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Tweak says, "I AM THE ALPHA!"

Percy Ignatius Weasley (youngestmformev) wrote in pandorarpg,
@ 2011-10-15 14:22:00

Entry tags:

!status: complete, ^date: before october 30 2003, character: adrian pucey, character: cade warrington, character: cho chang, character: ernie macmillan, character: harry potter, character: percy weasley, character: roger davies

Rated PG
Who: DMLE Employees and Percy Weasley
What: Staff Meeting to bring the department up to speed
Where: Ministry DMLE Auditorium
When: October 25, 2003 - 9 a.m.

Percy watched as the last stragglers entered the room, his quill tapping impatiently against a parchment nearby. It was a good, reliable quill - however his enchantment of it had made it so ever-ready for work that it appeared thus impatient during its every idle moment. It was accurate, however, and he wouldn't have relied on a person to make as detailed minutes as he'd spelled it to do.

He looked over the Aurors, Hit-wizards, and other DMLE employees that had become such familiar faces over the years. Minister Shacklebolt, having been a former Auror himself, had asked Percy from the start of the Ministry's rebuilding to take a special interest in the division. There had been far too much disrespect and miscommunication in the past between the DMLE's various divisions, as well as the department in general vis-a-vis the Minister's office. Percy had taken to overseeing general staff meetings once a month in order to facilitate communication, and it appeared to at least help things go smoothly. It probably helped that Percy tried to help them proceed quickly enough so that the employees weren't bored too stiffly.

That and the morning buffet table that held juice, tea, coffee, and various pastries for the DMLE's enjoyment. Meetings were always so much easier with food.

He stood up, his quill immediately perking up in attention.

"Good morning, everyone. Thank you again for coming. As usual, I'll try to make this short and simple, and we can all move on to more important business."

He conjured a sheaf of papers containing his notes for the meeting so that he could verify that he didn't miss anything.

"Firstly, I would like to remind you that, as of the first of November, the next bout of Azkaban parole sessions will begin for those indicted for actions in the last war. As usual, our first concern is less about recidivism, and more about the reactions of other witches and wizards to the prisoner's release. If the parole is broken, then of course we will have to worry about that - but there are still sensitivities around the issue of the paroles, as we all know, and the possibilities for retaliation remain. Please be alert."

He took a breath and flipped a page.

"Also, with the approach of Hallowe'en, there are two matters for your attention. The first will be the potential for fraudulent fire-calls for assistance - when in doubt, please call Ministry Records to verify your information. We do not wish to have another instance such as the ignorance of Mister Seemour Buttes' call for help because the employee on duty presumed it to be a crank call from a Muggle-born. Also, please be patient with genuine calls that turn out to be mistakes. There are still some older citizens who mistake Muggle Trick-or-Treaters for inferi, vampires, werewolves, and the like."

He reached down for his cup of tea and took a sip before continuing.

"Finally, we have the upcoming Ministry Hallowe'en party. For those of you who have been scheduled to work the party, please ensure you have a copy of the layout of Level 8, and what areas the revelry are not allowed to explore. Anyone who goes beyond the allowed bounds is to be given one chance to return to the festivities, and any further infractions will lead to expulsion for the duration of the party. A memo has passed through the various departments asking Ministry employees not attending the party to refrain from entering the premises to make it easier for DMLE personnel to control security."

Finally, his shoulders relaxed, and he looked up and around the room.

"Now, are there any questions about this, or anything else for the Minister's office?"

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un_cho_sen
2011-10-15 10:32 pm UTC (link)

Cho had been extremely irked when the memo had come down earlier that week about the monthly staff meeting. She picked up extra shifts every other weekend and this had been her weekend off. So, to have to come in at 9 am on a Saturday when she was supposed to be sleeping was not her idea of a great start to the weekend. As such, she had been one of the last individuals to arrive and found that she had to push her way closer to the front of the room to take one of the few seats that was still empty. When she sat, her eyes landed on the side table full of food and her stomach growled in protest as Weasley stood to speak.

