HOGWARTS REPAIRS UNDERWAY; REOPENING PLANNED FOR FALL TERM

by Andy Smudgley, The Daily Prophet

The mammoth task of undoing the damage to Hogwarts Castle is underway, according to newly-appointed Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. The centuries-old building has been home to hundreds of students every year, and McGonagall reassures us that will not change.

"Hogwarts will be open to students on the first of September this fall, as it has been every year," she told the Prophet in a statement. "Thanks to a combination of Ministry support and volunteers, we expect to have enough progress complete to resume school operations in full."

Parents have expressed concern about the safety of the school in recent years. Last year's term was embroiled in controversy under Headmaster Severus Snape, now confirmed to be a follower of You-Know-Who, and the year before saw a number of incidents culminating in the murder of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. "I don't know if I can trust those teachers to keep my children safe anymore," said Lorene Edgecombe, employee with the Department of Magical Transportation and mother of two current Hogwarts students, in a letter to the Prophet. "That place has proven to be too dangerous for children. I will seriously consider home-schooling my two youngest this fall."

McGonagall wishes to reassure parents that the castle is perfectly safe, and security will be tightened for the upcoming school year. "The threat of Lord Voldemort has passed, and there is no longer a danger to the school," she said. "We will also be increasing the number of Aurors on duty at the castle to ensure that our children are secure."

There has been speculation that this increase in security is in part due to looting and vandalism on school grounds in recent weeks. McGonagall says that a number of visitors have taken advantage of the abandoned castle to sneak in and take precious artifacts from within its walls. "We ask that nobody come to Hogwarts this summer unless they are part of the reconstruction team," she implored. "We've had another of items stolen, including paintings, suits of armor and a valuable scepter that has been at the castle for centuries. If anyone has information on any of these objects, please contact the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

McGonagall was asked if the Chosen One, Harry Potter, would be returning to the school to complete his seventh year. "I have not been made privy to Mr. Potter's plans," she said, "nor do I plan to ask him. If he chooses to return, he will be welcome along with anyone else whose education was disrupted by the war."

Sources close to the Prophet indicate that Potter has taken a position with the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but it is unknown at this time the extent of his role there.

For more on Potter's activities in the past year, see 'Confederation of Goblins', pg. 18.

"Any fun news today, Potter?"

Harry looked up from his copy of the Prophet; the Auror named Frank Savage was walking by his desk. "Not really," Harry muttered, folding the paper and tossing it on his desk. Savage shrugged and walked past.

Harry had been working at the Auror Office for a week and a half now, and found himself so bored that he was reading the Daily Prophet cover to cover every morning just to pass the time. He had envisioned going out and fighting crime every other day, but instead he was stuck in this little cubicle, compiling reports about former Death Eaters and their possible whereabouts. Robards insisted that this was critical work, considering that all of the Ministry's records on dark wizards and witches were destroyed under Thicknesse, but Harry had grown tired of filling out page after page of useless information. He felt no closer to catching any of these names and faces, but at least he could tell you each of their heights, eye colors and wand cores.

Harry forced himself to return to his paperwork, knowing that delaying it would only create more work later. He filled in as much information as he could about Antonin Dolohov, copying from his inmate records from Azkaban Prison. Six foot one inches...dark brown hair...black eyes...birch wand with dragon heartstring core, ten inches… Harry's eyes started to glaze over and he set his quill down, unable to focus. He picked up the Prophet again, flipping to page 18 to see what more they had to say about him today…

CONFEDERATION OF GOBLINS SEEK ACTION AGAINST POTTER, WEASLEY, GRANGER

by Alexander Fenetre, The Daily Prophet

Tensions between wizards and goblins remain high following last month's break-in at Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Details of the event remain unclear, but sources tell the Prophet that the incident occurred shortly after noon on the first of May. Former Hogwarts students Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger infiltrated the bank by methods unknown and broke into a vault rumored to belong to deceased Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange, before escaping on the back of a dragon.

It is unknown how the trio got through Gringotts' defenses, what they were after, or if they succeeded. Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt has defended the group, saying in a statement, "The Ministry recognizes that the Gringotts break-in was part of a greater scheme to defeat the Dark Lord Voldemort, and the actions of Potter, Weasley and Granger set in motion a series of events that culminated in the Battle of Hogwarts the following day. The Ministry will work with the goblins to ensure the continued security of Gringotts and fair compensation for the damage sustained during the incident."

