Edwin couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the looks he was receiving. Ever since stepping out of the golden cage lift onto level two he'd been greeted with suspicion and uncomfortable respect. If the Head of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes was visiting it normally meant someone was about to get it in the neck, or a senior meeting.

Perhaps he'd smile knowingly at Adon and Jonas if he saw them. Or a few of the auror recruits. They were jumpy enough as it was.

Walking with purpose, but just slow enough to savour the sea of looks and guilty-consciences sinking down into their seats to avoid him, Edwin headed towards the door which belonged to Mordecai Hollingbury.

They'd been at Hogwarts together, sorted the same September. Mord had been sorted into Ravenclaw, Edwin into Slytherin. When it came to NEWTs, the two of them had both studied Defences, Charms and Muggle Studies. He recalled hearing Mord had wiped the floor with the NEWTs, coming up trumps with a set of outstandings, outdoing Edwin in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Edwin had been a minority Slytherin studying Muggle Studies.

Both of them had gone into service with the Ministry, and had worked there ever since. They knew well of each other, coexisted and collaborated time and time again as the job required. Edwin had great respect for Hollingbury, and their shared history could put them in good stead as friends, only it had never come to fruition. Edwin had been more likely to drink with the likes of Aisling and Octavius (or as he seemed to prefer, Monty, these days).

Giving a sharp knock on the door of the Improper Use of Magic office, Edwin stepped inside, giving a last glance to the main office before he closed the door after him.

"Mordecai." Edwin greeted, extending a hand to shake, "Good of you to spare the time. Admete has been telling me you were keen to speak about matters. Though I would come to you - less likely for me to be interrupted away up here, and always interesting to see what Magical Law Enforcement are bungling - sorry - up to."

He cracked a smile that was part humour and part 'if only that wasn't so true'.

"Bring me up to speed, what has been happening?"

Quiet was the theme of the day in the Improper Use of Magic Office. Mordecai had spent most of the day making notes of recent reports. He wasn't the kind of person to admit he was getting old, but of late he found himself losing a bit of grip on the fine details in his memory. Though it wasn't something to be alarmed at, it did mean extra time spent writing. At least the ink in the bottle on his desk wasn't going to dry up and fossilise this time.

He glanced at the pages of neat, spiky and compacted handwriting, and then flicked through them to count how much he'd written. It wasn't as long as any of the Hogwarts essays he'd ever written, but it contained more law jargon than anyone would have ever learned in Hogwarts alone. Old habits never really died.

Mordecai was just about to write when a sharp knocked thumped on his door, causing him to leave a blot on the paper. He sighed as the door opened and looked up as it clicked shut.

"Mordecai. Good of you to spare the time." Mordecai couldn't help raising his eyebrows at the sight of the new visitor.

"Edwin Glass." He rose from his seat to shake the man's hand, and then took up the wand lying on his desk. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected but not unpleasant surprise?" While he spoke, he waved his wand over the still wet blot on his notes; the tip of his wand siphoned off the ink with a faint sucking sound.

"Admete has been telling me you were keen to speak about matters. Though I would come to you - less likely for me to be interrupted away up here, and always interesting to see what Magical Law Enforcement are bungling - sorry - up to." Mordecai shared the smile that followed, although a little less widely than Ed's had been.

"Bring me up to speed, what has been happening?"

"Straight to the point, huh? You waste no time, I see." Mordecai waved a hand at the chair in front of his desk as he sat back down. "Please do sit down, I find it odd to have conversations standing up with anyone who isn't an employee of the Office.

"The Office isn't the up-and-coming place of the twenty-first century, I'll give you that." He wished he had had ample warning for this meeting - he liked brewing tea with his guests. "So there hasn't been much going on since I saw Admete. I basically work with a skeleton staff, it's not like anyone outside or inside the Ministry needs me that urgently."

Mordecai gestured at the paperwork on his desk and then shrugged vaguely with a gesture at the whole office. "In short, what you see is what you get. It's not as impressive as your floor is, so forgive the general lack of pizzazz. I'm dealing with it in time."

He surveyed Edwin as he spoke. Mordecai had known him in Hogwarts; why, he was one of the very few Slytherins to take up the "soft class" of Muggle Studies. It was not easy to forget his face, not when everyone else had little regard for a class that didn't seem to have any relevance in the wizarding world unless they were solely interested in what non-magical folk were up to.

