Chapter Ninety-Four

DUMBLEDORE DEAD!

By Rita Skeeter

This morning the DMLE has released a statement that Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore died in the early hours of the eighteenth of August. Readers should remember Albus Dumbledore was revealed to be the mastermind behind the quadruple murder at The Three Chases which occurred on the first of this month when two men loyal to Albus Dumbledore attempted to assassinate Heir Hadrian Slytherin. After which Albus Dumbledore went on the run for the past two weeks and we have all lived in fear of another disaster like the one that happened there.

In the weeks since then more and more has been revealed showing that Albus Dumbledore is not the man we all thought he was. Indeed, he is a kidnapper, child abuser, suspected of committing line theft against at least two Lords of the Wizengamot, embezzling from both Hogwarts and a child in his care, and has conspired to commit least four counts of murder that we know of so far.

So, I think I speak for all the Wizarding World that we can all rest easy in our beds knowing that Albus Dumbledore can cause no further harm to our world.

Albus Dumbledore was killed attempting to kidnap Heir Slytherin. A wardborer was somehow planted in Malfoy Manor. The DMLE is appealing for any information on how this came to be and urges anyone with information to come forward.

Five individuals have been apprehended for taking part in the attack – Joshua Bulman (32, Auror); Valerianus Crim (42, Auror); Faustina Long (42, Potions Master); Sapphire McNaughton (26, Cursebreaker); Anastasius Peacock (33, Unspeakable). Amelia Bones is interested in interviewing another four who may be involved – Elphias Doge (113, Lord of the Wizengamot); Hestia Jones (38, Department of Floo Maintenance); Coralia Quincey (77, Former Head of the DRCMC). There is also an unknown witch who is wanted for question – estimated to be 50 – 70, walks with a limp, dark hair (artist rendition is included at the bottom left.)

Lord Lucius Malfoy is currently recovering from Fiendfyre – Dark elemental magic – at St Mungo's. Lucius Malfoy, we should remember is Heir Slytherin's lover and sire to his unborn child. For his children and lover's sake we wish him a speedy recovery.

Mr Sirius Black is also in a coma from unknown causes. Sirius Black was convicted of being a Death Eater and betrayer of Lord and Lady Potter, but the DMLE have recently revealed that there were inconsistencies in that case which has been reopened and given his recent behaviour at The Three Chasers it is believed he is innocent of all charges.

From this we would assume that Albus Dumbledore was killed by the Aurors after Dumbledore and his followers dispatched Black and Malfoy. However, a source in the DMLE has revealed that the body of Albus Dumbledore was removed from the premises with seventeen stab wounds. This is hardly in line with what the Aurors would normally be do? And if it was, they were acting out of bounds.

If it wasn't the Aurors, how did Albus Dumbledore come to be in such deplorable shape?

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Tom sighed as he put the Prophet down. Skeeter hadn't mentioned Hadrian (probably due to the contract). But she had included enough that people would easily be able to draw the line between Hadrian and Dumbledore's death. So, what should he do – release a statement about what had happened or just let people guess?

Releasing a statement would paint a bigger target on Hadrian's head from any Dumbledore loyalists. But it might just be a matter of time. After all, Skeeter was far from the only journalist out there. Was it not better to get ahead of the matter so they could put their own spin on it before the rumours got out of control?

Or should he just deny Hadrian's involvement completely?

The truth was that either way it could go badly for Hadrian.

Tom thought about it and decided until things progressed further, he would let sleeping dogs lie. After all, if he announced that Hadrian had killed Dumbledore, especially given the brutality of that act it might turn people against him. But they could easily explain it at a later date if it became necessary.

'Do they know?' asked Hadrian.

Hadrian was laying curled up beside Lucius careful not to jar any of his injuries. Lucius Malfoy meanwhile was asleep – his injuries and the pain potions he was on were zapping him of his energy. But despite all that there was a small frown gracing his brow to show that the Malfoy Lord was still in pain.

Tom shook his head, 'they know Dumbledore was killed at Malfoy manor, but not by who. You weren't even mentioned in association.'

'Do you think they'll find out?' asked Hadrian.

Tom considered, 'I think that the DMLE is notoriously bad at keeping secrets.'

Ron Weasley was sitting at the table eating breakfast with his Aunt and Uncle. Uncle Cadmus and he were going to have a meeting with Flitwick to discuss his "circumstances" today which is the only reason he was up so early – his younger cousin were luckily still in bed. Ron had hoped that going back to Hogwarts would mean no more therapy that left him feeling less sure of himself than when he had gone in.

