Albert nodded to his Senior Undersecretary, who was a bit reticent but was extremely efficient. He had absolutely no doubt that the rest of the office would see his worth in no time at all. The Minister stood again and gave each of them a piercing look and a nod.

"For those who are new to this office, I am Albert Kettleburn, the Minister for Magic, and I welcome you to our inner sanctum. If you are returning, I hope you had a pleasant holiday and are prepared to return to work. Last year was a learning year for me - learning to do the job and learning who I could trust. This year is a building one, not just for me but for this entire office. We now have people in place throughout the building who are firmly onboard with our vision for where the Ministry is heading, and I trust them to do their jobs."

He looked once at his junior undersecretary and the secretary who had been so useful to him last year. They'd been invaluable, and they knew it. With Mr. Isaacs here, he had a solid core team, and with his new employees adding their skills to the mix... well. He was very satisfied. "I can do nothing without your assistance and hard work. I expect professionalism and loyalty from you, and in return, I promise the same. We will be loyal to each other, and I will be advocates for all of you in your career trajectories." So basically... if you did your job well and you were trustworthy, Albert was willing to take a personal interest in your career progression.

"That's all, Gavin. Please continue."