A World Without News (Part Two)

"Ah, Mafalda!"

Umbridge looked at Hermione. "Travers sent you, didn't he?"

"Y-yes," Hermione said softly.

"Good. You'll do fine."

Umbridge turned to a male witch in black robes trimmed with gold. "That settles the matter, Minister. If Mafalda can take the notes, we can begin now."

She glanced at her clipboard. "There are ten people today, and one of them is even the wife of a Ministry employee!

"Tsk, tsk... right here, within the Ministry itself!"

She entered the lift and stood beside Hermione. The other two witches who had been listening to Umbridge and the Minister followed them in.

"We're going straight down, Mafalda. Everything you need is in the courtroom.

"Good morning, Albert. Aren't you going out?"

"Out, of course."

Harry replied in Runcorn's deep voice.

Harry stepped out of the lift.

The golden grille clanged shut behind them.

He turned back and saw Hermione's anxious face descending again, flanked by two tall male witches, Umbridge's velvet bow level with Hermione's shoulder.

"What are you doing here, Runcorn?"

asked the new Minister for Magic. Silver streaked his long black hair and beard, and the shadow beneath his broad forehead covered his gleaming eyes, making Harry think of a crab peering out from beneath a rock.

"Looking for..." Harry hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Looking for Arthur Weasley to speak with him.

"Someone said he was on the first floor."

"Ah,"

Pius Thicknesse said. "Has someone caught him speaking to undesirables?"

"No," Harry's throat was dry. "No, that's not it."

"Ah... hm, only a matter of time,"

Thicknesse said darkly. "If you ask me, blood traitors are just as bad as Mudbloods.

"Goodbye, Runcorn."

"Goodbye, Minister."

Harry watched Thicknesse walk away down the thickly carpeted corridor.

The moment the Minister disappeared, Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak from