He had expected the international body to be very cross with them over the entire affair and demand action be taken immediately. And while they were pleased to see a plan so quickly be brought forth and events proceeding apace, it was learning that Gringotts had every intention of turning Flamel over to them, and that Dumbledore was involved in the crime, that had really seen the watershed moment between them.
One day, if things went well, they might actually gain international recognition as an independent sovereign state and use that leverage to overturn the Ministry's stifling regulatory regime. Barchoke tried to rein himself in though by remembering the old goblin adage: 'Never count your Warboars before they can fly.'
"We're using the bank as a rallying point and slipping their wizards in through non-magical means and with our recalled overseas teams so as not to cause a panic amongst the general public," he informed the Minister, knowing there'd be no way the man could stop the process should he try. "The last of which should be arriving within the hour."
"The raid itself we're staging to take place as your Wizengamot meeting is taking place; we didn't want to bother you with such mundane concerns when you have much more important work to be about," Barchoke said, fanning the idiot's opinion of himself as he attempted to slip away with the whole loaf uncontested. "If you wish, I'm available to be on hand tomorrow to address the Wizengamot concerning these matters and to answer their questions," he smiled.
Just then the Minister's chair swiveled slightly to the right as the odd ripple reappeared behind him for a moment.
"No, no," Fudge said with a wave. "It's a big day for everyone tomorrow. I wouldn't want to waste your time in some tedious meeting. I'm sure I can handle things."
Barchoke decided that rudeness be damned, he'd had enough of the human's duplicity.
"Are you sure we're alone?" he asked tersely, pointing over the Minister's shoulder. "There's been something odd going on behind you this entire time."
It was common belief there was another power behind the Minister; it was the only way to explain anything getting done with someone so incompetent in charge. That had been the way of Gringotts the last ten years or so under Grand Overseer Largrot - the Overseers were the ones who'd done everything. What he hadn't expected was to have that other power stand directly behind the Minister in a private meeting.
"Has there really?" Fudge asked with bulging eyes as he turned to look behind him. The odd ripple moved slightly away from him as he swiveled around only to return to place when he sat facing him again.
"I've repeatedly put in a call to Magical Maintenance about it but they can never find anything wrong with the windows," the portly man said with a bit of an annoyed look. "I'm afraid it may be the spell I put on the chair to help with my lumbago. Old Quidditch injury," he explained with a grin Barchoke could spot as false from a mile away, "acts up at the oddest times."
"Ah, right," the goblin said with a grin as false as the Minister's. "This whole thing has gotten us all understandably on edge, and as you said, tomorrow it a big day for everyone, so I suppose we could leave things here for now," Barchoke said standing. "If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to let us know, and of course we'll keep you apprised of the situation as it develops."
The Minister stood with not a twitch of lumbago pain to be seen, and this time with a genuine smile on his face. Barchoke had no doubt it was at seeing the end of him rather than how the meeting had gone. Still, forms of propriety must be observed.
"As always, it's been a pleasure having one of your kind here and we look forward to many more prosperous years of working together," Fudge said, extending a hand.
The goblin took it and replied with one of the nonsensical sayings humans seemed to like from them. "May your gold ever flow," he replied courteously, mentally adding 'and scald, drown, and crush you beneath its molten weight for lying to me, human. '