Remedy For Guilt

Chapter Twenty One - The Daily Prophet

The Great Hall was bustling full of noise on Tuesday morning as the daily post arrived. A sense of awe filled the room as the children opened their mail and noticed that plastered on the front page of The Daily Prophet was their Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. Lyra was hunched over a bed, tending to an obviously ill patient, holding a vial near their face. The article read:

PSYROT PANDEMIC OVER!

Written by Gustav Novak

Over the weekend patients at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries had the privilege of receiving the recently discovered cure to Psyrot.

Psyrot is a disease that has been plaguing the witches and wizards of the United Kingdom over the past few months. It is a devastating illness that can ultimately result in death. Psyrot is easily treated by Pepper Up during the early stages but unfortunately there was no cure for those afflicted by the later stages of the disease, resulting in the death of three witches and two wizards.

However, the cure has recently been developed and discovered by Lyra Lestrange, aged 20, current Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher at Hogwarts and ex-Trainee Healer at St. Mungo's, seen pictured above.

In conjunction with teaching at Hogwarts, Lyra has spent every spare moment dedicated to discovering the root cause of Psyrot as well as what could possibly be used to treat it after one of her students was revealed to be afflicted with disease.

"It was quite frightening really," Lyra recalls, "The boy had seized during dinner one night, obviously in the late stages of the disease. That's what prompted me into investigating the disease."

Lyra is a modest witch, attributing her success to her colleagues.

"Honestly, the witches and wizards that they get to work at Hogwarts really know their stuff. Silvanus Kettleburn, Professor of Care of Magical Creatures was the first I went to and he gave me such great insight into the workings of the parasite responsible. Then Professor Pomona Sprout directed me in all things Herbology and finally the Potions Master, Severus Snape, assisted me in creating the cure."

As a result of her discovery Lyra looks to possibly resuming her career in Healing and working towards curing other magical ailments. Look out for her report in this week's copy of Magical Inquiries and Discoveries.

Lyra herself graced the hall with her presence soon after the arrival of the post. She entered the room via the door behind the High Table, followed closely behind by Severus. They had attempted to stagger their appearance but still managed to catch up with one another on the way there.

As Lyra stepped up on to the stage she was oblivious to the fact that the students were taken by her appearance, distracted by the few owls that bore letters surrounding her plate. With a confused look on her face, she took her seat but before she could begin to consider the letters in front of her the Transfiguration Professor addressed her.

"Oh, Lyra," she said, "We're all so proud of you."

Lyra glanced down the table and noticed that most of her colleagues were smiling at her. "Sorry what?"

"Psyrot?" Minerva said, thrusting her own copy of the prophet to Lyra.

"Ohhhh," she replied, noticing the image of herself on the front paper. "Right, yes, Psyrot. Thanks. That explains the letters."

"Fans, no doubt," Minerva said, "It's all very exciting but I'm disappointed to find out that you're planning on resigning at the end of the year through a newspaper article."

"I am?"

Minerva pulled the paper back and began to read from the article, " Lyra looks to possibly resuming her career in healing and working towards curing other magical ailments."