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rogerly
2011-10-16 05:33 pm UTC (link)

Roger was leaning back in his seat, with his coffee in hand as the meeting went on. He was not a morning person, and more often than not he would take the late shifts. But when the memo on the meeting had come out he'd swift to a day shift instead.

He was sipping his coffee when he saw Cho coming in late. Roger smirked as she came over to sit down. She'd be annoyed with him for being amused at her misery, but he couldn't help it. He was just glad someone else didn't appreciate the early hour.

When he heard her stomach rumbling, he pushed over his untouched pastry that he'd picked up before the meeting. All he wanted right now was coffee to keep him awake, so Cho was in more need than him. "Here you go grumpy."

About the notices, Roger frowned. He hoped that no one got paroled, because that was the last things the Aurors needed, was to round up everyone breaking the parole on top of everything else. Halloween was going to be disappointing too, since he was going to be on duty and would have to answer all the false alarms. At least if he'd done security at the party, he could have gotten a date afterward.

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un_cho_sen
2011-10-16 06:29 pm UTC (link)

Cho hadn't actually been paying attention to whom she was seated by. She just knew that her day off had been interpreted and that somehow she was certain that she would be pulled into some patrol or another for the day. Not that it mattered, she had nothing planned for the day even though it had been the only one she'd been scheduled off in the days leading up to her birthday Tuesday.

When a familiar voice spoke up next to her, Cho glared not at the person but at the hour. "Thanks," she said rather thankful for the pastry. She lifted it and took a bite as she listened. She didn't really pay attention to the information about the parolees as that was more for the benefit of the Aurors.

Had she been in the field for Halloween she would be the one fielding the calls in the Muggle neighborhoods and helping to deal with poor hexed trick-or-treaters. Instead she had been assigned to work the party. She was fairly certain her brother's recent visit from China landed her the most torturous of assignments for that night. At least she'd be able to tell her parents that she'd attended a party for the evening, she would just have to refrain from mentioning it was a work assignment and that she didn't have a date. They did worry so about her and the fact that she was turning 25 and still had not settled down into a marriage like any proper Chinese woman would have done by now.

"Which assignment did you land for Friday night?" she asked not really caring but feeling that after giving up his food for the benefit of her stomach the polite question was the least she could do.

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rogerly
2011-10-16 10:15 pm UTC (link)

"No problem," he said when Cho took the pastry. He sipped his coffee, and really the buzz from the caffeine was more exciting than the meeting. It was at least better coffee than they usually had in the Auror office. And it would get him through his morning of writing up reports.

He looked over at Cho at her question. "I'm on-call Halloween night. So I have to respond to all the false alarms," he explained with a sigh. It was not how he wanted to spend his Halloween night.

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un_cho_sen
2011-10-17 12:22 am UTC (link)

Cho couldn't help but roll her eyes as Weasley continued. She could have sworn that more words had been typed on the memo requiring their attendance had been more in number than what the man had actually spoken.

She knew it was rude to carry on a conversation mid-meeting, but she had to do something to stay awake. "Wish I were able to be on call with you," she lamented noting his sigh. "I've got to dress up and mingle while keeping my eyes and ears open," there was obvious disdain in her voice. If she had her way, Cho would simply wear her work robes and stand in a back corner waiting to be called into action if needed.

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rogerly
2011-10-17 01:46 am UTC (link)

Roger just hoped that people would stop asking questions. The less talking they had to do, the quicker they could go about their lives. But at least he had Cho to distract him.

"That's because you know how much fun I am. But that would make my evening more interesting too," he said with a wink when Cho said she'd rather be with him. Though Roger was an Auror, and Cho was a hit-wizard, their work sometimes coincided, especially when they had shifts that involved the whole DMLE.

Roger had finished up a big case earlier in the week, so he was looking for smaller case work so he could finish up the reports and take it easy for at least a few days. "I would rather be at the party. Though I suppose it would be frowned upon if I was more interested in picking up a girl, than looking for actual danger."

