Lucius landed near a large cluster of buildings. This part of the village housed the local branch of a Muggle bank, a shop, a post office, and some sort of government office.
The wizard stared in astonishment at the boarded-up windows and doors. Bright signs were posted everywhere, bearing a circular symbol divided into six sectors: three yellow and three black. The signs read:
WARNING!
DANGER!
RADIATION!
Lucius had no idea what radiation was, but terror froze his limbs. The signs themselves inspired unease. Something had frightened the Muggles so badly that they had abandoned their homes and fled the village. Of course, Malfoy considered Muggles stupid, filthy animals, but he had no doubts about their instinct for danger.
Pulling himself together, Lucius regained his composure and mounted his broom. He began flying over the lands of Malfoy Manor. With steadily mounting fear, he discovered the same scene everywhere: every farm had been abandoned, the windows and doors boarded up, and there were no animals, people, or Muggle machinery anywhere to be seen. What there was in abundance, however, were warning signs proclaiming danger.
At the boundary of his lands, Lucius discovered, to his immense astonishment, a fence. The entire Malfoy Manor estate had been enclosed along its perimeter by metal mesh topped with barbed wire. The same yellow-and-black circular warning signs hung from the fencing. There were gaps at a few points where roads crossed the perimeter, but armed detachments of Muggle soldiers were stationed beside barriers there.
Lucius intended to brazenly land near one of the patrols and use a Confundus Charm to find out where his peasants had gone. He had even begun his descent when, at the last moment before landing, he caught sight of a red robe out of the corner of his eye. Looking more closely in that direction, Malfoy froze in mid-air in horror.
Aurors? he thought in panic. What are Aurors doing here?! Could the Ministry of Magic somehow be involved in the disappearance of my peasants?
Lucius tried to fly back towards the manor as slowly and inconspicuously as possible. He intended to travel by Floo to the Ministry of Magic and find out everything there.
After a lengthy argument with the secretary, Malfoy managed to wring an audience with the Minister for Magic out of her. He stormed into the office thoroughly irritated and on edge.
"Madam Bagnold, what is the meaning of this?" he exclaimed angrily. "Where have my serfs gone?"
"Serfs?" The Minister's eyebrows drew together sternly. "Malfoy, have you hit your head? What utter nonsense are you talking about? Go to St Mungo's; they'll treat you there."
"Those..." Malfoy snapped his fingers irritably. "Tenants!"
"Ah, your tenants..." Bagnold drawled in a syrupy voice. "Malfoy, you're forgetting yourself. What, have you started imagining you're some medieval lord? There are no lords and peasants nowadays. I don't understand what you want from me."
"What?!" Lucius's nostrils flared angrily. "My peasants have vanished! They've abandoned their homes and disappeared. All that's left are some signs warning of danger."
"Ah, that..." The Minister relaxed, folding her hands together on the desk. "I believe I was briefed about it. The Muggles discovered some sort of potent poison on the grounds of your manor—something they call caesium. After that, they urgently evacuated all the residents. But that happened at least two weeks ago. You mean you didn't know?!" She put on an expression of feigned astonishment.
"I didn't..."
Malfoy remembered that he was an aristocrat. The man tried to restore an expression of perfect serenity to his face.
"And when will you remove this poison?" he asked.
"We?" Bagnold smirked. "Lucius, I think you're confused. This is the Ministry of Magic. We don't meddle in Muggle affairs."
"Are you suggesting that I remove the poison myself?" Lucius's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Oh, no, Mr Malfoy," the Minister said sternly. "I strongly advise you against attempting anything of the sort, unless you wish to end up in Azkaban."
"Azkaban?!" Lucius was genuinely stunned. "What for?"
"Mr Malfoy, following the discovery of the poison, the Muggles have placed your manor under close surveillance. Any magic performed beyond the grounds of your estate, which are protected by enchantments, will be regarded as a serious breach of the Statute of Secrecy. Up to ten years' imprisonment..."
Every trace of Malfoy's composure was swept away as though a tsunami had crashed through his emotions.
"Ah... Er..." He froze, unable to force any words out.
"Good day, Mr Malfoy," the Minister said pointedly, making it quite clear that the audience was over.
"But what about the Muggles..." Lucius asked, bewildered. "What about the rent?"
"What money, Mr Malfoy?" Bagnold dumped a tonne of sarcasm on the man. "No tenants, no rent. Owing to the emergency, your tenancy agreements have been declared null and void by the Muggle Department of the Environment."
Lucius felt as though someone had struck him over the head with a sledgehammer. His heart skipped a beat, his vision blurred. He swayed and asked in a hollow voice:
"Does that mean... I won't receive any rent this year?"
"Not just this year, Mr Malfoy," the Minister continued, finishing him off. "The Muggles said that the caesium discovered on the grounds of your manor will take somewhere between seven and twelve years to become safe. You should reckon on about ten years."
"TEN YEARS?! WITHOUT RENT? WITHOUT A SINGLE GALLEON OF INCOME?"
A vulpine grin spread across the Minister's face. She narrowed her eyes slightly and shook her head.
"Mr Malfoy," she drawled sweetly, "you're forgetting that you still have to pay the Crown tax on your land..." Then, immediately raising her voice, she added sternly, "And now get out of my office!"
Malfoy wanted to howl like a wounded beast. With enormous difficulty, he managed to keep himself under control. Realising that arguing was pointless, the wizard headed for the door. Lucius could barely make his legs move; he shuffled along like a decrepit old man.
How much is it going to cost me just to hold on to my lands? Oh, Merlin! And the Galleon exchange rate has changed! I'll have to spend almost five times as much money!
(End of Chapter)
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