The tenth of July brought welcome news for Richard: Millicent Bagnold had been elected Minister for Magic.
When people hear the word elected, they usually imagine a democratic process with ballot boxes, vote-counting committees, and independent observers. British wizarding elections were much the same and tended to resemble a festive occasion.
Only in emergencies was a Minister appointed through a vote of the department heads within the Ministry of Magic. Under normal circumstances, witches and wizards donned their finest robes, brought their children along, and headed to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade to cast their votes for one of the candidates.
And, as with all such events, victory did not necessarily go to the person who received the most support, but to the one who proved most adept at manipulating the process.
Madam Bagnold had enjoyed every possible advantage. With funding of such magnitude by wizarding standards, defeat had been virtually impossible. Most members of the electoral commission had been bought outright. The new-old Minister for Magic secured a record eighty-three percent of the vote out of a possible one hundred and thirty-seven percent.
"How is that possible?!" an outraged observer might ask. "The maximum should be one hundred percent!"
But who was going to trouble themselves with something as tedious as providing voters with all the facts? Certainly not the bribed members of the wizarding electoral commission. As a result, all the magical citizens of Britain learned from the Daily Prophet was that Bagnold had won eighty-three percent of the vote and once again become Minister for Magic.
The occasion was important enough that Richie abandoned all other business. Accompanied by his new bodyguard, Nymphadora Tonks, he travelled to the Ministry of Magic in person to congratulate his protégé.
For Nymphadora, who was still adjusting both to her new job and to the status of the young nobleman she was tasked with protecting, it came as a shock to see how casually the squirt (her private nickname for Richard) interacted with important figures and adults in general. He was slightly patronizing toward his subordinates and dealt with wealthy businessmen and influential wizards on equal footing.
The young witch found it strange that grown adults accepted this behaviour without hesitation. They spoke to a twelve-year-old boy as though he were a fully grown man. Deep down, Nymphadora sensed that this was somehow appropriate; after all, treating a wealthy and influential wizard like an ordinary child would be absurd. Yet part of her rebelled against the idea and felt envious.
She was eighteen years old, held an important position guarding an actual Earl, and earned a salary twice that of the Head of the Auror Office. Yet her parents and most other people still treated her like a child.
Envy...
Yes, Nymphadora envied Richard, though not in a malicious way. It was the sort of admiration a rock fan felt towards a famous musician, or an amateur athlete towards a legendary bodybuilder. She wanted to be like him—to have people listen when she spoke and treat her as an equal.
"Madam Bagnold, you look absolutely radiant, as always," Richie said. "A splendid dress. Emerald green suits you perfectly. Please accept my sincere congratulations."
"Oh, Richard, there's no need to be so formal," Bagnold replied with a charming smile. "You may call me by my first name. And thank you."
"Very well, Millicent," Richard replied with a smile of his own. "No one deserves this position more than you."
"Richard, I've heard you have rather grand plans?" the newly elected Minister asked.
"That's one way of putting it," Richard replied. "At the moment, I'm expanding Grosvenor Workshop. I intend to employ up to ten percent of Britain's wizarding population and recruit witches and wizards from abroad as well. In the near future, I plan to venture into space aboard a spacecraft built by wizards and begin the colonization of Earth-like worlds. As things stand, we're practically living in the Middle Ages. Muggles have been traveling into space for nearly forty years. They've even been to the Moon."
"Good heavens!" Bagnold exclaimed with genuine admiration. "The colonization of distant worlds... That truly is ambitious. I remember that several decades ago a French witch flew to the Moon on a specially enchanted broomstick. And one of the Weasleys—I believe it was Bilius, Arthur's brother—travelled there by Portkey. The only tangible result was that they brought back a great many moonstones. Beyond that, the wizarding world simply had little interest in space, so very few people bothered to explore it.
"But if there's a genuine possibility of colonising planets similar to Earth, that's another matter entirely! Richard, you may rest assured that the Ministry of Magic will support you. A project like that would greatly enhance the reputation of British wizardkind."
"That's excellent news," Grosvenor replied. "Millicent, I'd like the contact details of that French witch and Bilius Weasley. I'd like to recruit them for the space programme."
"Regarding Bilius, you'd be better off speaking with Arthur Weasley," the new Minister replied. "As for the French witch, I'll help you get in touch with her."
"Thank you," Richard said. "Millicent, when do you officially take office?"
"It will take a week for the Acting Minister to transfer all powers and responsibilities," Bagnold replied. "So not before the seventeenth of July. Richard, and who is this lovely young lady accompanying you?" she asked, turning her attention to the silent Nymphadora.
"Miss Tonks," Richie introduced her, "my bodyguard. She was previously training to become an Auror."
"Ah, Richard," Madam Bagnold said in a sultry, velvety voice that blended amusement with gentle reproach, "you're quite the fast mover, aren't you? Poaching Ministry personnel already."
(End of Chapter)
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