Alice C. Longbottom (ravenauror) wrote in an_ill_wind, @ 2009-03-23 23:41:00 |
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Entry tags: | - 1980/03 march, alice longbottom, lyle marchwood, otis wilde |
Who: Alice Longbottom, Otis Wilde, Lyle Marchwood
When: March 23, 1980
Where: The Ministry, outside Wilde's office
What: A little recon for the Order
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
Alice was not particularly fond of coming into work on Sundays, but the enemy never slept. She was lucky to get time off as often as she did, and that happened far more frequently for her than it did for Frank, considering her condition. Today, however, was an exception. She and Frank had come in together, as usual. She'd told Frank everything he missed at the Order meeting already, and they'd managed to find the time to pass their ideas on to Moody. She hadn't expected him to come up with something for them so quickly. Frank was out of the office on assignment, and Moody had called her in. They both knew it was a bogus task he was giving her. Which meant it was far more important than most of the work she'd been given since revealing her pregnancy to the Ministry. It was work for the Order.
Alice memorized the name on the file she was supposed to be collecting. Not that the file would matter much. It was just useful to be prepared in case anyone asked questions. They didn't. She stepped off the lift, heading for Wilde's office. She smiled, nodding a brief greeting to anyone she passed. Turning into the file room, she took a deep breath. Hopefully, no one else would enter for some time. She just had to make it look like she was searching for as long as reasonably possible. Spending an hour in the file room would not go unnoticed, especially for a bright witch such as Alice. She just hoped this would be worth the time and effort.
"You've seemed tired lately, Lyle," Otis Wilde commented as he and his senior undersecretary rounded the corner toward his office. His voice was low and his brow was furrowed. Lyle was more than just a member of Otis' staff; they'd been friends since they were boys at Hogwarts together, and Otis hated to see the old boy so drawn out and sickly. He hadn't been himself for the last little while. Otis assumed it had something to do with preparation for the transition of power to (likely, and Dumbledore's responsbility entirely, the old coot) Millicent Bagnold in two weeks time. They were both pulling long hours; the entire office was. Making sure finances and files and position shifts in the cabinet had to be arranged (the new minister could shift people around and appoint whoever they wanted wherever they wanted) and it was daunting. Lyle seemed to be taking it the hardest.
Lyle himself was hardly paying attention to anything Otis was saying. They came to a stop in the middle of the deserted hallway, and Lyle responded in a quiet, indifferent tone, "I'm fine, Otis. Just job-related stress."
Otis wasn't entirely sure that Lyle was telling the truth, but if Lyle didn't want to talk about it, it wasn't Otis' place to pry. "Good enough," he answered, though he was still eyeing Lyle sceptically. "Your bill wil go to vote before Bagnold takes over. I have to say, Lyle, I never knew you to have a purist attitude. It makes me a little uneasy, all this abduction business. But Helga knows that Dumbledore preaches enough about it for everyone. But after all you've done for me since I've been minister, one favour to you is hardly going to make or break our reputations as stand up fellows, eh?"
"No, doubtfully," Lyle replied with a brief smile. "I appreciate it, old friend. I would hardly call myself a purist, but certainly the ministry should be keeping a closer eye on who is attending Hogwarts. NEWT and OWL scores have been dismal in the last two years."
"I suppose, I suppose," Otis answered, nodding thoughtfully. He'd always trusted Dumbledore and his staff and personally thought that the lower test scores could more likely be contributed to the persecution, abductions and deaths. He kept his opinion to himself, however. One favour for an old friend, that was all it was. And ultimately it would be the Wizengamot who decided it's fate, not him alone.
"Otis, I do not suppose you've considered appointing a successor before Dumbledore has a chance to call a vote for Bagnold, have you? I know you do not want to see her in power," Lyle said, looking at the other man curiously. He was not sure what compelled him to ask.
Otis shrugged. I have no idea who to suggest, quite frankly," he replied. "Besides that, Bagnold seems the public favourite despite this purist backlash she's been getting, and as much as it bothers me, what's better for the wizarding world is still my primary concern. Why do you ask? Did you have someone in mind?"
Alice's focus shifted from the files before her to the conversation in the hallway as it gradually became more audible. She recognized the voices easily enough. She'd been an official member of the Ministry for nearly six years now, and though she didn't know everyone in the place, all of the Aurors knew the key people. One of them was Minister Wilde himself. The other, she realized, was his senior undersecretary. She frowned. The report in the Daily Prophet yesterday had been disconcerting. She didn't like the thought of a registry for muggleborns. That news had troubled her. She had to focus to understand what they were saying, but it didn't take all of her attention. It was one of those things Aurors were trained for. Make it look like you're doing something inconsequential while you eavesdrop.
The mention of stress was negligible. Everyone at the Ministry was under stress these days. She'd still report all the details, but she didn't muse over it long. The talk of the bill set her on edge. Marchwood didn't consider himself a purist? The bill was ill-concealed puritism. Anyone who would suggest such a thing, not considering that problems came from the purebloods as well, could not be called anything but a purist. It explained why the vote was coming now, though. The Minister was doing Marchwood a favour. And then he asked about appointing a successor. This would be pivotal information to have. If Wilde had any intention of handing control of the Ministry over before Bagnold could come in, the Order had to know about it.