But since then Mordecai had worked with him only on a professional level. A job was a job; when they were done they went home and that was it. Still, Mordecai could not really be bothered to be polite and formal on a day like this. Maybe he might end up as the most casual sub-boss in the entire MLE, and he was totally okay with that.

"... there hasn't been much going on since I saw Admete. I basically work with a skeleton staff, it's not like anyone outside or inside the Ministry needs me that urgently. In short, what you see is what you get. It's not as impressive as your floor is, so forgive the general lack of pizzazz. I'm dealing with it in time."

Edwin's eyes trailed around the office from where he was sat.

"Surely a small office implies MLE are doing well on stamping down on improper use of magic?" He asked Mord, impressed that such a small workforce was required. "Or is it because we tend to deal with the improper use downstairs by mopping it up and containing it, and you just file the additional paperwork for a prosecution?"

The Department head leaned an arm on the chair and looked keenly at the other man.

"We've space downstairs if you fancy upping sticks and working with Catastrophes instead? Could do with a level-head like yours, Mordecai. Hmm? I'll leave that thought with you and your... staff perhaps. Brown will probably try and lynch me for poaching her best man, anyhow." He chuckled and gave a gentle smile.

"How are the communications between my staff and yours? Do we file our paperwork on time? Is there something you need to increase the number of prosecutions? Much as I vote to fine and imprison those who cause my Department and your office headaches, they sometimes still get out of trouble what with the rest of the wizengamot voting in favour of a 'second chance'. Tsh." His lip curled in disgust at the thought, though beneath it, a second chance also meant a second possibility of a good, interesting catastrophe.

"Surely a small office implies MLE are doing well on stamping down on improper use of magic? Or is it because we tend to deal with the improper use downstairs by mopping it up and containing it, and you just file the additional paperwork for a prosecution?"

"The only reason why the Office is small is because it is small," said Mordecai dryly, gesturing at their surroundings. "Can you imagine this place being the hustle and bustle of the MLE?"

He sighed. "The Office has mostly been about paperwork, and I don't quite see any future changes in that unless the Office miraculously gains a small force similar to the MLE patrol. But in the MLE, if you want a spokesman for Level Two and it involves illegal usage of magic, I'm usually around to talk to the Prophet reporters." He gave a short chuckle. "And I'm not the 'best man' on this floor, but I rather like my place right here after all that I've gone through in the Ministry.

"MAC has been fair and timely with their work. I'm not one to complain unless it's a serious matter and I don't think I have any bone to pick with your department either. The Wizengamot is an entirely different matter; whatever they choose I can't say, I can only recommend what verdicts should be passed on the defendants." He shrugged. "If my time in the Wizengamot Administration Services is anything to go by - and it's a fairly long time, at that - my Office's jurisdiction goes as far as being an advisor to the court. It's up to you lot from then onwards."

Mordecai leaned forward. "Between you and me, at least your staff sorts through the paperwork and orders it into something that makes sense. If there's one thing MLE doesn't do concerning the Office, it's making sure the final paperwork that gets to me wasn't used as someone's coffee mug coaster. But I'll have you know that I certainly agree 'second chances' should only be given sparingly and with much consideration to the character of the defendant rather than what they plead."

Edwin nodded approvingly to Mord's remarks on how Edwin's department were superior to MLE in ordering and filling out paperwork. That was a compliment, but it wasn't the only thing that MAC did well.

"I'm glad we continue to exceed Law Enforcement on matters, and yes, we know the sort of paperwork, we get it, when it eventually arrives, from them too. Though given the state the aurors keep their desks in, it is little surprise." The Department Head smirked faintly.

"I tend to find the verdict of the wizengamot sways according to who is called to sit." He admitted to Hollingbury, thinking back to some of the more recent decisions over the end of December and the new year - including the controversial decline over the appeal of Hannah Bombay and Knox Greyfriar. "I feel that some of my colleagues allow their emotions to cloud their judgement, in peacetime it is easy to feel as if crimes are hardly worth a punishment in comparison to the atrocities of the last war." Edwin tutted.

"So other than your office being a bit small, but that suiting operations, and the state of the paperwork coming from Law Enforcement, you're all happy here, are you? I can assure Brown that we've spoken, and you're satisfied, or is there something that we do need to speak about, Mord?"

