Emma Potter; Going to War

55:End of Year 5

HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED RETURNS 

In a brief statement Friday night, Minister of MagicCornelius Fudge confirmed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be Named has returned to this country and isactive once more. 

"It is with great regret that I must confirm that thewizard styling himself Lord — well, you know who Imean — is alive and among us again," said Fudge,looking tired and flustered as he addressed reporters.

 "It is with almost equal regret that we report the massrevolt of the dementors of Azkaban, who have shownthemselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe that the dementors are currently taking direction from Lord — Thingy.

 "We urge the magical population to remain vigilant. The Ministry is currently publishing guides toelementary home and personal defense that will be delivered free to all Wizarding homes within thecoming month."

The Minister's statement was met with dismay andalarm from the Wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was "no truth whatsoever in thesepersistent rumors that You-Know-Who is operatingamongst us once more." 

Details of the events that led to the Ministry turnaround are still hazy, though it is believed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and a select band offollowers (known as Death Eaters) gained entry tothe Ministry of Magic itself on Thursday evening.Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated headmasterof Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, reinstated member of the International Confederationof Wizards, and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, was unavailable for comment last night. Hehas insisted for a year that You-Know-Who was notdead, as was widely hoped and believed, but recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seizepower. Meanwhile the Twins-Who Lived — 

"There you are, Potter,Emma I knew they'd drag you into it somehow,"said Zoe, looking over the top of the paper at me. We were in the hospital wing. Harry and I were sitting on the end ofRon's bed and we were all listening to Zoe read the frontpage of the Sunday Prophet. 

Ginny, whose ankle had been mended ina trice by Madam Pomfrey, was curled up at the foot of Zoe'sbed; Neville, whose nose had likewise been returned to its normal sizeand shape, was in a chair between the two beds;Hermione was perched beside Ginny on Zoe's bed; and Luna, who haddropped in to visit clutching the latest edition of The Quibbler, was reading the magazine upside down and apparently not taking in aword Zoe was saying. 

"They're 'the Twins Who Lived' again now, though, aren't they?" said Rondarkly. "Not such show-off maniacs anymore, eh?"He helped himself to a handful of Chocolate Frogs from the immense pile on his bedside cabinet, threw a few to Me, Harry, Ginny, andNeville, and ripped off the wrapper of his own with his teeth. 

Therewere still deep welts on his forearms where the brain's tentacles hadwrapped around him. According to Madam Pomfrey, thoughts couldleave deeper scarring than almost anything else, though since she hadstarted applying copious amounts of Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction, there seemed to be some improvement. 

"Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry,Emma" saidHermione, accepting the paper from Zoe and now scanning down the article. " 'Lone voices of truth . . .perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in their story . . . forced to bearridicule and slander . . .' 

"Hmmm," said Zoe, frowning, "I noticethey don't mention the fact that it was them doing all the ridiculingand slandering, though. . . ."

 She winced slightly and put a hand to her ribs. The curse Dolohovhad used on her, though less effective than it would have been had hebeen able to say the incantation aloud, had nevertheless caused, inMadam Pomfrey's words, "quite enough damage to be going on with."