0446 Crumbling World

"They were injured in the chaos!" Lucius Malfoy exclaimed, his voice rising to a near-shout. His pale, pointed face was contorted with rage, eyes flashing dangerously as he glared at Fudge.

A flicker of light passed through Bryan's eyes before they quickly settled back into their usual inscrutable calm.

Dumbledore could not possibly like Lucius Malfoy, who constantly schemed to bring him down and had even acted on it, causing severe consequences. However, upon hearing that Malfoy's wife and son were injured in tonight's attack, Dumbledore immediately showed concern.

"What happened, Lucius?" Dumbledore asked, his voice soft yet urgent. He spoke even before Fudge could answer, leaning forward slightly in his chair. "What harm has young Mr. Malfoy suffered?"

The Malfoy family, particularly Lucius, had been a significant financial backer of the Ministry of Magic under Fudge's leadership. Their generous 'donations' had paved the way for many of Fudge's initiatives. Hearing that Lucius Malfoy's wife and son were injured, Fudge couldn't dismiss it as a trivial matter. Since Dumbledore had already asked, Fudge remained silent, looking at Lucius Malfoy with equal concern.

"We were victims of a terrorist attack!" Lucius said in a rare impolite tone.

"While evacuating," he continued, his voice trembling slightly with anger, "Narcissa and I engaged in a duel with the dark wizards who launched the attack. We were protecting a young Swiss girl, separated from her parents in the chaos.

We managed to drive the attackers away, but Narcissa was hit with a powerful stunning spell while protecting the girl. She's still unconscious. And Draco... my son's arm was injured in the commotion!"

"Oh, how unfortunate—" Fudge said, his voice tinged with a mixture of shame and political calculation. He tugged at his collar, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool air of the office.

"This incident occurred so suddenly, we— I mean, the Ministry's preparations were indeed inadequate. I should visit your wife and child, Lucius, but it'll have to wait."

Fudge's eyes darted nervously around the room, as if seeking an escape from this uncomfortable situation. "As you know, the Ministry is facing unprecedented challenges, and I can't leave my post at the moment. The wizarding community needs leadership in these times."

The idea that the Malfoy family would step up to protect a stranger's child and duel with dark wizards was something that even Dumbledore, with all his capacity for seeing the best in people, found difficult to swallow. It went against everything he knew about Lucius Malfoy and his self-serving nature.

A strange light flashed in Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes, hidden momentarily behind his half-moon spectacles. He realized that Lucius Malfoy's purpose in rushing to the Ministry to find Fudge at this critical juncture couldn't possibly be just to lodge a complaint about his family's injuries, no matter how serious they were.

Dumbledore's gaze shifted towards Bryan, seeking some hint on this unexpected turn of events. But Bryan's face was expressionless showing none of his inner thoughts. When met with Dumbledore's questioning look, Bryan's lips twitched slightly, revealing a brief, mocking smile that vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

As Dumbledore's sharp gaze returned to Lucius Malfoy, his eyes grew deep and pensive.

Fudge, oblivious to the subtle exchange between Dumbledore and Bryan, continued to face the complaining Lucius Malfoy with a mixture of embarrassment and guilt etched across his round face, until—

"Of course, I understand the difficulties you and the Ministry are facing right now, Minister Fudge—" The usually smooth and confident Lucius Malfoy had never shown such a stern face to the Minister of Magic before. Tonight, however, he stood with straight back before Fudge, his pale gray eyes flickering with an inner fire that seemed almost foreign on his aristocratic features.

"But I must seek justice for Narcissa and Draco, mustn't I, Minister?" Lucius continued, his voice rising with each word. "I must find out what these evil dark wizards are really up to, why they launched this attack—"

Lucius paused, his chest heaving as he struggled to control his breathing. His eyes, wild with a hint of fear and determination, darted quickly between Bryan and Dumbledore before settling back on Fudge. When he spoke again, his voice was harsh, almost grating.

"I want the truth, Minister," he demanded, leaning forward slightly. "So, I asked around with friends in the Ministry. Someone told me the Department has captured a live one—"

The atmosphere in the room changed instantly, as if a dementor had suddenly glided in.

