It was exhausting trying to follow Elias without him noticing, and by the time she made it to the Ministry, Padma was almost completely drained of both magic and energy. But as she raced into the room after Elias, power slammed into her, and she breathed a shaky sigh of relief in the knowledge that she'd be able to fight.
Harry and others were already here and fighting, so Padma felt free to focus on her quarry.
"Elias!" Padma called. She didn't want to hurt him. The kind part of him was there somewhere, and she wanted to give him a chance. But she threw up a shield charm just in case.