Daily Prophet
Breaking News-Harriet Potter turns traitor
Much questions were asked lately about the whereabouts of the most infamous member of the Potter family. After years of trouble-making and constant agonising our Wizarding society had become blissfully silent around the vicious sister of our dear Boy-who-lived. Some of our sources informed us that she had left the Wizarding world behind to burden the Muggle World with her overbearing presence where she continued her excruciating ways. (For more information turn to page 3. )
Yesterday, our most pressing questions were sufficiently answered. Some of you may even have listened to the special bulletin interrupting Celestina Warbeck's wireless program. In that case you are well aware of her now truly exposed colours. This might prove dangerous for us. As she has knowledge about our hidden culture, we have questioned several experts on the severe implications for our peaceful world. To find out more and how you can protect your family turn to page 4-6.
A reliable source within the ministry previously told us that Harriet Potter was supposedly taken by the empire to serve as tribute. For detailed testimonials on what many Muggle-born related families have to go through turn to page 7-10. Ms. Potter's speech has made it abundantly clear that she never has been taken. No, dear readers. Harriet Potter never has been taken against her will. She joined our oppressors by her own free will and has abandoned her own people to make a career in the Empire. As was to be expected she has sold her planet to the despots for her personal gain. One has to wonder if she has achieved her promotion the normal way or due to using her questionable femininity. This reporter decisively feels sorry for all the shame she brings upon the highly esteemed Potter family.
In her speech Harriet Potter pledges her alliance to the empire and to the emperor and requests others to follow her example to enlist. For a detailed transcript and analysis of the entire speech turn to page 7. Rita Skeeter.
Potter Manor
Hermione Granger angrily dropped the Daily Prophet huffing in anger. "Well that farce of a report never stands a chance against the appraisal theory."
"What the hell do you mean Hermione?" Alexander asked her munching on a fresh muffin.
"I mean that supposed upper market papers or broadsheet papers should be void of any terms that show any inclination of one side. This isn't a neutral report. It's more of an opinion piece." She told him shaking her head.
Alexander and Ron both shrugged their shoulders, not quite understanding their friend's problem.
"Well, I don't like Skeeter, but we all heard the speech. So, for once Skeeter is telling the truth." James Potter interjected.
Hermione snorted. "Not even close."
"Alright, Hermione care to tell us what exactly is not correct in Ms. Skeeters report?" Lily Potter asked her son's best friend in annoyance while filling Ginny's tray who was fighting her rather severe morning sickness.
Hermione took a deep breath and collected herself. Alexander's sister had never been excessively mean to her or attacked her personally, but she certainly had not gone easy on any other of Alexander's friends. That there wasn't any love lost between her and her family had been obvious to Hermione, but at that time she had put it down to jealously.
"Because we do not know the entire story Mrs. Potter. We have no idea why she left the Wizarding world, how she came to be with the empire or if the recording we've heard was even genuine."
"Of course, it was genuine." Lily Potter snorted shaking her head. "I do know my daughter's voice."
"Perhaps." Hermione shrugged. "But I find it very hard to believe that a woman who speaks of the emperor as a 'Nero' is loyal to him. Additionally, I agree that it is her voice, but…"
"But what, Hermione? It's pretty clear that she's one of the bad guys now" Ron cut it. "Not surprising though."
"I'd appreciated it if you didn't interrupt me." The bushy haired girl spat. "As I said. Her voice is the same, but her entire pronunciation and the speech pattern is off. She sounded like she was about to fall asleep at any moment and she sounded like an English Language learner. Something isn't quite as it seems. I'm sure of it."
"You are talking about Harry. My daughter always had a dark streak." James reminded them.
Hermione locked eyes with Ginny, who shook her head, a pasty glow on her face at smelling the food. "How much do you want to bet on that I'm right?" she challenged her friends.
Ron gulped ducking away. Deciding that he didn't want to bet against his fiancé. Whenever she proposed a bet, he could be sure that he would lose it. Alexander also ducked and avoided eye contact much to the same reason. Ginny chuckled.
"Don't bet against her!" another voice from the fireplace called. A second later Remus stepped through brushing dust off his shoulder.
