HP • Legilimency | 𝐍. 𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐅𝐎𝐘

𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐢𝐞

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HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED
RETURNS

In a brief statement on Friday evening, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, confirmed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned to the country and has already begun to act.

"It is with great regret that I confirm that the wizard who goes by the name of Lord, well, you know who I'm referring to, is alive and once again among us," said Fudge, appearing tired and nervous as he addressed the reporters.

"It is almost with equal regret that we report a mass rebellion of the Dementors of Azkaban, who have shown their dissatisfaction with continuing to serve the Ministry. We believe that the Dementors are currently receiving orders from the Lord... of the how many."

"We urge the magical population to remain vigilant. The Ministry is currently publishing guides to domestic and personal defense that will be distributed free of charge to all wizarding households next month."

This shocking news was met with shock and apprehension by the wizarding community, which until a few days ago had been reassured by the Ministry: "There is no basis for the persistent rumors that You-Know-Who was once again active among us."

The details surrounding the events leading to this ministerial upheaval still remain obscure. However, there is information indicating that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and a select group of followers, known as Death Eaters, managed to penetrate the depths of the Ministry of Magic itself on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Albus Dumbledore, recently reinstated as the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and holding influential positions in international wizarding organizations, chose to remain silent in the face of the press's persistent questions. Over the past year, he had insisted that You-Know-Who was not dead, as everyone wished and believed, but was recruiting followers again in another attempt to seize power.

The wizarding community offers its apologies, particularly to The Surviving Children. Lone voices of truth; both Astria Shafic and Harry Potter, were deemed unbalanced after reporting the truth and the horrors they endured during the Triwizard Tournament. They were marked as vilified opportunists after the tragedy, but they never wavered in their story... Heroes forced to endure ridicule and slander.

Astria lowered the newspaper with an apathetic expression, her eyes meeting Andromeda's, and a disapproving "hmmm" escaped her lips as she furrowed her brow. "It seems that the Daily Prophet conveniently forgot to mention that they themselves ridiculed and slandered us..." She grimaced when Andromeda tightened the bandage on her leg. "At least now they're calling us 'The Surviving Children' again and not 'The Exhibitionist Lunatics,'" she teased, trying to get up with the help of the witch.

Her leg still hurt a bit when she walked, but Andromeda assured her that it would be completely healed soon, and Madam Pomfrey would take care of it at Hogwarts.

"The Minister doesn't have the courage to face the truth after denying it all year," Andromeda murmured as they walked through the hospital wing's corridors. "I believe he might resign."

Astria agreed; Fudge was a joke as a Minister. The newspapers couldn't stop ridiculing him, and the interview Astria and Harry gave to Rita Skeeter was being replayed endlessly on the radios, in magazines, newspapers and especially in the Daily Prophet.

As they walked in silence through the corridors, Astria absentmindedly played with the edge of one of her jacket pockets and felt a paper texture. When she looked, she realized they were the notes Bella had asked her to deliver to Andromeda and Narcissa. For a moment, she struggled to remember which note was for whom and then handed the blue note to Andy, waiting for her to take it.