The Muggle-Born Registration Commission
"Ah, Mafalda, Imelda." Umbridge said, looking at Mike and Chrys. "Travers sent you both, did he?"
"Yes, ma'am." Mike replied.
"Good, you'll do perfectly well." Umbridge said before turning back to the wizard in black and gold. "That's that problem solved, Minister, if both Mafalda and Imelda can be spared for record keeping, we shall be able to start straight away." She then consulted her clipboard. "Ten people today and one of them is the wife of a Ministry employee! Tut, tut… even here, in the heart of the Ministry!"
She then stepped into the lift between Mike and Chrys, as did the two wizards who listened to Umbridge's conversation with the Minister.
"We'll go straight down, you two, you'll find everything you need in the courtroom. Good morning, Albert, aren't you getting out."
"Of course, ma'am." Arthur said in Runcorn's deep voice.
Arthur stepped out of the lift. The golden grilles clanged shut behind him and he glanced over his shoulder at Mike and Chrys, both of whom looked anxious as they sank out of sight with a tall wizard on either side of them and Umbridge's velvet hair bow level with Chrys' shoulders.
"What brings you up here, Runcorn?" The Minister for Magic, Pius Thicknesse, asked. His long, black hair and beard were streaked with silver and a great overhanging forehead shadowed his glinting eyes, which made Arthur think of a crab looking out from beneath a rock.
"I needed a quick word with Benjamin Merlon. Someone told he was up on Level One." Arthur replied.
"Ah." Thicknesse said. "He has been caught having contact with an Undesirable?"
"No, nothing like that." Arthur said with his throat dry.
"Ah, well. It's only a matter of time. If you ask me, the blood traitors are as bad as the Mudbloods. Good day, Runcorn."
"Good day, Minister."
Arthur watched Thicknesse march off along the thickly carpeted corridor.
The moment he was out of sight, Arthur tugged his Invisibility Cloak out from his heavy, black cloak and threw it over himself before setting off along the corridor in the opposite direction.
Runcorn was so tall that Arthur had to stoop lower to make sure his big feet were hidden.
Arthur was nothing but tense as he passed gleaming wooden doors, each bearing small plaques with the owner's name and occupation upon it.
The might of the MInistry, it's complexity and impenetrability all seemed to oppress down on him, making the plan he carefully concocted with Mike, David and Chrys over the past four weeks look downright childish.
They were so concerned with getting inside without being detected that they didn't consider what they'd do if they were forced to separate.
Both Mike and Chrys were now forced to go through court proceedings, which would last hours and David was forced to handle an issue for a Death Eater and a woman's liberty was dependent on the outcome, and there's Arthur himself, wandering around the top floor.
He soon stopped walking and leaned against a wall, trying to figure out what he should do.
The silence was eating him up as there was no bustling or talk or swift footsteps. The purple carpeted corridors were as hushed as though the Muffliato charm was cast everywhere.
But then he considered that Umbridge's office had to be up here if she was with the Minister before going in the lift.
Arthur knew it was unlikely for Umbrdige to keep the Horcrux in her office, but it didn't hurt to check, to make sure.
With this new goal, he set off along the corridor once more, passing no one except a frowning wizard who murmured instructions to a quill that floated in front of him, scribbling on a trail of parchment.
Paying more attention to the names on the various doors, Arthur soon turned a corner.
Halfway along the next corridor, he emerged into a wide open space where a dozen witches and wizards sat in rows at small desks that were akin to school desks, though more polished and free from graffiti and stains.
Arthur paused to watch them as the effect was somewhat mesmerising. They all waved and twiddled their wands in unison, and squares of coloured paper flew in every direction like little pink kites. After a few seconds, he realised that there was a rhythm to the proceedings, the papers formed the same pattern and after a few more seconds, he realised they were creating pamphlets, the paper squares were pages, which when assembled, folded and magicked into place, falling into neat stacks beside each witch or wizard.
