Hogwarts Legacy: The Price of Power

The Minister of Magic

"Now, then," Nott settled himself in a splendid chair behind a magnificent desk in his spacious office, the walls lined with cabinets and bookshelves, the carpet coloured an emerald green, the ceiling above enchanted to look like the sky, similarly to Hogwarts' Great Hall. The window beyond the desk depicted a smoggy London cityscape, an occasional bird flying across, despite the fact that they were underground. "How're things up at the school, Phineas?"

"Oh..." Dracaena grimaced. "Simply terrible. The students, the children... they have no respect for their betters. It is an exercise in futility, hoping they will actually learn anything of worth."

Nott made a sympathetic noise. "I imagine it's quite the trial, especially with all the mudbloods infesting the halls."

Ominis went rigid around her neck, and Sebastian laid his ears flat against his head.

"Yes," Dracaena said, uncertainly. "Quite. It... it is most unseemly, that such people are allowed to learn alongside purebloods."

"I looked over your old entreaties to Spavin, you know," Nott said, nodding. "When you asked him to amend the admissions process for mudbloods. I'm considering reopening the case."

"A-are you?" Dracaena fought down a shudder. "How marvellous!" She dreaded to think what it would mean for half of magical Britain if the Ministry suddenly decided only purebloods could study there. What would that mean for herself? For Sebastian? They were both half-blood!

"Anything for an old friend," Nott said, then he rose with an exclamation. "Forgive me, I haven't offered you a drink! Coffee?"

"Please," Dracaena responded.

"Remind me how you take it?"

"Black," she replied, without thinking, and she froze. She didn't even know if Black drank coffee!

Nott raised a slow eyebrow. "No sugar? You usually have six."

"I-I..." she stammered a moment. "U-Ursula has decided it is most unhealthy, and I happen to agree. One surely does not need to add sweetness to this?" she waved a hand at her countenance, and to her relief, Nott chuckled.

"Well said! Can't stand the stuff myself."

Nott poured them both a drink, and while his back was turned, Dracaena took another nip from her flask, which was becoming alarmingly light, sharing a frightened look with Sebastian. He took the lead in his teeth, giving it a brief tug, staring around the office meaningfully. Dracaena nodded, and unclipped it from his collar as Nott returned to his desk, handing her a mug.

"Now then," Nott settled back, eyeing her. "Did you get my last owl?"

"I... er... no, I don't think so, I've had a lot of correspondence with... with many people, all of great import-."

"Not to worry," Nott chuckled. "I know how busy you are. It was about that student we've been discussing."

"Oh?" she said, watching out of the corner of her eye as Sebastian slunk off to the side, sniffing at the filing cabinets. "Forgive me, Gideon, they all blur into one after a while..."

"The hero," Nott said, giving a derisive laugh, and her guts turned to ice as his eyes narrowed a fraction. "Any new information on her?"

Dracaena swallowed as Sebastian threw an uneasy look back at them as he nosed around by the window. What had Black been saying? What had he told Nott? What did Nott want to know? What could she dare say?

"Well, she's a pompous little jumped-up brat," she said. "Always has been, thinking she's something special because she was involved with stopping some kind of rebellion that wasn't even that serious!"