Chasing Shadows || Draco Malfoy x OC

Year 5- Ch. 131

"What on earth?" Céline muttered completely horrified at the front page.

"Black?" Harry said loudly, "not—"

"Shhh!" Hermione whispered to him. "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."

Céline frowned at the paper. She hated that they were blaming Sirius for it.

"There you are, Harry..." said Ron eyes widened. "That's why he was so happy last night.."

"Who was happy?" Céline asked look between Harry and Ron.

Harry sighed and lean in closely to her, "I felt him last night. After my lessons, Hermione thinks it weakened my mind for a moment and I felt him. He was really really happy, like something good had happened... I suppose it must be because of this."  He said quietly. Céline stared at Harry intently, taking what he said in carefully.

"Harry, you are going to need to work hard on your lessons. If you could feel all that from him, it worries me that he can do the same to you..." Céline said to him seriously.

"I know, I know..." he said. His eyebrows were deeply furrowed as he looked at the paper, "I can't believe that Fudge is blaming Sirius for the breakout."

"What other option does he have?" Céline said bitterly. "I doubt he would go and say 'Sorry everyone, Dumbledore warned me about this, and now the Azkaban guards are on his side and now his worst supporters have broken out too.'"

"I mean, Fudge spent the last six months telling everyone you and Dumbledore are liars, hasn't he?" Hermione said. She opened the newspaper angrily to read the report inside.

Celine's mind was on the witch that had escaped, the name under it was Bellatrix Lestrange... she thought about Neville, her eyes looked up and around searched the Gryffindor table until they landed on Neville at the end eating his breakfast. He looked fine, but she supposed that he still hadn't read the paper.

Then she thought about Sirius and how he might be feeling. She felt bad that he's stuck in that house. She wondered how he was taking the news of being blamed and that his cousin broke out of Azkaban.

Suddenly she had another tinge in her chest when she thought of him. She could only hope that he won't be reckless.

"Oh my—" Hermione said under her breath.

"What now?" Harry said, he seemed to be on edge like the rest of them.

"It's... horrible.." she said. She folded the back of page ten and layed it out in front of them again.

TRAGIC DEMISE OF MINISTRY OF MAGIC WORKER

St. Mungo's Hospital promised a full inquiry last night after Ministry of Magic worker Broderick Bode, 49, was discovered dead in his bed, strangled by a potted-plant.