Arthur crept up closer, having a feeling that the workers were so intent on their work that they wouldn't notice a carpet muffled footstep, sliding a completed pamphlet from the pile beside a young witch. He examined it beneath the Invisibility Cloak, looking at the pink cover, which was emblazoned with a golden title:
MUDBLOODS
And the Dangers They Pose to a Peaceful Pure-Blood Society
Beneath the title was a picture of a red nose with a simpering face in the middle of its petals being strangled by a green weed with fangs and a scowl. There wasn't an author's name on the pamphlet, but it still made Arthur scowl as this was just nothing but disgusting propaganda that reminded him of Hitler and the Nazi's in World War Two.
The young witch beside him confirmed his suspicions as she said, still waving and twirling her wand "Will the old hag be interrogating Mudbloods all day, does anyone know?"
"Careful." Said the wizard beside her, glancing around nervously, one of his pages slipping and falling to the floor.
"What, has she got magic ears as well as an eye, now?"
She glanced at the shining mahogany door that faced the space full of pamphlet makers.
Arthur looked, knowing for sure what she meant by magical eye and pure animalistic rage consumed him. Where a peephole on a Muggle door would be was a large round eye with a bright blue iris that was set into the wood; the very eye that belonged to Mad-Eye Moody.
Arthur simply strode right to the door and examined the eye, seeing that it wasn't moving, its gaze was blindly upwards, frozen. The plaque beneath it read:
Dolores Umbridge
Senior Undersecretary to the Minister
Below it was a slightly shiner plaque, meaning it was new, which read:
Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission
Arthur looked over his shoulder at the dozen pamphlet makers, knowing they'd notice a door opening to an empty office with no one there to open it.
With this, he withdrew from an inner pocket an odd object with little waving legs and a rubber bulbed horn for a body.
He crouched down beneath the Cloak, placing the Decoy Detonator on the ground.
It scurried away instantly through the legs of the witches and wizards in front of him.
Then a few moments later, where Arthur had his hand around the doorknob, a loud bang reverberated and so much acrid, black smoke billowed from a corner.
The young witch in front shrieked with pink pages flying everywhere as she and others jumped up, looking for the source of the commotion.
Arthur instantly turned the doorknob and stepped into Umbridge's office, closing the door behind him.
He felt like he stepped back in time. The room was so much like Umbridge's office when she taught at Hogwarts: lace draperies, doilies and dried flowers covering every single surface. The walls bore the same ornamental plates that featured highly coloured, beribboned kittens, gambolling and frisking with sickening cuteness.
The desk was covered with a flouncy, flowered cloth.
Behind Moody's eye was a telescopic attachment that enabled Umbrdige to spy on the workers on the other side of the door. Arthur even took a look through it and saw them all gathering around the Decoy Detonator. He wrenched the telescope out of the door, which left a hole behind, pulling the magical eyeball out of it and put it in his pocket.
He then turned to face the room again, raised his wand and muttered "Accio locket."
Nothing happened, which didn't surprise him. That toad may have put protective charms and spells on it, something she knew very well.
With that, Arthur hurried behind her desk and pulled open the drawers.
He saw quills, notebooks and Spellotape; enchanted paper clips that coiled snake-like from their drawer and had to be beaten back, a fussy lace box full of spare hair bows and clips.
No locket.
There was a filing cabinet behind the desk, though.
Just like Filch's filing cabinets at Hogwarts, it was full of folders, each labelled with names. It was when he reached the bottommost drawer that he saw something that distracted him: Ben Merlon's file.
He pulled it out and opened it.
BENJAMIN MERLON
Blood Status: Half-Blood, but with unacceptable pro-Muggle leanings. Known member of the Order of the Phoenix.
Family: Wife (pure-blood), seven children, two youngest at Hogwarts. NB: Youngest son currently at home, seriously ill, Ministry inspectors have confirmed.
Security Status: TRACKED. All movements are being monitored.
Strong likelihood Undesirable No. 1 will contact (has stayed with Merlon family previously).
Arthur knew right away that he himself was Undesirable Number One as he replaced the folder and shut the drawer.
As he straightened up and glanced around the office for fresh hiding places, he laid eyes on a wanted poster that had an image of his face on it on the wall with the words 'UNDESIRABLE NO. 1' emblazoned across his chest. There was a little pink note stuck to it with a picture of a kitten in the corner. Arthur moved up close to read it, seeing that Umbridge wrote 'To be punished'.
