Chapter 26:

On Monday Harry learned the extent of Dudley's awkwardness. Apparently, a muggle reporter had learned the Dursleys were related to Harry, and his uncle had said some very nasty things about Harry.

Who is Harry Potter?

Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, The Chosen One, Dragon Rider, Defender of the Magical World, but who is he really? Harry Potter was born to witches but not everyone in his family were witches. His grandparents and extended family are not magical. This includes his uncle by marriage, Vernon Dursley. Mr. Dursley and his wife were forced to raise Harry Potter who proved to be a troubled child. Mr. Dursley explained how his nephew was difficult to raise and was constantly getting in trouble at school. "He would intentionally harm others, including our own son. Even at his own birthday party. He set a boa constrictor on my son. He used magic to encourage the snake to bite him. That's when we knew we needed serious help. We had planned to send him to St. Brutus' Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys. He gave us no other choice. He was and is dangerous."

"So, Justin Finch-Fletchley wasn't your first victim." Ron tried to keep his face serious, but Harry could see a smile slipping through. He rolled his eyes.

"I never told the snake to do anything. To him or anyone. I was just talking to it and then the glass disappeared." Harry rubbed his temple, his pain medication wearing off.

"Did it talk back?"

"Well, it nodded and pointed at the sign." Harry took his glasses off, rubbing around his forehead.

"Don't take this the wrong way mate, but it took you another year to figure out you were a Parseltongue?" Ron couldn't help but laugh at Harry's unamused expression.

"I didn't know about magic and stuff, ok."

"But you didn't find it peculiar that the snake could understand you?" Ginny said before walking away to find Madame Pomphey.

Fire Magic

As the school year continues, we have yet to learn what has truly been happening at the magic school, Hogswarths. What we do know has not always been positive, including Fire Magic. Last September, Fire Magic was used on Piers Polkiss and friends without warning or cause. "We were in the common room, having some fun and suddenly these massive fire animals came out of nowhere!" A friend of Polkiss, who wished to remain anonymous, from fear of what the wizards would do to him said "The fire nearly reached the ceiling. We were all nearly burnt to a crisp and spent days in the hospital."

"They never stayed in the hospital! They weren't burnt!" Seamus threw his newspaper onto the table.

Minister on Revenge Attacks

Previously Interim Minister of Magic, and now newly elected Minister Kingsley urges the wizarding community to step down. "I understand the anger many of us feel about the attack on Harry Potter, but we can not act on this anger." Minister Kingsley continued to discuss the challenges the two worlds are facing. "The muggles fear us, for the safety of our world now and for the future of our world, we must consider every move we make. We must remain peaceful." Minister Kingsley said.

Sportsmanship in the Magic World?

In our world it is common practice to allow everyone to compete in sports. In our world it does not matter where you come from or at high schools how coordinated you are. Everyone gets a fair shot at joining the team. Unless you are in the magical world. One school from Surrey found this out the hard way.

Quattch is the most beloved sport for wizards and is played at the magical school as with any other sport. But when it came time for try outs, the wizards refused access to the normal students. Normal students were not allowed to try out and even if they did, would they have been allowed to participate in the sport? The answer is no...

Yorkshire News

Are the witches hiding the cure for cancer?

In the last few months, news has spread from the magic school, Hogwarts, of incredible healing magic. Parents of one student who is part of the magic and nonmagic program, wrote home to his parents. His parents were horrified to hear the staircases moved. Yes moved. Apparently moving staircases are a comedy to witches, instead of having safe and sturdy steps. After an incident with the moving stairs their son fell and broke his arm. In his letter home, he wrote "I had to drink a disgusting potion, but by the end of the day I was fine. My arm wasn't broken anymore. It was amazing!" Amazing, yes, but could this mean the witches hide more than a magical bone potion? Could the witches have a cure for cancer they have been cruelly hiding from us? Everyone knows someone affected by cancers and for the possibility that witches had hidden a cure…

"Jack was fine. I brought him to the Hospital Wing. He thought it was so cool we had a potion for it."

"Yea, he also thought the staircases were hilarious, well except when he broke his arm."

"I don't get it, why are his parents so upset?"

"Do you guys have a cancer cure?"

"No, not yet. We have spells and potions that can help push the disease back, but no full cure yet."

"Yea, my aunt is actually one of the healers working on a cure. She said they were close."

Kingsley Handles Accusations

Minister of Magic Kingsley responded to accusations that he was not taking the attack on Harry Potter seriously. "Of course, I am taking this seriously. One of our own was shot in the chest. A teenager non the less!" Kingsley said. When other reporters questioned Kingsley for calling Mr. Potter a teenager, Kingsley replied "Harry Potter saved everyone in our world and in the muggle world, but he is still a young man. Mr. Potter is eighteen years old. While yes, legally an adult, he is still a teenager. It angers me the muggle went for Harry Potter, but it also angers me that muggles would attack our young people." It is true that many people forget how young Harry Potter truly is. He defeated the Dark Lord at age seventeen and is still pursuing his education at Hogwarts. "I am currently working alongside Minister Johnson on the trial of the muggle who attacked Harry Potter."

"Good morning, everyone!" Professor Williams, the new Defense Against the Dark Art professor called out as the seventh years found their seats.