Mordecai leaned back thoughtfully. "I've been trying to push the office in the direction of being more involved within and outside the Ministry. The IUM's had its fair share of bad publicity; I've only managed to finally clean up every trace of bloody Travers from this room ever since I became Head here. If anyone ever mentions to me what was once set up in this office..." and here his voice trailed off as his jaw visibly set.

After a moment of silence, he continued, his tone normal as usual. "That does mean that I do hope we can get some sort of a representative in here to deal with inter-departmental affairs, especially concerning matters involving Muggles and between the floors. This includes MAC and IMC, though I guess IMC[1] only ever comes in if someone's crossed the border into England with a crime from another country on their head. I would talk to Muggle Affairs, but I'm looking at a slim chance of meeting their Head at the moment."

Mordecai turned his head a little to the right, his eyes still gazing at Edwin. "And I trust that you will not keep anything concerning Muggles from me. The Muggle-baiting was dealt with fairly well, but it would be nice to have some sort of guarantee that such affairs will continue smoothly in the future." He kept his tone level; he would rather not accuse Edwin of anything, since it wasn't his fault, but...

Even though Mordecai trusted Edwin to some degree, he was still fairly jaded. He never spoke of it, but even now as they sat here he could feel his Occlumency in action. Nothing had bombarded it so far, but he was not letting his guard down. To be fair, this was what he did to everyone on every first meeting he had with them.

"Though at least I'm assured that your interest in Muggles means I would have nothing to fear. Perhaps we can have casual conversations on off-days on Muggle-related topics." Mordecai gave Edwin a wry smile. "Did the Slytherins ever have a name for the likes of your interest in Muggle Studies?"

1.	International Magical Cooperation. Mord likes to abbreviate every department of the MoM.

"And I trust that you will not keep anything concerning Muggles from me. The Muggle-baiting was dealt with fairly well, but it would be nice to have some sort of guarantee that such affairs will continue smoothly in the future."

"Uh, yes, there have been easier instances to deal with, certainly." Edwin agreed. "You have my co-operation, Mordecai, any troubles with my Department, speak directly to me. I do the same with yours, and with Brown." Once he'd shouted at the MLE employees who he considered were in the wrong, that was.

"Did the Slytherins ever have a name for the likes of your interest in Muggle Studies?"

"Not many that could be politely mentioned." Edwin replied smoothly, remembering the time. "But nothing I couldn't handle. Better to seize the fact I was a half-blood in that house by the horns. I'm only glad we didn't study from my mother's books on the subject, that might have finished me off." He smiled at the memories, gaze unfocused.

"Going back there for the Tetra-Wizard business has brought back a lot of memories, have you been up to the castle recently?" Edwin asked looking to Mordecai, his tone shifting from business to reminiscent with his old classmate. "I saw you at the St Mungo's event at new year, with your son?"

"I'm only glad we didn't study from my mother's books on the subject, that might have finished me off."

Mordecai snorted at this statement. His marriage with Lydia had meant him unlearning the wizards' perspective of Muggles and seeing it from her point of view. She had been utterly adamant about having her family not stereotyping Muggles. At least the end result was a rewarding finish to a difficult journey of what she perceived to be ignorance and biased judgement.

"Going back there for the Tetra-Wizard business has brought back a lot of memories, have you been up to the castle recently?"

Mordecai shook his head. "No, I haven't. The only time any of us goes near Hogwarts is to visit Hogsmeade, and that's my son because he likes to go shopping there once in a while. But none of us have the time. Maybe my wife goes once in a while, but if she does she would tell me and I don't recall her telling me over the past ten years." He shrugged. "As you can imagine, IUM doesn't get involved with the TetraWizard Tournament for obvious reasons."

In response to Edwin's second question, he smirked, but just a bit. "Well, yes. I couldn't quite possibly pass up an event like that after spending my time sitting in here cleaning up this place. Since my son was going, I decided to accompany him." And browbeat him into socialising, but that had been a personal decision.

He nodded at Edwin's reassurance of cooperation. "Good. I will try to keep my office - and any future employees - reined in and not give you trouble as well. The last thing we want is a spanner in the works, and I'm sure that neither of us will be particularly partial to that." Mordecai gave him a quick smile. "Hopefully you can at least do something about the Wizengamot, although I don't have much hope that you will. Considering how the level of influence that dictates the quality of each hearing fluctuates more irregularly than a wind vane in a hurricane."

