NPC log: Zara Quince and Kingsley Shacklebolt.
That morning, just before the sun started to rise, the Ministry felt unusually silent. Papers still zoomed through the hallways and up and down the lifts, but there was an early morning stillness that made everything seem more calm than usual. With his hands in the pockets of his trousers, Kingsley faced an open window. Zara was seated cross-legged in front of his desk, in the midst of all the very important work that needed to be accomplished at the earliest possible moment. He turned to Zara with that distinguished knowing smile, as congenial as ever.
"We can fix this, Zara," he said.
Zara was understandably less sure, and he could see the uncertainty in her face as he looked down at her before taking a seat.
"You don't really think it's that easy, do you?" Zara replied slyly. "We know you're a staunch miracle worker, but someone needs to play the role of the realist. People murdering blood purists is a turnaround none of us expected to see. And Wexler's sudden incompetence is as well making me worry."
"There's nothing unrealistic about what we're after, Zara. That isn't the right attitude to have. You must remember what we're trying to achieve."
Kingsley's optimism was what made him who he was, and the fact he always followed through with his promises was what made Zara nod firmly, as though he'd convinced her, before returning to her work.