"What are you doing here?" Lily asked him tensely. Their relationship had become more than strained when he and Tonks had made Harry Teddy's godmother. Not Alexander. James had even partially refused any further contact with his friend. But it had not come as a big surprise to her as her daughter had always been closer to Remus than to any of them. She had always adored the werewolf.
"Giving you a head start on tomorrow's news." He answered with a gleeful grin as he put the edition of tomorrows Quibbler on the table. "
"Hermione is correct. The Daily Prophet only knows parts of the story. Mr. Lovegood received highly valuable intel on the Holo-vid. Harry is not really with the empire."
"Oh please, Lovegood's Quibbler is even less accurate than the Daily Prophet" Alexander complained.
"Perhaps not, but even he has his moments. I know where the intel came from. It's reliable. The Daily Prophet will have some serious backpedalling to do tomorrow." Remus mused grinning.
Hermione dived for the Quibbler before anybody else could get their hands on it and read.
Breaking News: Harriet Thea Athena Potter uses empire's transmission to warn
Nobody can deny that with the empire's arrival all our lives have been uprooted significantly even though the Wizarding world has been affected less strongly. The Wizarding World has noted the emptiness Harriet Potter has left behind when she, for health reasons, as we were told, had decided to depart from the Wizarding World. (For a detailed profile of Ms. Potter's life and achievements in the Muggle World turn to page 2.)
"Health reasons?!" Lily interrupted incredulous. "What health reasons?"
"The psycho-somatic ones Lily." Remus swiftly answered her with thin lips remembering the evening Harry had decided that she had to leave or eventually die of a broken-heart syndrome realizing that she would never get the love from her family, that she had so craved for deep down. Remus still had assumed that the horcrux that had been "discovered" in Alexander's scar in his sixth year, had been responsible for their falling out of love for their daughter, but now he wasn't so sure about it anymore.
Hermione continued.
Those familiar with the philanthropic prodigy know that the accusations of yesterday's edition of the Daily Prophet are not adequately researched. The Quibbler sees it necessary to inform you of facts against the unparalleled defamation of the Daily Prophet and its sister Magazine Witch weekly.
According to our sources in the Muggle World and in the Wizarding world Harriet Potter did enlist to the empire, but not because she wanted to. Everybody being familiar with her character knows that she has no love for autocratic regimes. (For detailed information about her philanthropic work turn to page 6) The empire, which had suffered heavy losses before crippling our planet, issued an order to conscript at least one abled bodied family member of each family. Harriet Potter's cousin Dudley Dursley, son to Petunia Dursley, sister of Mrs. Lily Potter, was conscripted. Ms. Harry Potter, however, chose to take his place to spare the Dursley unnecessary heartbreak. One can only hope that the empire doesn't find out that she was in fact part of the alliance to defeat the first star fleet of Star Destroyers. (For more information about that turn to page 8).
"She was what?" Lily jumped, colour draining from her face. Alexander just shrugged uninterested and James just sighed. Remus frowned. Perhaps there was still some spark within Lily that cared for daughter. Even though it was merely a flicker.
Hermione shrugged and continued again.
After approximately three years of silence on her, our ministry source was able to establish contact with her through a former Order member stationed on the same Star Destroyer as Ms. Potter. According to this source Ms. Potter seems to be the only Terran (Empire's term referencing our planet Earth), which had been transferred and trained in a Naval Academy. All other known conscripts are used as Stormtroopers in the Empire's military.
As Ms. Potter referenced in her speech she has demasked a serial killer on board the ISD Chimera, which earned her a promotion to the rank of Lieutenant after standing trial before the High Command. According to the same source she is now forced to work as Grand Admiral Thrawn's personal aide. He is said to be the only non-human within Imperial High Ranks, who is known for his superior intelligence and strategic competence.
Hermione hesitated. Alexander's sister was known for much the same thing. After all she had let a large amount of Death Eaters run around in circles during the second Wizarding War and incapacited their magic powers, which had earned her the rumour that she was stealing their magic. A rumour that she had exploited to put seeds of doubt into Voldemort's followers. Hermione shook her head to clear it and continued.
According to our source it was him issuing the order to create the transmission that has been shown on every continent.
While many in the Wizarding World, having listened to Lt. Potter's words, may be under the impression that she has betrayed us, the Muggles were able to decipher a secret code she has been able to sneak in her transmission. (For detailed information turn to page 10).
