Harry Potter - The Accidental Animagus

Chapter 18 - Classes and Katas

The Daily Prophet

Tuesday, 3 September 1991

BOY-WHO-LIVED RAISED BY MUGGLES!

By Rita Skeeter

After weeks of speculation, the Daily Prophet can confirm that Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived and defeated of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, was, in fact, raised by a muggle family. This was confirmed on Sunday when, according to a number of letters received by parents of Hogwarts students, Potter arrived at Hogwarts in the company of an adoptive sister in his year, a muggle-born witch named Hermione Granger. This sister is believed to be the same girl seen accompanying Potter on his two trips to Diagon Alley over the summer. Both Potter and Granger were sorted into Gryffindor, the same house as both of Potter's birth parents.

But this is not the full story. According to the reports, Potter himself claimed to have been raised by relatives of his muggle-born mother for several years before being adopted by his current family. Why Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore, who appointed himself as the boy's magical guardian, would remove him from the closest family he had left and place him with the parents of the first available muggle-born child his age is unclear and only adds to the concerns over his control of Potter.

Speaking to some of Potter's connections, either magical or muggle, might shed much needed light on this situation. However, the adults standing around the Boy-Who-Lived continue to keep the wizarding world in the dark about its saviour. Both Ministry officials and Dumbledore refused to answer any questions about Potter, and the office of his proxy, Andromeda Tonks, also declined to comment.

Several enquiries into the muggle legal system also failed to produce results, as Potter's records are sealed under the Children and Young Persons Act, which protects muggle children's identities in legal proceedings. Under current law, the Ministry honours this and other muggle statutes.

Mary MacDonald, a roommate of Harry Potter's mother, Lily Potter, née Evans, at Hogwarts claims that the late Mrs. Potter had a muggle sister named Petunia, but did not remember anything else about her. Searches for muggle records of a Petunia Evans or any Grangers matching the description of Potter's adoptive family have so far come up empty.

Reactions to the news have been mixed. Liberal Wizengamot member and longtime friend of Albus Dumbledore Elphias Doge had this to say: "No, I don't know where the boy's been, but what's wrong with him being raised by muggles? Plenty of muggle-borns have done pretty well for themselves in this country." However, others are not so sanguine. Conservative Wizengamot member Robert Jugson II said, "Well, it's certainly a concern if the Savior of the Wizarding World wasn't even raised in the wizarding world. In my opinion, there is a cultural divide that muggle-borns are never fully able to cross, and that may cause trouble should Mr. Potter choose to take his family seat in the Wizengamot. But sadly, this is just another of Dumbledore's many mistakes in his tenure as Chief Warlock."

We at the Daily Prophet continue to demand accountability from Mr. Potter's handlers. How did he wind up in his current situation? Why is he still being kept so isolated? What schemes are Albus Dumbledore furthering through Mr. Potter? Our own investigation of these issues is ongoing.

"Seriously?" Harry complained. "She's making it out like I wanted to stay with my relatives?"

"Well, why should she know any better," Hermione said, taking a bite out of her toast. "We haven't told anyone the real story."