me," Austere hissed.

"Did you really want to fetch and carry for her?" Aurelius hissed back.

"Good point. He's just there to be a lackey," Austere decided. Realizing that this conversation was going nowhere, Aurelius went home for the night.

Alexandria stepped into the Wizard's club, glancing in annoyance to see that sure enough, the Smoke Room was full and every arm chair had an old wizard planted in it, giving their own personal opinions on the day's politics. Aurelius was wrong... only half of them had cigars, Alexandria thought to herself. The rest had pipes or were making use of the hookah. Glad for the protective ward that prevented smoke from getting into the rest of the club, Alexandria continued down the hall until she met one of the concierges.

"Ah, Minister Clemmons! Will be using your private room this evening?" he inquired.

"No, I'm not here on business tonight, I'll just head to the Social Club," Alexandria decided.

He nodded cordially as she went by, stepping into the busy room which served as the private club's tavern and meeting hall. After being greeted by several other wizards and witches who worked at the Ministry, Alex walked over in hopes of getting the seat at the end of the bar.

Lately it had become quite difficult to secure that seat. The Quibble Club must have picked up more members, Alex thought with annoyance, regretting the fact that she had missed the club's last meeting so that she could protest the adding of any more members. What was the point of being a member of an exclusive club if they were just going to add members any time the economy took a turn?

Alex brooded even more when she saw that a wizard had already taken her favorite spot again. She glared fiercely in his direction despite the fact he was looking at his glass instead. She settled into a spot several seats away, knowing that no one would likely get any closer to her.

"Good evening, Minister. The usual?" the barman asked.

"Thanks, Larry. I'm glad something around here doesn't change," Alex grumbled. Larry raised an eyebrow.

"Since when has anything has changed around here?" Larry wondered.

"They raised the cap on membership again," Alex grumbled.

"Oh, that, yes. The economy," Larry explained, drawing her a lager. "Everyone here expects the best that money can buy, and in hard times, the club has to make allowances to keep up with that level of quality."

"I think I'd rather have cheap beer than allow more people in here," Alex replied.

"Aye, you're not the only one I've heard say that this week," Larry admitted. "By the way, uh.. the lager's gone up three sickles and the eel chips are up five more... sorry." Alex gave him a dirty look, putting the coins down on the bar. "I'll go put in your chips order."

As Alex waited for the foam to settle, she suddenly noticed that the stool at the end had been vacated. But before she could get up and move over, another wizard took it. Alex sighed with exasperation. She had gone to the Quibble Club for dinner three times a week, yet she hadn't managed to get the end seat in over a month. Deciding her best bet was simply to move to a table, she impatiently waited for her chips. Taking a small sip, she look around out of boredom rather than really wanting to know who was in the club that night. It seemed that wizard at the end of the bar had apparently decided to take his beer to a different room because the seat had been vacated again. But just as Alex got up, another wizard sat down in the same spot.

"Hey Larry, can reservations be put on certain barstools, or are they all already booked up for a year or two?" Alex asked dryly.

"Now what is all that about? There's plenty of room, and it doesn't look like anyone's foolish enough to crowd you, Minister," Larry pointed out.

"Its nothing. I just prefer to sit at the far end of the bar, is all," Alex admitted.

"Lately, some of the newcomers have been using that stool to pick up a quick brew to take to other rooms," Larry explained.

"Well, maybe you should take the time to explain to them that there's a call button and they can order from any room," Alex suggested.

"I'm sure someone will, but it'd be very impolite for me to advise a club member without them asking for help. It'd be out of place," Larry reminded her. "It won't be too much longer, Minister. I'm sure your eel chips are just about up. The usual sauces, I presume?"

"Oh, throw something new in there. My evening's shaken up already," Alex replied irritably.

"I know just the one," Larry said with a wink, going over to the kitchen door.

Taking another sip, Alex glanced in the mirror and gazed at the gentleman at the end of the bar. Then she turned her head to give him a better look. He had dusty blonde hair and a slightly pointed nose as if there was a touch of Fae in the blood despite his tall height. Then again, Viviane was quite tall, being Danaan, she mused, but still, this wizard hardly had a Fae build. He was slender, but not too slender... he had probably just gotten very lucky in the gene pool, she decided. The wizard was wearing a dress robe that was more common at weddings than inside a private club... perhaps he had just come from an event of some kind.

"You don't have to come to the bar, you know," Alex called out, immediately getting the wizard's attention.