Hermione quickly turned the pages until she reached a page showing the entire recording in one picture with an entire article analysing it. She quickly scanned the page and gasped. She may have chosen to live in the Wizarding World with Ronald and his family, but she knew that name. Corporations wise he had been a competitor to Harriet Potter's company she had built together with her two close Muggle friends Antony and Raymond. Family wise, he was the elder brother of one of her two friends. She remembered that even though they had been competitors they had to have been on friendly terms. Rumour had been that the two companies had ever worked together on a large project. But nobody had been able to confirm it. There was only one leaked photo that had shown a relaxed Harry, her two friends, Howard Strong and several of the planet's brightest minds hanging out together in a large living room with small unhealthy snacks, loads of energy drinks, laptops and stacks of paper. They all had laughed about something. She was sure that picture was still somewhere in her parents house.
"Mioni, are you alright?" Ron asked attentively.
"Yes, sure. Seriously, Remus. You are calling him a reliable source? He is a close friend of Harriet, who probably tries to save her face. This might be a well written forgery." She told him angrily.
"Except it isn't." Remus protested. "Yes, Howard is friendly toward Harry, but if you read through to the third paragraph, you can see that it wasn't just him who speak of her using Morse Code. Two chats in the … what do the Muggles call it… ahm. Dark web, no, dark net? Yes, that's it. In the dark net deciphered it and are slowly distributing the information."
"Howard?" Hermione questioned. "You are on first name basis with Howard Strong? How did you manage that?"
"Let me guess?" Alexander cut in "Harry introduced you two and who exactly is Howard Strong?"
"No, Harry did not exactly introduce us." Remus answered shaking his head. "But he knew of my connection with our mutual friend and knew how to contact us."
"What does that even mean?" James scoffed shaking his head in outrage.
"It probably means that they didn't meet personally! But then how do you know him?" Hermione mused. "Everyone in the Muggle world knows about that family, but very few are able to get on a first name basis with them. They are all extreme workaholics and brilliant inventors. If I remember correctly from the Wikipedia article Howard Strong's grandfather was the first better known inventor and had to flee Austria in WWII with some of his family members. But because he was unable to take much with him, he rigged their home so that nothing of his inventions could be found and used by the Nazis. He came to London and worked teaching at Kings College, where he encountered his future wife. There are pictures of him lounging and discussing with Freud, or Stefan Zweig. Other Austrians forced into Exile. After the war he relocated to the US and worked himself up again, accumulating a fortune. His only son Richard, Howard and Antony's father, was just as brilliant and added to their family's fortune. From what I've heard Howard and Anthony are just as sharp and scarily intelligent as their forefathers."
"Harry went to school with Anthony. That's how she met them. I thought you knew about this." Remus shook his head.
"No, how should we have known that?" James shrugged. "She wasn't exactly talking much when she was here."
"On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being not quite to 10 being extremely, how obsessed were you with that family?" Ginny asked Hermione curiously.
"Before I knew about Hogwarts, I'd say I was quite obsessed with them." Hermione conceded biting her lower lip sheepishly while the rest chuckled.
"Guess I have to contact my parents if they know something more about this?" Hermione pointed at the magazine.
"But that's against the law, Mione!" Alexander cut in scandalized.
"Who's going to snitch on me, you?" the bushy haired shot back. "You didn't actually think that I would cut any contact with my parents. Especially, with the empire breathing down on everybody's necks. We had to make it appear as if I had died to throw them off my tail."
"You are right of course, Hermione." Lily nodded empathically, but how in Merlin's name did you manage to stay in contact with them?"
"Simple. Laptop and Data stick." Hermione shrugged meeting blank faces from the others.
"You have a dark-net access, don't you?" Remus asked good-heartedly but Hermione only frowned.
"Ah, no I don't. I mean only criminals are using the dark-net. And besides, I have no idea on how to access it. Some kind of special browser is needed, and someone has to invite you."
Remus cursed. "I don't know how all that exactly works, but I do know that the empire monitors the open world wide web. Most muggles have fled into the dark net. If you used the open web, then the empire probably knows that you are alive by now."
