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"ASSUMED-DEAD AZKABAN ESCAPEE SIGHTED IN HOGSMEADE VILLAGE "

Morgana took in every detail of the huge, bold headline and the picture underneath it. A black and white picture of a man who seemed to have long, dark hair, stubble on his chin, and dirt on his face, as though he hadn't been able to wash in awhile. He had cold, dark eyes which seemed to glare at her out of the picture.

The writing underneath stated:

Rodolphus Lestrange, who escaped Azkaban over fifteen years ago with his wife, Bellatrix was assumed dead by many. That is, until he was sighted in Hogsmeade by Madame Rosmerta of the Three Broomsticks last Wednesday.

Morgana felt a sharp pain in her stomach, as though she had been punched. Bellatrix's husband?! And he was seen in Hogsmeade! But that was barely two miles away from Hogwarts! What was he doing here? Morgana felt a little sick - maybe she didn't want to know the answer to that question.

         "I need to write to Harry," she mumbled, thrusting the paper back to John. Emma stood up to follow her, but John gave her a look and she sat back down a little awkwardly.

          Morgana sat down in the Gryffindor Common Room and took out a piece of parchment, her quill and a pot of ink.

    Dear Harry, she wrote, just as the portrait hole was flung open and Professor McGonagall stepped inside. Morgana looked up, startled. "Good morning, Professor," she greeted her. "Can I help you with anything?" Professor McGonagall looked very serious as she adjusted her black pointed hat.

          "Actually, Miss Black, there's someone here to see you," she explained. Morgana looked at her, curious, until the portrait hole was opened again and Harry entered the Common Room.

           "Harry!" Morgana leapt up and ran over to her godfather, flinging her arms around his neck. Harry hugged her back, and went over to the sofa, where he gestured for Morgana to sit down beside him. McGonagall turned and walked back to the portrait hole. "I'll leave you two to talk alone," she told them. Harry nodded. "Thank you, Professor. I'll try and have Morgana in her first class, if I can." Professor McGonagall shook her head quickly. "Don't worry, Mr Potter, I think Miss Black can be excused for as long as you need. In a situation like this.." her voice tailed off, and she disappeared out of the portrait hole, looking like she was about to cry.

           Harry looked around the room. "It's been over twelve years since I was in this room," he remarked, looking sentimental. "Nothing's changed." He laughed. "It's still as messy as it was." Morgana laughed with him. "Yeah, well, when there are a few hundred teenagers living in the one building, it's quite hard to keep the place tidy."

         Harry looked at her for a moment. "Morgana, this is very serious," he began. "The moment I read this morning's Prophet, I contacted Minerva and used the Floo Network to get straight to Hogwarts. You see-"
"I know," Morgana cut him off softly. "I saw the Daily Prophet too. Rodolphus Lestrange has been seen in Hogsmeade." Harry nodded, looking awkward. "Yes. And you know who he is." Morgana nodded, her head spinning. "Yes," she whispered.

          "Morgana, Rodolphus Lestrange broke out of Azkaban in a mass breakout when I was in my fifth year at school. He was in the high ranks of the Death Eaters, but he sort of disappeared after the breakout. He didn't fight in the Battle of Hogwarts, or the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. He just sort of - disappeared. Everyone thought he had been killed. But then he was sighted in Hogsmeade last week." Morgana nodded. "By Madame Rosmerta," she added. Harry shook his head. "The Auror department has more information. He's been sighted a total of five times in the past week, all around this area."

          "How do people know it's him?" Morgana asked, breathless. "Because little over ten years ago, every street had a few wanted posters with the Lestranges' faces on them."

             Morgana shuddered slightly. "Harry, why are you here?" She asked him suddenly. "Why did you have to come and tell me this?" Harry took a deep breath and looked at his goddaughter' curious expression. "Because, Morgana, I'm pretty sure I know why he's in the area," he explained. "You see, the Death Eaters normally tried not to kill purebloods. They considered it a waste of magical blood. But Bellatrix didn't mind about killing your parents, because, with them out of the way, she would inherit the Black family fortune. I'm talking everything, Morgana - Grimmauld Place, Kreacher, the Black vault in Gringotts, all the ancient family heirlooms. Everything. So, naturally, Bellatrix wanted all this. Therefore, she didn't care about killing your father, or your mother - or, indeed, you.

                "Now that Bellatrix is dead, if anything were to happen to the direct Black family, the fortune would go to Rodolphus. I believe that's why he's hanging about in the area. He wants to finish the job Bellatrix started, as a means of vengeance. He wants to take possession of the Black family estate. And for that to happen, you would have to be..." His voice tailed off and he looked down at his shoes.


        Morgana finished his sentence.

  "Dead."

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