Harry Potter and the Rogue Mage

Chapter 1 - A Hogwarts Letter

It was raining. Sheets of silvery water were thundering down through the darkness around a ragged hilltop at the base of the Sperrin mountains. The wind howled against the hill's rocky face, and all around in the small villages nestled by the hill's feet, shutters were bolted, doors locked tight, and blankets pulled from boxes beside fireplaces as the inhabitants of Sperrin hunkered down to wait out the storm. In the distance, a group of dark trees creaked and cracked, before one of the outliers fell with a scream of bending timber. The dark canopy fell towards the nearby power line, and with a shower of sparks, the town of Sperrin fell dark. The only lights now came from the lightning flickering in the distance, barely visible through the rain, and a tiny, yellow speck of firelight, clinging to the side of the wind-pummeled hilltop. 

The cave's entrance was tall, but narrow; small enough so that the rain could gain no entry, and yet tall enough to allow even a fair sized man inside. Deeper inside the cave, leaning gently against the back wall, there sat a young man, a leather suitcase, and a flickering campfire. The man was dressed in a warm, flowing coat of leather and sheepskin, which he had pulled around himself to ward off the cold, rough, well-worn trousers, a dark blue shirt.  His feet bore strong, leather walking boots, and in his hands he held up a newspaper, several months old, one sheet at a time so that the firelight could filter through it. His young face was pale, with dark brown hair and unnervingly bright grey eyes, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he scanned the moving picture of a crowded set of stands on the front cover of the paper, and the lines of typed text beneath it. 

Tragic accident marks the end of the Triwizard Tournament.

The Triwizard Tournament, this year hosted by the prodigious Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, came to a sudden and unprecedented end last night, on the evening of the 24th June, following the death of one of the Champions. Cedric Diggory, 17, was believed to have fought his way through the terrifying challenges presented by the final task of the Triwizard tournament, an enchanted maze, fitted with booby-traps, enchantments and magical creatures, only to meet his downfall in the heart of the maze, mere minutes before the Triwizard cup was claimed by the famed and controversial fourth champion of the tournament, Harry Potter. Mr. Potter is believed to have entered the final stages of the maze alongside Mr. Diggory, however the course of events after this point is still murky. Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, issued a statement this morning, stating that the death of Mr. Diggory was a tragic accident, caused by the "deadly and downright dangerous" features of the third trial of the tournament. He has since pledged to appoint a new head of the department of Magical Games and Sports,  following the death of Bartemius Crouch, the previous holder of the position, who will facilitate a complete overhaul of the tournament to ensure that any future accidents of this king can be avoided.

As of the moment, details surrounding the death of Mr. Diggory as still vague, though there is grief  from his friends and family, many of whom were present at the event. As for the famous Harry Potter, he has been unavailable for comment following the end of the tournament, as his many injuries sustained during the course of the trial required immediate medical attention, which was provided immediately upon his return. As of now, we are waiting for a public statement from Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts, who following the brutal end to the tournament, has been unavailable for comment until this time. Continued on page 2.

Rowan sighed, tossing the paper onto the fire in front of him, where it caught quickly in a flare of yellow flame and smoke. Something about this story was missing. There were too many gaps, and it was unlike Dumbledore to leave the situation hanging. Rowan stretched, his stiff bones cracking with fatigue, and glanced over at the mouth of the cave, where the silvery rain still flashed with lightning outside.