Nigel Crimplebottom - Ministry Accountant

“Oh dear, oh dear… I do hope the ledgers balance properly this time. Numbers never lie, you know, though sometimes they do need a bit of… creative interpretation.”

Background

Nigel Crimplebottom is a nervous, detail-oriented wizard who has spent the last twelve years working as a junior accountant in the Ministry’s Treasury Department under Senior Treasury Official Cornelius Pemberton. A Hufflepuff who excelled at Arithmancy at Hogwarts, Nigel was often overlooked by his more charismatic classmates but discovered early that his skills with numbers could be quite… flexible.

Cornelius Pemberton recognized Nigel’s talents - not just his ability to balance books, but his willingness to look the other way when certain “adjustments” needed to be made. What started as small favors gradually escalated into full-scale embezzlement. For the past two years, Nigel has been systematically siphoning funds from the magical creature welfare accounts, skimming a healthy percentage for himself while funneling the rest to cover Cornelius’s gambling debts. He’s grown quite comfortable with his enhanced lifestyle - better robes, finer dining, a lovely flat in Diagon Alley that his official salary could never afford.

However, Augustus Thornwick’s investigation has made Nigel increasingly paranoid. The surprise audit announcement three days ago has left him sleepless and twitchy. He’s been avoiding Cornelius lately, terrified that any association might expose him further. Tonight, he’s desperately trying to figure out exactly what Augustus discovered and whether he needs to destroy evidence or find someone else to blame.

Gala Objectives

1. Assess How Much Augustus Discovered Subtly probe other Ministry officials to learn exactly what Augustus Thornwick found out about the embezzlement scheme. Determine if his investigation notes contain enough evidence to implicate Nigel specifically.

2. Prepare an Exit Strategy Gather information about who might make a good scapegoat if things go badly. Perhaps someone like Lavender Grimwald, whose magical creature reserve permits were under Augustus’s review, could be framed as having embezzled funds to keep her failing business afloat.