The décor of the Ministry of Magic hadn't changed much since Jane Yu's last visit.
Security remained as tight as ever—guards stationed every few steps, sentries at every turn, and all manner of magical devices for stripping away visitors' disguises hidden in unassuming corners.
Only the fountain at the centre of the atrium had undergone a subtle transformation.
Gone were the centaur, goblin, and house-elf figures gazing up in awe at the wizard. Now, a group of resolute-looking witches and wizards—clearly Aurors—stood with wands raised, facing down a cluster of hooded figures cowering on the ground: unmistakably Death Eaters.
Every detail of the statue radiated this administration's determination to confront its enemies, leaving onlookers with a surge of adrenaline.
Staff hurried past the checkpoints with grave expressions, the atmosphere tense and stifling. No one spoke—apart from footsteps and the formulaic calls of security checks, there was scarcely a hint of chatter or laughter.
"Same as always—they'll check you for Dark magical items, the fountain will wash away any magical disguises, and finally they'll inspect your wand," Percy whispered, lowering his voice instinctively, as if afraid to disturb the solemn air.
But even a murmur stood out in such a strictly controlled environment, and heads turned towards them.
In the instant people recognised them, their gazes shifted—some curious, some admiring, others simply appraising.
"Look, it's The Guardian Saint!"
"Muggles would call her The Battlefield Angel!"
"No, clearly she's The Divine Witch Descended!"
Jane Yu had endured this kind of attention countless times over the past five years. Where once it had left her dying of embarrassment, now it merely brought a faint, numbed mortification. Yet, even after all that forced desensitisation, she still felt her toes curl with second-hand shame in the face of the Ministry's staff.
Could someone please tell her what on earth "Guardian Saint," "Battlefield Angel," and "Divine Witch Descended" were supposed to mean?
Why was it that every time she told herself things couldn't possibly get more awkward, they always managed to come up with something new?
She shot Percy a look of utter disbelief, but he simply gave her a formal smile and a look that said,
Yes, you're famous—at least here in the Ministry.
"She's so young—I heard she only just finished her fifth year!"
"Ambition has nothing to do with age!"
"The Magical Game Console is her invention—everyone has one at home!"
"You don't understand—Jane's been a legend since first year. I've got her entire set of commemorative photos and all the official merchandise..."
Watching these staff, who only moments ago had been silent and focused on their work, suddenly break into excited whispers and discussion—
Jane Yu's internal alarm bells rang. Her legs seemed to develop minds of their own and bolted for her!
She no longer cared if she was breaking protocol or being drenched by the fountain's anti-disguise spray.
Because the Ministry staff were starting to approach her, and those young, recently graduated faces she recognised were wearing that familiar look of wild fanaticism. They began pulling out parchment and quills, clamouring for autographs, while others waved school merchandise and loudly demanded to know when the next collection would be released for the public.
Before the grand atrium could devolve into a chaotic signing event, she chose to make a run for it.
And after the anti-fraud fountain had soaked her through, confirming she wasn't an impostor—
The staff at the security checkpoint didn't try to stop her. On the contrary, they smiled and helpfully held the door open, blocking the surging crowd and shutting out the commotion.
Percy, lagging behind, was shouting, "Make way! Urgent business! Watch the hat!" as he clutched his precious Spell-Shielding Hat and squeezed through the throng, finally catching up to her, gasping for breath.
It had to be said, his brothers' assessment of him as "sensitive" and "knocked over at the slightest touch" was spot on.
Perhaps because he'd never endured Umbridge's brand of "training," he looked rather frail, his normally pale face now flushed pink from exertion.
"How can they—be so derelict in their duties, so rude—in such a solemn environment, asking for autographs, gossiping about visitors—this isn't how Ministry staff should behave! I'm going to ask Minister Bones to add a 'no noise' clause to the regulations—"
He stepped into the lift, clutching the hat to his chest with one hand and using his wand to press the button for Level One.
"So what exactly is this Guardian... Saint thing?" Jane Yu asked, tongue-tied with embarrassment. "And what's with 'Divine Witch Descended'? Or 'Battlefield Angel'?"
Percy's face went from pink to deep crimson. He squirmed, stammering,
"Er... nothing... just some praise... best to pretend you didn't hear it..."
He nervously gripped the brim of his Spell-Shielding Hat, then remembered it was his prized possession, quickly letting go—nearly dropping it in the process.
The awkward silence in the lift lasted several seconds.
Then, as if steeling himself, Percy took a deep breath and, in a conspiratorial whisper, asked,
"Since no one's around... would you mind, er... giving me and Penelope an autograph?"
Jane Yu's face froze. She couldn't understand how Percy had become just like the Ministry staff he'd been criticising moments before.
Bathed in her glaring "are you serious?" look, Percy clutched his beloved hat even tighter, muttered "just pretend I never said anything," and hurried out as soon as the lift doors opened.
But when they reached Minister Bones' office, they found the door firmly shut.
"Blast, she ought to be in at this hour—must have had an emergency," Percy said, instantly deflated. "You know how busy she's been, dealing with the Muggle Prime Minister about the mess the Death Eaters have made. I heard they blew up a bridge—the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes is like a fire brigade, running around fixing things and wiping Muggles' memories."
It seemed the trip to the Ministry had been for nothing. Jane Yu sighed and decided to head home.
But just as she stepped into the lift, a loud voice rang out from a room at the end of the corridor behind them:
"Just in the nick of time, as I was being taken down by Death Eaters, a flash of white light appeared—The Guardian Saint stepped right in front of me!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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