January 1977
Wow. Where do I begin? Shock has settled over the entire school. I never imagined something like this could happen. I guess I should start at the beginning.
We knew something big had happened, or was going to happen. Reports of mysterious deaths were beginning to show up in the Daily Prophet. The deaths all seemed unrelated at first, but as the continued, the Ministry of Magic began to notice a pattern. The witches and wizards being killed had one thing in common: Muggle relationships. All the victims were either Muggle born, or related to Muggles in other ways. As time went on, the Muggle news began reporting mysterious deaths as well. The Ministry noticed that the Muggles being killed were all either related to a witch or wizard, or squibs. One article in the Prophet said that the Ministry had sent ambassadors to help the Muggle government try to solve the mystery of the deaths.
A few Hogwarts students have lost friends and family in these deaths. I remember a class in which Professor Dumbledore stepped in and asked to see Anna Walsh. Anna's mother is a Muggle, her father a wizard. I later found her in the dormitory, crying. When I asked what was wrong she told me her parents had died. I hugged her and began to cry too. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose you parents. She left the next day and was gone for a week.
Today, at the end of every class, the teacher would tell us to be in the Great Hall promptly at six o'clock that evening; Dumbledore had an announcement. We all hoped that the cause of the deaths had been solved, and they would cease.
We were only halfway right.
There is a Dark Wizard on the rise. He goes by the name Lord Voldemort. His goal is to purify the Wizarding race. He wants all witches or wizards with Muggle blood in them dead.
He wants me dead.
He won't stop killing until he thinks the Wizarding race had been restored to its purity.
I'm Muggle born! I'm not pure! He wants me dead!
Voldemort is also killing Muggles who are related to magic people, or unknowingly come from a line of squibs.
My family! He wants my family dead!
At this point, I looked around the hall to see the expressions on the other student's faces. Some were crying; Anna was sobbing next to me. I put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, fighting back my own tears. Most students were wearing blank or unbelieving expressions. A few, such as Bellatrix Black and Severus Snape, were smirking, obviously please.
When I saw the smirks I felt like I would throw up. Who would be pleased by news like this? How could anyone be demented and malevolent enough to wish for something like this?
The Great Hall was quiet for a few minutes. It was the first time I had seen Dumbledore look as if he didn't know what to say.
I couldn't fight back the tears any longer. They flowed freely down my face. Anna was shaking.
Finally Dumbledore's voice filled the Hall again; a voice full of sorrow and compassion, a voice that brought comfort and reassurance.
"You will all be safe here, I will make sure of that," he said. "If you ever feel the need to come here during the holidays, or even after you've graduated, you will be more than welcome. Hogwarts will always be safe. Goodnight."
He wants me dead. He wants my family dead. He wants me dead. He wants my family dead.
I cannot get those thoughts out of my mind. The scream at me constantly and will not leave me alone. Why would someone want this? How could anyone be this evil? It sounds like World War II all over again, the purification of a race. Will he decide to go further once his goal is reached and kill all Muggles, leaving only pureblood wizards on this earth? Why? What kind of soul would someone have to have to want something like this? All the innocent lives that have been lost; that will be lost. I can't even begin t imagine.
Today has been long and horrible.
I have a feeling there will be a lot more like it.