SuperPotterLock - The Order of the Phoenix

The Second War Begins

HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED RETURNS

'In a brief statement on Friday night, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned to this country and is once more active.

'"It is with great regret that the wizard styling himself Lord - well, you know who I mean - 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 mass revolt of the Dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe the Dementors are currently taking direction from Lord - Thingy.

'"We urge the magical population to remain vigilant. The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home and personal defence which will be delivered free of charge to all wizarding households within the coming month."

'The Minister's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was "no truth whatsoever to these persistent rumours that You-Know-Who is operating among 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 of followers (known as Death Eaters) gained entry to the Ministry of Magic itself on Thursday evening.

'Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, reinstated member of the International Confederation of Wizards and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, has so far been unavailable for comment. He has insisted over the past year that You-Know-Who is not dead, as was widely hoped and believed, but is recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile, the "Boy Who Lived"-

'There you are, Harry, I knew they'd drag you into it somehow,' said Hermione, looking over the paper at him.

They were in the hospital wing. Harry was sitting at the end of Ron's bed and they were both listening to Hermione read the front page of the Sunday Prophet. Ginny was curled up at the foot of Hermione's bed; Neville was in a chair between the two beds; Dean was sitting next to Cas's bed, holding his hand; and Luna, who had dropped in to visit, clutching the latest edition of The Quibbler, was reading the magazine upside-down. John and Sherlock hadn't been seen all weekend, the both of them barely speaking a word to anyone before they disappeared.

'He's the "boy who lived" again now, is he?' said Ron. 'Not such a deluded show-off now.'

He helped himself to a handful of Chocolate Frogs from the immense pile on his bedside table, threw a few to Harry, Ginny, Neville, Dean and Cas, and ripped off the wrapper of his own with his teeth. Cas gagged a little and passed his to Dean. He hadn't been able to keep down any food so far, and was still occasionally throwing up black fluid.

'Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry,' said Hermione, scanning down the article. '"A lone voice of truth... perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in his story... forced to bear ridicule and slander..." Hmm,' she said, frowning. 'I notice they don't mention the fact that it was them doing the ridiculing and slandering in the Prophet...'

She winced slightly and put a hand to her ribs. The curse used on her had done enough damage to require her to take ten different potions a day, though she was improving greatly and was already bored of the hospital wing.

'You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four, What the Ministry Should Have Told Us, page five, Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore, pages six to eight, Exclusive Interview with Harry Potter, page nine... Well,' said Hermione, folding up the paper and throwing it aside, 'it's certainly given them a lot to write about. And that interview with Harry isn't exclusive, it's the one that was in The Quibbler months ago...'