Harry walked back to the Hogwarts Express, not really knowing what to think.
Dumbledore was dead, killed by Snape since Malfoy couldn't do it. He was the Chosen One, but he'd never felt less special at Hogwarts.
He sat on the castle's parapet, not caring either about that or that the Hogwarts Express was to leave in a few hours.
Out of his line of sight, Professor McGonagall sidled up behind him, clearing her throat so as not to come unannounced. Harry didn't look.
"In light of what has happened," she tepidly began. "If you should have the need to talk to someone ..."
She trailed off, unable to finish that thought. She tried again.
"You should know ... Dumbledore ... you meant a great deal to him."
"Yeah," Harry snapped. "Because I was the Chosen One, and I was born to kill Voldemort or die trying. Well, fat lot of good I'm doing."
"N-No," said McGonagall, unable to keep herself from faltering.
Harry turned toward her, not just surprised at the Gryffindor head, but stunned speechless.
"As a person, Harry," she eked out.
Harry sat there, unable to respond. McGonagall, seeming to be holding back tears, turned and walked off awfully fast. Her striding figure nearly bumped into a tall, ginger figure walking onto the roof, who bumped into another female outline while trying to avoid her.
Hermione and Ron walked up to Harry. He turned around and looked at them for a good long while.
"Harry," Ron said simply, breaking the silence.
Hermione sat down next to him.
Harry looked between his two friends, and smiled weakly at them.
"Guys ..." Harry began. "H-Hermione. Ron. I'm not coming back. I'm done with Hogwarts. I've got to finish whatever Dumbledore started. I don't know where that'll leave me, but ... I'll let you guys know where I am if I can."
Hermione snorted, double the height of Harry's eyebrows from his eyes.
"I've always admired your courage, Harry," Hermione stated. "But sometimes, you can be really thick."
"Mate, you don't think you're gonna be able to find all the Horcruxes by yourself, do you?", Ron asked. "You need our help, Harry."
Harry looked at them with a look. A look that said, "Thanks for your help, even if I didn't want it yet."
Ron nudged Hermione, and she blinked a few times. She took a deep breath, and let it go.
"But that's not why we came up here. I wish it was, Harry. Harry ..."
Hermione seemed unable to get her thoughts out. Ron sighed, and thrust a Daily Prophet into Harry's hands.
"I'd tell you to sit down before you read it, but this time you might wanna get up," Ron commented offhandedly. "Best you don't fall over there."
Harry flapped out the paper, and took a look at the headline.
RUFUS SCRIMGEOUR RESIGNS; INSIDE SOURCES REVEAL THE REAL REASON
A photo of Scrimgeour's empty desk accompanied it. It didn't seem to be moving. The story took up the whole page, which Harry had never seen before.
Harry's eyes narrowed, worried, and a smidgen confused.
"Keep reading," Hermione supplied.
Harry continued.
Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour announced his resignation and retirement in a written statement made last night. The statement, while still technically classified under ministerial privilege, has been parsed and the summary spread until the full statement can be released. Officially, the reason given was that he felt professionally inadequate of fulfilling his duties. This would likely be related to the murder of revered Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore by ex-Potions master and, until recently, believed reformed Death Eater Severus Snape, as well as a general uptick in Death Eater attacks. Normally, this is when other reporters would ramble on about what the wizarding world speculates about the event. For the record, the magical community believes it so far. However, highly placed sources inside the Ministry reporting for the Prophet say that this is not the case.
Harry started.
"This is unlike any Prophet article I've ever read," he observed, shocked.
Ron made a "hurry-up" motion with his hands.
These sources inform Scrimgeour was apparently intending a drastic policy shift, including allowing students the choice to not attend Hogwarts in to he upcoming semester. This change had some traction amongst his Cabinet. However, a rival faction, led by Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Pius Thicknesse, opposed this proposition, claiming Scrimgeour was trying to let students avoid class to fight Death Eaters. Instead of denying it, Scrimgeour admitted that that was his intention. Our sources claimed Scrimgeour defended his view by pointing to Harry Potter, who defeated Voldemort as an infant, calling "the Chosen One" and demanding that he be given his space to save this wizarding community. Thicknesse countered by claiming that the last thing untrained students should do is take on those dark forces. The resulting debate lasted several hours.
Thicknesse then cited an centuries-old magical statue which, in effect, was a one-time-ever use to expel a Minister of Magic with a majority vote. The head of every department was summoned forth for an emergency vote. By exactly one vote, Scrimgeour was ousted and Thicknesse had completed his coup. Why Scrimgeour has not opened up about this is unclear. Since then, however, Thicknesse has completed upended the bureaucracy, firing experienced and non-controversial veterans to replace them with his personal staff. His policy is unclear to our sources at this time, but he supposed has information on contacting Death Eaters and has hired magical treatymakers as well. This does not bode well for those who do not agree with cooperation with Voldemort.
Thicknesse attempt to hide any hint of the truth from reaching the Prophet. So the reporter writing this story has snuck it onto the front page. As the Ministry has had a history of using its influence on the Daily Prophet to report what it wants it to, it is likely that this story will be suppressed and erased across all their papers. When discover the reporter involved is likely to lose their job. They do not care. They joined the Daily Prophet with the intent of report on world events with clarity, honesty, and perspective. They have done just that. Do not let this article fade from your memory or the public conscience, even if it fades from this paper
Harry looked up. He stood there in disbelief. But before he could articulate his thoughts, including how this person had said Voldemort's name multiple times -
"Harry, it's changing, the story's changing!", Hermione pointed out.
And indeed it was. Where the Prophet's finest journalistic work had been, several cookie-cutter articles had taken its place. The headline now read:
RUFUS SCRIMGEOUR RESIGNS
NEW MINISTER PIUS THICKNESSE PROMISES ERA OF "PEACE AND COOPERATION"
"I don't like the sound of that," Ron commented, much less offhandedly.
The three gathered around.
Several seconds later, Harry rose, fuming. Ron followed. Hermione kept reading it. The two turned towards her, and Ron spoke.
"Hermione, aren't you mad?"
But she kept reading, her eyes flitting across the page faster and faster. Then, in one swift motion, she took out her wand and lit the whole thing on fire.
The two stared, awestruck. She looked at the, distraught.
"You just stopped reading when Thicknesse said all that ... that crap about doing what costs the least lives, right?"
Ron nodded. Harry didn't move. Hermione took a deep breath ... and let it all out.
"I think the Ministry's going to make a deal with the Death Eaters."