Early morning


Solomon Carstairs, in one of his finer sets of silken wool robes, stepped off the elevator. He carried no papers and assumed no airs, except to carefully study his pocket watch when a secretary came along to address him. His gaze was casual - this was only a cursory meeting with their new Minister of Magic as far as anyone else was concerned. He snapped the watch shut and smiled at the witch.

      "This way, Mr Carstairs."
"I know the way," Sol drawled with a sigh - he could never keep track of the junior staff on level one and didn't recognise this one; but he had been to visit Zephyr often enough and it was hardly a maze up here. "Thank you," he waved her off.

The department head made his way down the one main corridor, passing various other offices on the way. It was Wednesday: an unassuming day, the sort of day that made most staff members wish direly for the coming weekend. He liked it because people were less likely to remember incidents in the middle of the week, rather than the start or end.

"Minister Glass."

The grand double doors shut behind him as Solomon stepped on to the thick purple carpeting of Edwin's office. He adjusted his spectacles, the smile from earlier taking on a more grim aspect. "Good morning."

The door to his office came open and Edwin glanced up from his reading to see Solomon Carstairs. His gaze returned to the paper to finish the sentence he’d been on, and he set the report aside before standing up to receive the Department Head.

“Solomon, good morning.” Edwin replied, still wearing the frown he had read the report with. It eased as he extended his hand to gesture to one of the chairs the other side of his desk. He retook his seat, glancing at his pocketwatch before he settled, forearms resting on the edge of his desk, poised on the front of his more comfortable chair. Kuester and Holmes had not appraised him of a specific topic for the meeting, suggesting it was not information they could be privy to given their manner. Edwin felt both a mix of curious anticipation and dread. He was still putting his feet under the damned desk, this better not be bad.

“What news from Level Two?”

He took a seat across from Edwin, experiencing the deja vu of the situation as memories of meetings with Zephyr suggested themselves at the back of his mind. Solomon adjusted his spectacles and smiled at Edwin grimly. There was no saying how much they could trust this new Minister of Magic.

Investigations into Ira Almasy were underway but known only to a select few in the DMLE - it was a muted disarray of conflicting information due to the fact that the one Auror who might best help had been recovering at home under St.Mungo's care since March[1]. He was impatient to have the wizard back for cross-examination against Hannah's testimony.

What news, then, could he relay...?

"We're making considerable progress on recent cases. Nothing substantial yet but I'm justifiably optimistic." Solomon answered with a dismissive gesture and folded one leg over the other as he considered how to approach his reasons for being here. "I'm here on a more acquisitive errand. I would like to propose a covert operation within the the Ministry."

He watched Edwin carefully, his manner direct.

1.	Permission from Kelly (Flynn Hughes) and Melissa (Adon Eleor).

The Minister sat straight and said nothing for a moment, only to reach for his quill, quickly inking two words in midnight blue ink. He stood from his seat, rounded his desk and took a seat in the adjacent visitor, briefly turning the inked parchment to Solomon without a word.

Apply wards

He drew his wand and the pair of them quickly established a bubble of tighter warding just between the two of them.

“Thank you,” Edwin spoke at last. “Since discovering that Mortimer Gamp’s old joke of the walls having ears down on nine, was true, I’ve been concerned at what else might sprout them.” He gestured to his desk just outside of their wards, wand still in his hand. “What is the nature and purpose of your operation, Solomon?”

He maintained silence as the wards came up, pleased by Edwin's open-mindedness to this discussion: Solomon had anticipated a more querulous reception to his idea as many opinions since February's events leaned more towards a sense of political transparency. That bloody Haunting Hour broadcast hadn't helped.

Fortunately, Gamp's actions seemed to have affected their Minister differently.

          “What is the nature and purpose of your operation, Solomon?”

Solomon had considered his wording of this multiple times but never once out loud. He removed his spectacles, which were only really for reading, looking up at Edwin.

"A network of informants on every floor," he elaborated cautiously. "Not active at all times but each operative will be expected to investigate suspicious activity where necessary. They would report to me."

That was the crux, of course. Internal spies who reported to him instead of the Minister. "I'm already eyeing a selection of candidates."

Edwin rested his wand in his lap, right fingertips keeping a gentle grip and crossed one leg over the other as he gave Solomon his full attention.

“Suspicious activity of our own?” He asked in clarification, keeping his expression well-schooled. If one dug, he was precisely the sort who would abhor such regulation, but in his new role, and with Mortimer’s deception fresh in his mind, he understood Solomon’s position. The Ministry’s employees were a huge number - they were the biggest employer of their kind in Britain - and more than a few had ended up detained. Gamp and Musgrave were both ex-employees and gaining column inches. It was no wonder that the public trust for the Ministry was at an all time low since the war. He blamed it on Zephyr, but he couldn’t let it continue, obviously.

“You are considering well placed, resourced candidates I am sure. How will you know they are trustworthy - no, do go on.”

          “Suspicious activity of our own?”

"Of our own." Solomon echoed in confirmation as he continued to watch their new Minister of Magic. There did not appear to be any resistance to the proposal so far - if Glass had concerns about his own affairs being watched, he did not show it. The query that followed was a natural one.

It brought a cynical smile to Sol's lips, regardless. "How do we ever know if someone is trustworthy?" he remarked.

