I heard the news from Seamus first, and I didn't believe him. Why would I? Why would they have told the children first, and we not hear anything about it? It was preposterous. It didn't make any sense.
But no matter how many times he told his Da and I, Seamus' story never wavered, never changed. I kept listening closely, looking for a weak spot, looking for a hole, but I couldn't find one.
If I believed what Seamus said, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had come back at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He had killed Bertha Jorkins, the ministry worker whose mysterious disappearance was all over the Daily Prophet. He had killed the other Hogwarts champion, the older one. I can't remember his name, sadly, but I think he was Amos Diggory's son. He had called back the remaining Death Eaters to his side and was planning another reign of terror. Oh, and somehow, Harry Potter had escaped the clutches of the most evil wizard known to man. Again.
Now, I ask you, would YOU have believed this if your 14 year old son came home with this story? I know Seamus is a good lad, a smart lad, but I couldn't bring myself to believe this tale.
I had met Harry over the summer, at the World Cup. He looked to be a fine young man, nothing more, but nothing less. I don't really know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't the skinny, bespectacled boy with messy black hair and shamrock eyes that Seamus brought over. He looked abnormally. . . normal. How could this slip of a boy survive the Killing Curse? How could he have escaped You-Know-Who not once, but twice? It was impossible.
I told Seamus so. Of course he was a bit miffed at me for a while, not believing him, but that couldn't really be helped. When the Daily Prophet started writing reports about the goings on at the Tri-Wizard, I gave them to Seamus to read. This version made much more sense.
Apparently there was a problem with one of the barriers the Tournament Officials set up in the maze for the last task. The Diggory boy tried to go through it, and was killed in the process. Harry watched it happen, which led to some serious post traumatic stress. Apparently, he wouldn't even let go of the boys body when they were both brought out of the maze. A terrible tragedy, to be sure, but there was no mention of Death Eaters, Bertha Jorkins or You-Know-Who.
Later in the summer, the reports kept coming on a regular basis. First was an obituary for Bertha Jorkins, who they said had died of "natural causes" in her home. Next there were frequent reports about Harry's continued "outbursts", questioning his motivations. There were even a few articles questioning the sanity of Albus Dumbledore, who stood staunchly by the story Seamus had told us in June.
These last were the hardest for me to accept, the ones that started to make me question my decision to ignore Seamus' story. While Dumbledore had always been eccentric, he still remained a brilliant man. It was very, very hard for me to think of him as the crackpot the Minister was implying.
But it was harder for me to accept the idea that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was back. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I still shake at the very thought. It's much easier to pretend and ignore.
There are plenty of reasons to be afraid of You-Know-Who, but I have two of the best I know. Seamus and Michael.
Seamus was too young to remember the raids, the Dark Mark, the never knowing if you would find your house and family intact when you returned. It was a living nightmare, and one that I am not keen on repeating. It was horrible having to worry about your son and husband, simply because you fell in love with a Muggle.
Michael himself doesn't know everything that happened. I didn't tell him much of the early raids, before we were married. It's not that I don't believe him strong or capable enough to handle it, I just don't want him to worry about me, or think I have put myself in danger because of him. I don't want him to think this is his fault, and I know he will.
It would be much easier to simply ignore everything that's happening. I would like nothing better than to be able to live in ignorance for the rest of my life if it meant that my family would be safe. However, I am not a fool. I can see things are changing.
When Seamus went back to Hogwarts, we were both convinced that Harry had snapped, Dumbledore was getting senile, and all was right with the world. Now, after a few months hearing things straight from the action, the Daily Prophet is the one not making sense.
Seamus' letters are a complete contradiction to the fairy tale the Ministry is telling. I would desperately love to disbelieve his account of things, but it's the Daily Prophet stories that are full of holes. Seamus' have always been water tight, and according to him, Dumbledore is as sane as he ever was, and Harry is the same normal teenager I met last June.
If I thought I could keep Michael and Seamus safe by ignoring the news, I would do it in a heartbeat. Sadly, I am beginning to see I can't do that. If Seamus is right, there is a war coming, possibly more terrible than any the Wizarding World has ever seen. Somehow my family is going to have to make it through.
This wasn't an easy realization for me, by any means, but it's one I have come to, kicking and screaming. Michael always says I am the most stubborn woman on the planet.
No one can call us cowards, though. We stood up to You-Know-Who last time, and if he is back again, we'll stand up to him this time too. Luckily, we're fighters. The whole lot of Finnegan's are. I just hope it isn't too late for us to get ready for this round.
