The Secret War | Dramione

Chapter 23

He took a deep breath.

"Do me a favor, the rebel mobs—the ones led by Grenville, Latimer and Crayden—they don't know the difference between the wizards fighting on our side, and the one's following the madman. Do your best to keep them away from the Alliance, and the organization they call the Order."

Brenley nodded. "I'll take care of it sir."

There was the sound of a telephone ringing in his office next door.

"Who the bloody hell is that?" asked the Prime Minister, shocked that anyone would still try to reach him on his private line. "Answer it, will you?"

Brenley hurried away.

The Prime Minister heard the undersecretary speak very quickly, then pause, sputtering something unintelligible. Shortly after, he returned to the sitting room.

"Sir..." he said very pale.

"Yes?"

"It's her."

The Prime Minister froze, his leg halfway through the portrait hole.

"Her, her?"

Brenley nodded.

"You mean to tell me she hasn't evacuated?"

"She's as stubborn as you are, sir. Sent her family away last night and stayed behind."

The Prime Minister nodded. "I should have known..."

He dashed to the office next door and lifted the telephone to his ear.

He cleared his throat.

"Your Majesty, how are you?"

***

10 Downing Street, 11:30 PM

"Given the circumstances, not very well," the queen said swiftly.

Always down to business, the Prime Minister thought to himself.

Then he cleared his throat. "Ma'am, you must leave Windsor and head to safety—"

"Do not chastise me," she interrupted. Why have you not made a run for it?"

"I—"

"I'll tell you why," the queen said. "Because there's no sense in it. If Tom Riddle wins, he'll find us all the same...drag us out of our hiding holes and make a spectacle of our very public deaths."

"Ma'am, I must insist—"

"No need for that, Prime Minister."

"Is anyone there with you?"

"A few in my service have decided to stay. I am well looked after."

They were both silent, then the queen spoke again.

"Tom Riddle is a broken man. He's been drowning for years, but we've let him come up for air once before. Let's not do it again."

The Prime Minister nodded, although she couldn't see him. "Our forces are doing their best, ma'am."

"And Harry Potter, he lives?"

"No one knows."

The queen was silent again, then she sighed.

"In the end it is not a crown or a sword or even a war that changes the course of history, but a single act of madness..."

There was a blast outside and the walls of the Prime Minister's office shook.