"I personally vet each candidate and speak to them for recruitment. Code names will be used. Even if we can't trust someone, most of the operatives will not know who the others are." The department head paused and cleared his throat, meeting Edwin in the eye. "I don't believe it would wise if you knew either, sir."

“Need to know basis, quite right.” Edwin agreed, but his gaze lowered and wand twitched between his stout fingers. He knew there would be things he would find uncomfortable to know as Minister, which he had not been authorised to know as a Department Head due to their sensitivity. This was only his third day as Minister, and he had not yet even begun to scratch the surface. Solomon was perhaps capitalising on Edwin’s inexperience in his new post, though Edwin did not doubt that there had been issues with confidentiality in the ranks for some time, he couldn’t help but wonder why Sol had waited until now. Zephyr could have swept this through and there might have been no trace to pass on to him. Or she might have vetoed.

“However,” the Minister continued in an even tone, "one does need to know more to approve the proposal, and provide suitable authorisation. Even respected Department Heads cannot apply code thirteen to the stationery budget, without authorisation from the top.” He gave Sol a polite nod. “Outline your plan. My next appointment will reschedule.”

There was precisely one sheet of parchment with the name of Solomon's candidates scribbled down, alongside code names. He had written and carried it with him at all times since this morning - just to mull over in private moments, that he may memorise each one before burning the damned thing.

The wizard was keenly aware of its presence in the front breast pocket of the shirt underneath his robes. Now was the time to explain to Edwin how he intended to use this operation for the good of the Ministry.

          "Outline your plan. My next appointment will reschedule."

A quick, efficient nod. "It's a highly unobtrusive implementation of operatives..." Solomon began as his hands met over his lap, fingers intertwined thoughtfully. He explained his reasoning behind two or three of the Ministry employees he intended to recruit - leaving out the intern on level one he was considering. Operatives were either unassuming or so ludicrously blatant that suspicion would not befall them.

Other details had to be conveyed as well: the sort of signs of corruption or infiltration they will be looking for, discreet methods they would utilise to get in touch with one another.

"What I intend, ultimately-" he drew to the conclusion of his rationale, "- is for it to be practically invisible, even to its own members where necessary. By definition of conduct, they must be able to put faith in our sense of what is right and wrong. And of course any actual arrests will have to be done above the table, no subterfuge."

Solomon paused, not uncertain but somewhat cautious. "Whether the concept merits suitable authorisation however..." he trailed off while fixing their Minister with an expectant gaze.

The Minister listened in relative silence for a few words of clarification here and there. Solomon concluded and looked to Edwin for his verdict.
“A moment.” He asked of the Head of Level Two, staring off to one side at his desk. He ran through matters in his head, making a decision. “You will report to me should you find anything of significance.” He told Solomon, “That will leave a lump in the carpet.” That was non-negotiable by the way it was delivered. The Minister did still want to keep some control over this agreement.

Edwin lifted his wand, summoned through their wards three sheets of his official notepaper and drew a quill from his jacket to write, resting it on his knee. Deep purple ink inscribed his words.

OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE - Further to conversation on April 6th, 2011, is agreed, and authorisation is given by the Minister for Magic, Edwin Glass, for Solomon Carstairs, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, to operate within the boundaries agreed verbally.

He signed and duplicated, and on the third wrote a note to himself.

SECRET[1] - Further to conversation on April 6th, 2011, it was agreed that I, Edwin Glass, Minister for Magic, shall obliviate the details of the conversation with Solomon Carstairs, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, from my memories. Should Solomon Carstairs need to communicate further on this conversation, he shall direct the Minister to this document.

He signed, and turned it to Solomon to do the same once he understood.
“Don’t make me regret my trust, Solomon.” Edwin warned his colleague, taking back the papers. “I will need you to remove the wards if I should not recall placing them.”

The Minister turned his wand on his own temple, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before muttering under his breath. As a trained obliviator, how he had worked his way up through the ranks on Level Three, he was more than capable of obliviating himself with precision, and had done in the past. As it was a recent memory it wasn’t hard to suppress, but he required no interruption.

A minute later, he opened his eyes, looked from his wand to the papers in his hand, and to Solomon. He had a strange blip in not remembering how he’d come to sit where he was. That feeling like he’d skipped a few pages of a good book, a strange silence in the middle of a record. It was familiar, an obliviation, but he had his own wand drawn, Solomon did not seem to be withdrawing his own. His own free will. What had Solomon just told him?
“What can I help you with, what.. was I helping you with?”

1.	Government Security Classifications Policy is what I’m basing this on[/wiki]

Although he did not show it, Solomon was relieved by their Minister's swift and efficient manner of conveying permission. He watched as the older man began to scratch away in purple ink - and, when prompted, leaned forward to impart his own signature to the proffered sheets.

          "Don’t make me regret my trust, Solomon."

There was nothing he could do but smile grimly at this. No. He did not intend to betray Edwin's trust, at least not whilst the other wizard continued to remain on the right side of the law.

Everything happened in quick succession. The Obliviation seemed painless, and Sol held up the wards until Edwin regained possession of himself in a coherent way. He was beginning to somewhat admire this new leader. Certainly moreso than what he had felt for Zephyr, whose moralistic transparency was as cumbersome as it was ineffective.

          “What can I help you with, what.. was I helping you with?”

The wards vanished.

"Only a private matter on level two, Minister." Solomon explained with a vague gesture, his previous smile fading into the usual indifference he sported. "You have been exceedingly helpful. I will leave you to your other appointments, sir."