Coffee Break- Ministry of Magic

Coffee break; at the ministry

01

BY Ahmergin Resinia

Mr Weasley sighed, then collapsed into the office chair. He cursed as a pile of papers slid off the arm of the chair and contributed to the rest of the papers that were scattered over the floor of the room.

He was the only one in the rec room. The Ministry of Magic were in a bit of a sticky situation. The Minister, Cornelius Fudge, had to the disappointment of all, called all departments to help with the mission of protecting the Famous Harry Potter at his school. Everyone agreed that Harry needed the best protection, after.... well.... what had happened, but Muggles were going wild, and creatures were roaming the muggle world and who was there to help?

Arthur Weasley looked up as a troubled wizard, clad in dark robes and his arms brimming with the same sized pile of papers Arthur had had, entered the rec room.

He watched as Gilbert Wimple, of the Committee of Experimental charms poured some coffee, and then sank into the chair next to him.

Like everyone else in the Ministry Gilbert was showing the strain all of the extra hours were having on him, fine wrinkles and half open eyes were symptoms to all.

'Oh God, I'd do anything to get out of this shift,' he cried, taking another gulp of what Arthur knew was disgusting coffee.

'I've been here seventeen hours, haven't even had a lunch break. We had to stop a group of teens from blowing up an old muggle women, then it was up to Hogwarts, then to another case in that Lab in London, where they are experimenting on that...oh I can't remember, then back up to Hogwarts...' he added, taking another sip. ' I've been covering everyone else while they go up to Hogwarts too, its mayhem, and I'm not even being paid extra.'

Arthur nodded, his mind was on muggle cars, but he nodded anyway, he knew and was experiencing the mayhem and the pay cuts and no bonuses. This was an extra strain for Arthur, for unlike Gilbert he had five kids to support and quite an angry wife.

Arthur glanced back up to the door again as it swung open and a short, bald wizard entered.

'Oh hello Cuthbert,'

The wizard grunted in reply then sat on the sofa opposite the two.

'So how's it going in the Goblin Liaison Office, got you chasing after Potter too?'

Cuthbert Mockridge grunted again. Arthur had known him many years and over those years old Cuthbert had become quite an arrogant old man, he sincerely hoped that twenty years in the ministry would not have the same effect on him.

Cuthbert rummaged through a tattered briefcase.

Gilbert stood up, poured himself some more coffee.

Cuthbert grunted.

'Sugar? - There was another grunt- One lump or two?'

There was another grunt and Gilbert added two sugar lumps to the coffee, he handed it to the short man and received a grunt that sounded familiarly like a 'thank you'.

Arthur sighed and then sank further into the armchair, enjoying the final moment of peace.

'Where's Perkins, Arthur?'

'Gilbert, like half of the Transportation department, Perkins is on vacation,'

Gilbert scowled, and Cuthbert grunted.

'Great time to take a vacation eh?'

There was a silence, then the door slammed open again and then Amos Diggory stormed into the room. No one spoke, only a few weeks earlier had his son, Cedric died and ever since Amos had found the smallest thing to snap about.

'Damn Potter, causing a fuss,' he cried, taking the jug of coffee then returning to his office.

'Poor Diggory,' Gilbert sighed, conjuring up some more coffee with his battered wand.

'What do you mean?' Arthur asked.

'Well he blames young Potter still, you know for his son's death, and now everyone's swarming over to protect the young boy. He can't be happy with that can he?'

Cuthbert grunted in agreement then handed Gilbert his mug for a refill.

'Yes but it wasn't Potter's fault, was it? Harry couldn't stop You-Know-Who from killing him on his own could he?' Arthur declared.

'We know that Arthur, but we can only expect bad feelings from the man, it's only been six weeks you know,'

Arthur nodded.

Cuthbert grunted then took his mug, now full with scolding coffee out of Gilbert's hand.

'Well-'

Bode and Croaker entered the room, as per usual they were quiet and suspicious.

'Ah Croaker old chap, how are things in the Department of Mysteries?' Gilbert asked pouring yet more coffee into his empty mug.

'Classified information,' was the reply.

Croaker shifted through some papers, and then shoved them in his robe pocket. Bode did the same.

'Would you like some coffee?'

Croaker reluctantly took a mug, after a moment of sniffing and then checking for any signs of poison, he took a sip then handed it to Bode, who did the same.

'What has the department being doing to help the situation, you know the 'Potter' thing?'

This time Bode answered; 'Classified information,'

Arthur sighed, the people in that department rarely gave a straight answer, no one outside the department had a clue what they got up to.

'You know you two, you never told us what your first names are, what are they?' Gilbert asked, boredom sinking in.

'Classified information,'

Gilbert sighed, now giving up. He smiled as the two stood up to leave; at the same time they straightened their robes.

'Back to the office eh?' Arthur asked.

They walked to the door, and then both turned round to answer.

'Classified information,'

Cuthbert grunted in a way that was clearly disapproval.

'Boy they are spoil sports, really annoy me they do, all they ruddy say,'

Arthur nodded, hoping every one would just shut up so he could have at least one minute where nothing got in the way, a minute where he didn't have to worry, just one minute of relaxation before he was called back to the job.

But unfortunately at that moment Arnold Peasegood entered the room, he like everyone else at work that day was wearing a frown. He hadn't brought his brief case so Arthur knew it was a short stay.

'Arthur, Cuthbert, Gilbert, hullo,'

Arthur simply nodded.

'Hello Arnie,'

'Grunt'

'Can't stop, major situation in Warwickshire, Bedworth area I believe, some witch has cursed her boyfriend. In the middle of the street can you believe? He's got a nose the size of a broomstick. Of course it caused a fuss....' Arnie sighed, Picked up the jug of coffee then walked out of the room.

'I wish people would make their own ruddy coffee. This is the third pot I've had to make this morning I'm not a ruddy Starbucks.'

Gilbert tapped his wand on the table and a new pot of steaming coffee appeared.

'Must be hard working for the Accidental Magic reversal squad, especially with the Harry thing as well. Must be a lot of confused muggles out there,'

Arthur nodded again, 'you know the Obliviators are finding it hard to get to them on time before the ruddy muggles spread it half way round the country, now half the team are helping the Harry scheme,'

Cuthbert grunted again, then muttered something that sounded like, 'Ministry is going down the drain,'

Suddenly Percy Weasley apparated in side the room, this caused Gilbert to swear as he dropped another pot of coffee.

'Oh sorry Mr Wimple, sir. But head of office is needing coffee before he takes the shift up at Hogwarts, oh hello father, why do you look so angry.... oh I'll just get of you shall I?' Percy had apparated on Arthur Weasley and quickly climbed off.

'Coffee? Eh? Coffee?'

'Yes Mr Wimple,'

Gilbert swore again, and then conjured up yet another two pots of coffee.

'Thanks, oh and sorry dad, I'm still getting the hang of this apparating thing, been having problems lately,'

And in the next second Percy had disappeared with the pot of coffee.

'I've had enough of being a ruddy coffee man I swear the next person who-' he stopped raged silently then continued ' I bet I'd get more for serving coffee then staying with the Experimental Charms department, wages are ridiculous,'

Yet another wizard entered this time it was the Minster himself, 'what are you all hanging around here for? We've got work to do, you aren't paid for lounging around, oh Wimple give us some coffee, wouldn't mind a cu-'

Arthur smiled, it was the highlight of the day, Cornelius fudge ran out of the rec room, a pot of coffee stuck over his head.

'There's your ruddy coffee.' Gilbert called after him, Cuthbert grunted.