"Late? Now that's a rare thing."
Scrimgeour moved his gaze away from his pocket watch and turned to look at the fog pressed against the window. A rare trace of worry appeared on his young face. Ever since the Dementors had sided with The Dark Lord, those damned creatures had drifted all over England, brazenly feeding on Muggles' happy memories and constantly multiplying, eventually creating these strange mists. Yet the Ministry of Magic could do nothing about it.
Even Muggles had noticed something was wrong. It was late June, yet cold fog filled the sky... No matter how one looked at it, it was utterly abnormal.
Scrimgeour lifted his tea and took a sip. Hearing soft footsteps nearby, he slowly turned around and looked at the stranger seated opposite him, quickly realizing who he was.
To ensure the safety of this meeting, both men had used Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as Muggles.
Two young men meeting in a drink shop for tea and conversation was clearly the most ordinary thing in the world. No wizard would waste their limited time and energy on Muggles.
"I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long." Albert gave Scrimgeour an apologetic smile.
"About five minutes." Scrimgeour did not mind the other man's lateness. He suspected Albert had repeatedly checked the surroundings before coming to meet him.
In truth, Scrimgeour had guessed correctly. Albert had arrived even earlier than Scrimgeour, but for safety's sake, he had not shown himself until he had confirmed that the area was secure.
"As an apology for being late, it's on me today." Albert turned to the waitress and said, "A cappuccino."
Only after the girl had walked away did Scrimgeour turn his attention back to the unfamiliar young man before him. Lowering his voice, he said, "You