Arthur growled, believing she's the one to be punished before he groped in the bottoms of vases and baskets of dried flowers, but wasn't shocked that the locket wasn't in any of them.
He made one last sweeping look when his heart skipped a beat. He found himself looking at the cover of a glossy book that had Dumbledore propped up on a bookcase beside the desk. He crossed the room and snatched it up, looking at the image of Dumbledore that smiled wistfully at Arthur. He then noticed the curly green writing across his hat: The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, and the slightly smaller writing across his chest: by Rita Skeeter, bestselling author of Armando Dippet: Master or Moron?
Arthur opened the book up at a random page and saw a full page photograph of two teenage boys, who were both laughing immoderately with their arms around each other's shoulders. Arthur knew they were lovers, as he and Mike had their arms around their shoulders the way these two did. Arthur's heart leapt, seeing that Dumbledore was either bisexual or gay.
Dumbledore, now with elbow length hair, grew a tiny, wispy beard that made him think of the one that Krum had. The boy that roared in silent amusement beside Dumbledore had a gleeful wild look. His golden hair fell in curls to his shoulders.
Before Arthur could read the caption, the office door opened.
If Thicknesse didn't look over his shoulder as he entered, Arthur wouldn't have had time to pull the Invisibility Cloak over himself.
He was then scared that Thicknesse caught a glimpse of movement, because for a moment or two he remained still, staring curiously at the place where Arthur just vanished from sight.
Maybe deciding he saw Dumbledore scratching his nose on the book cover, as Arthur hastily replaced it on the shelf, Thicknesse finally walked to the desk, pointed his wand at the quill standing ready in the ink pot. It sprang out and scribbled a note to Umbridge.
Very slowly, doing all he can to hold his breath, Arthur backed out of the office and into the open area beyond.
The witches and wizards that made pamphlets were still clustered around the remains of the Decoy Detonator, which continued hooting feebly as it smoked.
Arthur hurried off up the corridor as the young witch said "I bet it sneaked up here from Experimental Charms, they're so careless, remember that poisonous duck?"
Making it back to the lifts, Arthur now reviewed the options he now had.
It never was likely that the locket was at the Ministry, and there's no hope of bewitching its whereabouts out of Umbridge while she sat in a crowded court.
Their main priority should be to leave the Ministry before they were exposed and try again another day.
The first thing he had to do is find David, then work out a way to extract Mike and Chrys from the courtroom.
The lift was empty when it arrived. Arthur instantly jumped in and pulled the Invisibility Cloak off as it started descending.
Much to his relief, when it came to a halt at Level Two, a soaking wet and wild looking David entered.
"Arthur!" David whispered in relief as the lift set off again. "Where's Chrys and Mike?"
"They're down in the courtrooms with Umbridge." Arthur told him.
The lift stopped again and the doors opened.
Ben walked inside as he talked to an elderly witch whose blonde hair was up so high that it resembled an anthill.
"...I understand what you're saying, Wakanda, but I can't be party to -"
He broke off when he noticed Arthur. It was strange for him to glare at Arthur with so much dislike. The lift doors then closed and all four trundled downwards.
"Oh, hello, Reg." Ben said as he looked round at the sound of steady dripping from David's robes. "Isn't your wife in for questioning today? And why are you so wet?"
"Yaxley's office was raining." David replied, addressing his father's shoulder, clearly scared that he'd be recognised if he looked into his eyes. "I couldn't stop it, so they've sent me to get Pillsworth, I think they said -"
"Yes, a lot of offices have been raining lately." Ben said. "You should try meteolojinx recanto. It worked for Bletchley."
"I haven't yet, but I will. Thanks, Benjamin." David whispered.
The lift doors opened and the old witch with anthill hair left with David darting past her out of sight.
Arthur was about to follow him but was blocked by Sam, who strode into the lift with his nose buried in papers that he was reading.
When the lift's doors opened again on another level, Sam left.
Arthur tried to get out, but Ben shot his arm out to stop him.
"One moment, Runcorn."