"I don't?" he asked, quite baffled.

"The waiters here will deliver your drink to any room you want to sit in. There's a button on the wall," Alex explained.

"Oh! A button!" he said, then began looking around.

"Not in here, silly, in the other rooms," Alex told him with exasperation.

"Ah, I get it now. Thank you, Minister. That is the right title, correct?" he asked.

"Yes, of course. And yours?" Alex asked.

"Ah... my title is Mister," he said. "Mister is very close to Minister, isn't it, except that there's an 'in' in Minister. Otherwise, they're exactly the same, or else they would be if all Ministers were Misters. Then again, if all Misters were women and all Ministers were men, it'd make a lot more sense, wouldn't it? Such is the English language, I suppose," he said, then noticed there was now a drink on the bar. Alex blinked.

"Funny, but inappropriate. Just how did you get in this club?" Alex squinted suspiciously.

"Through that door over there," he explained, pointing.

"I meant how did you get a club card?" she asked.

"Oh, that was easy to get. I would tell you all about it, but then your food would get cold," he said. Alex turned around, realizing that her basket of chips were there. "I suppose I should go look for those buttons of yours, as you suggested," he added, getting up with his mug in hand.

"Wait a minute, I want to talk to you," Alex told him.

"Are you going to interrogate me?" he asked with interest.

"Do I have a reason to?" Alex asked.

"I really don't care if you have a reason to or not. I've always wanted to be interrogated by a beautiful woman," he said enthusiastically.

"Before you go any further with the flirting and the lurid jokes, I'm not interested, and that's not why I asked to talk to you," Alex warned.

"Very well! I'm listening," he assured her.

"Not here," Alex sighed, gesturing at all of the curious people watching the exchange.

She picked up her mug and chips and went over to a table, a bit worried about what might happen if she ended up alone with him in her private club room. It was him, it must be, she thought to herself, sitting across from him.

"So who are you, really?" Alex demanded.

"Who are you to ask?" he parried.

"Alexandria Snape Clemmons, Minister of Mysteries," Alex said dangerously.

"Oh! Do you like mysteries? I simply love them..."

"Never mind that. Tell me who you are," Alex demanded.

"Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be mysterious. Call me whatever you like, and I promise I'll answer," he replied flirtatiously.

"You're the Dashing Doppler, aren't you?" Alex said flatly.

"Is that what you want to call me?" he asked curiously.

"What I want is for you to stop playing games," Alex said.

"Everything's a game. All life is a game... perhaps you simply want to play a different one," he suggested.

"What I want is the truth," Alex said.

"If you like," the wizard said, helping himself to her eel chips.

"Are you the Dashing Doppler?" Alex asked.

"What exactly is a Dashing Doppler?" the wizard asked.

"Doppler is slang for Doppelganger and Dashing means just that," Alexandria said impatiently.

"Oh, now I understand," he replied, then shook his head. "No, I'm not. Unless, of course, you want me to pretend I am an evil creature willing to kill humans to take their place... do you like a bit of fantasy?" he asked with interest.

"It's the nickname of a dangerous Metamorphmagus. Don't you ever read the papers?" Alex asked him.

"Yes, that's how I know what your name is," he explained. "But I'm no Metamorphmagus, sorry." Frustrated with the denial, Alex took out a small phial.

"Do you know what this is?" Alex asked threateningly.

"It's a bottle," he replied.

"It's Veritiserum, and it forces you to tell the truth," she said.

"I've already been telling you the truth," he replied calmly.

"Then prove it," she snapped.

"If you like," he said. Alex watched him with extreme intensity, making sure he actually drank it instead of simply pretending to. He showed her the empty bottle. "Is it safe to drink my beer with this, or should I abstain?"

"Not until you tell me the truth! Are you the Dashing Doppler?" Alex demanded.

"I'm just a single chap, hoping that if I agree to all of your requests and cater to your whims that you'll give in and take me home with you," he replied.

Alex stared at him.

Flustered, she stood up and walked out, feeling quite ridiculous. This case was getting to her even worse than she thought, she admitted to herself. She took the keys to the Ministry and used the Portkey pads to get home, going to bed just so she could pull her blanket over her head and pretend that none of that happened. She never did get his name, she realized in the middle of the night. Perhaps it would probably be best to avoid the Quibble Club for a while... at least until that wizard she accosted forgot about her or had a chance to move on to some other target.