𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 | √

⎡72⎦

I was woken again by the sound of voices. I was lying on my side, still on the cold stone floor. I stood up very dizzily and could see everyone looking back at me caring for their injuries. Feeling light-headed and queasy, I turned my back to my onlookers and puked, my stomach feeling slightly better afterward. I wiped my mouth with my jumper and turned back around giving an apologetic look.

Hermione handed me back my wand and together, the six of us ran to the place where Harry chased after Bellatrix. We made it to the grand entrance to Ministry of Magic and saw Harry on the floor, curled up and writing around, with Dumbledore on his knees by Harry's side. The place was a mess. All the windows were smashed, but there was a varied mix of glass and sand. It was a humid temperature, and the place was silent except for Dumbledore speaking to Harry softly.

We stood there watching Harry as we couldn't help him at all. He took a look at us, each of us, and began to have another seizure.

"You're the weak one," Harry said from his position on the floor when his seizure ended, "and you'll never know love or friendship. And I feel sorry for you."

With another seizure and screams of pain, sand swirled up around Harry. Suddenly the form of Lord Voldemort himself appeared, looming over Harry, sending me into flashbacks of my past.

The baby had just woken up from a nap when she saw a flash of blinding green light. She watched as her mother fell to the floor. A tall figure slowly walked to the crib and loomed over her. He had red slits for eyes and looked part snake. Suddenly, the nursery door burst open with a loud bang, and the father walked in. The figure fled without hesitation.

I returned to reality as the workers of the Ministry came out of the fireplaces. And with a last swirl of sand, Voldemort was no longer there.

"He's back," Fudge said in disbelief.

We all began to make our way over to Dumbledore, still on his knees holding and unconscious Harry's torso and head in his arms.

. . .

And of course, our names were in the paper. There was an article of Dumbledore and Harry called,

DUMBLEDORE, POTTER

VIDICTATED

And another, but not about Harry or Dumbledore, rather the minister, who in his shamed resigned.

There was another article about Umbridge that said,

UMBRIDGE

SUSPENDED

PENDING INVESTIGATION

And besides all the

HE WHO

MUST NOT

BE NAMED

RETURNS

articles, there was a pretty great one called,

HOGWARTS HEADMASTER

REINSTATED

. . .

After packing my stuff into my trunk, I met up with Luna. She needed help finding her missing items. Together, we put up flyers as we watched Filch putting back the paintings in Hogwarts. As I put up another one, I heard a voice from behind us,