In The Shadow of Our Choices

Chapter 36 - A Tale of Two Birthdays: Part 2

During the first week of the Easter Holidays, Elizabeth caught up on homework and generally lost track of time. One day, she spent a lovely morning in Hogsmeade. The first breaths of spring had arrived - the temperature was chilly if you did nothing, but pleasant if you did, and hints of green had begun to show with the reappearance of the sun.

On a whim, Elizabeth bought a newspaper from a witch in the square. She sat on a nearby bench, smiling to herself as she saw a group of first years peering into the windows of Honeydukes. Elizabeth had been keeping her eye on the Daily Prophet recently, though not closely enough to purchase a subscription. Sure enough, as she unfolded the paper, she saw a familiar name that had been making a resurgence of late.

In a brazen act of criminality, the child of a high-ranking Ministry of Magic official has been kidnapped. While the identity of the child and the official in question have not been released, sources close to the investigation state that the Rookwood gang has claimed responsibility and have made demands of the Ministry Official. The latter has not been confirmed by Daily Prophet reporters.

The Rookwood gang has long been known for their history of illegal activities including poaching and extortion. In the past year, their presence has decreased drastically, accompanied by rumors of the leader's death. However, his latest development suggests that the gang is escalating their activities once more.

The Ministry of Magic has launched an all-out effort to find the missing child and apprehend those responsible. Aurors have been dispatched across the country, and the Minister has issued a statement:

"We will not stand idly by while innocent children are taken from their homes. The full force of the Ministry will be brought to bear on those responsible. We will not rest until the child is safely returned and justice is served."

While the investigation is ongoing, parents are being urged to exercise caution and keep a close eye on their children. The Ministry has also issued a request for anyone with information on the whereabouts of the child or the Rookwood gang to come forward immediately.

This latest incident has raised concerns about the security of the wizarding world and the ability of the Ministry to protect its citizens. Many are calling for stronger measures to be taken to combat the rise of criminal organizations such as the Rookwood gang.

The Daily Prophet will continue to follow this story as it develops.

Elizabeth sighed, refolding the paper. Last week, she'd heard some men outside the Hogshead discussing the Rookwood gang as well. According to them, the gang had been diverting its attention away from poaching and towards black market sales of dangerous potions and artifacts. This at least partially matched what she'd heard the poachers speaking about.

She supposed she should have guessed that a large organization wouldn't stay down and out for long, even with Rookwood's death and Harlow's imprisonment. The one thing that worried her was who might be leading the group now - rumors were numerous, but no one seemed to know definitively. Elizabeth felt uneasy. She kept telling herself it wasn't her problem, that the ministry could handle it... But, they hadn't handled it last year. Elizabeth also got the distinct impression that the new leader had an iron grip on their followers.

As she stood, packing the newspaper into her bag, Elizabeth thought she might go walk down by the lake. Maybe look for some Hellebore, which ought to be flowering. Before she could take more than a step though, she spotted two familiar figures walking up the High Street towards the square. Sebastian was striding along, hands in his pockets, and Samantha was clinging to his arm. Elizabeth cursed under her breath - Sebastian had headed back to Feldcroft for the break, and she hadn't expected to run into him. She turned, intending to detour past Gladrags and the hair salon, but she heard Sebastian called out a greeting.