To Beast Or Not To Beast

Alexander listened to what the man, whose name he still didn't know, and tried to concentrate on his breathing. It helped. Whether it was the breathing the Motherly aura radiating from Khaat besides him. It was now he realised how much of an infant he still was. Sure he had secured himself a job at the ministry and had been working there for almost a year and yes he was married and living without Pansy's watchful eye keeping him grounded but he was still a child. He was still a boy with little life experience. He lacked mental maturity. That wasn't to say Alexander was immature, he was far from it, but he was foolish and still hadn't learnt his limits.

Alexander nodded. He had figured the lady was Khaat when he had caught a glimpse of her face in Knockturn Alley, although it was nice for a formal introduction, moreover the death eater now had a name for the mans face: Marcus Belby. He was certain he'd heard the name before. Most likely from his Mother, especially seeing as Pansy had worked so closely with Khaat Lupin in the past.

So they were in St Mungo's. Hospitals were arguably the safest place in the world, for now he was protected from James Blood and his rouge band of werewolves. One thing that Alexander wasn't protected from, however, was embarrassment. Khaat had asked how he'd ended up in a face off with Blood. A part of the boy wanted to lie, say it was a mere coincidence that they crossed paths but, still feeling a little shaken, putting on a display of marvelous acting wasn't something Alexander felt capable of doing.

'Alexander Nott.' He told them, still keeping his eyes fixed on the spot where Marcus had vanished his vomit. 'James Blood has been a nuisance for the Ministry and I figured, if I were able to put an end to him, then it might give me a leg up. It was a calculated risk. I guess I just miscalculated.' Alexander felt his ears reddening and he only hoped that they ignored this. The last thing he wanted was for a lecture on how dangerous James Blood is. Alexander wasn't overly keen on being told how he should and shouldn't go about things.

"Its an admirable goal," Khaat told him, making the connection quickly.  He was surely Pansy's son. She could see the resemblance now. "And you're certainly not the only one who would love to see James in jail or dead. I've actually tried your plan myself a time or three.  And, well, since he's still breathing freely, I didn't have any more success than you did."


"Its going to take a small army to stop him, I'm afraid," Marcus sighed. 


"Ambition is a good thing," Khaat said, knowing the last thing Alexander needed was a lecture right now. And, when she was his age, she didn't recall listening to lectures either. They ran in one ear and out the other.  She didn't believe he would be any more interested than she had been. She decided to shift gears a bit.


"If its my father's attention you want, there are far more effective ways to do it," she gave him a reassuring, warm smile to let him know that she wasn't about to jump his case for thinking he wanted to go up against James.  "Just for the record, what department do you really want to be working in long term?"

Alexander appreciated not receiving a lecture, he knew he had been foolish and the last thing he had wanted to hear was sombody looking down upon him telling him what he already knew. Thankfully, Khaat agreed. Whether she was saying that she'd done the same thing because she had or whether it was to simply make Alexander feel less of an idiot the death eater didn't know, but it was comforting to hear nonetheless.

'I'd love to work in the goblin liaison office and working to manage the economy.' Alexander replied. It was something that he had always found interesting, perhaps because money had always been of an importance to him. Although managing the goblin liaison office and commanding the wizarding economy wasn't the boys end game. He had bigger plans, plans that would impact the country of a higher magnitude.

'Ultimately I want to be head of the department of magical law.' He added. The idea of having so much power and control excited Alexander more than anything. If he were to hold such a position then the Slytherin could help shape Wizarding Britain into the country it should be, placing pure blood values and conservative traditions above all else. There wouldn't be werewolves allowed to walk the streets. There wouldn't be aurors doing whatever they wanted and muggles with magic would most certainly be something to be tackled instantly rather than waiting a month. Of course Alexander was a duckling and his ideas weren't tried and tested, nor did all of his policy ideas hold any strength, which was why he need to grow, climb his way to the top rather than jump the ladder.

'I don't suppose that will happen now though now I've made a fool of myself in front of the ministers daughter. First impressions and all.' Alexander sighed, glancing solemnly towards Khaat.

"Well, your definition of a fool and my father's definition of it, I think, might be very different things," she said. "Trying something isn't necessarily foolish.  However, repeating the same plan over and over and not adjusting it for improvements? Now, that, I'm sure, he'd consider foolish.


"International law," she said, thoughtfully. "Well, some of the top officials in law have had some time some sort of law enforcement, or in working to become an attorney.  And, this might sound like its a crazy thought, but sometimes mentoring under someone who already works in international law helps you to learn the complex nature of international law as a whole and the need to learn to be able to consider every side of a touchy problem.


"I'd just be careful which monsters you decide to chase," Marcus said, knowing from experience how one assignment led to more and more danger unless one was headed in the direction he wanted to go. "It's a given that, if you're successful with catching a monster, you'll just be asked to catch bigger and bigger monsters.  If you don't want to be pushed into being an auror, then perhaps the monsters you want to look for are the financial or program headaches that keep department heads awake all night. You can make yourself recognized by being a problem solver in whatever sort of work you want to do in the next few years to come."