Who'll Fill a Coward's Grave? ↣ Harmione

Chapter Six

"Mrs. Cattermole's sobs masked Harry's footsteps as he made his way carefully toward the steps that led up to the raised platform. The moment he had passed the place where the Patronus cat patrolled, he felt the change in temperature: It was warm and comfortable here. The Patronus, he was sure, was Umbridge's, and it glowed brightly because she was so happy here, in her element, upholding the twisted laws she had helped to write"

Above excerpt From: Rowling, J.K. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

Chapter 6 - A Day in the Life...

If yesterday's edition of the Daily Prophet sent shockwaves the length and breadth of the country, then today's edition was a tsunami - sweeping everyone who read it away on a wave of emotions.

Boy-Who-Lived Prophesied to Banish Dark Lord

Prophesied One Killed Death Eater Malfoys in Self-Defense

Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore to Face No Charges

The editor couldn't decide which headline to lead with so chose all three. While the Prophet's readers were familiar with moving pictures, this was the first time the newspaper had experimented with moving text. As one headline faded, the next would appear, the unusual effect captivating its readers - and slightly deflecting the shock each headline provided.

If this new publishing effect distracted ever so slightly from their content, the article underneath these headlines then proceeded to focus, in far greater detail than the readers of this newspaper were used to, on the specific reasoning behind each of the three headlines. The existence of this prophecy was no longer in any doubt, and the Prophet had even managed to get hold of a 'source' that confirmed the Ministry of Magic would know if this prophecy was still active.

The chilling consequences of this prophecy still being active were glaringly obvious to everyone, and questions had apparently already been asked of the Minister. When asked if he thought the Dark Lord of this prophecy had returned, Cornelius Fudge was quoted as saying "With magic, you can never really say never."

On reading that line, Cornelius' copy of the Prophet was flung across his desk. "I've been misquoted. I also said 'it was highly unlikely' but that part has been ignored. This makes it sound as if you-know-who is back, and about to start killing everyone."

With a calmly asked question, Dolores easily punctured the Minister's anger. "Isn't he?"

Cornelius was almost sulking as he answered his Undersecretary. "He might well be, that doesn't mean I want it plastered on the front page of the Prophet. We need to pull that reporter in, let him see it's not in his best interest to set the Minister of Magic up like he did. This makes it look as if our only hope of defeating you-know-who is Harry bloody Potter."

"Isn't he?"

Letting his exasperation show, Cornelius rounded on his Senior Undersecretary. "Dolores, I need someone with answers to this. Not someone sniping at me, I'll get plenty of that the moment I step out of this office."

Giving him a moment to calm down, Dolores then checked whether he was finished with his rantings. "Okay, are we ready to discuss this now?"

After Cornelius nodded, she continued with her briefing. "This journalist has faded into the night. His house is empty, wife and two young children gone. His wife is a muggle born, he himself is a half blood. He obviously believes the war is about to start again and has gotten his family to safety. While I would normally be leading the cheering at people like this leaving Britain, they could be just the tip of the iceberg. In the last war, the Death Eaters killed almost as many pureblood as they did mudbloods. If all the witches and wizards who believe themselves at risk adopt the same approach, then the Ministry might not survive an exodus from Britain on that scale."