England's Ministry of Magic lay in the heart of London, in a bustling district only a few kilometers from the Prime Minister's residence on Downing Street.
For secrecy, however, the Ministry's main building was hidden underground.
The visitors' entrance was a red telephone box. Visitors dialed a number, then descended as though riding a lift.
The entrance for ordinary Ministry employees was inside a public toilet. Every morning, wizards queued up and entered the cubicles one by one.
Standing inside the toilet bowl, they pulled the flush chain. Water swirled with a splash, and the wizards spun away into the Ministry.
Of course, although the Ministry was covered by numerous Anti-Apparition Jinxes, it also had fireplaces for travel, reserved for distinguished guests and senior officials.
Pius Thicknesse, Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was a tall, thin wizard with shoulder-length hair.
Accompanied by Yaxley, a Death Eater who had taken up his post several months earlier, he stepped out of a dedicated fireplace amid rising flames and entered the atrium.
The atrium was lavish and imposing. At its center stood a deeply ironic Magic Fountain depicting "brotherly harmony," while countless paper airplanes carrying messages flew over the heads of hurried employees.
An enormous, ostentatious Magical portrait of Cornelius Fudge hung high above the atrium.
As Pierce and Yaxley passed, the Fudge in the portrait even smiled at them in greeting.
The two ignored him and continued toward the lifts, intending to head to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Then they spotted Lucius Malfoy standing by the lift doors, leaning on his Ceremonial Cane with his chin slightly raised. Passing employees kept greeting him ingratiatingly, and Lucius responded with only slight nods.
The two approached, and Yaxley asked,
"What brings you here?"
Lucius glanced at Pierce. The