The Prophet owl swooped in with the words DUMBLEDORE DEAD! Ron felt his heart plummet Albus Dumbledore couldn't be dead, he just couldn't, he was Dumbledore! Dumbledore was Dumbledore, the Defeater of Grindelwald, the only one He Who Must Not Be Named feared, the one to engineer the downfall of the Dark Lord and stop the Dark times.

What would they do now?

Nothing would stop You Know Who now.

'Ron,' Uncle Cadmus said gently looking at the newspaper. 'Are you … do you want to talk about it?'

'He's dead,' whispered Ron voice breaking. 'You Know Who killed him.'

'Is that what it says?' asked Aunt Seppy voice gentle.

Ron snorted, 'the Prophet has been bought by He Who Must Not Be Named!'

His Aunt and Uncle shared a look that Ron couldn't decipher.

'What does it say?' asked Uncle Cadmus.

'That he was killed at Malfoy Manor,' Ron snorted. 'The Malfoys are the worst sort of wizard … he was stabbed seventeen times!'

'That was hardly his style back in the day,' Uncle Cadmus said quietly.

Ron frowned, 'if it wasn't Him then who else could it be?'

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Minerva dropped her tea when she read the headlines the next morning. The grief threatened to choke her, because no matter what Albus was, he had been her mentor for almost her whole life, more like a father than her own standoffish one was.

He had been stabbed seventeen times! Minerva felt ill – Albus was dead! Had her actions caused this? If she had said nothing, would he still be alive? How had he even died because neither the Aurors nor the Dark Lord were prone to stabbing things.

But a pregnant teenager unable to do magic might just be able to do so.

Oh Harry, what did you?

But then Minerva remembered the revelations of Harry's memories. Had Albus tried to repeat what he had done with James? Had he attempted to kidnap Harry to gain control of the child he was carrying?

Had Harry just defended himself?

Did it matter when he had killed somone?

Again, Minerva remembered James Potter's face as her oldest and most dear friend killed him and she knew the answer. Yes, it mattered – if Albus had tried to repeat his past sins on Harry and in his unborn child then he had to be stopped!

Minerva just wished it wouldn't have been so permanently.

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.

.

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Bill was helping Charlie prepare dinner whilst the twins discussed their business at the table. Bill knew that his concentration was only half there after the Death Eater party to celebrate the continuation of the Dark Lord's line. It had been very different than he had ever thought.

They weren't monsters.

He had been sat at He Who Must Not Be Named's table thanks to his close relationship with Harry the Dark Prince, so his interaction with most of the Death Eaters was limited. Although, he had had an interesting conversation with Haran Nott, a fellow Cursebreaker based in England, after the celebration whilst waiting for use of You Know Who's Floo. He was there with his son and they seemed like a completely normal family. Not the monsters that his parents had always portrayed them as. It was quite a mental reset that Bill was trying to adjust to.

'Look at this,'

Percy had come in from work carrying today's edition of the Daily Prophet looking … well looking normal for Percy. Bill's heart dropped what had happened now? Was it his parents? Or Harry? Or the Dark Lord? Or Dumbledore?

Everything was a mess.

'Dumbledore is dead,' Percy said sharply.

'What?' asked Bill.

'How?' asked the twins together.

'Why?' asked Charlie.

'I don't know who,' Percy said frowning pensively. 'He … he tried to kidnap Harry but was killed doing so – it doesn't say who … just that he was stabbed a lot!'

'Stabbed?' asked George sharing a look with Fred.

'Yes,' Percy said huffily.

'Do you know something?' asked Bill.

Fred and George shared a look again.

'Harry,' George said.

'He received-'

'-a dagger-'

'-from a-'

'-family friend-'

'-for his-'

'birthday,' finished George.

'But Harry wouldn't kill someone, would he?' Charlie asked.

Fred and George shared a dark look.

'To save himself he would,' Fred said darkly.

'Why didn't the Prophet say anything?' asked Percy.

'They are not going to risk offending a Lord,' Bill said. 'And from the sounds of it the DMLE are ruling it as self-defence.'

'I just hope he's okay,' Bill said quietly.

'We too,' agreed the twins.

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Molly Lightwitch was still in the tiny cell that she had been for the last two weeks. The divorce had come through two days ago, with no birth name to fall back on she had to choose her own surname. Naturally, she had felt that Lightwitch was appropriate.

