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In Wake of the Attacks


Alastor Moody and Gideon Prewett entered the Ministry through the Floo Network, each pulling along one of the apprehended Death Eaters in their wake. The Ministry was mostly quiet, only the very earliest of witches and wizards were milling about the entry chamber as the four new arrivals walked through. A few of the people looked over and nudged one another as Moody pulled Abraxas Malfoy along - they all recognized Malfoy too well. He was a rather prominent figure about the Ministry and now here he was, head low, shaking long white-blonde hair into his face to try to remain inconspicuous… Gideon following Igor Karkaroff, who was also moderately well known about the Ministry…

From an office at the far end of the room came couple of figures, rushing along, jailors, carrying thick chains, their wands tucked into their belts. Moody nodded to them, “Wallace - Rosier,” he said, greeting them as they approached.

“Got yourself quite the bounty tonight, Moody,” said George Rosier, quickly clamping the shackles he carried about Abraxas Malfoy’s wrists. “Two! Death Eaters?”

“Indeed, just got them from a raid. Horrible, horrible. Missed catching a good bit more,” Moody shook his head, “At the Black residence on Grimmauld Place.”

George Rosier nodded, “At least you got the two!”

“Can’t have been easy,” agreed Benedict Wallace, “Very impressive wizards these two are!”

Moody nodded, musing, watching was Wallace chained Karkaroff and Gideon released his hold on the man. “Yes… well, it’ll be a right peace of mind to see them behind bars in Azkaban by morning!” he announced.

Suddenly, a ringing voice echoed across the hall. “Alastor Moody!”

He looked up to see the Eugenia Jenkins coming across the room, her shoes clicking against the black tiles of the floor. Moody bowed his head in respect and said, “Madam Minister.”

“What are you doing away from the school?” she demanded.

“Apprehending attackers against our students,” Moody explained. Eugenia looked at Abraxas Malfoy and Igor Karkaroff with concern, then back to Moody. “I’ll tell you all about it in your office - as soon as I’ve seen these two to their holding cells.” He started to follow after Rosier, Wallace, and Prewett, who were headed for the golden elevator shafts at the end of the room.

“You’ll tell me all about it in my office now,” she corrected. Then, turning to look at the departing cluster, “And you, too, Prewett.”

Gideon stopped, hesitating between the Minister and the two jailors, “But, Mistress Minister -- the prisoners --”

“Can be impounded without your assistance,” the Minister replied sharply, “For now, I prefer to get the whole story about what is happening this night -- and why my Headmaster Standing has left a castle full of children unguarded.”

Gideon watched as Rosier and Wallace led Malfoy and Karkaroff away. He sighed and turned back, following Moody and the Minister to a very different elevator, up to the office of the Minister for Magic.

The moment the grate of the elevator closed and they were alone, Rosier looked over at Wallace. “Imperio,” he whispered with a flick of his wand. The eyes of Benedict Wallace went perfectly blank and Rosier undid the shackles on Malfoy and Karkaroff. Malfoy rubbed his wrists.

“That Moody character’s a piece of work,” muttered Igor Karkaroff.

“Constant vigilance,” muttered Malfoy, “Well, here’s to his vigilance.” He held up his freed hands and laughed.




ATTACKS AGAINST HOGWARTS STUDENTS BRINGS FEAR TO PARENTS -- IS THE MINISTRY CONTROL ON HOGWARTS ENOUGH?
Following attacks from followers of the Dark Lord that involved over a dozen Hogwarts students, parents are crying out against the Ministry control at the school, citing attacks like these were unprecedented in Dumbledore’s time at the school. The school board are to meet soon to discuss the future of the school and the possible reappointment of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore later today.
“Albus Dumbledore belongs in the position of Headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,” said Harold Minchum early this morning upon the break of the news of the attacks. “He alone can protect our children as they ought to be protected. The Ministry made a terrible mistake in unseating the Headmaster - one that was greatly contested among the Wizengamot, but followed out by our Madam Minister against the advice provided her. The reinstatement of Albus Dumbledore must be advocated in order to prevent future attacks against our children.”
The Minister’s office offered no comment on Minchum’s claims that the Wizengamot had contested the appointment of Auror Alastor Moody at Hogwarts castle as Headmaster Standing; they also refused comment on the Minister’s opinion on the attacks, saying an official statement will be released later, once the Minister has had time to thoroughly investigate the claims of an attack.
“I do hope that the Minister is not trying to deny the attacks,” Minchum was quoted when we told him of the office’s refusal for comment. “Some of the most prominent witches and wizards in our communities were eyewitnesses to the attacks, including Dumbledore himself, as well as Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Charlus Potter, and others.”