"I know last class we planned to practice our anti-curse spells, but I felt that reviewing information on magical creatures would be more beneficial." Professor Williams turned to his desk to grab a newspaper.

"As some of you may know from my last name, I am a muggleborn. My older sister is a muggle and has sent me many articles from a muggle newspaper and asked multiple questions about the truth of certain accusations theses newspapers have made." Professor Williams unrolled his newspaper to reveal the headline 'WEREWOLVES! Another thing hidden from us by the witches' He walked around the room holding the article up. As he passed Harry noticed an almost cartoonish picture of a werewolf.

"Due to the fear this article has brought up in the muggle world, I thought it would be beneficial for us to review what we know about Werewolves so that we may answer our new friends' questions here and others when we leave Hogwarts."

On Friday the head of the Animal Aid group came forth to make an important announcement. Andrea Wharton, spoke in front of a large group of supporters and news reporters to address the mass killing of wolves throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. Ms. Wharton stood in front of a microphone with two others next to her. To her left was Frank Tanner, Chairman of the Animal Aid group and to her right, Beatrix Sanders, Head of the Magical Creature Department in the Magic Ministry.

Ms. Wharton said "I understand the fear that has come with learning of werewolves from the wizarding world, but we can not continue this senseless killing of poor innocent animals. Werewolves do not look like a typical wolf. Please stop killing wolves that enter your property and stop hunting them." Ms. Wharton continued to explain the importance of protecting wolves and other animals. After a few minutes she turned the microphone over to Ms. Sanders to explain the difference between typical wolves and werewolves.

Defense Against the Dark Art

The wizards say they are not evil and the last dark wizard is gone, but why do they still need a Defense Against the Dark Arts class? What do they learn in the class if there are no more dark wizards?

Where is Harry Potter?

After the attack on Harry Potter many have wondered where he is. There are zero records of him being admitted to St. Mungo's. This makes many believe that he may have been treated by Madame Pomfrey at the Hogwarts Infirmary. Many letters have been sent to Madame Pomfrey and Headmistress McGonagall for information on Mr. Potter's health, but none until recently have had responses. One howler from Madame Pomfrey was owled in which she said "He's fine. Let him rest. Stop bothering me while I'm working."

Hermione walked out of the Great Hall two papers in her hand. She ignored everyone she passed as she strode towards the Hospital Wing. Once in she found Harry still in his hospital bed playing Exploding Snaps with Ron.

"Look at this! They are having rallies." Hermione nearly threw the newspaper clipping in Harry's face. Before reading the article, Harry noticed the motionless photo. A very large group of people stood together with signs held over their heads. One sign said in bold letters "Potter must die". Other signs had similar sayings about witches and wizards in general.

"My parents just sent it. They want me to be extra careful when I come home." Hermione dropped to the bed still clutching her parent's letter in hand.

"It was less than two miles from my home." Ron sat next to Hermione hearing the tears in her voice.

"I know some of them. Mrs. Jenkins used to babysit me. And the man holding the dummy…" Harry looked down to the black and white photograph. He hadn't noticed the angry man holding what looked like a scarecrow dangling from a noose before. "he was my math teacher, just before coming to Hogwarts. Apparently, they are having anti magic rallies across the country." Hermione let her head droop onto Ron's shoulder, who held her close, not sure what to say.

More Family come forth about Harry Potter

Miss Marjorie (Marge) Dursley has admitted to being Harry Potter's aunt. Miss Dursley said that she did not know about her nephew's "infliction" or magical abilities, but looking back she realizes exactly why her brother wanted to send him to St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys. "One day I'm having a pleasant evening with my dear family and suddenly my glass explodes. I had thought I had a firm grip and had broken the glass myself. I even sent my sister-in-law a new glass to replace the old one. Now I know it was the boy. He used his magic to break it. Probably tried to harm me with the glass shards." Miss Dursley continued to explain how the glass shards flew around her, inflicting small cuts along her face and body.

"Bad blood, I say. My brother and his wife are wonderful, caring people, who took in a sick orphan boy, but his parents were awful. His mother was a bad egg and on top of it, she ran off with a wastrel. We all should have known what evil he was capable of. Wouldn't surprise me if he harmed more people than we know." Miss Dursley remembered numerous of times where Harry Potter's "blood-lust" –

"Blood-lust? What blood-lust?" Harry moved to grab the London Telegram from Ginny's hands. Ginny pulled the paper back from his grip.

"Shh! Let me finish."

As children, Harry Potter was always causing harm to his older cousin. He would steal his cane and hit him in the shins, and occasionally across the back.

"They are acting like it was a walking cane. He didn't need it to walk. And he was the one who hit me!"

Many Call For Resignation

Prime Minister Johnson's approval polls have diminished greatly in the last few months. Many have begun questioning his loyalties to his own people, while others worry that he has become or has always been a puppet for the witches. Many people are fearful of the witches. As we have been brought up with stories of evil witches, such as the Wicked Witch of the West or the witch from Hansel and Gretel, this fear is understandable.

As fear spreads many claim the minister should never have trusted the witches and call for his immediate resignation. Prime Minister Johnson said he does not plan to step down at this time and continues to stand by his decisions involving the wizarding community. As rallies continue across England ….