The lift doors closed and as they headed down another floor, Ben said "I hear you laid information about Dirk Cresswell."
"So what?" Arthur said, keeping up the act.
"So, Dirk is ten times the wizard you ever are, you scumbag." Ben said quietly in venom as the lift sank lower. "And if he ever survives Azkaban, you will have to answer to him, as well as his sons and friends -"
"Watch what you say, Benjamin." Arthur interrupted. "Because you're being tracked."
"Is that a threat, Runcorn?" Ben asked loudly and heated.
"It's a fact. They're watching your every move -"
The lift doors opened. They had now reached the Atrium.
Ben gave Arthur a scathing look before he stormed out of the lift.
Arthur stood there, his breathing shaky, wishing he wasn't pretending to be Runcorn. How could anyone stomach what Runcorn did to Dirk?
The doors then clanged shut.
Arthur now pulled his Invisibility Cloak back on.
He was going to try and extract Mike and Chrys on his own while David would deal with the raining office.
Once the doors opened, he stepped out into a torchlit stone passageway that was very different from the wood panelled and carpeted corridors above.
As the lift rattled upward, Arthur shivered and looked forward at the black door that he knew was the entrance to the Department of Mysteries.
He then set off, his destination not being the black door, but to the doorway that he remembered on the left hand side, which opened onto the flight of stairs to the court chambers.
Arthur's mind was overflowing with possible ways to get them out of there as he knew he still had a couple of Decoy Detonators, but maybe it would be easier to just knock on the door and enter as Runcorn, asking for a quick word with Mafalda and Imelda.
Of course, he didn't know if Runcorn was important enough to get away with that, and even if he did, Mike and Chrys' absence would trigger a search before they could even clear the Ministry.
As he was lost in thought, Arthur soon registered a chill that creeped over him like he descended into fog.
It grew colder and colder with each step he took. It was a chill that reached inside and tore at his lungs and he then felt despair and hopelessness filling him.
Dementors….
Upon reaching the foot of the stairs and turning right, he saw a completely horrible sight.
The dark passage outside the courtroom was packed with tall, black hooded figures with completely hidden faces, their ragged breathing being the only sound.
The petrified Muggle-Borns brought in for questioning sat huddled and shivering on hard wooden benches.
Most hid their faces in their hands, most likely a way to prevent the Dementors from planting their greedy mouths on them to perform the Kiss.
Some were accompanied by families, others sat on their own.
The Dementors glided up and down in front of them and the hopelessness and despair of the place made Arthur feel like he was being cursed.
He had to fight it, but he couldn't risk conjuring his Patronus without revealing himself. So he just moved forwards as silently as he could, numbness growing with each step he took, but he forced himself to think of Mike, David and Chrys, knowing they needed him.
Moving past the towering, black figures was simply unbearable. The eyeless faces hidden beneath their hoods turned as he passed, like they sensed him, a human presence that had hope and resilience.
But then, abruptly and shockingly amid the frozen silence, one of the dungeon doors on the left of the corridor flung open and screams echoed out of it.
"No, no, I'm half-blood, I'm half-blood, I tell you! My father was a wizard, he was, look him up, Arkie Alderton, he's a well known broomstick designer, look him up, I tell you - get your hands off me, get your hands off -"
"This is your final warning." Umbridge's soft voice said, which was magically magnified to make it sound clearly over the man's desperate screams. "If you struggle, you will be subjected to the Dementor's Kiss."
The man's screams subsided, though dry sobs echoed through the corridor.
"Take him away." Umbridge then said.
Two Dementors appeared in the doorway of the courtroom with their rotting scabbed hands clutching the upper arms of a wizard who looked to be fainting. They glided away down the corridor with him and the darkness they trailed behind them swallowed him from sight.
"Next - Mary Cattermole." Umbridge called.
A small woman stood up. The poor thing was trembling from head to foot. Her dark hair was smoothed back into a bun and she wore long, plain robes. Her face looked completely bloodless. Arthur was able to see her shuddering as she passed the Dementors.
He ended up slipping into the courtroom behind her, hating the idea of her going in alone as the door swung closed behind them.