DETAINED DEATH EATERS ESCAPE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, STUNNED JAILORS FOUND IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES
Two suspected Death Eaters, detained following the alleged attacks on Hogwarts students, were discovered to have escaped the Magical Law Enforcement Department this morning at the Ministry for Magic. Two jailors, Benedict Wallace and George Rosier, were found stunned in the elevator car just minutes after the detainees were brought in for questioning.
Claims that the detainees were none other than Abraxas Malfoy and Igor Karkaroff, two prominent leaders in the Wizarding Community, have come from various Ministry Officials who say they witnessed the arrival of the Aurors and Detainees early this morning. However, both Abraxas Malfoy and Igor Karkaroff have presented alibis that place them each elsewhere at the time of the attacks. Many are questioning if perhaps the detainees the Aurors apprehended were perhaps using Polyjuice Potion to disguise their true identities.



MINISTER CALLS TO CLOSE HOGWARTS SCHOOL IN WAKE OF THE ATTACKS AGAINST STUDENTS
In an early afternoon announcement from the office of the Minister for Magic, Eugenia Jenkins has called to for the education board to agree to closing Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry for the remainder of the school year in the wake of the attacks.
“Until the Minister can select a suitable, full-time Headmaster to tend to the school, the school should be closed for the safety of the students.”
The statement released from Minister Jenkins went on to explain that the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. students would be required to attend testing sessions at the Ministry, held within the next month, and all students would be sent home to their families for the last month of term to study in the privacy of their own homes.





James folded the afternoon edition of the Daily Prophet and checked the mirror on his nightstand. It was still showing the Shrieking Shack’s room, exactly as it had been all day, exactly where Sirius had left his piece. He sighed and tucked the Prophet under his arm, and jogged down the stairs. He could hear Charlus and Dora talking in the living room in hushed voices. He hovered in the hall, listening for a moment.

“...absolutely ridiculous it’s taken this long to come to it,” Charlus was saying, his voice angry, “She should have been sacked ages ago. It never should have been allowed for her to unseat Dumbledore in the first place, and Kingsley has said that things have been fishy about the the office for some time now. Reports have been filed again and again and nothing has been done about it. I told you Lyall Lupin was prying into the Minister before he died? Mysteriously murdered not long following him filing an inquiry against the Minister’s office. Funny, isn’t it?”

“You know I agree with you,” came Dora’s voice, “You know I do, Charlus, but these are hard times we’re in and having something as unsettling as a change of Minister -- now? Is it wise?”

“Wiser, I suspect, than leaving a coward in office!”

James stepped into the room, “You lot should vote for Harold Minchum.”

Charlus and Dora both looked up at James as he rounded the corner.

“My friends and I did loads of research on him and he’s a good bloke. You know he saved Celestina Warbeck’s life once? And a whole load of other people, too, from an attack by Grindelwald’s followers. And he worked with Lupin and he knew Voldemort when he was a kid, too. Taught at the school.”

Charlus raised an eyebrow at Dora, then turned back to James again, “Yes, I know all about Harold Minchum,” he replied. He paused and stood up, “Were you eavesdropping, Mr. Potter?”

“Maybe a bit,” James admitted, “But not very long, I only heard what you’ve just been saying about things being fishy at the Ministry and reports being filed…” James paused, then, “Do you really reckon that the Minister had Remus’s dad killed?”

“James! Don’t you ever repeat that!” Dora snapped, her face pale. “Charlus, do you see what you’ve done? Making dangerous accusations, with no grounds to it!”