However, the goblins seem to believe the Ministry's actions are inadequate. "We are appalled at the lack of action against the perpetrators of this crime," said Garunk the Great, current president of Gringotts and member of the Confederation of Goblins. "Not only were items stolen from a customer's vault and extensive damage done to the bank's structure, but we have reason to believe dark magic was used against goblins, including an Imperius Curse, which is illegal under both wizarding and goblin law. Not only has Potter not been punished, but he has been rewarded with a position at the Ministry of Magic! We demand a fair trial before both wizards and goblins for his crimes."

The Ministry declined to respond to inquiries about the veracity of the goblins' claims. Newly-appointed Director of the Goblins Liaison Office, Steven Marchbanks, has reportedly been meeting with the Confederation to find "alternative solutions" to the issue. "We stand fully behind Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger," Mr. Marchbanks said in a brief statement to the press. "We hope to avoid any kind of conflict with the goblins and will work closely with them to resolve this issue."

"What's the Confederation of Goblins?" Harry asked aloud to no one in particular.

"The goblins' leadership body," said Proudfoot, who was walking back to her desk from the restroom. "They negotiate with the Ministry and make decisions on behalf of their race. Why do you ask?"

"Reading about my break-in," Harry grimaced, indicating the Prophet in his hands. "They don't sound too pleased."

"Blimey, Garunk's got the Confederation involved now?" Savage grimaced, leaning into view from his own desk across the way. "That's not good."

"Garunk the Great?" Harry asked, having seen the name earlier in the article. "You know him?"

"Only heard stories," said Savage. "'Garunk the Greedy', most wizards call him in private. Always claiming the wizarding world has wronged him in some way and demanding compensation. Tread with care around him."

"But Kingsley Shacklebolt said the Ministry could smooth things over," said Harry. "Right?"

"They can try," said Savage, "but the goblins have a tendency to take matters into their own hands when things don't go their way. Remember Ludo Bagman? He hasn't been seen in nearly four years since he ran afoul of the Confederation."

"Dawlish had a bit of trouble with them a few years back, remember?" sneered Proudfoot. "Tried to use counterfeit Galleons to settle a debt."

"He did?" Harry asked.

"Oh yeah," Savage said. "Real mess that was. Dumbledore himself had to meet with the Confederation to make that go away. Dawlish apologized for it and everything, but you know what they say: once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin—"

"What?!" Harry yelped. "Dawlish was a Slytherin?"

"Sure was," Savage scowled. "We never let him hear the end of it, neither."

"But then…" Harry said, gears turning in his head. "That's why he stayed under Thicknesse, then? Because he was a Voldemort sympathizer?"

"No, that's not why," said Robards sternly, who had left his corner office to interrupt the conversation. "Dawlish was many things, but he was not a fan of the Dark Lord. He wouldn't be an Auror if he wasn't dedicated to fighting dark magic."

"Didn't stop him from being a boot-licker when Thicknesse showed up," Savage muttered. Proudfoot nodded in silent agreement with that sentiment.

"Dawlish did what he thought he had to do to survive," Robards said firmly. "Shacklebolt has vouched for him time and again—"

"Then why hasn't he turned himself in?" Savage demanded. "Where has he been since the Battle of Hogwarts?"

"We're not having this conversation again," Robards insisted. "Enough about Dawlish. Everyone back to work." He returned to his office, and Savage and Proudfoot begrudgingly went back to their seats. Harry hadn't realized how much of a sore subject Dawlish was around here. He had always wondered why Dawlish wasn't part of the Order of the Phoenix like many other Aurors were, but apparently there were rifts in the Auror Office that preceded Voldemort's return.

Harry forced himself back to work on his paperwork, until mercifully the clock struck noon and he stood for lunch. Usually he met Arthur Weasley in the Atrium to share a meal, but Arthur had sent him a memo the day before, saying he would be too busy this week to get out of his office. So Harry took the lift up to Level One, where there was a small corner deli operated by a jolly witch, and bought himself a sandwich to eat in the courtyard. He silently munched on his meal, looking up at the enchanted ceiling, which today unfortunately reflected a gloomy overcast sky.

Harry had found himself in a dour mood the past few days since starting his new job. Auror work was tedious and nowhere near as exciting as he'd expected, and he felt cooped up here in this underground maze of obscure departments and sub-departments. It wasn't much better going home, either; most nights he passed the time at Grimmauld Place by skimming through his old Hogwarts textbooks and reminiscing on a simpler time. He'd even taken up Muggle cooking in the kitchen because he was so bored! Was this what being an adult meant? An endless slog of boredom and responsibility?

