After Lucius left, Anton woke Minister Fudge, who had been pretending to sleep.
"It's not a big deal," Fudge said lightly, discreetly edging away from Anton.
Honestly, he was starting to wonder whether the Anton in front of him was actually the Dark Lord in disguise, chatting with him cheerfully after casting some terrifying spell on him—whether it was the Confundus Charm, the Imperius Curse, or something else.
Of course, rationally, he knew the Dark Lord wouldn't bother disguising himself as Anton just to chat with him. There was no point.
But he still couldn't help shifting his ample backside, inching a little farther away.
It made him feel just a tiny bit safer.
"Are you sure?" Anton looked at him in confusion. "I don't know how much of an impact Lucius's actions will have. I really don't want to think about all that."
"But I know how the Ministry of Magic works. Unlike Patricia, the witch on the ground who's so busy she's close to breaking down, the Ministry's officials always take their time and don't start looking through their paperwork until after they've had their afternoon tea."
"You still have enough time to stop this, so I hope you'll think carefully about whether it's necessary."
"No need." Fudge grinned, his little eyes gleaming. "Anton, you don't understand. The important thing isn't what others want to use me for, but whether I know about some of the schemes they're planning."
"Unlike an open plot, which you have to find a way to stop immediately, a scheme that can only be carried out in the dark is an entirely different matter."
"We could even turn this around and use it to our advantage."
As he spoke, Fudge looked at Anton seriously. "So, I want to know: what's your attitude toward