“No grounds!” Charlus scoffed, “There are grounds.” He looked to James, “We don’t know who killed Lyall Lupin, and possibly we never will. I was merely suggesting it’s a bit odd that it happened so closely following the inquiry request.”

“Still - such a serious accusation…” Dora murmured.

James frowned and pulled out the Daily Prophet from his arm. “Bubo just delivered this.” He handed it to Charlus, whose eyes roved about the page a moment. Charlus frowned and handed the paper to Dora. “They can’t really close the school, can they?” James implored.

Charlus said, “Really, as Minister, she can do whatever she wants.”

“But Hogwarts is -- it’s Hogwarts,” James said, “Why can’t she see it’s just safer with Dumbledore there and just bloody give him back his job?” He shook his head, “I don’t understand.”

Charlus sighed, “It’s all in the politics, Jamesie. If she backs down now from the choices she’s already made, she’ll be seen as weak and wishy-washy.”

“She is weak and wishy-washy,” James said with an eyeroll.

Charlus chuckled as Dora looked disapproving.

“I… I have something I need to talk to you about,” James said.

“Yes?” Charlus asked, and he waved for James to have a seat as he lowered himself onto the couch beside Dora.

James sat in the chair opposite them and leaned forward. “If they close the school, everyone will be sent home,” he said, “But… Sirius doesn’t have a home to go to. Except Grimmauld Place. And if the Minister’s denying the attacks happened today, then she’s going to try to send Sirius back there again like she did last month when she expelled him.”

Dora and Charlus exchanged looks.

“Mum… dad… I know it’s dangerous, I know Sirius is sort of… wanted… by the Death Eaters. Voldemort’s put a load of galleons on his head --”

“Ten thousand galleons, the rumor is,” Charlus nodded. “That’s a good deal of money.”

“I know,” James said, “I know all that. But… he’s my best mate. The best mate a bloke could ask for, really. He can’t go back to that house… You saw it. You know. You know his mum’s a Death Eater, same as his dad was, and his brother, Regulus, is shaping out to be one as well.” James looked at them imploringly. “If they close Hogwarts and send us all home, please -- Can Sirius come live with us?”

Charlus drew a deep breath and he put his palm on Dora’s knee. She stared at him, her answer in her eyes. Charlus turned to his son and replied, “James… Sirius Black is welcome here anytime that he has need of it. This is his home as much as it is yours.”

James got up and wrapped his arms about his parents shoulders.




Mid afternoon sunlight through trees cast a green glow on Remus Lupin’s face as he stirred, stiff and sore, his legs cramping in the calves, his head pounding. He could tell it was far later than he usually woke up after the Full Moon, and he felt supremely disoriented by it. The lack of his wolfish memories had his head swimming… he had no idea where he was, and there was a vague, but quickly growing, uneasiness filling him up… The last thing he could remember was walking across the grounds of Hogwarts to the Whomping Willow… and the tree not working properly, the tunnel to the Shack sealed…

And then Greyback’s face flashed through his mind.

Remus sat up, too fast, his equilibrium spinning as he looked around. He was in a forest - a forest he didn’t recognize. He started to move to get up and found one of his ankles was chained to a tree. He tugged his leg and he chain clunked against itself as it moved. Remus patted his chest, searching his pockets for his wand but it wasn’t there.

“Wakey, wakey, sunshine,” came a thick, menacing voice from amongst the trees. Remus looked up and found himself staring up at a grotesque face - a man with a deeply disfigured face and thick red hair had come stepping from the woods. Like Fenrir Greyback, this man’s canine teeth had been engorged and sharpened so that even as a man he had wolf teeth that hung over his lower lip when he smiled. He stepped over brush and roots, descending to where Remus lay. “Bout bloody time you woke up. Been waitin’ half the damn day…”

Remus shifted to get as far away from the man as the chain would allow him. “Who are you?” he demanded.

“Me? I’m Ed... You can think of me as your pack ambassador,” he chuckled and crouched before Remus. “I’m here to welcome you.” His chuckle was terrible, evil.

Remus stared up at him. “Where am I? What is this place?”

Ed smirked, leaning close enough that Remus could smell his rancid breath. “Your worst nightmare, poppet.”