It wasn't the same courtroom he was in when he was on trial for using the Patronus Charm in the summer before fifth year to save himself and Deacon. This one was much smaller, though the ceiling was just as high, giving it the claustrophobic feeling of being in the bottom of a deep wel.
There were more Dementors in here, casting their freezing aura over the place. They stood like faceless sentries in the corners furthest from the high, raised platform.
Behind a balustrade sat Umbridge, with Yaxley on one side of her, and both Mike and Chrys, both as white faced as Mrs Cattermole, on the other. At the foot of the platform was a bright silver long haired cat that prowled up and down, over and over again. It was there to protect the prosecutors from the despair that the Dementors radiated, something that was used for the accused to feel.
"Sit down." Umbridge said in her soft, silky voice.
Mrs Cattermole made it to the single seat in the middle of the floor beneath the raised platform. The instant she sat down, chains clinked out of the arms of the chair, bounding her there.
"You are Mary Elizabeth Cattermole?"
Said woman gave a single, shaky nod.
"Married to Reginald Cattermole of the Magical Maintenance Department?"
Mrs Cattermole now burst into tears.
"I don't know where he is, he was supposed to meet me here!"
Umbridge ignored her.
"Mother to Maise, Ellie and Alfred Cattermole?"
Mrs Cattermole now sobbed harder than ever.
"They're frightened, they think I might not come home -"
"Spare us." Yaxley spat. "The bras of Mudbloods do not stir our sympathies."
Mrs Cattermole's sobs were able to mask Arthur's footsteps as he carefully went to the steps that led up to the raised platform.
The moment he passed where the Patronus cat patrolled, he felt an instant change in temperature: it was now warm and comfortable. The Patronus, which he knew was cast by Umbridge, glowed brightly because she was happy, in her element, upholding the very twisted laws that she helped write because of her disgusting beliefs.
Slowly and carefully, he edged along the platform behind Umbridge, Yaxley, Mike and Chrys, taking a seat behind the latter two.
He was worried about making Chrys, in particular, jump as even casting the Muffliato charm would make her jump.
Umbridge raised her voice to address Mrs Cattermole and Arthur took his chance.
"I'm behind you." He whispered between Mike and Chrys.
As he expected, Chrys did in fact jump, though not as bad as he thought.
"A wand was taken from you upon your arrival at the Ministry today, Mrs Cattermole." Umbridge said. "Eight and three quarter inches, cherry, unicorn hair core. Do you recognise that description?"
Mrs Cattermole nodded, mopping her eyes on her sleeve.
"Could you please tell us from which witch or wizard you took that wand?"
"T-took?" Mrs Cattermole sobbed. "I didn't t-take it from anybody. I b-bought it when I was eleven years old. It - it - it chose me."
Umbridge made a soft girlish laugh that made Arthur want nothing more than to maul her to near death in his Animagus form. She then leaned forwards over the barrier, to better observe her victim and something gold swung forwards as well, dangling over the void: the locket.
Mike and Chrys saw it as well as the latter made the most quiet gasp possible.
"No." Umbridge said. "No, I don't think so, Mrs Cattermole. Wands only choose witches and wizards. You are not a witch. I have your responses to the questionnaire that was sent to you here - Imelda, pass them to me."
She held out a small hand. She looked so much like a toad that Arthur was surprised that she didn't have webbing between her stubby fingers. Mike looked through the pile of documents that was balanced on the chair between him and Chrys. He finally withdrew a wad of parchments with Mrs Cattermole's name on it.
"That's pretty, Dolores." He said, pointing at the locket that was gleaming in the ruffled folds of Umbridge's blouse.
"What?" She snapped, glancing down. "Oh yes - an old family heirloom." She said as she patted the locket that lay on her large bosom. "The 'S' stands for Selwyn… I am related to the Selwyns… indeed, there are few pure-blood families to whom I am not related… a pity…" She continued in a louder voice, flicking through Mrs Cattermole's questionnaire. "...that the same cannot be said for you. Parents' professions: greengrocers."
Yaxley laughed jeeringly and below, the fluffy silver cat still patrolled up and down and the Dementors stood waiting in the corners.