The only highlight of his day was in the afternoons, when Robards had carved out time to train Harry on some of the more advanced magic required for the job. That wasn't to say it was easy; in fact, Harry quickly realized just how much of a gap in his education he had from skipping his seventh year. He fared alright in his early mock duels in the training room, but Robards quickly learned Harry's patterns and exploited them, deflecting his hexes with ease and easily overpowering Harry with his own.

"Didn't you ever learn nonverbal spells, Potter?" Robards asked after parrying yet another failed Stunning Spell. "You're giving me too much time and information to counter you!"

"Haven't got the hang of it yet," Harry muttered. He started learning nonverbal magic in his sixth year under Snape, but he'd never had much success with him as instructor. He suspected that seventh-years spent a lot more time mastering the technique – something he'd never had to do. He tried to focus and cast more nonverbal spells, but this only caused the duels to conclude more quickly as Robards easily dispatched him time and again.

"Best get practicing on those," Robards huffed, clearly looking disappointed with Harry.

As bad as Harry did in these sessions, he was even worse at other aspects of the job. His potions skills had taken a nosedive since he no longer had the guidance of the Half-Blood Prince, and Robards was amazed at Harry's lack of basic alchemical knowledge. "You've never brewed a Healing Draught before?" Robards laughed. "That's the most basic tool in an Auror's arsenal! What if you're injured on the job?"

"I learned about it," Harry muttered, "but never quite got around to making it."

"At least tell me you know how to mend injuries with your wand!"

Harry could only shake his head sheepishly.

"Well," said Robards, clearly shocked at the ineptitude. "Ehm...keep practicing then, Potter. I'll tell you right now that if you'd applied under the old Auror system, you wouldn't have even received an interview."

Harry felt a deep sense of shame at his failures to live up to Auror standards. He could tell that Robards and the others were looking at him differently now that they'd seen his skills up close rather than hearing grand tales of his abilities and achievements. The mystique surrounding him after Voldemort's demise was starting to fade, and reality was setting in: Harry just wasn't cut out for the job.

It was starting to affect his self-confidence as well. You're rubbish, Harry would tell himself after every failed attempt at basic tasks. Everyone knows now that you're a fraud. Dumbledore was the brilliant one, and you're taking credit for what he did on his own. He longed to speak with Ron and Hermione about it, to confide his feelings of inadequacy, but they were unreachable at the moment, no doubt enjoying their vacation in Australia. Now Harry was really regretting his decisions, and he was even considering resigning from the Auror Office and returning to Hogwarts after all…

But one thought kept gnawing away at him: Dawlish was a Slytherin? This piece of information was intriguing to him for many reasons. No matter what Kingsley or anyone else said to defend Dawlish, he had served under Thicknesse and fought on Voldemort's side at Hogwarts. Furthermore, every time Harry had ever come across him, Dawlish was actively working against the Order and the resistance efforts. Dawlish had tried to arrest Dumbledore in his fifth year. He'd tailed Dumbledore during his Horcrux hunt the year after. And he'd passed information to the Death Eaters about the date of Harry's departure from Privet Drive.

All of that was damning enough...but a Slytherin? Harry had learned by now that not all Slytherins were dark wizards, but what business did a Slytherin have applying for the Auror Office? Cunning, ambition, a self-serving nature...what did any of those traits have to do with fighting crime? What Slytherin would ever put their own life on the life to save somebody else? No wonder Dawlish stayed at the Ministry under Thicknesse...he must have seen an opportunity to advance himself, perhaps to lead the Auror Office himself one day. And the other Aurors didn't seem to like him much, either…

Harry decided that if he was gonna be an Auror, he might as well use the tools provided to him. Robards had introduced him to an enchanted book called the Compendium, which provided all of the information the Ministry had compiled about any given topic. Harry asked to borrow it from Proudfoot and brought it back to his desk. Then, checking to make sure no one was close enough to hear, he opened the book to an empty page, tapped his wand on it, and whispered, "John Dawlish."

The Compendium came to life, its blank pages filling with black ink – a compilation of words and images related to Dawlish's recorded life. First Harry saw his Hogwarts record from twenty-five years back, which looked quite like Hermione's...all Outstanding's on his O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. exams. Both a Prefect and Head Boy. Only a single detention on record, for "Arguing a grade with a professor". Glowing recommendation letters from Professors Flitwick, McGonagall and Slughorn.

