You Never Know How Big a Deal the Things You Do Are

On the first weekend after the Fourth Year began, Anton came to the Ministry of Magic. As Director of the Animagus Office, he had the right to Apparate directly to its floor, then walk a few steps to the Minister's Office.

However, he chose to enter through the visitor entrance in the lobby. Beside the Magic Is Might Monument, the enormous Space Gate above the Fountain of Magical Brethren was still there.

Seawater lapped at the threshold of the gate, sending occasional sprays of water flying before draining back into the sea along the newly built slope.

Anton narrowed his eyes against the sea breeze. As he felt the boundless vastness of the ocean beyond the Space Gate, his own mind seemed to open up with it.

"It's actually quite a nice decoration, isn't it?" Minister Fudge had arrived quietly behind Anton at some point. Leaning on a gentleman's cane, he gazed at an island in the depths of the sea beyond the Space Gate, his expression complicated.

A dreadful Azkaban Castle should have stood there. That unique building had represented the British Ministry of Magic's special status in the European Magical World. Now, Albus Dumbledore had demolished it and leveled the site by sheer force, then kept the Space Gate open so that every Ministry employee and visitor could clearly see what had happened.

What sheer arrogance.

And yet...

Fudge suddenly realized he wasn't all that afraid. At last, Great Dumbledore had thrown his weight around, but Fudge felt none of the trepidation he had once expected to feel.

He turned and glanced at Anton, quietly noticing that the boy had grown a great deal taller over the past two years. He could no longer look down at him.

Fudge smiled faintly. When Anton didn't answer, he continued to