"What are you trying to do, Lucius!" Fudge exclaimed, his voice rising an octave in alarm. The minister, who had been mild-mannered and apologetic just moments ago, suddenly became guarded. His eyes, usually warm and inviting when dealing with influential purebloods like Malfoy, were now filled with wariness, without any trace of their usual kindness.

Fudge had already made his decision to follow Bryan's advice, and Melanov, the dark witch captured by Bryan, was now the linchpin in Fudge's hastily constructed plan. He needed to use this equally heinous villainess to provide an explanation that would satisfy both the British magical community and the wider Wizarding World!

The greatest difficulty in managing this delicate situation was maintaining absolute secrecy. The fact that Lucius Malfoy dared to waltz into his office, brazenly inquiring about Melanov, sent alarm bells ringing in Fudge's mind. His political instincts, honed by years of navigating the treacherous waters of magical politics, were screaming at him that something was very, very wrong.

"Who told you the Ministry had captured a live one, Lucius?" Fudge demanded, his voice stern and unyielding. The change in his demeanor was so abrupt that even Dumbledore raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What are you trying to find out!"

Lucius Malfoy's carefully constructed facade of righteous indignation crumbled in the face of the angry Minister of Magic. The tough exterior he had been projecting since bursting into the office melted away like snow in summer. Confronted with Fudge's direct questioning, Lucius, still unclear about the full scope of the situation, found his expression turning bewildered, his tone immediately softening.

"A... a friend in the Ministry, Minister Fudge—" Lucius stammered, his pale lips pursing as he struggled to maintain his composure. Gone was the fire in his eyes, replaced by a flicker of uncertainty. "I just... just hoped to know quickly why these dark wizards committed their crimes, who's commanding them. Narcissa and Draco, my wife and son, were both injured, Minister. I have the right to know these things, don't I? So, when I heard the Ministry was conducting an interrogation, I came immediately to see—"

"Just because of that?" Fudge's eyes narrowed suspiciously, boring into Lucius as if trying to peer into the very depths of his soul.

The tension in the room heightened up by another notch.

"Absolutely true, Minister Fudge!" Lucius Malfoy insisted, his voice taking on an earnest quality that seemed almost distant coming from his lips.

This explanation, on the surface, sounded reasonable enough. A concerned husband and father, seeking answers about an attack that had harmed his family - it was a story that would tug at the heartstrings of any decent wizard. But Lucius Malfoy's reputation for cunning and manipulation was well-known, even among the pureblood wizarding families who counted him as an ally.

Fudge, having regained his political wariness, chose not to take Malfoy's words at face value. Or rather, regardless of Lucius Malfoy's true reasons for coming to probe for information, Fudge had already decided that he would never allow him to see Melanov. The risks were simply too great.

"The Ministry is investigating, Lucius," Fudge said cautiously. "We'll issue a notice later, once we have all the facts. What you should do now is go back and take good care of your wife and son. They need you more than we do right now."

Lucius Malfoy's unexpected visit and his claimed reasons had given Fudge a keen sense of crisis. The night wasn't over, yet news of their captive had already begun to spread. Merlin only knew how much crucial information would leak in the coming hours if he didn't act quickly to contain the situation.

A cold realization washed over Fudge. Rufus was currently interrogating Melanov, and Fudge suddenly understood that he needed to put a stop to it immediately. If they mistreated the dark witch too severely, he wouldn't be able to have Melanov face the Wizengamot's trial wearing Cliodna's face, and subsequently be imprisoned in Azkaban under the watchful eyes of Daily Prophet reporters. The entire plan would crumble before it even began.

"If there's nothing else, you may leave, Lucius," Fudge said, his tone brooking no argument. "The Ministry will provide an explanation about the truth behind the attack as quickly as possible. Also," he added, a hint of harshness entering his voice, "you can help spread the word that the Ministry will surely capture the leaders of these dark wizards, with Bryan's help."

