THE HOGWARTS VOICE

Issue 2

We've heard the rumours. We've heard the talk. The stories. The tales. Imagine that. We've started people talking in ways they haven't for a long time. Far longer than it should have been.

We reminded you- or for those of you who never realised, pointed out to you- that something is wrong at Hogwarts. What is it that's going on here at Hogwarts that shouldn't be? Government interference like there has never been before. Government interference at its worse.

Not because of falling standards (although we at the Hogwarts Voice can think of several things Hogwarts could improve on), no, but because of their own hidden agenda.

Not because they're doing it for our benefit, but they're doing it for theirs.

What are they doing exactly?

Let's get down to the task at hand, shall we, dear readers?

They do not want to admit that they could be wrong about a certain dark lord issue.

It seems like that would be the only reason for their interference now.

They want to distract us with the 'issues' at Hogwarts while they get away with covering up what could be the most dangerous threat to our safety in modern times.

Why do you ask? Why would they do something like that?

Simply because they do not want to admit that they could be wrong.

This all starts at the end of the last academic year.

Cedric Diggory- remember him? How could we ever forget? The (official) Hogwarts champion. Talented. Intelligent.

Dead.

Under suspicious circumstances during a school AND Ministry sponsored event.

We were all there when his body was brought out of the maze by Harry Potter, who claimed to witnessed the return of You-Know-Who and that it was either him or an unnamed underling of his who caused Cedric's death.

However, do any of you realise that we were never given an official report on what would have caused his death? A student in his prime, a Triwizard Champion bringing glory to himself and the school, a young man who was just this close to finishing his Hogwarts career and going out into the world... do we not owe him that at the very least? A proper investigation into his death?

Harry Potter claims that You-Know-Who- a returned You-Know-Who was involved. Yet our government- lead by our competent and highly esteemed (and we use those terms sarcastically) Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge continues to deny it to this very day, painting him and our Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore as lunatics for repeatedly and publicly proclaiming something that they, of all people would have no reason to lie about.

If they are lying (and we do not believe that they are, let us make that clear), why is there no official report on Cedric Diggory's death to disprove their stance and solidify that of the Ministry? Why is it claimed as a mere 'unfortunate accident' when such allegations are involved? Is there something that the Ministry is not telling us? Are they making up issues at Hogwarts to hide the truth of who was behind his death from us all- simply because they do not want to believe it?

Shame on them.

Cedric Diggory and his family deserve justice and we will not be distracted by fake problems and High Inquisitors (whatever that role is actually supposed to be) in our school.

After Harry had suggested his initial idea for the second issue of The Hogwarts Voice, they all looked at him oddly and Hermione had even opened her mouth to no doubt start voicing her numerous concerns, but he had persisted.

He had told the truth of what happened in the graveyard publicly before, but it seemed like everyone had forgotten about Cedric in their rush to believe that he and Dumbledore were lunatics.

He couldn't let that one go. He just couldn't.

And if the entire Ministry of Magic came toppling down because of it, he didn't care.

If this is what it took to get justice for Cedric and to get them to sit up and pay attention to the Voldemort issue, then he was going to suck it up and deal with it.

A small part of him delighted in the trouble that it would cause for Fudge and Umbridge- he couldn't wait to see the look on the toad's face when she saw this one, but he would never forget the real problems.

One: Voldemort.

Two: Turning the school into a Ministry controlled dictatorship.

In the meantime, the pranks on Umbridge could start up again, not just as stress relief, but as a way to give her even more stress.

If Umbridge was overly stressed, she'd make mistakes.

Mistakes that would make it easier to get rid of her and hopefully all of the incompetent, stuck-up-their-arse Ministry employees that were in favour of her coming here in the first place, not at least investigating his claims of Voldemort's return and of course, leaving the 'mystery' of Cedric's death unsolved.

Karma was heading their way and its name was Harry Potter.

Umbridge hadn't slept a single bit the previous night.

She had gotten ready for bed as she normally did without anything unusual happening.

There were no pranks all day, but that was little consolation compared to what was happening within Hogwarts walls.

Ever since that atrocity that called itself 'The Hogwarts Voice' had come about, many of the students had started respecting her less and even her fellow professors dropped snide comments from time to time.

Those claims that it was making... how dare they. When she caught the people responsible...

As soon as she put her head down on her fluffy pink pillow, the noises started.

The noises of croaks and ribbits filled the room, continuing all night long, despite her best efforts to find the source of the noises and get some much needed peace and quiet.

She twitched; her nerves shot from the lack of sleep.

When she reached her place at the staff table for breakfast, and had barely taken a bite of toast, she noticed a familiar looking parchment on each place at the table.

Oh.

Oh no.

No, no, no, no, no...

The Hogwarts Voice.

Issue 2.

She had hoped that they weren't actually being serious when they talked about 'exposing' things. After all, if had to be a bunch of uppity teenagers behind it, the way the talked. They wouldn't actually have anything to back up heir false claims...

Then she actually started reading the abomination of a publication and as she read, she felt herself getting angrier and angrier, all thoughts of food or lack of sleep forgotten.

How... how dare they!

Even after her latest Educational Decree banning the atrocity from the castle, they still kept up at it!

Cedric Diggory's death was an accident.

An unfortunate accident, but an accident nevertheless.

She didn't even bother with the rest of her food before she got up from the table, clutching the offending publication in her stumpy fist.

"What's the matter, Dolores?" Professor Sinistra spoke quietly, as Umbridge passed her. "You look as if you've swallowed a fly."

Umbridge pointedly ignored her as she left and didn't hear the Astronomy professor's quiet laughter.

Since it was a weekend and Harry didn't have to go to class, he was spending time in the Room of Requirement letting loose on a few dummies that looked remarkably like Umbridge.

Afterwards, he was going to sit and think out a few more pranks to keep Umbridge on her toes and hopefully make her slip, doing something that would force the Ministry's hand to take her out of the school.

But for now, he focused on letting loose a lot of pent-up stress.

Eyeing the Umbridge-shaped dummy (he chortled, Umbridge really was a dummy if she thought she could stop the storm she helped to create), he raised his wand and was about to decide how he wanted to destroy this particular one, when the door to Room of Requirement opened as well.

Startled, Harry looked up to see Cho entering the room alone.

"I... oh. You're here as well," she spoke, looking as awkward as he felt.

"Yeah... that latest Hogwarts Voice... it was really something..." Harry shrugged.

Cedric's death was perhaps what he was most touchy about when it came to what he referred to as the 'Graveyard Incident', but it was part of what the public needed to know. It was the beginning of Voldemort's return, after all.

If it was investigated, not only would they find out that Voldemort was truly back, but Cedric would also get the justice he deserved and that was never a bad thing.

"I just had to... get some stress relief after the article brought up Cedric. I mean, he deserves justice, just like the articles says and all, but it's just... hard." Cho admitted.

"I get it." Harry nodded. "I mean, just because we and that awkward last date we had..." Harry trailed off.

"I know." Cho nodded.

"Neither of us was in a good place. And... a lot of people think that I've really gone mad, what with my crusade to make Umbridge's life a living hell and all..."

"I don't think you're mad. Just... pushed to your limits. I don't blame you." Cho shrugged. "Now, can we start destroying things that look like Umbrudge? I think it would be rather soothing and it may just keep me from doing that to her for real. Azkaban's a horrible place- with or without the defected Dementors." she shuddered.

Harry shuddered as well. "Tell me about it."

He turned back towards the dummy, only to find that several more had accompanied it.

"So... Cho, how do you feel about setting things on fire?"