"What do you mean they just disappeared?" Dumbledore asked.
"That's just it. Most of the Slytherin boys in fifth, sixth and seventh year, a couple of Slytherin girls from fifth year and above, and a handful of students from other houses, all just up and vanished. None of their belongings have disappeared though." Minerva stated.
"I'm missing three boys, one girl." Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw stated.
"Three boys went missing this weekend." Pamona Sprout stated.
"And you know who's missing from my house. All of them attached to Death Eater families." Snape said. "This is the only connection I can think of."
"Everyone who is missing has a link to the Death Eaters in their families?" Dumbledore asked, mainly for confirmation.
"It seems to be the case." Snape replied.
TWO DAYS LATER
DAILY PROPHET APRIL 4, 1996
STUDENTS DISAPPEAR FROM HOGWARTS! LETTER TO THE EDITOR EXPLAINS WHY!
By Barnabus Cuffe, Editor
The following letter was received by my office yesterday. We at the Daily Prophet learned that 28 students have disappeared from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry over the weekend, yet not a word of this was revealed to us by the Headmaster. We learned of this though a letter received. The Daily Prophet has confirmed the disappearance, but not the full contents of the letter. The letter has been printed in its entirety, as required by the writer. We here at the Daily Prophet do not wish to be the cause of death of many prominent Pureblood children.
To Whom It May Concern
You may refer to me as Themis. I am writing to inform the public of the removal of the following students from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:
Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Theodore Nott, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, Marcus Flint, Arcturus Carrow, Dimitrus Dolohov – Slytherin House
Zacharas Smith, Justin Fudge, Seamac McLaggen of Hufflepuff House
Cormac McLaggen of Gryffindor House
Marietta Edgecomb, Donovan Rookwood, Mikel Jugson, Roland Scabier from Ravenclaw House.
The reason is simple. All of these students are children of known Death Eaters. All of their parents were marked, and either escaped from Azkaban or pleaded imperious. Since the Ministry is refusing to believe Harry Potter and placing the blame of the escape of the afformentioned Death Eaters on Sirius Black, We felt it was time that justice be served.
The choice is simple. Each one of the parents of the above named students will submit to veritiserum questioning by Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. They should be asked PUBLICALLY, broadcasted via all media outlets, and after a regiment of purging potions in case there are counters to Veritiserum. If you notice, all of the accused above are purebloods.
Questioning should begin by the Monday after this letter is published. Every student at Hogwarts should be allowed to listen to the confessions. There are three questions that I insist be asked:
Are you a Death Eater? This should be a YES or NO answer.
Did you take the Mark Willingly? This should also be a yes or no answer, and would prove without a doubt that the imperious defense is nothing but a lie.
Have you taken the life of another human being without their consent? This question, without a doubt would determine if a death sentence is required. The reason I do not ask if they murdered anyone is due to the fact that a person's belief would determine the truthful answer. I could kill a person in cold blood, yet not consider it murder. However, taking the life of someone who is unwilling, is murder no matter how you look at it.
If the above people do not turn themselves in for public questioning by Monday, then all their children will die. It's as simple as that. Then we shall go after the marked Death Eaters. No one can hide from me and my group.
Also, Sirius Black will also have to turn himself in for Veritiserum questioning about the deaths of Peter Pettigrew, James and Lily Potter, and the attacks on Harry Potter. Should anything happen to Sirius Black before or after he is questioned, then Justice Will Be Served by the deaths of three random members of the Ministry. You may call this wrong, we call this justice.
You will question Harry Potter, under Magical Vow, on the events following the moment his hand touched the Tri-Wizard cup last June. We have not heard Harry Potter's side of the story, only that Old Fool Dumbledore's words. Harry Potter has claimed Voldemort has returned, but has offered no proof, nor was he asked (To OUR knowledge) for proof. By questioning under magical vow, the truth could be told.
Justice is Blind, but Paybacks are a Bitch.
THEMIS
We here at the Daily Prophet do not support vigilante justice. We call on the Ministry to investigate this letter, and whomever wrote it. At this time, we shall not abide by anything more than reporting facts. A spokesman for the Ministry has stated that they will not bow to the wishes of the letter writer.
DAILY PROPHET: APRIL 10, 1996
SCION OF MALFOY FOUND DEAD IN STREET! VIGILANTE THEMIS BLAMED!
SIRIUS BLACK SENDS PUBLIC LETTER TO DAILY PROPHET!
Yesterday afternoon, the body of Draco Malfoy was found in the middle of Diagon Alley. Aurors report that the body was portkeyed to the location, but attempts to trace it were futile as it led to an empty stretch of land where no magic at all had been detected. A short note was pinned to young Malfoy's robes that said:
The End of The Malfoy Line is Near.
Aurors stated that no magic had been used on Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy had no apparent injuries, but was dead upon arrival. Magical Forensics show that there was no magic used in the death of Draco Malfoy. The Ministry is up in arms about the death of a member of a well known family who has contributed to our society for the last twenty years.
