The Post Prophet
Chapter One: A Call at Last
"In a post war world its the post war news that shocks everyone, and our 3 heroes learn to move on as secrets unravel and their loved ones patch their lives back together." General characters and canon romances
"It's been a long time coming, but we've made it this far
Others may not understand, but that's okay
Because we know there is more to it than that
This ain't like anything else we have experienced, and frankly,
I find that amazing"
Ron Weasley staggered into the kitchen of The Burrow as he blocked the early morning sunlight from his sleepy eyes. He took notice of the empty kitchen and proceeded to plop down into a chair. While yawning loudly he began to tilt his chair back, and looked out the window. The beautiful early morning sunrise captured the peaceful attitude of the entire wizarding world.
"Honestly Ron!" someone shouted, and Ron toppled right out of his chair and landed on the floor with a fat bang! "Can't you clean yourself up before downstairs?" Hermione then added, noticing that half scowl, half smile he tried to shoot her as he picked himself up off the floor. She could bet a thousand galleons, and without a mirror, that she was smiling too.
"Well," Ron began, gesturing to her clean blue jeans and beige blouse, over his old sweat pants and pajama top "we all can't be as beautiful as you in the morning as you can we?"
She blushed, and with open arms he silently welcomed her to sit down with him, but she chose to sit across from him at the large wooden table.
"You're no fun," Ron said, leaning away from her, arms crossed like a small child who was refused a chocolate frog.
"Ronald, its been two, three days at the most," Hermione reasoned "you don't seriously expect me to sit on your lap in you mothers kitchen, do you?"
"TWO DAYS?" Ron bellowed, now leaning back towards her fist banging on the table "Two Days? Hermione, I've loved you for six years! I've watched you flirt and kiss other guys, FOR SIX YEARS! I watched you become the most brilliant person I know for seven years, I spent a whole year away from my family for you... and Harry too, but –"
"
"Ron-"
"Hermione, I've –"
"Ron-
"I just can't believe – !"
"RON!"
"Mate, she's trying to say she agrees with you!" somebody shouted, and there in the doorway stood Harry Potter, fully rested and grinning at the two of them (with a hint of exasperation) as he rested his body into the frame of the door.
Wincing slightly from the bruising on his arms, Harry felt great to know they were here at all, because it reminded him why he deserved to wake up happy, to wake up light weighted, and wake up in a warm bed. He laughed at the feeling of complete content, while he heard his two best friends arguing like their 1st, 2nd, and... actually, it was all their years at Hogwarts that they, well, you know that story.
He grinned while he realized he had grown to big for the bed he was lying in that morning, and Harry teared up at the memories of the summers in the early 90's when he would escape here from the Dursley's. He wonders how they are doing right now.
" But..." Harry continues staring down both of his friends,"at least you two are finally happy together and a whole lot less dense for the first time in seven years!"
Ron and Hermione, still speechless from his entrance, laughed lightly at Harry's joke as he joined the two of them. He placed himself next to Hermione, oppose to a slightly ticked off Ron, and places an arm around her ( in a very brotherly manner, just as any one of Ginny's older brothers may do to Ginny).
"Oi! Off my woman!" Ron shouted
"Oh Ron, really? Its just Harry..!" Hermione interjected, speaking for the first time since Harry came in.
"But why should he get to hold you when I don't?" he pouted
"Ron relax, 'she's my sister', sound familiar?" Harry teased "By the way, why are you proclaiming your love for Hermione at seven o'clock in the morning?" Harry pondered, but his focus swayed from Ron and Hermione to the fat, gray dot coming into focus from the window.
"Well he was saying how no one could possibly compare to how I dress in the morning..." She explained, carefully.
"Is it getting closer?" Harry thought, "It appears to be...flying? Oh, its...yeah, he might want to –"
"Then she sat away from me, and into your arms she goes mate! I always knew – OW!"
"-Duck."
Ron yelled, causing the others to wince, "Hermione what necessary?"
"What are you talking about?" she shouted at him
"You hit me with the damned prophet! It's right here!" Ron gestured to the roll up newspaper in front of him and snatched it in his fist, waving it obnoxiously in Hermione's face, but Harry snatched the prophet from Ron's hands quickly, and anxiously began reading it's pages. It was clear how the colors drained from his face that something was very, very wrong.
