Fudge irritably tossed his quill onto the desk, splashing a few drops of ink onto his cuff.
"You think I don't want to? I've sent out enough owls to practically form a rain of owls over Hogwarts!
"But God knows what Douglas has done. Every owl that flies in that direction starts getting lost, or simply comes back empty-clawed!"
"He's vanished off the face of the earth! At a time like this, only that old fox Dumbledore can reach him."
Fudge picked up his quill again and forcefully signed his name at the bottom of the letter. Then he tapped it with his wand, folding the paper into a paper airplane.
"I'm going to have Dumbledore tell Douglas that the Wizarding World is now facing its gravest crisis. We need his wisdom, and even more importantly-"
Fudge lowered his voice, afraid the portraits on the walls would hear.
"We need the full support of the Marauders Power Company."
"You mean that... Golden Skynet?" Umbridge asked in a complicated tone.
"Exactly. That integrated residential defense magic system."
Fudge braced both hands against his desk. He had glimpsed a way out.
"Think about it. What are people most afraid of right now? Those escaped Death Eaters knocking on their doors in the middle of the night! Those missing Dementors sucking out their souls!
"If we don't curb this panic, tomorrow they'll storm the Ministry and tear me to pieces."
"We have to get the Marauders Power Company moving.
"I want Douglas working at full capacity immediately, installing that damned defensive magic array in every wizarding household-listen carefully, every household."
"For poor wizards, the Ministry can even provide a subsidy."
"This won't just offer real protection. More importantly, it's a statement!"
Fudge waved his arms, delivering a speech to the public.
"As long