SIRIUS BLACK RESPONDS TO THREAT!
We here at the Daily Prophet have received a response to the threat made by THEMIS. In a very short letter, the fugitive wrote:
Wizarding Britain and THEMIS,
I will gladly submit to Veritiserum and Magical Vow and any questioning you wish so long as it is done publically by AMELIA BONES, and the same stipulations as you have done for the Death Eaters.
SIRIUS BLACK
We here at the Daily Prophet will keep you updated on the facts as they become available to us.
DAILY PROPHET APRIL 11, 1996
LUCIUS & NARCISSA MALFOY FOUND DEAD! THEMIS BLAMED
NEW NOTE FOUND: "NO ONE HIDES FROM THEMIS!"
THEMIS DECLARED NEW DARK LORD!
DAILY PROPHET: APRIL 12, 1996
GOYLE SCION FOUND DEAD! CRABBE FAMILY HEAD AGREES TO QUESTIONING!
DAILY PROPHET: APRIL 15, 1996
CRABBE FAMILY ARRESTED, CONFESSED TO DEATH EATER ACTIVITY. CRABBE SCION FOUND ALIVE.
DAILY PROPHET: APRIL 30, 1996
MINISTER ARRESTED! CORRUPTION, BRIBERY, AND MURDER!
Cornelius Fudge, former Minister for Magic, was arrested last night after veritiserum questioning revealed that he ordered Delores Umbridge (arrested for torture of students at Hogwarts) to murder Harry Potter, 15, during the summer last year. Fudge also confessed to taking bribes from the deceased Lucius Malfoy to pass laws that favored purebloods and themselves.
DAILY PROPHET: MAY 4, 1996
SIRIUS BLACK INNOCENT! PETER PETTIGREW CAPTURED!
DAILY PROPHET: MAY 10, 1996
VOLDEMORT RETURNS! HARRY POTTER SPOKE TRUTH!
DAILY PROPHET: MAY 20, 1996
MISSING CHILDREN RECOVERED! NONE REMEMBER EXPERIENCE!
"I wonder who had them." Ron asked.
"Does it matter?" Harry replied, after putting down the paper. "Whoever Themis is, cleared out the Ministry corruption. Bones is now the Minister, there are no real death eaters left… Voldemort has lost financial backing of the Malfoys,"
"How?" Hermione asked.
"When the Malfoys were found dead, their fortune went to the family member with the highest status. That would be Lord Black." Harry smirked.
"But Sirius is Lord Black!" Hermione squeaked. "He couldn't have received it since he was a fugitive at the time."
"Sirius is not Lord Black." Harry's smirk was even wider.
"Then… who is?"
"His heir, of course. When Sirius was thrown in Azkaban, his will was executed because it was considered a death sentence. His heir became Heir Presumptive of House Black until said heir became an adult. Said heir became an adult last year."
"HARRY! Who's this heir?"
"Come on, Hermione. Put it together." Harry smirked. "You're smart enough to."
"The only person I could think of that he would name his heir is you. But you're not an adult!"
"Close, but no cigar." Harry replied. "I became an adult last year when my name came out of the Goblet of Fire. Had I gone to Gringotts, it would have been made official. Since I didn't, that's how I got hit with the Underage Sorcery charge last summer. No one would let me go to Gringotts, so I couldn't do anything."
"But what about the deaths of the Malfoys?" Hermione asked.
"Couldn't have happened to nicer people. As you noticed, the worst of the Slytherins are gone. Most are broke and couldn't afford Hogwarts fees. And the Hogwarts Scholorship turned them down."
"But that scholarship is for everyone who needs it!" Ginny replied.
"The trustee for the scholarship denied them." Harry smirked.
"Why?"
"Death Eater spawn." Harry shrugged. "Grades. I'm sure there were many reasons. Some even personal."
"How would you know that?" Ginny asked.
"Tell me Ginny, do you know what the full name of the Scholorship is?" Harry asked.
"The Potter Scholorship for Hogwarts Underpriveledged." Collin Creevy piped up. Every head turned towards Collin. "Me and Dennis are recipients. Most of the scholarships go to muggleborns and half-bloods."
"Hey! That means you're the trustee!" Hermione shouted.
"That's right. I denied them. Most were undeserving, and could afford the fees if they didn't support Voldemort. Their parents made the choice to support Voldemort instead of pay their school fees."
"But it's not their fault!"
"Nope. It's not. But I will not allow my money being spent on Death Eater's children. It was their choice to follow in their parents footsteps. I know it's a bit hypocritical, seeing as Snape sees me as my father reincarnated… but experience shows me that those students were just as bad as their parents. Therefore, I will not support them and their education."
"I wonder why Snape wasn't questioned." Ron muttered.
"That, my dear boy, is something you will never learn." Harry smirked, and went back to eating his dinner. He was content, and now the only thing he had left on his plate was to get rid of Voldemort. But he had plans for that too.