Malfoy Manor
Draco was sitting at the large dining table reading through the article again. Scorpius had predicted that there would be a speech transmission of Harry and now his parents were entirely convinced that he was a seer. His aunt however disagreed for some reason. She was thinking in another direction, but she didn't want to share her theory just yet. He had no idea what to think. It was getting out of hand.
His persistent son, sitting cross-legged on the dinner table was currently leaning over another copy of the same paper with a magnifying glass and a copy of what Teddy had called Morse Code. He was observing the picture closely, trying to spot any blinking. Scorpius was convinced that there was a secret message. Draco wasn't so sure about it though. He leaned back and observed the picture showing his former lover on his own copy of the Daily Prophet.
She looked so foreign in that hideous uniform. Green usually did suit her. Especially if it was matched with her beautiful green eyes. He had loved her in Slytherin green dresses, but Harry had only worn them if she had wanted to. As a Ravenclaw she had always preferred the colour blue. So, when she had worn the Slytherin green dresses he had gifted her with, he had been lucky in every sense of the word. Now with this strange greyish green of her uniform, he found that it was so unlike her. Her uniform was hiding much of her figure. He squinted his eyes getting closer to the picture. Had she become slimmer? And he could not see her hair as it was hidden under a cap. Not one single hair out of place. That alone was an impressive feat. He had always loved the scent of her hair. Although it was so unruly, it had always felt like silk in his hands and … He shook his head to clear it again before his memories could become more heated. That was unproper to think that way so soon after his wife's passing.
But, he knew her well enough that although the Daily Prophet claimed that she was siding with the enemy. Her seemingly impassive face was one that she had often used as a mask in the Wizarding world. To hide how much she had been hurting. But her beautiful green eyes had never been able to lie to him or anyone who'd known her. The Potters however, had never realized this. That woman, "the Baroness" or "widow", had taught her how. The woman had been dangerous. His father had even known that Squib somehow. And the way she was blinking he assumed that she was probably holding back tears. Or was she? And they were missing the usual spark he was so used to, combined with a barely hidden grin or laughter. But that had been only one of her allures. He had never quite been able to anticipate what she would do next, when they had spent time together or during her short time at Hogwarts. She really had been a pain in the neck for her brother, his friends or goons as she had called them, and most especially for Dumbledore. His parents had also been amused hearing about her pranks and antiques.
"What are you doing on the table, Scorpius?" Lucius said raising his voice after seeing his grandson on the dinner table. Something that was not acceptable. But the young boy just ignored him. Whenever he was focused heavily on a task, then nothing could get him away from it.
"Scorpius?" his father asked again.
Draco leaned back in his seat, sighed and shook his head. "There's no use father. He's too focused on the task."
"What is he doing anyway?" the elder Malfoy asked sitting down at the head of the table next Draco frowning at him. "Interesting read?"
Draco warily rubbed his front. "Scorpius is convinced that Harriet talked to him and only him and informed him that she would hide a secret message in the transmission. He sees it as his duty to find it. Hence, his hasty late-night visit to the Lupins."
"That's very unlikely." His father mused. "But perhaps he is a medium and channels her persona."
"If that's the case then why does he channel Harry and not Astoria, father?" Draco rebuked angrily and then continued whispering.
"There is so much that doesn't make any sense: Astoria had a hereditary curse, that was activated after our marriage. A curse, which usually kills the firstborn of every line, but Scorpius is fine. Everyday I dread to go to sleep because I'm afraid that he is going to lie cold in his bed in the morning. He is so… so adorably strange, so bright, but it seems that he is able to perceive things that I can't protect him from. He looks very much like me, but I wasn't even close being as bright as him at that age. Wasn't I?"
"Lucius took poured himself a glass of wine and shook his head. "Oh, you were bright, Draco, that's a fact. But it seems that Scorpius is just an earlier starter."
"Are you going down memory lane with the Daily Prophet?" his father enquired to change the subject.
Draco snorted and turned to page three.
