The Legacy of Salazar

MEMORY EVIDENCE OF HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED

If you thought the Dark Lord's reign of terror had passed you may be wrong, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Quirinus Quirrell, on trial for attempting to murder a Hogwarts Student and steal the most coveted stone in existence, was not working alone, claimed witnesses at his evidence hearing. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry led the evidentiary hearing on June 27th against the ex-professor. But it was the voice of Merlin Evans who was the deciding factor of the case.

"Just who is this kid?" asked one Wizengamot member. "And how did he do that?"

Merlin Evans, age eleven, took the initiative when he discovered what the ex-professor was going to do. But is the boy to be congratulated on his heroism or feared for his sheer power? During his testimony, Merlin explained how he dragged himself out of the Hogwarts Hospital Wing and duelled Quirinus Quirrell in the Third Floor Corridor. The prophet can exclusively reveal that the confrontation ended in the collapse of several floors of solid stone as a result of Merlin's accidental magic.

"Anyone with that much power is dangerous," said Lucius Malfoy, the Chairman of Hogwarts Board of Governors.

But that's not all! During his witness testimony, Merlin accused the ex-professor of actually sharing his body with none other than He-Who-Must-Be-Named. He then submitted memory evidence to support his claim—but were these images nothing more than the imaginings of a scared eleven-year-old boy?

Memory Evidence has a history of unreliability, and it's a shock that Madam Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement even allowed such evidence to be submitted. During the First Wizard War, several Death Eaters were able to escape justice by tampering the memories of their victims as well as their own and were only caught after vicious muggle-killing sprees.

Was the memory manipulated, implanted, or scariest of all true? The Daily Prophet contacted the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, for more word on the subject.

"It's preposterous!" said Fudge, "The boy must have imagined it! He is not back, I tell you!" and he promptly stormed from his office.

Merlin Evans also boasted during the evidentiary hearing that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named invited him to join his ranks. "Of course, I refused," Merlin said with a laugh. "And then I brought the roof down."

Is Merlin Evans just a confused child who accidentally collapsed a ceiling on his professor or a powerful sorcerer who managed to defeat the Dark Lord at age eleven?

"I guess there is power in a name," said Lucius Malfoy, outside the Evidence Hearing. "And it looks like The Prince of Enchanters has returned."