To my credit, it had already been five minutes and I still hadn't attempted to strangle President Lockwood. That was a big achievement on my side of the spell. But it didn't mean that my unusual amount of restraint was going to last forever; my irritation was just reaching the breaking point.

You don't want a pregnant woman to be irritated at you. It's a mighty force to contend with, and you will never win. Not that people beat me. Ever. (Maybe once somebody did, but I assure you that that was the very last time.)

I stared intently at the smoky image of the infuriating American. She was leaning back in her chair, a smirk on her big, stupid face. A Slytherin if I ever saw one.

"I assure you, President Lockwood, that we are doing everything to catch Scorpius Malfoy."

She raised her thick brown eyebrows, which had so much resemblance to fluffy caterpillars. "It better be everything, Ms. Malfoy. I don't want to find that you Brits are lacking in your force to bring this criminal in. You see," she tucked her short brown hair behind her ears, "your country does have a reputation for being extremely lax in security. Here in America, we know how to take care of Dark Wizards."

"Here in Britain, we know the difference between force and foolishness," I shot back. "And do not call me Ms. Malfoy. It is Prime Minister. Is that clear, Lockwood?" The breaking point was approaching.

The President narrowed her eyes. She chose to ignore my highlighted points of the debate. "When, and if, you catch Malfoy, I want him to be locked away forever so he'll never see the light of day again. Is. That. Clear?"

"We will see what the jury decides," I said sternly, trying desperately to convince myself that I wanted Scorpius Malfoy to be in Azkaban, no matter what my heart shrieked.

"There is no use in trying to protect him anymore, my dear Prime Minister. The evidence against Scorpius Malfoy is so severe that, if given a trial, he will surely be condemned to the Dementor's Kiss."

I froze, and the blasted Lockwood continued.

"Killing the President of the Magical Congress as well as the Prime Minister. Who was one of Harry Potter's closest friends? I thought that... Ravenwings? Ravenfeathers? Whatever they were, were supposed to be the brains of the Wizarding World, are they not?" Lockwood smiled. "I'm afraid poor Scorpius has no chance."

"There isn't any evidence of who killed your predecessor," I muttered through gritted teeth. I took a quick breath. "President Lockwood, I am very aware of what might happen to Scorpius Malfoy."

"I notice that you haven't taken off your wedding ring, my dear Prime Minister."

My eyes darted down to the thin band of silver and sparkly blue gem. Scorpius had said it was the exact color of my eyes...

"President Lockwood, I believe that this communication needs to end for the time being," I said stiffly. I reached for my wand, lying on the desk by my hand.

"Sweetheart, you don't want to do that."

I looked murderously at the smokey image of Lockwood. "Call me sweetheart one more time and I promise that—"

President Lockwood batted her eyelashes sadly. "Finish that sentence and I won't help you save your precious Scorpius from what the books say is 'a fate worse than death.'"

"What are you talking about?"

She shrugged. "It's so simple I'm surprised that a Ravenwhatsit like you hasn't figured it out yet." She spoke loud and slow. "You have to send him to Azkaban without a trial, you idiot."

"No trial?"

Lockwood rolled her eyes. "They'd find him guilty in a heartbeat. And wouldn't it be better if he spent his life with a soul than without?"

I looked suspiciously at her. "Why are you trying not to kill him? The American Magical Congress is famous for killing their accused rather than imprisoning them."

"It's out of the goodness of my heart," she said in a faux tone. I glared at her and she leaned closer to the veil of smoke that allowed me to see her. "No, that's not it." She laughed. "I hardly have any goodness in my heart these days. No, I am helping you, Prime Minister, so you can get me the secret of where the Gordian Knot is hidden."

I stared at her. "Why on Earth would you want that?"

She sighed with impatience. "Not just the knot, but the knot."

I smirked at her. "The knot?"

"Isolt Sayre's Gordian Knot, you fool!"

"Oh, that knot." I had still no idea what she was talking about.

Lockwood frowned. "Listen, Minister. Before I became President of the Magical Congress, I had dedicated my life to finding the original knot."

Blearily I blinked at her. "I'm sorry, what?"

Hissing with impatience she said," You British are all the same. You expect us to know all about your history and your Quidditch and all of your stupid Hogwarts stuff, yet make absolutely no effort to learn American history."

"You don't even know the names of the Hogwarts houses," I scoffed. "You know nothing about Hogwarts."

"Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenwhatsit," she scowled. "You can't name Ilvermorny Houses, can you?" As I blinked in confusion she rattled them off. "Thunderbird, Horned Serpent, Wampus, Pukwudgie."

The corners of my mouth lifted in a smile. "I'm sorry— Pukwudgie?"

"Hufflepuff?"

"Just get back to what you were saying. What the hell is the Gordian Knot?" I said.

"It's my country's most sacred artifact. It's been missing for years, but in every single ancient text I've read it says that whoever finds the knot will master the future." Her brows knotted. "Thirty years I've searched, and never found it."

"But you think I can?" I raised my eyebrows skeptically. "And why on Earth would I help you master the future? So the Magical Congress can hold every Wizard under their dictatorship?" I snorted. "Sure."

"You will help me because you will do anything for your husband, Rose Weasley."

I glanced at her coldly. "I don't have a husband."

"Then where did that baby in your belly come from?" Through the smoky screen Lockwood rolled her wand in-between her fingers casually. She contemplated it, then looked back up at me. "And my dear Minister, don't take this decision lightly. I am the leader of the most powerful country in the Wizarding World." She studied her fingernails. "Rest be assured that I can prove that you betrayed your country in some nasty way." She raised her eyes. "And you have never liked falling from power, have you, Minister?"