"Well Ron if you opened y-your eyes.." Hermione stuttered at Harry's shocking expression, "H- Harry?... Harry, what is it?"
Placing a calm hand on his shoulder, they no longer focused on the owl that crashed in Ron, now lying pathetically on the floor, but focused on Harry. It became so quiet there in the kitchen that they were sure the ghoul would start on the pipes, and Harry needed no better reason to start.
"The Daily Prophet," he began "is in full rejoice of the post war times we are all in.."
But as any decent witch or wizard knows... there is always a black cauldron that ruins even the best potion, the most disgusting every flavor bean to ruin your appetite, and the meanest school bully to make you feel horrible, muggle or not. And to tell you the worst of it all, that same bully may need your sympathy more than ever.
"Narcissa Malfoy," healer Margaret Hamilton began "will be kept in a private room under extreme care and evaluation here at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries"
What appeared yesterday evening to be an insane circus beyond epic proportions at illustrious Malfoy Manor, turned out to be the disturbing event that led to Mrs. Malfoy's hospitalization, yesterday night, but neither Lucius Malfoy nor their son Draco could be reached for a comment. However there is photographic evidence of the terrifying evening. (see page A2 -A3).
The pictorial representation of the destruction said to have been done by Narcissa herself.
Many onlookers said Narcissa barely got in the gate before she fell over in what appeared to be grief, and began shouting "Confringo!" hardly using her wand, she blasted the place apart in a feat of dangerous, wandless magic that many wizards didn't even know she could do. Authorities resulted to simple Confundus charms to stop her tirade, it was many hours before they could take her in calmly and stop the fire from consuming the mansion.
Acting Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt took it upon himself to investigate the scene personally, and said " The Malfoy's have always kept us guessing. It's no different now than it was pre-war, only now Voldemort is not the cause." It was under Kingsley's orders that she be taken in after she has used the blasting curse to set her entire estate up in flames shortly after the funeral of her sister, escaped convict and murderer, Bellatrix Black or better know as "Bellatrix Lestrange."
Could this have been the route of her unraveling?
Nevertheless, what most of us are left thinking is, what are these 'brave steps' Narcissa is said to have taken during the war? And are they the reason Death Eater Lucius Malfoy has not been arrested nor their son Draco? Maybe the Ministry will change their mind after all.
"Narcissa Malfoy's Mental-breakdown at Malfoy Manor" May, 8th 1998
By Venus Adams
"I can't believe this!" Harry shouted, "this cant be right." He threw the prophet on the floor in a fit of anger and jumped from the table.
" Harry please," Hermione pleaded, rising also "What about this is-is...?" She was lost for words, and Ron, still sitting in mild shock, picked Errol off the floor, and held him gently.
And Harry... well, he only breathed in deeply to calm himself, and sat down again. It felt like tens of minutes passed by before anyone could talk about what they just heard. Narcissa Malfoy? Insane? This beautiful peaceful morning suddenly felt thick and heavy and the sun shining through the window was merely mocking them all.
"She didn't care who won," he spoke finally "It didn't matter to her."
"What do you mean it didn't matter to her!" Ron shouted at him "She attacked us with the rest of them!"
"It wasn't like that-!"
"She's married to a death eater! She might as well be one too as far as im concerned!" Ron rose from the table as well as Harry, both glaring at each other in blind rage.
"Harry, Ron! Behave yourselves!" Hermione yelled " Sit down! And stop yelling!" Placing her arm span between both of them, " Harry, explain yourself please."Hermione didn't return to her seat until both boys sat down, exchanging silent apologies . "Boys.." she laughed lightly "I don't know what to do with either of you sometimes."
"Kinda like back in fourth year, huh?" Ron joked.
" Don't go there Ron," Hermione warned
"Yeah, Ron" Harry chimed "Only, this time I died," both Hermione and Ron gave odd looks and there was a very pregnant pause before Harry continued, "Well, not really, you see...Narcissa saved my life, I'm sorry I never mentioned it."
"Now some could say that it's a fad, that its a trend, that someday, It'll all fade away...
But I don't believe that.
In such a short period of time we've made bonds that will last life times.
And I'll be damned if I let myself go without a fight."
A/N: Please leave a review, I have read and edited this so many times, and I hope you all like it. The lyrics are from "The Last Call" by Oliver Boyd and The Remembralls, when I listened to it for the first time it made me want to cry, its so touching