Alice quietly moved closer to the door, keeping out of sight of the hallway. She didn't want to miss a word now.
Lyle cleared his throat. "I'm sure you've heard of the Lestranges, Otis?"
The Minister furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Of course he'd heard of the Lestranges! They were one of the oldest and most prominant pureblood families, and they made donations to the ministry several times a year. They were connected to, essentially, every family in pureblood aristocracy. "Well, yes. I didn't know that old Lestrange was interested in politics."
"He's not," Lyle explained calmly. "His eldest son, Rodolphus, is. He's been involved with The Department of Magical Cooperation in diplomatic travel with other ministries for quite some time, as I'm sure you're aware. He feels that his experiences in the department have adequately prepared him. He has made many contacts in foreign ministries, and it goes without saying that his familial connections are extensive. He is a prime candidate."
Otis wasn't so sure about that. It was unconventional to appoint a minister who hadn't had some experience in the MLE. Wilde, in his youth, had started his career as a hitwizard and rose from there. Like Bagnold, he'd been head of the MLE before becoming minister. Wilde felt uneasy about voicing support, in these trying times, for a virtual unknown aside from his surname, and his marriage to Cygnus Black's eldest daughter. Otis was surprised to know that Lyle was interacting with the Lestranges. This was a side of his friend that he'd never seen before. "I'm not sure that that is a wise move, Lyle..."
Alice had heard of the Lestranges. She'd been at school with Rodolphus and Rabastan, not to mention the fact that they were among many families her father had taken the family to visit. Her parents weren't purists, but they certainly liked to interact with every pureblood family that would agree to socialize with them. She hadn't been aware, however, that Rodolphus was in the same department as her father. She agreed with Wilde in this regard. She hated history, but the majority of Ministers in England had worked in the MLE at some point. Someone coming in from a different department, especially in the middle of a war, would be quite unusual. International Magic Cooperation or not, how could anyone not involved with the law enforcement policies and efforts honestly be expected to lead the Ministry?
Part of her wanted their discussion to be over. She needed to report to Moody about this development immediately. It made her uneasy. At the same time, she hoped Marchwood would keep talking. Why was he advocating Lestrange for Wilde's successor?
"Your sense of tradition is hindering you here, Otis. It's why you've given up on your cabinet--things aren't how you want them to be. Maybe that should be an indicator that it is time for a change, someone fresh," Lyle responded. "Your sense of nostalgia is a nice sentiment, but an ineffective way to run a government."
Otis burned red. "An ineffective way... Lyle, this is a side of you that I've never been introduced to in nearly 40 years of friendship. Purist ideology and pushing unqualified candidates to lead the ministry? I have put you here, in this position, and this is how you decide to treat me? As a wibbling old fool who can't make decisions for himself? Enough of this garbage. Go home. Get some sleep. Clear your head and come back to work once you've got your wits about you again."
"Otis, let me be very clear here," Lyle began, but Otis cut him off.
"No, you let me be clear here, Lyle. I am still the bloody Minister of Magic, and I will not have you try and dictate my mode of thinking just because you're what? So scared by the shift in power that you're willing to take up sides with You Know Who and his bollocks so you don't get killed off? I thought I knew you better than that. I thought you had a lot more gumption and self-respect. I might not be able to do anything else for this country, but I'm sure as hell not selling my soul and everyone else's just to save my own arse."
There was a moment of tense silence between the two men. Otis stared, almost daring Lyle to try it again. Lyle didn't even blink.
"You'll regret it, mark my words, Otis," he near-whispered, before turning on his heel and walking away.
Otis stared after him for a moment in complete and utter disbelief. This was insanity. Lyle Marchwood, who'd pined after a muggleborn for nearly three years, who'd been close mates with two half-blood's, and who he himself had known and worked with for so many years... Otis sighed. War tore people apart in unexpected ways; he didn't no what other consolation he could offer himself. "Insanity, insanity," he muttered, and stood there for a moment longer before heading to his office. He might have to appoint Bagnold whether he wanted to or not, to save the ministry from itself.
Alice fingered the file she'd been sent for as she listened to the tense conversation in the hallway. It was possible, then, that Voldemort had somehow infiltrated the Minister's office. If Wilde was shocked by Marchwood's behavior, and they'd been friends for so long... he could be under the Imperius, or some other sort of influence. She suddenly had a newfound respect for Wilde, though. He wasn't the leader they needed, but he had his merits. It was somewhat reassuring that he wasn't so willing to give in to the increasingly popular purist ideology. But if his senior undersecretary was compromised, there was even more reason to be keeping an eye on him.
Alice closed her eyes, listening for the retreating footsteps, running through the overheard conversation once more in her mind. Once she was certain that the hallway was clear, she clutched the file and opened the door. Glad to see her instincts were still good, she passed down the vacant space to the lift, back to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Frank wouldn't be back from his assignment, not yet. She was headed straight for Moody's office, anyhow. Lyle Marchwood would need to be watched.