"That is a shame," Edwin remarked, "You should, nostalgia's sake. I'll extend you an invite to the next task, you're plenty important."

"... The last thing we want is a spanner in the works, and I'm sure that neither of us will be particularly partial to that. Hopefully you can at least do something about the Wizengamot, although I don't have much hope that you will. Considering how the level of influence that dictates the quality of each hearing fluctuates more irregularly than a wind vane in a hurricane."

Edwin sat back in his chair and smirked.

"Mordecai Hollingbury, do I detect a little irritation in your words over how your Department is both sidelined and your cases are rarely prosecuted as you require?" He rubbed his chin and the smirk grew. "To question the legal structure of our Ministry like that has serious ramifications!"

But Edwin's warning was mostly hot air as he shook his head and leaned over slightly, illustrating the wizengamot with his hands as he elaborated on the challenge,
 
"The problem with the Wizengamot is that the brooms went in over the war, when it sat almost every day. They had to get rid of Voldemort's alliance from that room, throw them all in Azkaban too, and rescue those who had been put in there for no reason. Knight's own wife for one." He was referring to the Head of the Wizengamot. "Some of the older members are still somewhat locked into that time, that their judgement overrules logic in peacetime. Its been increasingly difficult to get them to settle, and in my opinion most of the third bench needs to retire. Not only because they're deaf as posts and miss half of the dialogue."

He gave Mordecai a sorry look for a moment.
"We drove ourselves into difficulty particularly over the business with Greyfriar and Bombay, delivered a somewhat draconian sentence the first round. People dislike wolves, and they dislike younger wizengamot showing up in the dock even more. When they appealed, I despaired, you can't make one decision and turn on it in my book, not without looking foolish, and the Wizengamot must never be seen as fools." Edwin tapped a finger on the edge of his colleague's desk.

"You should consider applying, I for one would vouch for it. I am certain others would too. Your name is well respected. Get you out of your office once in a while to sit in on some of the other cases that haven't come through your office." Edwin looked to Mordecai to consider it.

"Mordecai Hollingbury, do I detect a little irritation in your words over how your Department is both sidelined and your cases are rarely prosecuted as you require? To question the legal structure of our Ministry like that has serious ramifications!"

If you'd asked me that question more than twelve years ago, I would have answered yes, said a dark little voice in Mordecai's head, hiding behind the shield of Occlumency. And sometimes, wouldn't you like to know what I think about the Ministry, even at this ti--

Mordecai silenced it as Edwin went on, so that he wouldn't miss much, but he took a while to resurface. Somewhere deep inside, a darker core was struggling to have people know how much he had to suffer putting down people's names in a register that would compete with the Ledger of Death[1], but he always had to remind himself that it was never about him.

"The problem with the Wizengamot is that the brooms went in over the war, when it sat almost every day...When they appealed, I despaired, you can't make one decision and turn on it in my book, not without looking foolish, and the Wizengamot must never be seen as fools...You should consider applying, I for one would vouch for it. I am certain others would too. Your name is well respected. Get you out of your office once in a while to sit in on some of the other cases that haven't come through your office."

"For the Wizengamot? Me?" Mordecai smirked slightly, but it was not at Edwin. "People may vouch for me, but how many would side my decisions? I might just come off as cold to the general public. You know I play by the rules all the time, regardless of whoever it is on the stand."

He leaned back. "I transferred from WAS[2] for good reason, Edwin. People have asked me why I gave up my senior clerk's position for an underling job in the ARD[3], and mainly it was for similar reasons that you're giving me now. If the Wizengamot still hasn't got wiser members, I wouldn't want to be with the minority that votes for the logical solution. It would be exactly the same as watching people suffer without having a voice to stop the oppression." Just as you did before. The dark voice was back.

1.	The Ledger of Death is a book that contains all the names of those who will and have died, complete with dates, in Chinese mythology.
2.	Wizengamot Administration Services
3.	Administrative Registration Department

"I might just come off as cold to the general public. You know I play by the rules all the time, regardless of whoever it is on the stand."

"But that's what we need." Edwin insisted quietly, but saw that Mord meant to go on, so propped an elbow on the arm of the chair he was sat on, and rested his chin in his cupped hand, listening.

"...I wouldn't want to be with the minority that votes for the logical solution. It would be exactly the same as watching people suffer without having a voice to stop the oppression."

