Dawn Rivera

The Second War Begins

HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED RETURNS
"In a brief statement on Friday night, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned to this country and is once more active," I read.

"'It is with great regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself Lord - well, you know what I mean - is alive and among us again," said Fudge, looking tired and flustered as he addressed reporters," reads Hermione. "It is with almost equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the Dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe the Dementors are currently taking direction from Lord - Thingy'."

"'We urge the magical population to remain vigilant," I read. "The Ministry is currently publishing guards to elementary home and personal  defence which will be delivered free to all wizarding homes within the coming month'."

"The Minister's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was 'no truth whatsoever in these persistent rumours that You-Know-Who is operating among us once more'," reads Hermione.

"Details of the events that led to the Ministry turnaround are still hazy, though it is believed that He Who Must Not Be Named and a select band of followers gained access to the Ministry itself on Thursday evening," I read.

"Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, reinstated member of the International Confederation of Wizards and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, has so far been unavailable for comment," reads Hermione. "He has insisted over the past year that You-Know-Who is not dead, as was widely hoped and believed, but is recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile, the 'Boy Who Lived' - "

"There you are, Harry, I knew they'd drag you into it somehow," I say, looking over the top of the paper at him.

We are in the hospital wing. Harry and Danny are sitting on the end of Ron's bed and they are all listening to Hermione and I read the front page of the Sunday Prophet. Ginny and Misty, whose ankles were mended in a trice by Madam Pomfrey, are curled up at the foot of Hermione and I's beds; Neville, whose nose has likewise been returned to its normal size and shape, is in a chair between the three beds; and Luna, who has dropped in to visit, clutching the latest edition of The Quibbler, is reading the magazine upside-down and apparently not taking in a word Hermione and I are saying.

"He's the 'boy who lived' again now, though, isn't he?" says Ron darkly. "Not such a deluded show-off anymore, eh?"

He helps himself to a handful of Chocolate Frogs from the immense pile on his bedside cabinet, throws a few to Harry, Danny, Ginny, Misty and Neville and rips off the wrapper of his own with his teeth. There are still deep welts on his forearms where the brain's tentacles wrapped around him. According to Madam Pomfrey, thoughts can leave deeper scarring than almost anything else, though since she started applying copious amounts of Dr Ubbly's Oblivious Uniction there seems to have been some improvement.

"Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry and Danny," says Hermione, scanning down the article. "'Lone voices of truth...perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in their story...forced to bear ridicule and slander..." Hmmm," she says, frowning, "I notice they don't mention the fact that it was them doing all the ridiculing and slandering in the Prophet..."