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un_cho_sen
2011-10-17 02:18 am UTC (link)

Cho's interest was raised a bit when MacMillian spoke up. More hit wizards would mean a little less work for her. Not that she minded because being busy at work kept her from sitting at home pining away. When Weasley commented that the trainees would be joining them at the party she slumped her shoulders. "Great now I'll be doing baby sitting duty as well," she muttered.

When Roger piped up that it was his company that she was seeking Cho simply chuckled and shook her head. Someone had to keep Davies down to earth. "That's because I rather be rescuing poor witches from your attempted charms than prancing around warding off the passes of dirty old men." It was too bad they weren't in the same branch of the DMLE or she'd offer to switch assignments.

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rogerly
2011-10-17 11:33 pm UTC (link)

"Poor you," Roger said partly amused and partly sympathetic about Cho's babysitting duty. "At least you'll have more support in the long run," he added to make her feel better about it.

He looked at Cho and chuckled a bit at her joke. "Excuse me, more like I'll need rescuing from desperate housewives. They just love me," Roger said teasing back. Though to be fair, Roger wouldn't mind flirting with a cougar if she was hot enough. "Just hang around Adrian and Cade if the old men try to bother you. They're working the party too."

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	un_cho_sen 2011-10-18 12:53 am UTC (link)
	"I'll keep that in mind," her voice dripped with sarcasm. She didn't need Pucey or Warrington to protect her. Cho could do a perfectly fine job of doing that on her own. Just as she thought they were about to be dismissed Longbottom and Potter piped up with another question. She gave a slight moan of annoyance and leaned her against the back of the chair. (Reply to this) (Parent)

ernsthename
2011-10-16 03:39 am UTC (link)

Ern had been one of the first there that morning. It took no less than three large coffees and a large pastry that morning as it had been 'one of those weeks' and he needed to focus. He had a very hectic week, even though he had finally learnt to just stop what he was doing at a relatively reasonable time (i.e. after three hours of overtime to do enough to not have things really go to hell instead of the extra six hours to get everything on track.) on the days that he had arranged to meet Hannah.
He had muttered something about having people calling in sick all the time to the person sitting next to him, with a sigh. That had been the biggest issue he had been facing since his promotion; it has been an issue he has inherited from those who had walked before him...

Ern's hand was the hand that had first shot up after hearing the news of the new round of parole sessions, Hallowe'en and the huge Hallowe'en party. "Any new hires this month?" It was horrible that they came so close to one another since he had no clue how they'd have both adequtely covered--security-wise, at least. He figured that everyone would want to celebrate or not have to deal with the chaos, meaning no one would want to work on Hallowe'en or the days shortly afterwards. And he himself had hoped that he would be able to leave work on time that day so that he may enjoy the party with Hann, but with those announcements the chances seemed slim to nil.

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	youngestmformev 2011-10-17 12:29 am UTC (link)
	"Not as of yet," Percy replied with a tilt of his head. "However, some of the trainees have been recruited for party duty. We have tried to ensure that as many of you as possible can maintain your duty schedules, including time off, and those who have been asked to pick up extra shifts will be getting time and a half." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ernsthename
2011-10-17 01:22 am UTC (link)

"Thank you," Ern replied in response. He, of course didn't take very well to the answer (probably since there could never be enough people to ever really deal with the chaos that does manage to happen every so often).

"Well, hopefully there will be enough to cover to the party," he muttered quietly, more for his own benefit than to the person sitting next to him. "It should be an easy enough assignment for the trainees though. Character-building, but easy." Ern could only imagine how many drunken individuals they would have to escort out and hoped that there will be no fights.

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godofwar
2011-10-16 03:43 pm UTC (link)

Cade had been early to the office to get a jump on writing up the report for his latest case. It had been resolved with little incident - the prisoner's broken nose aside - but the events leading up to his quarry's capture had been a bit convoluted and needed quite a bit of explaining. Of course, the scheduled department meeting was an unwelcome interruption, but a necessary evil.