Umbridge's lies brought up a blood boiling rage in Arthur that made him throw away any sense of caution; that the locket she took as a bribe from a petty criminal was being used to bolster her false pure-blood credentials.
He raised his wand, not caring that it wasn't concealed and silently shot the Stunning Spell right at Umbridge's face.
A flash of red light hit her and then she crumpled with her forehead hitting the edge of the balustrade.
Mrs Cattermole's papers slid off her lap and onto the floor. And down below, the silver cat had vanished, making ice cold air hit them like an oncoming wind.
Yaxley looked around confused when Mike also silently shot a Stunning Spell, hitting the Death Eater and making him slide to the ground and lie curled to the floor.
"Arthur!" Chrys shrieked.
"You seriously thought I was going to sit there and let her lie about -"
"Mrs Cattermole!"
Arthur whirled round and took off his Invisibility Cloak seeing that the Dementors were moving out of the corners and made their way to the woman chained to the chair. No doubt because the Patronus was gone and were now without restraint.
Cattermole let out a horrible scream of fear as a slimy, scabbed hand grasped her chin and forced her face back.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
The silver lion soared from Arthur's wand and rammed right into the Dementors, all falling back and melting into the dark shadows once more.
The lion's light, more powerful and warming than the cat's protection, filled the entire dungeon as it prowled around the room.
"Grab the Horcrux!" Arthur told Mike as he ran back down the steps, stuffing the Cloak back into his bag and approached Mrs Cattermole.
"You?" She whispered as she gazed into his face. "But - but Reg said you were the one who submitted my name for questioning!"
"Had a change of heart." Arthur replied as he tugged at the chains that bound her arms. "Chrys, how do I get rid of these bloody chains?"
"Relashio!" She cried out, pointing her wand at the chains while Mike was busy duplicating the locket with Gemino so that Umbridge wouldn't notice it missing when she eventually wakes up.
The chains clinked and withdrew into the arms of the chair. Mrs Cattermole looked just as frightened as ever before, though.
"I don't understand." She whispered as Mike and Chrys joined back up with Arthur, the former with the Horcrux in his hand.
"You're leaving with us." Arthur told her, pulling her up to her feet. "You need to go home with your husband, grab your children and leave the country. Disguise yourselves and just run. You've seen how far the Ministry has fallen, you won't get a fair hearing here."
"Arthur, how the hell do we get out of here with all those Dementors outside the door?" Mike asked.
"Our Patronuses." Arthur replied, pointing his wand at his own, the lion slowed and walked, still gleaming brightly to the door. "As many as we can muster. Do yours, now, both of you."
"Expecto Patronum!" They both shouted. A silver owl flew out of Chrys' wand and a silver tiger leapt from Mike's.
"Let's go!" Arthur then said as he led them all to the door.
When the Patronuses glided out of the dungeon, there were cries of shock from the people that waited outside. Arthur looked around, seeing the Dementors fall back on both sides, melding into the darkness and scattering before the silver creatures.
"It's decided that you are all going home and to go into hiding with your families, which may mean you have to leave the country!" Arthur told all of the Muggle-Borns, who were dazzled by the lights of the Patronuses and still cowered slightly.
"You must do as I tell you! Go abroad if possible! Just get as far away from the Ministry as you can! Follow the Patronuses and you'll be able to leave from the Atrium!"
They all managed to get up the stone steps without being intercepted, though as they approached the lifts, Arthur started to have some misgivings. If they emerged into the Atrium with a silver lion, an owl soaring along and a tiger with twenty or so Muggle-Borns, they'd attract unwanted attention.
He came to this conclusion when the lift clanged to a halt in front of them.
"Reg!" Mrs Cattermole screamed as she threw herself into David's arms. "Runcorn let me out, he attacked Umbridge and Yaxley, and he's told all of us to leave the country, I think we'd better do it, Reg, I really do. Let's hurry home and fetch the children and - why are you so wet?"
"Water." David muttered as he disengaged himself. "Arthur, they know there's intruders in the Ministry, something bout a hole in Umbridge's office door, we only have five minutes at best."
