Chapter Text
Tuesday morning saw Harry Potter at the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic at 8:30 am, a full half hour before the contest started. Last night he had been warned by his mother that he had better be early and that as she had helped the Minister come up with most of the contest she would not be seeing him much this week. Yikes, the thought of the challenges that Lily Potter could come up with was horrifying. She was a Potions Mistresses and Runic Mistress plus one of the top Unspeakables before switching to the political side of the Ministry. So Harry made sure that he was extra early today. Looking around he saw his mother and the Minister talking by the magical fountain in the far corner of the Atrium. As Harry started over to greet both of them he caught sight of his new partner for the week in line at the café. Just seeing the git reminded Harry that this was shaping up to be the most hellish week of his career. ____________________________________________________________________________________
Auror James Potter, acting Head was not having a good morning. After celebrating with Moony and Padfoot the night before about his little baby Bambi making being chosen to represent the aurors, James had come home to a very mad wife. Now Lily was usually understanding about the Maurders need to celebrate the honors that Prongs Jr brought to them all but in this case she seemed too think that they should have had a something a little more discreet for the beginning of the work week. Lily also seemed to think that this would be a chance for James to do some cooperation himself, directly at odds with his plan to brag about his son being the greatest. Admittedly yelling loudly all the way home from the pub about the “chosen one” might have pushed Lily over the edge. James admitting that he thought she would help him rig the first test was another horrible inebriated choice. And now here he is at the main Auror’s office an hour late and one massive hangover due to his vixen of a wife with holding her magical potions that fixed him up in a minute flat. Luckily his first appointment was meant to be with his darling Bambi, who hopefully smuggled out one of his mother’s potions.
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Tom Riddle began his Tuesday morning as he did every other work day, in line for coffee. The dark black liquid was the only thing that let him hold on to his sanity and work with others. There was a reason he had gone straight for the Unspeakibles after Hogwarts, there lay the true power in the Ministry of Magic. He could study and experiment with lesser known magics and not have to interact with others. Sure he was charming and charismatic when needed but he enjoyed being alone best. This morning found him studying the Ministry’s notice board that had been taken up by a large purple and silver notice. It was Madame Bones’s announcement who the partners for the Ministry Week Competition were. And while Tom’s picture was well behaved and giving a polite smile, his partner’s picture left much to be desired. Potter’s picture seemed to send more time with Granger and Weasley making faces at Malfoy than in his spot beside Tom, until Tom’s picture gave up and pulled Potter over to where he should be beside him. While Tom was not thrilled with his partner, who obviously was only in the Ministry because of his parents, he was forced to admit it could have been worse. As Tom grabbed his coffee he saw that the notice now showed both their pictures glaring at Malfoy below them. This was going to be a nightmarish week.