11
They Must Know

The Chosen One Strikes Back
It was the most awe inspiring scene in the Ministry of Magic in quite some time early yesterday as none other than The Chosen One, Harry Potter, made an entrance none who witnessed it will soon forget. Witnesses report that Mr. Potter apparated into the lobby of the ministry holding onto an unconscious death eater. Mr. Potter turned the unidentified death eater over to aurors who claimed the prisoner within seconds of Mr. Potter's arrival.

Mr. Potter was escorted upstairs where it is suspected that he met with Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour. By the time Mr. Potter returned to the lobby, it had become jammed with those wanting to get a first hand look at the person some believe to be the chosen savior of the wizarding world. Escorts attempted to create a path for Mr. Potter to walk through, but to everyone's surprise the normally elusive young man stopped to answer a few questions posed by others and myself.

When asked if he had been the one who captured the death eater, Mr. Potter said, "Yes. I captured this death eater after he tried to attack one of my friends who was helping to put up the shields on all of the Hogwarts students homes."

Mr. Potter refused to elaborate on the identities of those helping him disperse the shield to the students' houses, but said that the attack would not stop the effort to protect the students. He went on to confirm that it was an effort not undertaken with the assistance of the Ministry of Magic.

There have been rumors circulating since the death of Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore that Mr. Potter would join many who are not planning to return to Hogwarts this year fearing that it may be too dangerous. It was a question to which Mr. Potter responded by saying, "I had thought about not returning, though not out of fear. I have since changed my mind and do plan on returning to Hogwarts for my final year. I hope that most of the other students will decide to return as well in the end."

Seeing that the aurors were becoming anxious to lead Mr. Potter from the chaotic scene, I took the chance personally to ask the question that everyone has been dying to know the answer to. I asked if any of the reports about his trip to the ministry when You Know Who was seen there were true. The look on his face made me think that he was considering the question very carefully before he said, "I guess that would depend on what reports you're referring to. I did come to the ministry on that night along with a handful of brave friends. I won't tell you all of the details that led me to follow such a rash course of action, but it was soon made clear to me that You Know Who (Mr. Potter actually used the real name, but The Prophet will not print it) himself lured me here to remove a prophecy concerning the two of us that was made many years ago. The prophecy was smashed during a battle with death eaters who were attempting to retrieve it for You Know Who (again not what was said)."

When asked if the prophecy had revealed him to be "The Chosen One", Mr. Potter considered his words carefully again before he said, "I intend to keep hunting death eaters and turning them over to the Ministry until I return to Hogwarts. Some day I will fight You Know Who again. That much has been foretold. I intend to turn his body over to the Ministry after I kill him. If I don't do it, then no one will. If that makes me the chosen one, then so be it."

As one might imagine, pandemonium erupted in the lobby as everyone excitedly launched question after question at Mr. Potter. The aurors struggled to keep the crowd from pressing too close as Mr. Potter gave a slight grin and apparated away.

It was several minutes before anyone thought to question how it was that Mr. Potter had managed to apparate into and out of the Ministry of Magic when there are spells recently put into place guarding against just such a thing. Then again, perhaps there is very little "The Chosen One" is not capable of. We can only watch and wait as the days and months stretch out before us.

Perhaps now we will begin to see a ray of hope shining through the darkness that prevails in the land. Perhaps now You Know Who, the master of fear, will finally have some of that fear turned back on him.

Voldemort tossed the copy of The Daily Prophet that he had been reading down to the floor in a rage before making it crumple into a ball and burst into flame. He took a moment to let his emotion melt away as he watched the flames consume the paper. Once he had regained his calm, he called for Bellatrix.

"I am here my Lord and Master," Bellatrix said as she entered the room and bowed deeply. "How may I be of service to you?"

"I assume you have read the article in the Prophet this morning," Voldemort said.

"I have, My Lord," Bellatrix confirmed.

"Which of my death eaters has allowed themselves to be captured this time?" Voldemort asked letting her know that he was not pleased.

"I believe it was Moreland, My Lord," Bellatrix answered. "He is the only one who did not report in yesterday. He was stationed in Harrogate to watch for those putting up shields."

"I see," Voldemort said dangerously. "It would appear that he found some of them. I assume you followed my orders and delivered my instructions to all of the death eaters."

"I did, My Lord," Bellatrix responded with her head bowed, keenly aware of how close Voldemort was standing.

"Then why," Voldemort began as he placed his face close to Bellatrix's, "were my orders not followed? Why was I not personally informed of their location right away? Why would one of my death eaters, those who have sworn to obey my every command, ignore my wishes?"

"He is young, My Lord," Bellatrix said.

"You were young once as well," Voldemort hissed. "I never had that trouble with you. I have never had that trouble before with any of my young death eaters in the past."

"Some of the younger ones are…" Bellatrix stuttered. "It's hard to explain, my Lord. They believe as we do, and yet…"

"They do not believe in me as you do," Voldemort said finishing her thought for her. "It is not the same as it was in the old days. Perhaps I have become too focused of late. I spend all of my time administrating the attacks and little time taking part in them. Even when such attacks achieved my goals, others carried them out. Even my plan to kill Dumbledore was tainted because I was not the one who killed the old man myself. Not to mention the disgrace of having Severus disappear with young Malfoy after the attack. The young death eaters see all of these things as weakness."

"Snape is a coward not to come to you," Bellatrix seethed as her hatred of him rose to the surface.

"Or perhaps he believes young Malfoy will be harmed if he does so," Voldemort said. "He would be right of course. I would make an example of him for not carrying through with his orders. Still, the unbreakable vow Severus made with your sister to protect Draco would not allow him to willingly turn him over to me."

"But…" Bellatrix began in surprise as she looked up.

"Don't look so surprised, Bella," Voldemort said. "I have known about that vow since the night it was taken. Though you have always taken Severus for a traitor, he informed me of the vow on the very night it was made. Still, I will find him eventually and punish him appropriately as he fully expects. For now, I must concentrate on the problem of the young death eaters and their mistaken perceptions of my power. They must know what it means to defy The Dark Lord. Perhaps a little demonstration is in order."