PROLOGUE

123 4 0
                                        

SPECIAL EDITION: THE DAILY PROPHET

"THE END OF AN ERA: BLOOD ON THE ASTRONOMY TOWER AND GRANGER'S DARK ASCENSION"
By Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent

HOGWARTS IN MOURNING: THE FALL OF A TITAN

Last night, the golden spires of Hogwarts shivered under a horror beyond any wizard's wildest nightmare. Albus Dumbledore—the man we once hailed as the unyielding shield of our security—is dead. His body, shattered by a fall from the school's highest tower, stands as a silent witness to the collapse of our world. But it is the identity of the one who held the wand that makes the very blood of magical Britain run cold.
Hermione Jean Granger. The "Golden Girl," the supposed brain of the so-called Golden Trio, the pride of her professors, and a model Prefect. The very same girl who, until yesterday, seemed the literal incarnation of Light, uttered the fatal Avada Kedavra. Was it a sudden lapse into insanity? Or perhaps, behind that mask of a studious, bushy-haired girl, lurked the most sophisticated manipulator of our age?
My sources whisper a chilling detail: Granger did not merely execute the Headmaster; she did so with a smile—one that ill-befits a young lady, but perfectly suits the new right hand of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

A NEW TRIO OR A DESPERATE REPLACEMENT?

While Granger basks in her new role within the embrace of shadows, Harry Potter is left to scramble for the shards of his broken fame. As this publication has exclusively learned, the traitor's seat beside the "Boy Who Lived" has been hastily filled by Ginny Weasley.
Is the youngest daughter of the impoverished Weasley clan truly capable of replacing Granger's formidable intellect? Or is this merely a frantic attempt by the Order of the Phoenix to patch the holes in a sinking ship? Harry Potter, whose face has become a death mask of grief, refuses to comment. Perhaps he simply fears admitting the truth: the girl he trusted with his life has become his most lethal enemy.

THE MINISTRY IN FLAMES: WAR AT OUR DOORSTEP

While we weep for Dumbledore, the Death Eaters have abandoned the shadows. Yesterday's audacious assault on the Ministry of Magic proved one thing: the enemy knows our weaknesses. With five wounded, two dead, and panic pouring through the halls of power like Fiendfyre, the message is clear.
"This war began with her choice," declared Minister Oliver Redbrook, his voice trembling with fury. "We were looking for traitors among old foes, while the knife was driven into our backs by the one we called the future of our nation."
Tonight, the streets of London belong to them. And as the Dark Mark rises over our world, we are left with one question: What did the Dark Lord promise Hermione Granger for the head of Albus Dumbledore? And who is next on her list?

______________________________
Did you feel the sting of Rita's quill? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

TIMELESS DESIREStories to obsess over. Discover now