At these words, Lucius's heart seemed to stop beating for several agonizing seconds. The blood drained from his already pale face, leaving him looking like a ghost in expensive robes. Moreover, the coldness in Bryan's smile made Lucius Malfoy feel as if he were standing naked in the heart of a raging blizzard, as every inch of his skin became numb with a bone-deep chill.

Having dealt with Ministry politicians for years, Lucius Malfoy knew their nature all too well. Under normal circumstances, they were more than willing to bend some laws for a handful of shiny Galleons, their principles were as flexible as a well-oiled Quidditch player. But when their own positions were at stake, they would immediately turn their backs on even the closest of friends, discarding allies like used tissues.

And the conspiracy he had planned this time... it fell directly into the category of absolutely unforgivable.

At the horrifying thought that the Malfoy family might be ruined because of his actions, Lucius Malfoy's face turned ashen. His fists clenched involuntarily inside his sleeves, trembling with a mixture of fear and impotent rage.

Fudge's mind was entirely focused on Melanov, the captured dark witch who was being interrogated. In his preoccupation, he failed to notice Lucius Malfoy's unusual expression.

"Lucius?" Fudge called out impatiently, jolting Lucius from his spiral of dread.

"Oh, I'm here, Minister—" Lucius responded hurriedly, his breath catching in his throat. He looked towards Fudge, only to find the Minister of Magic's eyes conveying an obvious hint for him to get lost.

Fudge, Dumbledore, and Bryan left the Minister's office together, with Lucius Malfoy following behind in a daze. His usual graceful stride was gone, replaced by the uncertain steps of a man walking to the gallows.

Ding—

The elevator arrived with a cheerful chime that seemed wildly out of place given the weird atmosphere. A cold voice announced the floor, and Fudge and Dumbledore were the first to enter the elevator, but Bryan suddenly stopped.

"Minister and Headmaster Dumbledore, you go ahead," Bryan said, his voice smooth and pleasant. "I'd like a word with Mr. Malfoy about Draco's performance in my class."

Fudge blinked in surprise, his bushy eyebrows rising towards his receding hairline. "Oh, at a time like this?" he asked, bewilderment clear in his tone. After a moment's hesitation, he added reluctantly, "Well, alright, Bryan. You're truly a responsible professor. Make it quick—"

Bryan nodded with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. As the elevator car disappeared from view, descending into the depths of the Ministry, Bryan slowly turned to face Lucius Malfoy. The corridor suddenly seemed much darker, the shadows deeper and more menacing.

Although his mind was in chaos from fear, Lucius wasn't foolish enough to believe that Bryan Watson actually wanted to discuss Draco's classroom performance.

"Mr. Watson," Lucius began, his voice barely above a whisper. Truthfully, he would rather be thrown directly into Azkaban by the Ministry than face Bryan Watson alone. The memory of their last encounter at the Leaky Cauldron rose in his mind - the fear this young and powerful wizard had instilled in him was something he had only experienced in the presence of the Dark Lord himself. And tonight, Bryan Watson had finally showed his true dominance to the entire Wizarding world!

Bang!

The sudden noise made Lucius flinch violently. Bryan's face before him was a mask of cold indifference, but the light in his pale purple eyes was so chilly it seemed capable of freezing one's very soul. Under the invisible influence of surging magical power, the corridor lights began to flicker erratically.

The magical pressure in the air built to a crescendo, and suddenly -

Pop! Pop! Pop!

One by one, the light bulbs burst in a torrent of shattering glass and dying light. The sound of breaking bulbs felt like a series of heavy hammer blows striking Lucius Malfoy's heart. The darkness that engulfed them was broken only by the eerie glow emanating from Bryan's eyes.

Feeling weak, his legs were no longer able to support him, Lucius collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.

"This is the second time I've shown you mercy, Lucius Malfoy. There won't be a next time."

Without another word, Bryan turned and entered the elevator. The doors closed with a soft hiss, and he disappeared from the floor, leaving behind a pale and bloodless Lucius Malfoy, staring blankly at the pitch-black elevator shaft.

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