In a brave move, the newly appointed Minister for Magic, Harry Potter has decided to close Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While many of the experts have compared this heroic move to the ban of Dark Magical Arts in 1623 by Sir Godric Griffindor, the then Minister for Magic, the jury is still out whether Harry Potter will be able to survive the fundamentalist Pureblood backlash.
"Well, I must say, we are talking about him who survived He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself. What chance do these fundamentalist Purebloods have against my boy, Harry Potter, said ailing Professor Horace Slughorn. Other experts point out that things have changed a lot since Muggle Curriculum was introduced in Hogwarts School by the former Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt. Many purebloods have recognized how foolish they had been staying ignorant of the Arts and Sciences of the Muggles, being unable to use the mobiles and tablets, the aeroplanes and spacecrafts. "Instead of spending years and years of our youthful lives learning the obscure magic arts, we can get most of those benefits at an instant from the free market," says Neville Longbottom, President of the International Progressive Pureblood Society.
Few deny that the advent of foreign multinational corporations with their wonderful Muggle inventions has rendered most of the magical arts irrelevant. "I was certainly not going to send my grandchildren to Hogwarts if they still taught Charms and Potions, anyway," says Ronald Weasley, a respected Pureblood and Minister of Road and Rail.
While the Muggle Prime Minister has hailed this integration of the wizarding community into the Muggle fold as a historic achievement, leaders abroad too have complimented the Minister of Magic. The President of Rockindia, the super-power nation, has promised to extend all help in the event of a Pureblood backlash. "We are fully committed to seeing the wizarding community out of this museum culture," said the Rockindian President, Bushame.
For the past few years, the Purebloods had been sending their children to Muggle Schools in increasing number, as they witnessed on their TV sets, the great achievements of the scientists and artists produced by these schools. The number of students in Hogwarts had been declining steadily. This year only ten students had taken admission whereas in Minister Harry Potter's student days, the students at Hogwarts used to number in hundreds.
His eyes were in tears as he read the week-old Daily Profit front-page news to old friend Draco Malfoy. Gregory Goyle felt like he had aged a hundred years. Though, only 45, Goyle's hollow eyes, wrinkled skin and thin figure said a lot about the trauma he had gone through all these years. While their lives had seen lots of ups and downs, the defeat of the Dark Lord topped them all. The Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt had sent their fathers to Azkaban for being Death-Eaters. Non-bailable warrants were issued against Draco and Goyle too, for learning Dark Arts. Since then, the two had been on the run in the forests, never staying two days straight at a single spot in dense forests.
Harry Potter too had made the forests his hideout in his seventh year at Hogwarts while plotting to destroy the Dark Lord, he had to fear only the wizards then. But for Malfoy, the fear is the Muggle satellites, which keep constant watch on every patch of land to look for any Pureblood who has not betrayed his blood. Another fear was the pilotless drones that killed hundreds of men, women and children every month on the suspicion of being Purebloods or friends of Purebloods.
Away from his comfy mansion, the once handsome and sleek-haired Draco Malfoy looked as if all the sorrows of the world had gathered in his own heart. Malfoy and Goyle had lost all hope the day the Dark Lord had died. He lamented why his parents had suddenly turned so selfish, caring more for their son's safety than for the Dark Lord's victory. Perhaps, they thought the Ministry would reward them for this. But they were astounded when the Muggle policemen in the company of Aurors had arrived one night in their homes. Draco remembers the night her mom was raped while he lay tied to a pole, without clothes. His father beaten to a pulp, blood all over his body. Later he had come to know that while the Dementor jailers of the past tortured the prisoners only psychologically, the Muggle tormentors apply both psychological as well as physical techniques. Draco was not arrested as there was no warrant in his name, but soon the Anti-Dark Art Law was passed and he knew what next, … "Anybody proved to have taught, studied or practiced the Dark Art will be considered a Death-Eater. All friends and relations of Death-Eaters shall be considered Dark Art sympathisers." While the Death-Eaters were subject to a lifetime of imprisonment, the sympathisers were liable to half that quantum.
And then the Magical World had been corporatized. The Daily Prophet becoming the Daily Profit was perhaps the most remarkable emblem of the gloomy Capitalist future that lay ahead for the Magical community.
It seemed yet another day of worry and recounting of tragedy after tragedy that had befallen the duo in these past 28 years. "I know my biggest mistake was not dying along with the Dark Lord." I was such a coward. How great of you, aunt Bellatrix. You never had to see this shame after shame, this tragedy after tragedy, the Pureblood massacres disguised as criminal riots. You never witnessed any friend or foe raped by the Law. …" Goyle as usual was nodding when all of a sudden, he sat bolt upright. Draco too went all attention. Was it a Muggle spy?
"See the patronus, Draco!" A kind and mild donkey-shaped light beam was marching towards them. "Run, Goyle, before the Muggles catch us. Let us flee, fast!"
"Just a minute, Draco. Let us see who sent it." As Draco dithered for a minute, the Patronus had come close.
"Your mother is dead. Last night's beating proved too much for her frail body. Your father too is on the brink of death. I am Cornelius Fudge. It is Lucius' last wish to see you. I can help. Tell me where you are by a reply Patronus."
"Ah!" said Draco drawing in a heavy breath. "At least her days of daily rapes and tortures are over. She would be much happier now."
"But the question is should we trust this Patronus?" reminded Goyle. "Don't you think Cornelius might be luring you to get himself some reward from his successor?"
"I don't think so. When Harry Potter became Minister, he ordered Cornelius be chucked into a cell in Muggle Torture House. But Percy Weasley begged him to have mercy for his failing health, and Harry Potter somehow conceded. He should be too old now to have long plans for this world."
"I don't contradict you, Draco, but don't you remember that the first time our fathers had to go to prison was when Cornelius was the Minister," persisted Goyle.
"Yeah, but he had lost his job too. In his desperate last-ditch attempt to cling on to Ministry, he had hurriedly signed the orders for our father's imprisonment, …"
"But it did not help him much, did it, Draco? He had to resign in the end," said Goyle.
"Anyway, should I reply or not?" said Draco looking at his trusted comrade enquiringly.
"I tell you. Let us be ready with all our belongings for apparition while we send the reply-Patronus," suggested Goyle.