"In doing good, we are generally cold, and languid, and sluggish; and of all things afraid of being too much in the right. But the works of malice and injustice are quite in another style." Edwin quoted, "Burke. Never be afraid to stand up for your own opinion Mordecai, men respect you for it, even if it backfired for Greyfriar." He lifted his head, and shook it.

"We need more men like you to increase that minority and oust the majority who need to be put out to pasture. Age may normally bring wisdom but it also harbours the opinion of yesteryear. When I have to have my Department brief the Wizengamot on matters of every day Muggle life that are imperative to a case with Misuse of Muggle Artefacts, I begin to question." Pausing a moment he added, "I really do think you shoud consider it before you're co-opted. That background in Administration Services would do you good stead."

"In doing good, we are generally cold, and languid, and sluggish; and of all things afraid of being too much in the right. But the works of malice and injustice are quite in another style. Burke. Never be afraid to stand up for your own opinion Mordecai, men respect you for it, even if it backfired for Greyfriar."

Yes, that's exactly what I fear, muttered the dark voice, somewhere in the back of Mordecai's head. It seemed to be enjoying its protection behind the mental barrier. I've gone through more than enoug of my fair share, why would I want to deal with the wrath of those related to the defendant? Did you know what I had to deal with a decade ago, Edwin? Why don't you look through the Ministry archives on my work records and find out exactly why I'm saying n--

"I really do think you should consider it before you're co-opted. That background in Administration Services would do you good stead."

I've given it due consideration and I've come to a decision: stick your head up a duck's ar--

Shutupshutupshutup it's not about me, I can do without you telling me what to do. It was not often that Mordecai told off his own darker persona, but when he did it was mostly because he was heavily irritated by its constant nattering. Aloud he said, "I'll consider it. But it'll do you well to look up the details on exactly why I'm now working in this office and with not much attachment to the rest of the Ministry, Edwin. It'll take a while, I don't hurry when it comes to making decisions like these." He put up his hands briefly as if make it a point that he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Alright." Edwin accepted quietly and gave Mord a respectful nod. He'd said his piece, he'd coerce him later if he ever spoke about the Wizengamot and their decisions. Everyone had their patches from the last war that they didn't want to revisit - Edwin's had been the fact he'd been expected to cause catastrophes for Muggles, and he'd begun to get a thrill from it.

"I'll do what I can about the weather vane in the courtrooms, you have my word." Edwin assured Mordecai quietly. "Working together ever closer we might be closer to putting together a persuasive case for the prosecution of course. Only a good thing. Need to get a few keen legal heads to be sure we're watertight, but even then as you say, whichever way the wind blows." He drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair and gave a shrug.

"What do you think of Brown as a Department Head, by the way? Off the record..."

When Edwin let up on the topic, Mordecai exhaled. He hadn't realised he had been tensing over the course of the discussion; now he let his shoulders drop gradually, just in case Edwin had noticed.

"What do you think of Brown as a Department Head, by the way? Off the record."

"I've only met her once, but I think she's got a lot of potential." Mordecai mulled over the meeting he had with her. "I'm not surprised she has enough of an authority figure to get into that post, although by the sounds of it some people haven't been taking her appointment well. Well, if I'm any judge the change is good." He shrugged. "I don't expect her to be any tidier than the rest of the Auror Corps, I think that's about it."

Mordecai waved a hand at his desk. "Well, I don't think I should pass judgement on her desk policy when mine isn't that neat either." He chuckled, mostly to further release the remainder of the tension in his shoulders.

"Good, I think she has potential too," Edwin agreed with Mord. "Certainly she's not one who has ruffled too many feathers on the way up, but I rather think its necessary to get there."

Mord had waved a hand at the state of his desk and Edwin gave a slight smile in response.

"Yes, I sympathise, mid week mine rather looks the same, but I try to shift what I can off of mine and onto desks in the Department, see the wood from the trees. Its the damned memos that are the worst. Still could be owls still." Glass shook his head.

"I'm glad you feel well of her, but I'm intrigued where you've heard the appointment wasn't taken well? Some of them too fond of Rosier? I did wonder if Raynor would be approached for the role, if I'm honest, but they must feel she does a good enough role in the Auror office that they can't lose her." Edwin's eyes trailed across the office for a moment in consideration of the number of fireplace talks he and Tamis had held over the years.