After she had gotten justifiably angry about her daughter's child not being the Heir of Slytherin her food had begun to be dosed with calming potions. Molly had tried to refuse food but all that happened was the Healer prescribed her mild control potions. However, for the last twenty-fours her mind felt clearer as though the potions had suddenly stopped.

The DMLE must want to speak to her and if she was under mind-altering potions would mean that anything she had said could be contested. Molly wondered what they wanted now. Because naturally after the last incident with the Prophet she was considered too emotionally unstable to be allowed the Prophet.

She was still able to write letters to the outside world, but it was too little use. However, as Flint had written saying asking her to desist for he was not going to pass any messages to her daughter and Arthur's brother had written saying the same because he didn't want her to harm Ron anymore. It was ridiculous she had never harmed any of her children. Arthur too hadn't written back but hadn't asked her to stop. Aside from that none of the people she once called friends had even answered her.

'Ms. Lightwitch,' her Auror guard said.

Molly was led to the interrogation cell to where Amelia Bones and Rufus Scrimgeour were already present. Molly was forced to sit down behind the magical barrier keeping her away from her interrogators. Molly scowled at the two of them and made up her mind not to say anything else.

'Formal interview of Molly Isolde Lightwitch, arrested on charges of line theft, murder and accepting stolen goods,' Bones said. 'Conducted by Head of the DMLE Amelia Susan Bones and Head Auror Rufus Adam Scrimgeour. Interview started on the twentieth of August 1995 at eight-fifty-one. Would you like a lawyer?'

Molly snorted, 'I don't think that is going to help me with You Know Who controlling everything!'

Scrimgeour shrugged, 'would you consent to veritserum?'

Molly sneered, 'no I would not.'

'Okay then do you recognise these?' asked Scrimgeour.

Molly watched as two silver instruments were placed on the table between them. Molly couldn't touch them thanks to the ward, but she could easily observe them. And Molly knew exactly what they were – Dumbledore's twin wardborers that he had Arthur plant one in the Malfoy Manor. Dumbledore had wanted them planted at other former Death Eater residences, but Arthur had refused for years, had refused to do it to Malfoy Manor for years until the Chamber of Secrets incident.

How had the Ministry found them?

Had Malfoy Manor been attacked?

Lucius Malfoy was Hadrian Slytherin's lover the boy likely spent a good deal of time there out with the Dark Lord's control. It would make sense for Dumbledore to take the boy there. Molly couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face.

'The Slytherin brat has been taken, hasn't he?' she asked.

'No, he hasn't,' Scrimgeour said frowning at her. 'He is safe at home with his father.'

'Well, it is only a matter of time before Professor Dumbledore gets the brat,' Molly said sneering, hating the boy with every fibre of her being. 'The Dark Lord can't be with him forever.'

'Dumbledore is dead!' Scrimgeour said with a fierce glare.

'NO! NO! NO! NO!' Molly shook her head frantically, refusing to believe it.

'He was killed attempting to kidnap Heir Slytherin,' Bones said calmly.

'NO! NO! NO! NO!' Molly shouted. 'YOU ARE LYING! YOU WANT TO TRICK ME! YOU WANT ME TO LOSE HOPE!'

Scrimgeour snorted, 'Ms. Lightwitch, Albus Dumbledore is dead and that is the end of that.'

'He can't help you,' Bones said, 'but you can help yourself – if you are able to testify as to how this instrument got into Malfoy Manor the Wizengamot might be prepared to offer you a deal. You are currently under remand for double murder, second degree line-theft and accessory to embezzlement – we could offer you a deal that would take the Kiss off the table.'

Molly just shook her head, barely hearing what was said to her; too busy absorbing the truth – Dumbledore was dead! Molly just shook her head feeling the heartbreak and denial at the lie that Albus was dead. The utter hopelessness and anger that came with that idea. And the knowledge that if it was true … she and the rest of the Wizarding World was doomed!

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Arthur was pacing around the meeting room anxiously. He had read article this morning with a dawning sense of horror. Dumbledore was dead, he had died in a kidnapping attempt Harry. And in the brutal way he had died it was clearly either the Dark Lord or Lucius Malfoy – who else would be so brutal?

But what was worse was that he knew how they had done it. Albus had asked him many years ago to leave a device that would let them into the wards should they have to stop Lucius Malfoy from harming innocents like he had done to Ginny.

