the order - f.weasley

- c h a p t e r - t w e n t y-o n e -

 Gemma spilled juice all over her astronomy notebook when Hermione gave a yelp the following day at breakfast.

She gave her best friend a slight glare before magically cleaning up the mess.

She was already in a foul mood because she had a meeting with Professor McGonagall about whatever had been written on the detention slip the day before.

Gemma tucked her notebook away before asking, "Why did you—oh, Merlin..."

"What?" Ron and Harry asked from the other side of the table.

Hermione spread out the Daily Prophet on the table, and they all looked at the ten black-and-white moving pictures of nine wizards and one witch.

And below each picture was a name and who they were.

Antonin Dolohov, convicted of the brutal murders of Gideon and Fabian Prewett.

Augustus Rookwood, convicted of leaking Ministry of Magic Secrets to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

But Gemma was not looking at the wizards.

She was looking at the witch.

She already knew who she was even before she read the legend underneath the image of the heavy-lidded witch, Bellatrix Lestrange, convicted of the torture and permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom.

Gemma felt her heart clench at the names, and she put it at the top of her mental list to ask Neville for tea later.

Then her eyes flicked to the headline, and her stomach dropped.

MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN

MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS "RALLYING POINT"

FOR OLD DEATH EATERS

"Black?" Harry basically bellowed. "Not — ?"

Gemma looked at him, panicked, as Hermione hissed, "Shhh! Not so loud — just read it!"

The Ministry of Magic announced late last night that there has been a mass breakout from Azkaban.

Speaking to reporters in his private office, Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, confirmed that ten high-security prisoners escaped in the early hours of yesterday evening and that he has already informed the Muggle Prime Minister of the dangerous nature of these individuals.

"We find ourselves, most unfortunately, in the same position we were two and a half years ago when the murderer Sirius Black escaped," said Fudge last night. "Nor do we think the two breakouts are unrelated. An escape of this magnitude suggests outside help, and we must remember that Black, as the first person ever to break out of Azkaban, would be ideally placed to help others follow in his footsteps. We think it likely that these individuals, who include Black's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, have rallied around Black as their leader. We are, however, doing all we can to round up the criminals and beg the magical community to remain alert and cautious. On no account should any of these individuals be approached."

Gemma felt sick, and she looked at Harry, "Could that be why you sensed he was happy last night?"