Outside the manor's enormous wrought-iron gates stood a squad of murderous-looking wizards.
Leading them was Rufus Scrimgeour.
He looked even more disheveled than Lucius. His lionlike mane was plastered to his scalp by the rain, and his trench coat had several holes in it, along with obvious scorch marks and the smell of gun smoke.
But his tawny eyes shone with a frightening brightness as he stared fixedly at Malfoy Manor beneath its golden veil of light.
The tip of the wand in his hand still glowed red from the Law Enforcement Knocking Charm he had just cast.
From behind the shimmering defensive barrier, Lucius inclined his body slightly with elegance, as though he had not even noticed the wand almost poking him in the face.
"Director Scrimgeour? What a rare visitor."
Lucius spoke in his distinctive, lazy drawl.
"Arriving unannounced and knocking in such a... well, rather crude fashion. Am I to understand that the Ministry of Magic has finally decided to make trespassing a new standard of law enforcement?"
"Spare me that routine, Malfoy!"
Scrimgeour wiped the rain from his face, his voice sounding particularly harsh amid the wind and rain.
"You know why I'm here! The prisoners in Azkaban have disappeared! Today! And at the same time, we encountered a group of Death Eaters carrying heavy prohibited weapons over the North Sea!"
He stepped forward, his wand almost touching the veil of light.
"We've already caught your old friend Macnair. He's told us some very interesting things... such as a certain blond aristocrat being there too."
Lucius's heart gave a violent twitch, but his face assumed a perfect expression of mingled surprise and anger.
"Macnair? That vulgar executioner?"
Lucius frowned and waved a hand in disgust.
"I haven't seen him in years. As for this business about