No reply. She must have gestured her willingness to see them, though, because moments later Blaise ushered them in. His office was comfortable. Light was spilling in through the arched windows. The carpet was soft. Shelves upon shelves filled with books lined the walls. And behind the desk, Izabella Black, the Minister for Magic, was scribbling on a piece of parchment. She didn’t look at them and overall gave no indication that she acknowledged their existence at all. Theo and Pansy sat down on the two unsurprisingly uncomfortable chairs across from her, while Blaise moved to stand behind her. Nobody-with the exception of a fly buzzing somewhere above them-dared break the silence until Izabella replaced her quill in the inkwell.