And instead, Dumbledore had used it to harm a child!

Arthur once more felt used by those he cared for. Molly and Ginny had lied to him for years and years made his feel worry and anger on their behalf, but he still loved them more than anything, wanted to protect them from their own actions.

'Is this about the attack on Malfoy Manor?' asked Heap. 'Do you know something?'

'I planted the wardborer,' Arthur admitted.

Heap hissed, 'when, how and why?'

'In October 1993,' Arthur said. 'Albus had asked me beforehand, but I had always refused knowing that I could be arrested if I did so. But then my daughter … she almost died … Malfoy-'

'I know about the incident with He Who Must Not Be Named's cursed diary,' Heap said. 'I am using the trauma of that to explain why your daughter would be so easily led.'

Arthur swallowed, 'after that Albus came to me again … asked … pointed out if we had been able to get into Malfoy Manor before that Ginny might never have been possessed. We had a tip off that Malfoy was trying to sell contraband in Knockturn Alley, so a raid was scheduled … I just left it behind.'

Heap frowned, 'who else knows?'

'Dumbledore and Molly,' Arthur replied.

'It would be in your ex-wife's best interest to inform the DMLE especially if they agree to a deal,' frowned Heap.

'What do I do?' asked Arthur.

Heap sighed, 'at this point there's not a lot you can do – confessing would stop Lightwitch from testifying against you. Currently, you could be charged with conspiracy to gain unlawful entry to private property and corruption as you used your Ministerial position to plant it. That would mean a sentence of up to two years for the former and up to five years for the later. Given that your actions either intended or not almost had a minor Heir of an Ancient and Noble House kidnapped, and your other charges they would likely press for the maximum. However, if you say nothing and your ex-wife testifies that you knew of the intended outcome then you could also be charged with conspiracy to kidnap which does not have a maximum sentence.'

'So, you think I should confess?' asked Arthur.

'I do,' Heap agreed. 'Is there anything that can help us secure a deal? Make sure you were only charged with breaking and entry.'

'The woman in the Auror sketch,' Arthur said. 'I think I know who she is.'

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Remus was reading a book on hunting techniques. Greyback – hi father – wanted him to help with gathering food which meant pursuing the local deer in the area. Remus knew this was necessary for their survival and quite frankly there were too many deer and too little predators, but at the same time it made him feel sick at the idea of killing something.

Greyback snorted, 'you're not going to learn anything from books, son.'

'I learn better from books,' Remus replied.

Greyback blinked and then shrugged, 'suit yourself, I personally find it really hard to learn anything from just reading.'

Remus was about to ask about his mother when Greyback sat down beside him. Remus could tell from the look in his eyes that something had happened, that something was wrong. Remus swallowed wondering what could have happened now.

'You should know that Albus Dumbledore is dead,' Greyback said without any sort of finesse.

'Dead?' Remus' stomach dropped. 'Voldemort?'

'The Dark Lord was nowhere about,' Greyback said sharply.

'Then how?' asked Remus weakly.

Did Greyback seem proud?

'Dumbledore attempted to kidnap the Dark Prince,' Greyback looked furious (perhaps he was thinking about Remus' own kidnapping). 'The Dark Prince defended himself.'

'Harry?' asked Remus weakly.

'The Dark Prince,' Greyback said sharply.

'How?' asked Remus.

'With the knife I gave him for his birthday,' Greyback said with a definite smirk. 'The great Albus Dumbledore killed by one traumatised teenager and a knife. You should also know that Sirius Black is in a coma in the hospital. One of Dumbledore's lot apparently used a drowning spell on him.'

Remus blanched, 'I have to see him!'

'No,' Greyback said firmly.

'I lo-'Remus began.

'If you return to the Wizarding World, the Dark Lord will kill you,' Greyback said simply. 'It was part of our agreement – that the Dark Lord would not punish you for your role in his mate's death only if you never returned to the Wizarding World.'

'I have to see him!' Remus tried again.

'Do you think Black would want that?' Greyback said sharply. 'From what I heard Black made it quite clear that he didn't want to see again. You may love him, but do you respect him and his wishes? Because from the sound of it – you never have; you've lied and abandoned him, and now you wish to refuse to listen to him to sate your own desires.'

'I … I …' Remus looked down.

As much as Remus wanted to go and see Sirius, he knew Greyback was correct. Sirius didn't want him there – he had made that quite clear. Remus slumped down in defeat – Sirius was better off without him.