The Spark {Book 5 in the Star of Gryffindor Series}

Chapter 35 - The Headmasters' Office

The Daily Prophet
Issue No. 102,215
12 June, 2022

Ministry Unstable

Editors of the Prophet worry that the Ministry of Magic is not stable enough to carry the country through a war, which this fight against terrorism is rapidly turning into. While we don't offer a solution, we urge the public to consider what can be done, what is in the interest of the people...

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Wren was the one who convinced us all that trying to figure out what to do at two in the morning was not a good idea. The next day was Saturday, with no classes or exams. Perfect to spend some time trying to be rational. We wouldn't do anyone any good by rushing into this with no sleep. For all we knew, Mr. Potter had stepped out for a drink with some of the professors. It was Friday, after all.

Grudgingly, we agreed, and all trooped upstairs for a shockingly sleepless night. I really wanted to think Mr. Potter had just stepped out for a drink, but that didn't seem like him. Not this late. And so I tossed and I turned and when I woke up I felt as tired as I had the night before.

"He's not here," James said under his breath as we sat down at breakfast the next morning. "He's gone."

It was true. Not only was he not at the staff table, but James told us he'd checked the Map before coming downstairs. He wasn't even on the grounds.

"There's no one here we can talk to," Albus said worriedly. "Professor Patil is still in St. Mungo's, and Dad's gone. What're we going to do, owl Mum and waste a whole day until she gets it and figures out what to do? I bet people are checking the mail."

"We don't have time for that," I said, though that was obvious. Stillens only had a few days at most until Mr. Potter would get back. He would be acting immediately. "What can we do?"

"Faith," Colette said suddenly.

"What?" I blinked at her. I might've expected that kind of answer from Wren, but not her. "I mean, I suppose we could pray, but I meant more like doing something..."

Colette rolled her eyes. "Faith Lindsey, you git. She works at the Prophet, right? Maybe we can convince her to put her own editorial on the front page again, instead of whatever Stillens' spy will try to put. If she can enough people at the Prophet writing pro-Ministry articles, this overthrow could lose momentum really quickly."

"That's a really good idea," Albus said. "One problem: Faith isn't at school anymore. How on earth are we supposed to contact her any faster than we'd contact Mum?"

"We'll have to go see her ourselves," Colette said matter-of-factly.

"In Diagon Alley?" Wren asked. "How are we supposed to get there?"

"We could Floo," James suggested.

"The Floo system is blocked everywhere but the Headmasters' office," Albus pointed out.

"So we go through there," I said, shrugging. "That's not that hard, is it? If we can find out the password."

"If we can find out the password," Albus repeated. "How will we do that, exactly?"

"Colette, can you make a spell?"

Colette stared at James for a moment. "What exactly would this spell do?"

"I don't know, read the headmasters' minds and figure out the password?"

"Read the headmasters' minds? You'd like me to do that in, what? An hour?"