It was all too easy to take advantage of a young intern; especially one as timid and taciturn as Bragi Holm. So when he mentioned he was nipping down to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, someone in his office, sleepy and lazy from lunch, ordered Bragi to take some items down for him too. Just a book. And a stack of parchments. Another book. Oh — and a Knarl, which was a suspicious little hedgehog thing that curled up quite contently on top of the pile of books and parchments Bragi was now carrying. "There's a good lad", said the lazy office worker, and sent Bragi on his way.

The slight fellow headed into the lift, on auto-pilot... then his heart sprang out of his chest and landed somewhere in the region of his throat. For there, standing next to him, was the Minister of Magic himself. Bragi had seen the daunting figure of the Minister around, but had certainly never been alone in a lift with him. He managed a quiet "sir", of greeting, then stood in the corner and kept his eyes on the Knarl, which was now snoozing on the top book.

— Only for both Knarl and boy to be shaken from their reverie by a jolt and a shudder as the lift ground to an unexpected halt. Bragi blinked up, wide-eyed. Mr Ross had evidently been in this situation before, calmly exasperated by it, but Bragi had not. "This... happens all the time then, sir?" he asked uncertainly, a little worried.

Meanwhile, the Knarl was now very much awake and began a bold attempt to descend its unsteady perch.