Bait and Bleed - An AU War RPG

Yes.

*He frowns. That's exactly the reason the three of them are meeting. Part of it, in any case. He's read over Alice's and Fabian's accounts, as well as the official statement from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Neither pleased him. At all. In fact, he might even be said to be angry.*

Would the two of you follow me to my office?

*He gestures with the file folder in his hand and doesn't speak again he is behind his desk, behind the textured glass door with his name on it in curling gold script.*

First of all. Alice, I want you to know that from my standpoint you did nothing but your duty. Went above and beyond it, in fact.

From:

*Alice gives a small nod. But it means more to her than she wants anyone to know that the head of the Aurors is on her side.*

Thank you.

From:

I've gone along with the minister up until now. Madame Umbridge's requests were reasonable, Magical Creatures' work and the DMLE's is closely intertwined. However...

*However, Madame Umbridge has shown to be massively incompetent.*

I'm taking steps to make sure nothing like this happens again. There was really no precedent for it, and I'm afraid you and your suspect fell through the cracks. At the very least, we'll establish where the boundaries between departments lie.

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*Alice thinks she can hear a vague strain in his voice, that he might be more annoyed than he's willing to let show. Good thing he's the politician.

A small amount of anger creeps up on Alice at the thought that it had to be her case that was sacrificed to make it clear how wrong Umbridge is. Wasn't Scotland enough?

But even inside she knows that Halkirk reflected more poorly on the three of them than it did on Umbridge.

Emotions are useless right now, Alice has to clear them out. She's had time to prepare for this meeting so her voice is measured as she asks the inevitable question.*

Is there any word on where Patil is now?

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*Fabian's annoyed, too; he's thinking much the same as Alice, that Scotland should've been enough to demonstrate that Umbridge doesn't know her arse from her elbow and couldn't manage a staff of tin cans, much less people.

He knows better than to interrupt, though, even if he does pull a face.*

From:

She is still in the Werewolf Registry's custody.

*And now they get to the point that is really annoying him. He lets out a breath through tightened lips.*

However, she is not on Ministry premises.

From:

*Alice pales. She hadn't even considered that Amrita might not be here. One thought closes the rest of her mind:*

Azkaban?

From:

No, not Azkaban.

*It's not that bad, but in a way, it's worse.*

We've been unable to locate her.

From:

*The Ministry of Magic has lost a person.

Alice stares at Scrimgeour, it can't be possible. The anger that had surfaced earlier now rises a little higher, this is so much worse than she had expected.

She rubs her face then pushes her hair back, trying to find a diplomatic way to ask how in the hell that could ever happen without directly implying or saying Umbridge.*

Has anyone been able to speculate on her whereabouts?

From:

She hasn't been reported missing. Even if she had escaped, the Registry could have located her with the Trace. Which would seem to suggest that they've taken her elsewhere.

*Against all laws and authority. He raises an eyebrow.*

Or that the DRCMC is even more incompetent than we've realized.

From:

*He can't help it, it's too much. He scoffs, folding his arms (carefully, right over left).*

Could've told you that.

From:

*Alice winces at Scrimgeour's words, then at Fabian's inevitable reaction.

Even still, she has to tell him what she left out of her statement.*

There's something I didn't put in the statement. I was afraid if it was passed around, it would get back to Umbridge and we would lose the evidence.

Amrita Patil had no Trace - it was cancelled.

From:

*Rufus chooses to give Fabian's remark only a glance. Alice's information is more interesting.*

Really?

*A favor, perhaps, or a bribe, which would explain why Umbridge was so protective of Patil. He smiles grimly. The pieces are falling together. While the corruption of a public official doesn't exactly make him happy, it does tilt the odds in their favor. Incompetence is unpredictable, bribery less so.

And if they can implicate her, they can take her out of the picture entirely.*

I'd like to take this higher up, but... We have a few pieces of evidence, but she could destroy those or flee if she got wind of an investigation. We need something more.

From:

*Fabian hesitates a fraction of s second. He's a sneak, he's always been a sneak, but there's being a sneak elsewhere, and there's being a sneak in front of your boss. Still, seems like Rufus is on their side, here.*

...I have an idea on that.

From:

*Alice gives Fabian a sidelong glace. That tone is suggestive, and while she doesn't know where he's headed with it, she can guess it won't be in any official Auror capacity. It could mean she will have to remain suspended so as to do some dirty work.

Alice turns to Scrimgeour - how far is he willing to take this?*

From:

Do you now.

*Though Rufus is not against taking suggestions, he'd like to be the one with the ideas, in this office at the very least. Still, it might all the better if some of the options he has considered were brought forth by Fabian instead of himself.*

From:

*Fabian shrugs, phrasing things carefully.*

If you want information, and time's an issue - and it is an issue here, this is effectively also a missing persons case - you go to the source. Or the source's office.

From:

*Alice makes a note of Scrimgeour's choice of words. It's a dangerous phrase for her and Fabian - noncommittal, indifferent. Scrimgeour may support them, but only if everything they do go his way.

Alice had thought the same thing as Fabian, but it's a bold move, revealing it to another department head.*

From:

*Rufus nods briskly.*

All the more reason we can't afford an official investigation. It would take too long.

The difficulty is, whoever went to the source would need to be very careful not to leave any trace.

From:

*Fabian flashes a quick smile. There are many things that concern him about this situation, but that's not among them.*

I wouldn't worry about that. Hypothetically, of course.

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And hypothetically, of course, I could offer this person or persons little help if they were to...

*Fuck up.*

...be anything less than perfectly discrete.

*He drops the roundabout act.*

I have to weigh the good of the department against the good of the individuals in the department, you understand.

From:

*It's cut-throat, and it goes against Fabian's own beliefs about how things should work on a team, but it's exactly what he expected to hear.*

Perfectly understood. Anything in particular that ought to be scoped out, you think?

From:

*He wasn't sure that would be accepted so easily. He makes a mental note to see that Fabian gets a raise--provided all goes well, of course. Or a promotion. Something, anything other than an 'atta boy. This arrangement is far too tenuous.*

The office first, of course. Hopefully, it need not go farther than that. Look for any sort of records of transactions. Anyone else whose had the trace taken off them. Any sort of records for missing persons. I have a feeling Patil's not the only one they've taken off site. Anything suspicious. I'll have to trust your instincts.

From:

*He smiles again, humor at the ready.*

When have I ever given anyone reason to mistrust my instincts?

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