To Want

Death-Cap Draught

That morning, Hermione was perched at the Gryffindor table, reading her copy of the Daily Prophet, while sipping her tea. She was always there first thing in the morning and finished with her food by the time Harry and Ron managed to stumble in. She had the front of her hair tied up to avoid falling into her teacup. Whatever she was reading fully had her attention, eyes not even skipping a line as she bent over to accept Ron's kiss to the temple.

Harry sat across from them, reaching for a severing plate of toast. He could just catch the headlines as Hermione readjust the paper to read easier.

++ HISTORCIAL HERITAGE SITES UNDERATTACK ++ DEATH EATERS ON THE LOOSE ++ SHACKLEBOLT CAN'T CONTROL HIS ADMINISTRATION ++

HOW SCARED SHOULD WE BE?

Was emblazed in the 130-point font on the front of her paper, accompanied by a photo of a tired and frustrated-looking Shacklebot, snapped at a press meeting. He was standing to the side of the podium as an aid spoke, light bulbs flashed in his eyes as he looked side to side not saying anything before closing his eyes and giving a sigh. He looked as if he had aged years in only months.

"Is there anything even worth reading in there anymore?" Ron asked, instantly pulling four large juicy pieces of sausages onto his plate. Hermione hummed, for years now she had read the paper every day, taking notes, cutting clippings, compiling anything she that was important. Both the facts of an event and in many ways how the Prophet's journalists chose to frame those events. She could probably fill her own wing of the library with journalism information, how media spun news, and how to read between the lines, with what she had collected over the years.

"The Aurors are still having problems pinning down several Death Eater cells. The paper is trying to pin it all on Ministry failures."

"Fear propaganda?" Ron asked it was well known to the trio that the Prophet more than dabbled in fear-mongering when they had something to gain. Journalistic ethics tended to take a back seat to fear and rumor if it sells more copies.

Hermione flattened out the paper on the table, taking her quill and circling a passage several times, "The journalist is trying to lay out all the structural problems that are preventing progress."

"Doesn't mean it isn't fear-driven." Ron retorted it was a strategy they had all grown accustomed to and could see through easier than some.

"True. There was an op-ed in it last week hinting at a big government conspiracy over it." Hermione conceded in a tone that belied her utter contempt for the idea.

"They would claim Harry is a Death eater if they thought they could get away with it." Ron leafed through the pile of news that Hermione had already read, pulling out the sports section.

"They already tried that." Harry pointed out, remembering some of the more colorful illusions that Rita Skeeter was prone to use. She deserved to lose her journalistic license if the wizarding world even had those. Unfortunately for Harry, she made the paper too much money off his name, she was more likely to get a promotion rather than a dismissal. Ron and Hermione kept up their conversation as Harry's mind drifted away.

Surreptitiously Harry searched the Slytherin table for Malfoy. Amongst all the black grey and green of the uniforms, we couldn't make out the platinum white blonde that is a Hallmark of a Malfoy. Harry could decide whether he was surprised about that or not. Malfoy didn't leave the room of Requirements more than 20 minutes before Harry and Ron normally came to the Great Hall. He was either recuperating from a night of sleeplessness but even then appearance meant everything to a Malfoy so skipping a meal would raise brows.