So Cade positioned himself at the back of the room to listen to Weasley talk out of his arse about things that could have just as well been said in a department-wide memo. He helped himself to a pastry, mostly to keep himself from speaking up at the mention of the upcoming parole hearings. He couldn't quite keep from snorting, though. Far as he was concerned, the Death eaters could and should rot in their cells for the rest of their lives. If someone felt the need to retaliate against a parolee, Cade wasn't going to go out of his way to stop them. Though, he would do his duty and arrest them afterwards.

It wasn't until Weasley got to the part about playing security guard at the Ministry's Halloween party that Cade's mood truly turned sour. He'd been assigned, of course. Instead of going out and tracking down someone dangerous, no, his next case had been handed over to someone else so he could walk around in fancy dress and make sure no hapless guest go themselves lost or became too drunk to behave.

When Weasley asked for questions, Cade took a vicious bite of his pastry to curb his tongue. The sooner Friday came and went, the better.

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ilivedtwice
2011-10-17 12:52 am UTC (link)

Harry did his best to appear awake. That meant he was on his second cup of coffee and was looking almost a bit wide-eyed to compensate for the fact he could barely keep his eyes open. It wasn't that Percy was boring, exactly. Harry just hadn't slept well the night before. His latest assignment had kept him up until the wee hours and then he had to be up before dawn this morning.

He hid his yawn behind a pastry, refocusing as Percy mention Death Eater paroles. His eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't like the idea much, mostly because these wizards and witches had done so well to fool the masses before. He didn't think he could believe in their reform, or that their supposed good behavior meant they should be released. They would have to be watched very closely, but Harry wasn't sure that was really enough.

At least he had the gala to look forward to. He didn't have to work that night so he was planning to go and actually enjoy himself. He'd been working hard lately and felt he could use the recreation.

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whatgenus
2011-10-17 08:04 am UTC (link)

Neville sat beside Harry the moment he walked into the meeting room. Having worked a late shift the night before, he hadn't really gotten much sleep either, only he had become better at hiding it than most did. For the most part, he didn't like these meetings either, especially when he had crawled into bed at four o'clock in the morning. Still, he was being paid for this meeting, and so he would go. Luckily, Percy liked to power through these events, instead of dragging his feet or beating around the bush for hours. The fact that they did them monthly, he also supposed cut down on the time they took, as well. It was when Percy mentioned the parolees that Neville actually looked up with a sour look on his face. Great.

Great he scribbled on a piece of parchment before him, and slid it over to Harry. A second later, without waiting for his friend to answer back, Neville raised his hand. He would be attending the gala as it was his night off, but he wasn't dumb enough to think there wasn't a possibility for things to go wrong and for him to need to go to work in the middle of the night.

"Will we need to be dressed in costume for the gala? And if so, are people being allowed to wear masks for the event?" Neville was more worried about the safety of the event than anything else. While he understood that masks brought a certain anonymity, the ministry wasn't the place for it. If things went wrong, he didn't want to have to chase a masked bloke into a sea of other masked blokes.

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ilivedtwice
2011-10-17 03:18 pm UTC (link)

Harry perked up at Neville's note, his brows lowering and his expression growing a bit concerned. He rolled his eyes ever so slightly to show his feelings at the same, but didn't have a chance to answer back properly when Neville's hand went up.

It was a good questions, Harry mused, and once that he personally thought tricky. Mischief Night was a concern enough, but the idea of masks at the ministry brought some unpleasant thoughts to mind. Masks in general had been in poor taste for the last few years and Harry was torn between caution and progress. If they dwelled on the fear the Death Eaters' masks caused for years, they might take equally as long to get past it all. However, only five years might not have been enough to erase the chill many still took at the mention of masks at all.

Curious to hear the answer, but not so curious he couldn't wait to put in his two cents, Harry volunteered, "Neville's asked a good question. Is it wise to encourage people to hide identities behind masks? Or should we should that we won't let the actions of criminals dictate how we choose to celebrate. Has there been any official ruling one way or another on that?"

