June 1, 1998 Morning Prophet
JUSTICE FOR ALBUS?
by Bartholomew Banks, Senior Political Correspondent
Anticipation is running high in the British Wizarding world this morning, as the posthumous trial of one Severus T. Snape is set to kick off when the Wizengamot convenes at 10:47 a.m. Owls were crowding the skies overnight as citizens wondered what the Ministry's stance on the former Death Eater's actions would be. At least fifty witches and wizards are currently gathered in the Ministry Atrium, awaiting the start of the trial. No word yet on whether or not Harry Potter will attend the proceedings, but this reporter feels certain that The Boy Who Lived will show his face. Rumor has it that the ex-Headmaster and Mr. Potter were no fans of one another while The Chosen One was at school... (For a complete summary of Harry Potter's school years, see pages 17-19.)
June 1, 1998 Daily Prophet Special Edition
POTTER MAKES SHOCKING ANNOUNCEMENT!
by Bartholomew Banks, Senior Political Correspondent
Audible gasps filled the Atrium at the Ministry this morning when Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, arrived alongside the legal team for Severus Snape. The Saviour of the Wizarding world had only this to say, tears brimming in his eyes: "Severus Snape was a good man. A brave man. The bravest man I know." Following this bombshell, Potter was hustled down to the Wizengamot chambers by the namesakes themselves from Walfern, Malloren, Pritchett & Hughes, the inter-House law firm that won the landmark case of Goblins et. al. v. Department for the Regulation & Control of Magical Creatures. While many eyewitnesses have stated their accounts of Potter's defense of Snape during the Final Battle, most were convinced this was merely tripe designed to upset He-Who-Must—er, Voldemort's—composure. But could Potter's assertions be true? Stay tuned for more as the trial begins!
June 1, 1998 Daily Prophet Mid-Day Edition
HARRY POTTER IS SNAPE'S BIGGEST FAN?
by Bartholomew Banks, Senior Political Correspondent
More shocking information coming our way this morning as the proceedings down on Level Ten are broadcast to the viewers in the Atrium. Asking to make a brief speech before the trial even began, Mr. Harry Potter of Number 12 Grimmauld Place stood and gave an impassioned plea for the Wizengamot to drop this "farce of a trial" immediately, and furthermore to vacate all charges filed against one Professor Snape in light of his heroic activities, which Potter claims to have possession of in the form of Pensieve memories. Several members of the Wizengamot were seen to be nodding in agreement, but an uproar from the anti-Death Eater contingent in the chambers (spearheaded by a Mr. and Mrs. Perry Parkinson) led new Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt to declare a recess while the Wizengamot deliberated the validity of the charges. More to come as soon as a ruling is reached.
June 1, 1998 Daily Prophet Post-Luncheon/Pre-Supper Edition
I DON'T EVEN BELIEVE THIS
B. Banks, SPC
Things are in a frenzy here—the Wizengamot has, for the first time in its history, delayed a trial pending investigation results—Aurors were dispatched almost immediately and the Minister himself is set to make an official statement to the media any moment now—chants are echoing in the Atrium, they sound like "justice, justice, justice"—but justice for who, exactly? That remains to be seen. Here comes the Minister now—
June 1, 1998 Evening Prophet
MINISTER INITIATES FULL INVESTIGATION, INVITES KEY WITNESSES TO COME FORWARD
by Bartholomew Banks, Senior Political Correspondent
The furor following the Minister's announcement today in the capitol of the Wizarding world has died down, and the crowd that had gathered earlier has finally dispersed. (For the Minister's full statement, see page 7.) As yours truly reported previously, the Ministry has ordered a full-fledged investigation into Severus Snape's activities over the past two decades. "It is an embarrassment to this institution that no such investigation was undertaken prior to setting a trial date," Shacklebolt stated in his speech, which also condemned the previous pattern of "willful negligence" and "studied obliviousness" allowed by his predecessors. Supporters of the new order have commended Shacklebolt for this unprecedented step, while Snape's detractors have decried the investigation as "pointless" and "unlikely to prove anything other than Snape being a great bloody git".
As the Ministry navigates this new process, some prestigious witches and wizards have already called for transparency: "While we should all be in favor of this momentous decision, I think it's important that the public holds the Ministry to a certain standard of behavior, and that includes maintaining open records and being accountable to both the letter and the spirit of the law," said Hermione Granger, close friend of The Boy Who Lived. "What she said," added Ron Weasley, the third member of the close-knit trio. In this vein, Minister Shacklebolt has promised weekly updates on the investigative findings. The Auror department is also asking anyone with any knowledge of Severus Snape's activities, fair or foul, to please come forward as any and all information may be relevant. As your faithful reporter, I will continue to follow this story as it develops!
A/N: This will be a fun little drabble set, inspired by a pretend Daily Prophet I saw for a Potter-themed summer camp. I don't want to give anything away yet, but I'll note the inspiration when we get there. Oh, and a note about the Parkinsons—I like to imagine that post-war, there were a lot of Dark Side supporters that no longer wanted to come off that way, so in this story the Parkinson family will be very vehemently Death Eater, to show that they're on the "right" side. :)