Just past 1100 hours, Beasts Division


"Where in Odin's name is Carter?"

Balfour stepped out of his office, pushing his reading glasses over his head to as he dropped a heavy folder on Mrs Lanningham's desk, "Those papers needed to be signed two hours ago! Dragons don't run on a bloody schedule." And he'd sent them over to the department head almost as soon as he got into work this morning, anticipating a busy day for Alec on account of last night's full moon. Even if Cinaed Tawse himself had showed up with a fleet of wolves, he didn't expect Carter to go completely AWOL.

To the Scotsman's surprise, his secretary was looking rather harassed this morning. "He's not in yet," she was speaking in such a low voice that Balfour placed his hands on the table, leaning forwards to listen. "And what's more, the Werewolf Wing's been looking too. Had that new girl, Tansi, come by just now with reports to give in but his secretary's not seen him either."

Gods, the fellow chose one hell of a day to skive off work.

"Peculiar," he snorted. "What's happened with the werewolves?" Balfour's brow tensed worriedly and he pushed away a prick of guilt - in the end, he'd decided against volunteering for the patrol.

Lanningham's voice dropped even lower. "Level two's just received several, for statements I think, but I can't tell. The aurors are certainly involved," the old lady was frighteningly tapped in to the Ministry grapevine, "Of course Kurby Bagnold came in from a call looking like he'd swallowed Gurdyroot."

No big surprise there. Who expected Bagnold to come waltzing in after a full moon with butterflies and candied apples? He tapped her desk, nodding gratefully.

"Right. I'll pop into Carter's office and see if he's got any memos from two and thre--."
                "Mr Spectre," his secretary interrupted, her voice returning to its crisp professionalism. "I was given to understand that Bagnold recently left to find Mr Carter, with Ms Ballentyne[1] in tow."

Balfour stared incredulously, wondering what could have been so damned urgent that both of them just upped and left the werewolf wing without leadership. At least one of the two ought to have stayed behind. Mrs Lanningham turned back to her paperwork, back as straight as a ruler. "And he took his hunting gear with him," she added pointedly.

Oh. That was different. He ran a hand through his hair, thinking quickly, and turned away without so much as another word.

Hunting gear. Something really bad must have happened last night, possibly to Carter; but four couldn't exactly function like a chicken with its head cut off, could it? Balfour picked up the pace, heading straight for Alec's office and hoping against the odds that he would find their department head just stepping in after a late night out.

1.	10th Jan - The Moon's Gift