But no matter how many times he told his Da and I, Seamus' story never wavered, never changed. I kept listening closely, looking for a weak spot, looking for a hole, but I couldn't find one.
If I believed what Seamus said, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had come back at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He had killed Bertha Jorkins, the ministry worker whose mysterious disappearance was all over the Daily Prophet. He had killed the other Hogwarts champion, the older one. I can't remember his name, sadly, but I think he was Amos Diggory's son. He had called back the remaining Death Eaters to his side and was planning another reign of terror. Oh, and somehow, Harry Potter had escaped the clutches of the most evil wizard known to man. Again.
Now, I ask you, would YOU have believed this if your 14 year old son came home with this story? I know Seamus is a good lad, a smart lad, but I couldn't bring myself to believe this tale.
I had met Harry over the summer, at the World Cup. He looked to be a fine young man, nothing more, but nothing less. I don't really know what I was expecting, but it definitely wasn't the skinny, bespectacled boy with messy black hair and shamrock eyes that Seamus brought over. He looked abnormally. . . normal. How could this slip of a boy survive the Killing Curse? How could he have escaped You-Know-Who not once, but twice? It was impossible.
I told Seamus so. Of course he was a bit miffed at me for a while, not believing him, but that couldn't really be helped. When the Daily Prophet started writing reports about the goings on at the Tri-Wizard, I gave them to Seamus to read. This version made much more sense.
Apparently there was a problem with one of the barriers the Tournament Officials set up in the maze for the last task. The Diggory boy tried to go through it, and was killed in the process. Harry watched it happen, which led to some serious post traumatic stress. Apparently, he wouldn't even let go of the boys body when they were both brought out of the maze. A terrible tragedy, to be sure, but there was no mention of Death Eaters, Bertha Jorkins or You-Know-Who.
Later in the summer, the reports kept coming on a regular basis. First was an obituary for Bertha Jorkins, who they said had died of "natural causes" in her home. Next there were frequent reports about Harry's continued "outbursts", questioning his motivations. There were even a few articles questioning the sanity of Albus Dumbledore, who stood staunchly by the story Seamus had told us in June.
These last were the hardest for me to accept, the ones that started to make me question my decision to ignore Seamus' story. While Dumbledore had always been eccentric, he still remained a brilliant man. It was very, very hard for me to think of him as the crackpot the Minister was implying.
But it was harder for me to accept the idea that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was back. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I still shake at the very thought. It's much easier to pretend and ignore.
There are plenty of reasons to be afraid of You-Know-Who, but I have two of the best I know. Seamus and Michael.
Seamus was too young to remember the raids, the Dark Mark, the never knowing if you would find your house and family intact when you returned. It was a living nightmare, and one that I am not keen on repeating. It was horrible having to worry about your son and husband, simply because you fell in love with a Muggle.
Michael himself doesn't know everything that happened. I didn't tell him much of the early raids, before we were married. It's not that I don't believe him strong or capable enough to handle it, I just don't want him to worry about me, or think I have put myself in danger because of him. I don't want him to think this is his fault, and I know he will.
It would be much easier to simply ignore everything that's happening. I would like nothing better than to be able to live in ignorance for the rest of my life if it meant that my family would be safe. However, I am not a fool. I can see things are changing.
When Seamus went back to Hogwarts, we were both convinced that Harry had snapped, Dumbledore was getting senile, and all was right with the world. Now, after a few months hearing things straight from the action, the Daily Prophet is the one not making sense.
Seamus' letters are a complete contradiction to the fairy tale the Ministry is telling. I would desperately love to disbelieve his account of things, but it's the Daily Prophet stories that are full of holes. Seamus' have always been water tight, and according to him, Dumbledore is as sane as he ever was, and Harry is the same normal teenager I met last June.
If I thought I could keep Michael and Seamus safe by ignoring the news, I would do it in a heartbeat. Sadly, I am beginning to see I can't do that. If Seamus is right, there is a war coming, possibly more terrible than any the Wizarding World has ever seen. Somehow my family is going to have to make it through.
This wasn't an easy realization for me, by any means, but it's one I have come to, kicking and screaming. Michael always says I am the most stubborn woman on the planet.
No one can call us cowards, though. We stood up to You-Know-Who last time, and if he is back again, we'll stand up to him this time too. Luckily, we're fighters. The whole lot of Finnegan's are. I just hope it isn't too late for us to get ready for this round.