"Not even close. The only thing the Daily Prophet got right about her was that she left the Wizarding world. She didn't work in the company they are mentioning. She was one of the three founders and quickly expanded it. What they call her 'overbearing presence on the Muggle World' that was 'disrupting traditions and cultures around the world' was her charity school program. Was she outspoken about breaking traditions and culture norms, yes, but her primary goal was getting these children food and most especially education to give them a chance and a choice in life. The trio founded this organization when she was about sixteen years old. Do you know why the program worked? She studied their history and cultures and tried to find out how much they could implement it in their curriculums. 'A child needs both roots and wings' she used to say. Without their culture and their history, they wouldn't be able to grow wings. She was including the children's family's in building the schools because they wouldn't be able to tear something down that you've worked so hard to build. She didn't go there and dictated them on how they had to live, like many other charities love to do. She opened schools that offered an international curriculum with some personal additions. And all the children received free food, so that the parents didn't have to worry about feeding them. What the Daily Prophet also doesn't mention is that after a few years the children of those schools started to get top placements in all kinds of international competitions."
Draco smiled at the memory when Harry had found out about their first results. She had been overjoyed and glowed in happiness. "She had always fondly called them 'My kids.'
Lucius swirled his glass and shook his head. "You don't sound like merely a good friend of hers. The other mystery girl you spoke of a few days ago." He pointed at the paper. "That was Harry Potter! I knew you befriending her was a bad idea."
"No, father. It was a marvellous idea." Draco countered raising his voice. "Without her we would be in Askaban right now."
"Well, now it beginns to make sense why you urged us to switch side at least." Lucius growled and Scorpius shortly looked up to his grandfather with a startled look.
"She was the girl that…" he hesitated to look at Scorpius who was emersed in his work again, "that went to a backstreet abort… ahm angelmaker?"
Draco nodded and froze. Cold and hot showers where rushing down his back in realization. It had been the Daily Prophet telling the Wizarding World about that. He had believed the very paper that was now writing so much misinformation about her. And he remembered that she had desperately tried to reach him with her owls about a month later, which he had sent back unopened in anger.
He quickly searched for the paragraph where they repeated the claim that she had aborted her child, but there was one single sentence that mentioned she had been seen visiting a small grave. There was a grave with his unborn son. Was this sentence fact or fiction?
"They are talking about a grave she visited once." Draco said hoarsely. "I need to find out if that's true."
Lucius frowned gesturing towards his grandson who was no listening with interest to their conversation. "Why is that important? You have Scorpius who needs your attention. You need to focus on the living, not the dead."
"You don't understand, father." Draco responded. "It was just the Daily Prophet writing about her getting you-know-what. No other source spoke about it and I… I… just believed it. What if this information was just as incorrect as what they've printed today? I could have severely wronged her. That could be the reason why the Dursleys are this furious with me. They are just as protective over Harry as she is about them!"
"It doesn't matter anymore, Draco." His father reminded him more forcefully. "The past is the past. She is now working for this empire that is controlling the planet. We need to focus on Scorpius right now."
"I'm focusing on Scorpius. If I don't find out now what really happened, then he surely will investigate when he is older. That could lead him straight into the fangs of the empire. What if he is channelling Harry's persona because he can sense that there is an unresolved issue."
"What are you two quarrelling about?" Narcissa enquired closing the door from the library. "I could hear you halfway through the manor."
"That's because you were eavesdropping, nana." Scorpius shrugged his shoulders giggling at her astonished and playfully strict face.
"So, you know Papá wants to visit a grave and grandpa is against it. See, there is a message in the picture. But it's not complete. See. The picture repeats after a few sentences" the little boy puffed his chest proudly.
Narcissa went over to him and leaned over him, hugging her grandson protectively towards her chest while peaking over his shoulder to the sheet of scribble her grandson had created. The other two Malfoys also where edging closer.
-.. .. -.. / -.- - ..- / .-. . .- .-.. .-.. -.- / -... . .-.. .. . ...- . / - ... .- - / .. / .- - ..- .-.. -.. / ... ..- -... - .. - / - - / - ... .. ... / .-. . -. .. - . ..-.. / -.. - / -. - - / . -. .-.. .. ... - -.-.- / -.- - ..- / .- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . / -.-. .- -. -. - -. / ..-. - -.. -.. . .-. -.-.- / .. / .- .. .-.. .-.. / -. - - / -... . -. -.. / - ... . / -.- -. . . .-.-.- / .- .. .-.. .-.. / -.- - ..- ..-.. / .-. .-.. .- -.-
Did you really believe that I would submit to this regime? Do not enlist! You will be cannon fodder! I will not bend the knee. Will you? Play …
"That's impossible!" Lucius murmured.
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