Amelia stood up.
The chair legs scraped across the flagstone floor with a dull sound, drawing everyone's eyes.
"Madam Minister, I have some questions about Mr. Malfoy's remarks."
Bagnold nodded slightly, signaling for her to continue.
Amelia turned to Malfoy.
"Mr. Malfoy just said that our Special Operations Team is investigating his financial transactions. May I ask where you learned this?"
Malfoy's smile did not change in the slightest. "Miss Bones, the Ministry of Magic is one big family. Isn't it perfectly normal for family members to share a little information?"
"No, it isn't." Amelia's tone was decisive.
"The subjects and details of the Special Operations Team's investigations are top secret. Under the regulations, no one except the Minister herself and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has the authority to access them."
"Mr. Malfoy is neither the Minister nor the department head, yet he knows the details of our investigations inside out. That in itself shows that someone has violated confidentiality regulations."
She paused after speaking and swept her gaze around the room.
"Either someone within the Special Operations Team has leaked information, or Mr. Malfoy has planted informants in the Ministry where he shouldn't have. Whichever it is, it warrants a thorough investigation."
Malfoy's smile stiffened for an instant.
Scrimgeour coughed beside her, lifted his teacup, and took a large gulp.
"Miss Bones, aren't you blowing this a little out of proportion?" Cornelius Fudge leaned forward, wearing the particular smile of a peacemaker.
"Mr. Malfoy is an old friend of our Ministry. Isn't it perfectly normal for him to take an interest in its work?"
"Mr. Fudge, taking an interest and prying are two different things." Amelia did not so much as glance at him, keeping her eyes on Malfoy.
"Furthermore, Mr. Malfoy mentioned just now that we cannot subject someone to indiscriminate investigation simply because they belong to a particular pure-blood family. May I ask who exactly you were referring to, Mr. Malfoy?"
"I was merely speaking in general terms." Malfoy spread his hands in an innocent gesture.
"Then that merits even more discussion." Amelia opened a folder in front of her and drew out a sheet of parchment.
"Miss Bones, I think you've misunderstood me somewhat." Malfoy sighed softly.
"I was merely offering some well-intentioned suggestions as a citizen concerned about the future of the wizarding world. There is absolutely no need for you to interpret them as an attack on your work."
He turned to Bagnold, his tone so earnest that he sounded genuinely wronged. "Madam Minister, you see, this is precisely what concerns me. I merely said a few fair words, and now I'm being treated as an obstacle to the investigation."
"If the Special Operations Team is this aggressive toward everyone who offers an opinion, who will dare speak up in the future?"
Bagnold frowned slightly and was about to speak, but Amelia cut in first.
"Mr. Malfoy, you've misunderstood. I never said you couldn't offer an opinion. I'm merely asking what facts your opinion is based on."
"If your opinion is based on reliable facts, then of course we will give it serious consideration. But if it is based only on hearsay-or, rather, on certain people tipping you off-then we will need to trace the source of that information."
She turned back to Bagnold. "Madam Minister, I request an investigation into the 'sources' Mr. Malfoy mentioned."
Bagnold tapped the table lightly twice, her gaze moving between Amelia and Malfoy.
"Miss Bones, I have noted your request." Her tone was noncommittal.
"However, today's meeting is primarily to hear the Special Operations Team's progress report. We can discuss specific matters another time."
Lin Ze lowered his head and wrote something in his notebook.
The Minister probably wanted to smooth things over and gloss over the matter for now.
This sort of tactic had been very common in his previous life.
But Amelia clearly had no intention of letting it end there.
She did not sit down.
"Madam Minister, I believe this matter is directly related to our progress report."
"If someone has been tipping Mr. Malfoy off all along, that means every operation our Special Operations Team conducts and every target we investigate could be leaked in advance."
"As things stand, Parkinson already received advance warning and fled. If our investigation targets all get wind of things and run away one after another, how is the Special Operations Team supposed to do its work?"
Bagnold's expression grew somewhat complicated.
Of course she knew that what Amelia said was true.
Parkinson's escape had already earned her considerable criticism from the Wizengamot.
Some said she had appointed the wrong people; others said her oversight was inadequate. In short, being Minister was no easy job.
If the Special Operations Team's other targets also fled one after another, where would that leave her dignity as Minister?
"Mr. Malfoy," Bagnold turned to Malfoy, her tone noticeably cooler than before, "do you have any explanation regarding the questions Miss Bones has raised?"
Malfoy's smile vanished entirely.
He was silent for a moment before slowly speaking. "Madam Minister, when I spoke of 'sharing information,' I meant that I have some old friends at the Ministry, and we occasionally discuss its work."
"Isn't that normal? I am a member of the Wizengamot myself..."
"An honorary member, Mr. Malfoy," Amelia corrected him.
"All right... all right... an honorary member..." Malfoy raised both hands, that elegant smile returning to his face, though his eyes had grown noticeably colder.
"Then, Mr. Malfoy." Amelia gave him no chance to catch his breath.
"Since you acknowledge that you are an honorary member, you should be well aware that honorary members have no authority to access the Ministry of Magic's internal investigation files. May I ask who these 'old friends' of yours are? Why are they disclosing the Special Operations Team's confidential information to you?"
"Well..." Malfoy's fingers tightened slightly around his cane.
"Does this mean someone is using their reputation and position to deliberately pass the Ministry of Magic's confidential information to you? I believe the Ministry needs a list of those people." Amelia pressed him at every turn.
It was so quiet around the conference table that they could hear someone swallow.
Beside him, Ben nudged Lin Ze with his elbow, leaned closer, and whispered, "I don't think Amelia's quite herself today. Did she drink too much coffee last night?"
"That's called combat power."
Lin Ze answered quietly, "Watch and learn."
Malfoy remained silent for quite some time before slowly speaking. "Miss Bones, I am not at liberty to disclose my friends' names. That is basic social etiquette. I believe you should understand."
"Of course I understand. Social etiquette, Mr. Malfoy."
Amelia nodded. "But what I don't understand is why, when we are discussing the investigation into the Death Eaters, you care more about social etiquette than law and justice."
At those words, even Bagnold's eyelid twitched.
Fudge rubbed his hands anxiously beside them. "Oh, Miss Bones, that's far too harsh. Mr. Malfoy was only... only..."
"Only what?" Amelia finally glanced at Fudge, her eyes so cold that he swallowed the rest of his sentence.
"Enough." Bagnold raised a hand, putting an end to a debate that had already become a one-sided rout.
"Miss Bones, Mr. Malfoy has already answered your questions. As for your request to investigate the sources of the information, I will discuss it with Director Crouch after the meeting and give you a response."
Amelia was silent for two seconds, then bowed slightly and sat back down.