Shadows in the Minister's Office
The Ministry of Magic lay deep in winter silence.The fireplaces of the Minister's office glowed with dying embers, their orange light casting long shadows over the gold-trimmed walls.Behind the grand oak desk, Cornelius Fudge poured himself a glass of mulled mead — his third that night.
He didn't look up when the emerald flames in the hearth flared, and a tall, elegant man stepped through the Floo connection.
"Ah… Lucius," Fudge said, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You came."
Lucius Malfoy brushed invisible dust from his silver cane before replying, voice smooth as silk.
"Your owl was quite insistent, Minister. I assumed it was urgent."
Fudge motioned to the chair opposite him. "Please. Sit. We have… matters to discuss."
Lucius sat, crossing one leg over the other, the serpent-head cane gleaming in the firelight. His eyes — cold, calculating — studied the Minister's desk.Parchments scattered everywhere. Some were stamped with the Ministry's seal, others with a new, gleaming emblem: a jade phoenix — Skyjade Dynamics.
The Opening Exchange
"You've been busy," Lucius said mildly. "Order of Merlin ceremonies, new broom companies, Quidditch reforms — quite the list of accomplishments for your administration."
Fudge coughed nervously, setting his glass down. "Well, yes, the— the public needed reassurance after the… Dementor debacle. And young Roy Valvas provided a very convenient— er, heroic— face for recovery."
"Convenient indeed," Lucius murmured. "And now the same boy controls three Wizengamot seats — seats you personally handed over, if the rumors are true."
Fudge's smile faltered. "Temporary seats, purely procedural! It's… it's about optics, Lucius. The people love him. He's the sort of figure we can align with to stabilize support."
"Support for whom?" Lucius asked softly."You, Minister… or him?"
The silence stretched. The fire crackled. Somewhere in the corridors, a clock struck ten.
Fudge swallowed. "You're overreacting. He's a student, Lucius. A brilliant one, yes — but still a boy. His influence will fade once the press moves on."
Lucius leaned forward, the faintest hint of disdain curving his lips.
"A boy who engineered the acquisition of two broom companies and founded Skyjade Dynamics under his own name. A boy who can summon a Patronus the size of a dragon and makes your Wizengamot applaud every word his proxies speak. Tell me, Cornelius — when was the last time they applauded you?"
Fudge's fingers tightened around his glass.
A Dangerous Proposal
Lucius stood and walked slowly toward the window overlooking the Atrium. The moonlight made his pale hair gleam like polished silver.
"You see, Minister, I don't enjoy being on the losing side of history. And this… Valvas boy, he's not merely clever. He's deliberate. Strategic. His power is not the wild talent of Dumbledore — it's constructed. Calculated. Step by step."
Fudge frowned. "What are you suggesting, Lucius?"
Lucius turned, eyes sharp as blades.
"I'm suggesting you remember who helped you become Minister. And that the Ministry must remind the public who truly governs the wizarding world — before Valvas turns that golden favor of his into political capital you can't control."
Fudge shifted uneasily. "You're talking about a smear campaign?"
Lucius smiled faintly. "Merely… balance. Rumors. Questions about where his wealth truly comes from. About his ties to foreign alchemists. The word Teyvat is quite exotic — and dangerous, in the right whisper."
Fudge hesitated, torn between ambition and fear. "But if it's traced back—"
"It won't be," Lucius interrupted smoothly. "You have deniability. I'll handle the channels."
The Power Shift
For a moment, the Minister's fireplace flared higher, and the jade phoenix seal on his parchment gleamed against the walls — like a silent witness.
Fudge looked at it and realized something that chilled him to the bone.
Every plan, every speech, every surge in his approval ratings since the Dementor incident — had Roy Valvas's fingerprints on it.He had not used the boy. He had been used by him.
Lucius, reading the hesitation in Fudge's eyes, smirked.
"You see it now, don't you? He's playing a long game — and you, Cornelius, are merely one of his pieces."
Fudge's hand trembled slightly, but his voice was steadier when he answered.
"Then perhaps it's time I learned how to play, too."
Lucius inclined his head approvingly. "That's the spirit, Minister. We'll start quietly. Control the narrative before he controls the Ministry."
He turned toward the fireplace, stepping into the green light of the Floo.
"One last word of advice, Cornelius — never mistake calmness for harmlessness. The quiet ones always draw the blood cleanest."
With a swirl of emerald fire, Lucius vanished.
Fudge remained frozen for a long time, staring at the flickering jade emblem on the parchment.He raised his glass and muttered to himself:
"Balance… yes. Just balance."
But even as he drank, the reflection of the phoenix seal glowed brighter in the glass — as if mocking him.