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youngestmformev
2011-10-18 07:47 pm UTC (link)

Percy tilted his head at the question. Honestly, it was one that had not been considered, but the question was certainly a valid one, considering the times.

"There will be no requirement to dress in costume for the gala, that is optional for attendees. Those working the event should be dressed formally, but in regular wear. As for masks, I don't believe the question was addressed in the planning stages. I would think that making an issue of it now would lead to more trouble than doing nothing. But thank you for bringing up the point - I shall ensure it's considered in the planning for future events."

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whatgenus
2011-10-19 01:10 pm UTC (link)

Neville pursed his lips at the answer. He could only hope that no one came with a mask and started causing trouble. How it had been an oversight, with someone like Percy at the helm, he wasn't entirely sure. Still, he had no choice in the matter, least of all so close to the day itself. He nodded and looked around the table at his coworkers. Warrington didn't look pleased, not that it was very much a departure from how he normally looked, but Neville felt bad for the pastry, really.

This was going to be a long night, and as much as Neville would want to enjoy himself, he wasn't sure he would be able to. There were far too many variables that were unable to be controlled. And who decided to have the blasted thing at the Ministry, anyway? Genius that one, he thought as he grumbled. After a moment, Neville raised his hand again.

"Do we have a list of the parolees yet, if not when will that become available to us? And what measures are we going to employ to keep track of all of them? The holidays will be arriving soon, and we could potentially find ourselves short on resources."

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ilivedtwice
2011-10-19 01:29 pm UTC (link)

Frowning slightly Harry thought about that. It didn't surprise him that no one had thought of that. He hadn't, not before Neville mentioned it anyway. This could become a problem he wrote back to Neville, sliding him the note.

The following question however was one that struck even closer. Harry was not pleased with the idea of parole at all, but it wasn't his call to make. However he did want to know who might be free in short order, roaming the streets once more. This time, he didn't interrupt; he waited for Percy to answer before asking another question.

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whatgenus
2011-10-20 01:55 pm UTC (link)

Definitely. A big problem. Neville wrote back on the paper when he saw Harry's reply. Oh, the Ministry. It never ceased to amaze him, and admittedly, slightly disappoint him. Going to clue in Mrs. Tonks? He slid the paper back to Harry. Neville was about his parents, he was sure that Harry would begin to worry about his godson. He made a note in the corner of another sheet of parchment to ask the healers at St. Mungo's about options for his parents.

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ilivedtwice
2011-10-20 02:15 pm UTC (link)

Soon as I've a moment, yeah. Harry knew his godson's grandmother would be concerned about the ministry hosting an affair in the actual building, where masks were allowed to be worn. He hoped the security would be especially good, though he wondered if Mrs. Tonks would be taking Teddy out anywhere that night. He'd have to check in on his lunch break. He was growing more and more unsettled about the upcoming revels the more he thought about it.

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everupward
2011-10-17 12:54 am UTC (link)

Adrian sat nearby Cade, though his expression was far less severe than his companion's. The only saving grace about Weasley leading these meeting was the fact that he at least attempted to speed through them. Few people actually wanted to be in attendance and he seemed to know that.

The business about the parole set his teeth on edge. he'd been digging, trying to find out if his uncle was among those to be paroled next, but it was extremely difficult to find out without making it obvious. He certa8inly didn't want anyone thinking he actually wanted his uncle out and about. Still, he wanted to know, so he could prepare. His mother was anxiously awaiting her brother's freedom and Adrian was not looking forward to a family reunion.

Adrian crossed his arms over his chest at the mention of the party. He'd be there too, assigned to stand guard over this ridiculous event when his time could be far better served. He knew full well it was supposed to be a fancy dress party, meaning everyone would be in costume. He wondered if they would have to be as well, but didn't think he could voice the question to anyone but Cade without his voice being full of scorn. So he kept silent, just waiting for the meeting to be over.

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