His Auror application notes were similarly pristine, conducted by none other than Alastor Moody. "Shows great aptitude with potions...keen survival sense and self-preservation ability...encyclopedic mind...clever use of hexes and jinxes to surprise opponents." There was only a single negative mark against him: "Shows lack of willingness to work in teams." But otherwise, Harry could see why he passed the Auror training program with flying colors.

From there came a series of troubling reports and articles concerning Dawlish in the later years of his time with the Ministry. Harry saw a Daily Prophet article concerning his legal trouble with Gringotts, which Proudfoot had mentioned earlier; he was suspended for three months for that incident. There was a 1995 memo from then-Minister Cornelius Fudge to Rufus Scrimgeour, complaining of Dawlish's declining abilities and requesting a new personal guard. Then again in 1996, a disciplinary record written by Robards when Dawlish failed to appear at his assigned post in Hogsmeade.

Then, nothing. Harry flipped to the back of the Compendium to make sure he wasn't missing anything, but it appeared the Ministry had no notes on Dawlish from 1997 onward. Nothing from when Thicknesse took over, or Shacklebolt a month ago. Was the Ministry that bad at record-keeping in the past year? Or had Thicknesse's administration deliberately kept Dawlish's records under wraps? It puzzled and concerned Harry to no end.

He figured he might as well update the Ministry's records with what little he did know. He turned back to the last written page and pulled out his quill. Underneath the last line he wrote:

2 May 1998. Dawlish spotted at the Battle of Hogwarts fighting for Lord Voldemort. Injured Aberforth Dumbledore. Current whereabouts unknown.

Satisfied, Harry closed the Compendium and tapped his wand on the spine, saying, "Finite." If no one else was going to keep an eye on Dawlish, he would make damn sure to use the power of his office to hold him accountable.

As Harry walked back to return the Compendium to its home on a shelf in the back room, Robards flagged him down and summoned him into his office. "Doing some homework?" he asked, indicating the heavy tome in Harry's hands.

"Just...research for my reports," Harry lied.

"Good, good," said Robards. "Listen Potter, I've noticed you seem restless out there. Reading the Prophet, doodling at your desk—don't worry, you're not in trouble. Trust me, I get it. Not quite the job you signed up for, right?"

"Not exactly," Harry shrugged.

"I promise it won't always be this dull," said Robards. "Once you're caught up to speed we'll get you out in the field more. You can get some fresh air, maybe see some action. But I'm sure you understand why I've kept you cooped up in here."

"Yeah," Harry muttered. "Because I'm not ready."

"That's not the only reason," Robards corrected. "I have faith that you can fend for yourself out there; that's not the issue. The issue is you're something of a celebrity, and we have to find a role for you that's both low priority and out of the way. And I think I've found something for you."

"That so?" Harry asked, suddenly excited. He was going to get an assignment?"

"You may have heard that the Quidditch World Cup is happening in Morocco next month," said Robards. "Shacklebolt has offered his Aurors as additional protection for the event. So I'm going to post you at the campgrounds for night watch duty."

Harry's heart sank. The Quidditch World Cup had been the one thing he was looking forward to this summer – a break in the routine, a chance to take his mind off of things for a few days. Now the event was going to be a stressful affair, and he wouldn't be able to spend time with his friends.

"Something the matter?" asked Robards, sensing the change in Harry's demeanor.

"No sir, it's brilliant, thank you," Harry forced himself to say. "Just...will I be able to watch the match from my post?"

Robards smiled sadly at him. "Somebody's got to watch the grounds," he said. "That's the job, right?"

"Yeah. Of course," said Harry, standing from his seat to leave Robards' office. "Thank you sir, I'll be ready." He walked back to his desk, keeping his head low to hide his burning disappointment. Nothing about the life of an Auror was what he expected. He felt trapped, embarrassed, inadequate at everything. Worse, he felt he had no one he could talk to about these feelings of guilt and shame. He preferred being hunted by Voldemort than this mess he now found himself in. At least then he had people by his side. Now he felt utterly alone.

A/N: A bit of a downer chapter I know, so I tried to keep it short and sweet. I promise there's more fun and adventure to come! If you've made it this far, consider leaving a review. See you soon for Ch. 6!