Blood of the Moon {Remus Lupin}

Chapter 16

I know I left you lovely folks hanging for an update, but it's finally here! I'll try and update as often as I can, but I am really busy at the mo so just bear with! :)

 Auriga rushed from the fireplace in the silent Ministry atrium and hurried over to where there was a single maintenance wizard stood in navy robes, watching as she approached. "There up on level one, miss," he said. "They told me to make sure you have your reports ready."

"Yes, yes," Auriga said, waving a thick folder at him as she rushed past, "It's all here." She tapped her foot impatiently as she stood in the trembling lift. How had this happened? Azkaban was supposed to be impossible to escape from...and Black of all people! The Lestranges would cause less damage.

 Level one was significantly louder than the atrium had been. Wizards and witches darted up and down the halls, frowning as they called into rooms and handed large stacks of paper. The paper plane memos were littering the ceiling, darting around endlessly. Auriga made her way through the throng of people and went through the door towards the end of the hall that she knew led to the Minister's conference room.

It was chaos.

 Everywhere she looked people were flicking through reports, reading memos, spreading paper over the conference table and talking hurriedly. Before she could take another step two people rushed out and another barged past her. "Over here please, Malfoy!" someone called from across the room. She turned to see Jones urgently beckoning her over from where he was stood next to a woman she knew as Umbridge, Fudge, and Shacklebolt.

"Evening, Minister," she said as she scurried over, report still clutched in her hand. "I've gone over and over it and I don't know how he could've done it. He was in his cell all day. The only weakness I could find was the dementors...they'd be easy to outsmart but I don't see how he could've fought them without a wand.."

"He couldn't," Umbridge said, and Fudge nodded in agreement. "What we do now is that he escaped between the hours of eleven last night and one-thirty this morning, as that was the last time his cell was checked."

"Well, we need to work on containment and capture for now," Shacklebolt said, and Auriga nodded. "He might already have crossed the border. Contact France, Belgium, the Netherlands...anywhere an advanced wizard could Apparate to. Tell them what's going on and try to get their help."

"Yes, that's a good idea," Auriga said, "I'll be onto them as soon as I can."

"Good," Fudge said, "And make sure the Prophet know they're co-operating. Merlin...they're going to have a field day!"

"Well I suggest we completely shut down the borders until we capture him," Shacklebolt suggested, "It'll help the Auror Office and show action being taken."

"Absolutely not!" Auriga protested, astonished at the pure stupidity of the man. "Do you know how fast the stocks would plummet? How soon trade would be cut off? If we close the borders for more than forty-eight hours, this country will not be able to function! I very much doubt we'd ever find our feet!"

"Well, we can't be having that," Fudge said, small beads of sweat patching his forehead, "But it really is essential that we capture him."

"Minister," Auriga said calmly, but feeling the room grow hotter, "We rely on supplies from all over the world coming in for medicine, food, Gringotts property...and then there's all our exports too! We'd wouldn't financially recover...leave it too long and Gringotts could even close their branch."

"No, no, we can't have that," Fudge said, and Umbridge nodded in agreement while Shacklebolt scowled at her. "Shacklebolt you have forty-eight hours to find him and then I'll open the borders back up. Malfoy, you'll have to do your conferences over floo. You can use Cowell's office to do it. I trust  you know who to contact?"

"Yes, Minister," Auriga said, gathering up her papers, "I'll get on it right away."

"We'll be meeting here at eleven to discuss progress and next steps," Umbridge added with an inappropriate smile. What could she be happy about at the minute? Auriga had months of work ahead of her! First making sure stocks and trade weren't affected to badly, and then the clean up after...oh it would be a nightmare!

 Auriga shook her head and rushed from the room, back down the packed corridor and was met with a queue for the lift. "Malfoy!" came a voice from the front, and she looked up to see someone she only vaguely recognised beckoning her forward and into the lift. She quickly smiled gratefully and hurried inside, careful not to stand too close to anyone.

"Level five, please," she said to the wizard next to the buttons, who nodded. The doors closed and they trundled down. The first level five Aurors got off, all conversing quietly. Next came two witches, comparing a file full of notes and talking about explaining things to muggles. Then came Thompson, the disposal of dangerous creatures wizard that Auriga hadn't noticed until now.

 Finally, the lift opened at her level and she stepped out quickly, darting down the corridor to the International Office for Magical Law, whose door was ajar. She went inside and was surprised to see Cowell fast asleep at a desk, his mouth lolling slightly open. She cleared her throat, but it was clear it would require a little more force. "Um...sir," she called hesitantly, and he jolted awake.

"Sorry, Auriga," he said, clearly stifling a yawn. "Not used to being up for this long."

"It's quite alright, sir," she said with a warm smile as she placed her paperwork on her desk, "I need to use the floo to contact the French, Belgian, and Netherlands Ministries."

"Yes, yes," Cowell said, getting up and opening the door for her. Quite needlessly, really. "Powder's just in the pot...let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you, sir," she said, stepping through. Once the door had shut behind her, she knelt down by the fireplace, threw in a pinch of floo powder, and said, "Ministère français de la magie!" Auriga plunged her head and shoulders in, and felt the rushing past her ears. When she opened her eyes she was looking out at a room with a polished granite floor and delicately ornate wooden furniture.

"Hello?" she called out in French, looking around. "Is there anyone here?"

"Sacre-bleu!" exclaimed a voice to her right. A thin, pale face peered down at Auriga, her cheekbones so sharp they could pierce stone. The woman was wearing a crisp black pencil skirt and cream blouse, light eyeliner and red lipstick, and had shiny brown hair that was hanging in a short bob. "Pardon me, Madame," the woman said, "My name is Elodie. How can I help you?"

"Yes, my name's Auriga Malfoy," Auriga said, "I'm a representative of the International Office for Magical Law at the British Ministry of Magic. We've had an escaped high security prisoner from Azkaban and I need to put your country on high alert. Who could I speak with?"

 Elodie's eyes widened, and for a moment she stood stock-still, going even paler than before. But then she pursed her lips and nodded. "I will fetch Monsieur Boiter for you, Mademoiselle Malfoy. He will be about ten minutes?"

"Yes, that's fine," said Auriga, and she watched as Elodie rushed from the room to fetch the French Minister for Magic.