Chrys' Patronus vanished with a pop as she turned a look of worry to Arthur.
"If we're trapped here -"
"Not if we move fast." Arthur said as he and Mike made their Patronuses vanish. Arthur then addressed the silent group behind them, who were all gawping at him.
"How many of you have your wands?"
Half of them raised their hands.
"Okay, those of you that don't have wands, attach yourselves to those that do. We need to move fast before they can stop us. Come on."
They all crammed themselves into two lifts and Arthur watched as the golden grilles shut and they started to rise.
"Level Eight, Atrium." The witch's cool voice said.
Arthur knew right away they were in trouble. The Atrium was full of people moving from fireplace to fireplace, sealing them off.
"Arthur!" Mike shouted with worry.
"STOP!" Arthur thundered, the power of Runcorn's voice echoing through the Atrium. The wizards that were sealing the fireplaces all froze.
"Follow me!" He whispered to the group of Muggle-Borns, who all moved forwards in a huddle, shepherded by Mike, David and Chrys.
"What's up, Albert?" The balding wizard who followed Arthur out of the fireplace earlier said. He looked nervous.
"This lot has to leave before you seal the exits." Arthur said with nothing but authority in his voice.
The group of wizards in front of him all looked at one another.
"We've been told to seal all exits and not let anyone -"
"ARE YOU CONTRADICTING ME?" Arthur thundered again. "Do you want me to have your family tree examined like Cresswell?"
"Sorry!" The balding wizard gasped, backing away in terror. "I didn't mean nothing, Albert, but I thought… I thought they were in for questioning and…."
"Their blood is pure." Arthur said with his deep voice echoing impressively through the hall. "Much more pure than many of yours, I'd say. Now, off you go." He boomed to the Muggle-Borns, who all scurried into the fireplaces and vanished in pairs.
The Ministry wizards hung back, some looking confused and others scared and resentful. Then -
"Mary!"
Mrs Cattermole looked over her shoulder to find the real Reg Cattermole, who was no longer vomiting, but pale and wan, having just ran out of a lift.
"R-Reg?"
She looked back and forth between her husband and David, who swore.
The balding wizard gaped as his head turned ludicrously from one Reg Cattermole to another.
"Hey - what's going on? What is this?"
"Seal the exit! SEAL IT!"
Yaxley had just burst out of nowhere from another lift and ran to the group beside the fireplaces into which all of the Muggle-Borns but Mrs Cattermole had now vanished.
As the balding wizard lifted his wand, Arthur punched him so hard in the face with his enormous fist that he was sent flying through the air.
"He helped the Muggle-Borns escape, Yaxley!" Arthur shouted.
The balding wizard's colleagues were now in an uproar, under cover of which David grabbed Mrs Cattermole and pulled her into the still open fireplace, disappearing.
Confused, Yaxley looked from Arthur to the punched wizard while the real Reg Cattermole screamed "My wife! Who was that with my wife? What's going on?"
Arthur saw Yaxley's face turn with an inkling of the truth dawning on his brutish face.
"Move!" Arthur shouted at Mike and Chrys, seizing their hands and jumped into the fireplace together as Yaxley's curse sailed over Arthur's head.
They spun for a few seconds before they shot out of a toilet into a cubicle.
Arthur flung the door open and found David standing there beside the sinks, wrestling with Mrs Cattermole.
"Reg, I don't understand -"
"I'm not your husband! Go home!"
There was a noise in the cubicle behind them and Arthur saw Yaxley appearing.
"MOVE!" Arthur yelled and seized Mike and David, who grabbed Chrys and they all turned on the spot.
Darkness engulfed them along with the sensation of compressing bands, but something was very wrong. David's hand was sliding out of his grip.
Arthur wondered whether he was going to suffocate, as he couldn't breathe or see and the only solid things in the world were Mike's arm and David's fingers, which were slowly slipping away.
Soon, he saw the door of number twelve, Grimmauld PLace with its serpent door knocker.
But before he could draw breath, he heard a scream and there was a flash of purple light. Chrys' hand now suddenly had a vice-like grip on him and everything was dark again.
That was intense.