HEATHENS - Harry Potter ✔

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

"'In a brief statement on Friday night, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned to this country and is once more active," read Hermione. "'It is with great regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself Lord – well, you know who I mean – is alive and among us again,' said Fudge, looking tired and flustered as he addressed reporters. 'It is with almost equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the Dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe the Dementors are currently taking direction from Lord – Thingy.'"

They were in the hospital wing. Kiera sat next to Hermione on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest as she listened to Hermione read the front page article. Harry was seated on the end of Ron's bed; Ginny and Neville, whose bones had been mended by Madam Pomfrey instantly, occupied chair between the two beds; and Luna was clutching the latest edition of The Quibbler and reading the magazine upside-down, sitting on the floor.

"'We urge the wizarding population to remain vigilant,' Fudge continued. 'The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home and personal defence which will be delivered free to all wizarding homes within the coming month.'

"The Minister's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was 'no truth whatsoever in these persistent rumours that You-Know-Who is operating amongst us once more'. Details of the events that led to the Ministry turnaround are still hazy, though it is believed that He Who Must Not Be Named and a select band of followers (known as Death Eaters) gained entry to the Ministry of Magic itself on Thursday evening.

"Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, reinstated member of the International Confederation of Wizards and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, has so far been unavailable for comment. He has insisted over the past year that You-Know-Who is not dead, as was widely hoped and believed, but is recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile, the 'Boy Who Lived' – there you are, Harry! I knew they'd drag you into it somehow," said Hermione, looking over the top of the paper at him.

"He's the Boy Who Lived again now, though, isn't he?" said Ron darkly. "Not such a deluded show-off anymore, then."

He reached over to the small mountain of sweets on his bedside table and picked up a Chocolate Frog. Thee deep cuts on his forearms where the brain's tentacles had wrapped around him were still there, and Madam Pomfrey feared they might take years to heal properly.

"Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry," said Hermione, as she scanned through the article. "A lone voice of truth ... perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in his story ... forced to bear ridicule and slander – hmm..." She frowned. "I notice they don't mention the fact that it was them doing all the ridiculing and slandering in the Prophet."

Like Ron, Hermione was still healing from the fight too. She had to take ten different potions a day and still winced whenever she moved her torso too quickly. They were just grateful that Dolohov hadn't been able to say the incantation aloud.

"You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four; What the Ministry Should Have Told Us, page five; Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore, pages six to eight; Exclusive Interview with Harry Potter, page nine – well, it's certainly given them lots to write about," said Hermione, folding up the newspaper and placing it on her bedside table. "And that interview with Harry isn't exclusive, it's the one that was in The Quibbler months ago."