Chapter 3: Meeting

The prime minister was his relaxing in his office at the end of what had been a very good day. In the morning the cabinet had been in buoyant mood. His party was riding high in the polls and the opposition seemed in disarray. At question time he had demolished the carping criticism of the leader of the opposition to the applause and laughter of his backbenchers. The evening had also gone well as he entertained some celebrities who were mostly in favour of what his party was doing. Now he was unwinding with a glass of his favourite malt and thinking all was well with the world, or at least his little part of it.

It was then he heard a soft cough. His brow furrowed into a frown and his body tensed. He knew that cough and it was his experience that for the most part it had been the harbinger of bad news. Certainly the last time he heard it, it had brought good news about the end of a problem time for his government. It had heralded the arrival of the man who for a period had been his bodyguard and was now the minister magic in that other world. It was a world he had known nothing about before his elevation to Prime Minister.

On the first night after his election however, he had been informed by the then minister for magic that there were communities of witches and wizards living unknown among his constituents. He had been informed that this was not a matter for worry as he would not hear from this other minister again unless something troublesome occurred in his domain that would affect the prime minister's people.

This proved to be a false promise for only three years later he had been informed of a dangerous prisoner who had escaped from the wizard prison and was now at large and a danger to Muggles (his people) as well as wizards.

This was followed some time later with even graver news that a powerful dark wizard had regained great power within the wizarding community and that once again this put his and their people in great danger. Even worse, he was told he would need to have a wizard bodyguard to prevent him from falling under the power of this dark wizard.

It also led to catastrophes that put his party in a bad light. Then there was the presence of creatures called Dementors who had guarded the wizard prison and had now joined the dark side. They were on the loose in many constituencies spreading hopelessness and despair among the local population. What made this so bad for his government was the fact people did not know the true cause of these events and could not be told. They could not see these Dementors but they certainly felt the depression they spread amongst them nor could they be told that magical trouble makers were responsible for several disasters that had occurred during that period. This had led to the likelihood of him losing the next election.

Fortunately another new minister for magic, the man who had been his bodyguard, came to tell him that this dark lord had been defeated and the war between the wizards was over and that things would return to normal. It was a good thing that they had passed since he had gone on to win the next election. Now with a sense of foreboding, he waited on the little frog like man in the picture above his mantelpiece to speak.

Another little cough and the man said,

"Prime Minister, the minister for magic would like to discuss a matter with you. He has asked me to assure you that while it is a matter for concern it is nothing like as serious as the unfolding events of the past few years."

"Very well," said the prime minister with a sigh, "have him come now."

A few minutes later there was a flash of green fire in the grate and from the flames stepped a large dark skinned man with a bald head and a smile on his face. With his hand outstretched he moved toward the prime minister who had stood to receive his visitor.