1 : IMPERIO

CHAPTER 1: EVENTFUL SUMMER

Word Count: 3691

After returning home at the end of the first year, first thing Charlotte Crawford did was get rid of the scarf that covered her neck and reveal the friend she had brought with her.

Snape had shrieked looking at Kara, and Charlotte could not stop laughing. After a long explanation of why she had brought Kara out of the forbidden forest, and being grounded for the rest of the summer, she wasn't sure what she wanted to do for the rest of the break.

There still was one whole month for school to start, and Charlotte was already tired. She wasn't sure why, but she was. I'm too young to be tired, she thought to herself.

"Ministry is filled with morons" Charlotte made a statement. Snape was sitting on the sofa wearing his comfortable grey sweatpants and black t-shirt, with a bowl of cereal in his hand. She gave him a confused look, and then outside the window. "You are eating cereal in the evening."

"It's five"

"In the evening" Snape shrugged and continued eating.

"It has to be five in the morning somewhere."

Charlotte rolled her eyes, and cracked her neck, which was sore because of the usual uncomfortable position she was lying in.

"That's what you've started saying about your Firewhisky." She mumbled.

"Oh yes, that reminds me. Have you seen my unopened bottle Lucius sent over during Christmas?" Turning her face away a smirk took over her face. Of course she knew. She had hidden it quite tactfully.

"No" she answered trying to sound innocent.

"Alright, now getting back to the statement –" it didn't look like Snape cared much about Firewhisky now; at least not as much as he looked curious about the statement and her opinion.

"Oh yes – ministry is full of idiots."

"And why do you say that?"

"Because I'm reading about it" she replied waving a book in front of him. "I mean some of the departments are fine, but the others? Downright useless" Snape gave her a hallow smirk, and a questioning look. She knew her father was a man of few words, and always interested in her opinion.

"Like which?"

"Which what?"

"Which departments are better, and what about the other?"

"Department of Magical Transportation is fine, so is Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes."

"And the worst?"

Charlotte took a second to think. From everything she had read, the only reason she thought that the ministry was filled with idiots was because a lot of power resided with the minister. It looked like a democracy, but Minister of Magic had a lot more in control than it looked.

"Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical creatures. Magical creatures don't need to be controlled; they are not machines for god's sake." sitting up she massaged her neck a little.

"Any more?"

"Department of International Magical cooperation. If those morons think that they are doing anything near a good job with keeping international relations intact, they are horribly mistaken."

"How do you know about international relations anyway?" asked Snape now placing the empty bowl on the table in front of him. There was a faint hint of warning on his face she chose to ignore.

"I mean if we had great contacts with the countries, then I'm sure Hogwarts would have better diversity in students. Also working professionals. Whenever I think of Ministry, I think of bunch of British dudes walking around in robes." Snape relaxed and nodded.