[Chapter Six] Privileged Information

HARRY POTTER: THE CHOSEN ONE?

Rumors continue to fly about the mysterious recent disturbance at the Ministry of Magic, during which He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was sighted once more. "We're not allowed to talk about it, don't ask me anything," said one agitated Obliviator, who re-fused to give his name as he left the Ministry last night. Nevertheless, highly placed sources within the Ministry have confirmed that the disturbance centered on the fabled Hall of Prophecy-

SCRIMGEOUR SUCCEEDS FUDGE

Rufus Scrimgeour, previously Head of the Auror office in the Departmentof Magical Law Enforcement, has succeeded Cornelius Fudge as Minister of Magic. The appointment has largely been greeted with enthusiasm by the Wizarding community, though rumours of a rift between the new Minister and Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, surfaced within hours of Scrimgeour taking office. Scrimgeour's representatives admitted that he had met with Dumbledore at once upon taking possession of the top job, but refused to comment on the topics under discussion. Albus Dumbledore is known to (continued page 3, column 2).

MINISTRY GUARANTEES STUDENTS' SAFETY

Newly appointed Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, spoke today of the tough new measures taken by his Ministry to ensure the safety of students returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this autumn. "For obvious reasons, the Ministry will not be going into detail about its stringent new security plans," said the Minister, although an insider confirmed that measures include defensive spells and charms, a complex array of counter-curses, and a small task force of Aurors dedicated solely to the protection of Hogwarts School.

YAVARI ENTERPRISES LOSING STOCK

Mr. Yavari, the CEO and owner of Yavari Enterprises refused to comment this week about the recent downfall of YE stock. However, it is rumored, as heard from Lucius Malfoy (Malfoy&Co) that YE isn't "keeping up with modern times"-

Setting the paper down for a moment in anger, Lena inhaled deeply, returned to the other headlines.

Lena snickered suddenly, glancing at the other headlines. What rubbish. Death Eater Attacks Target Muggles, Gringott's Raid Fails- Hexes Fly, Bridge Collapse Death Toll Rises.

Tossing the Daily Prophet aside, Lena pulled out Witch Weekly. She had bought it for one reason...her sworn enemy was on the cover. Pansy Parkinson. Quickly Lena thumbed through, until she found the page with Pansy's gigantic ugly face.

Mall Queen

Pansy Parkinson is a young and upcoming model; her father is Franz Parkinson (yes, one in the same owner of all Park Malls around Europe and recently Asia!). We managed to snag an interview with Pansy after our photo-shoot.

WW: For someone so young, do you think it will be difficult to manage school and your modeling career?

PP: Oh, definitely, but I believe when you're committed to something, you stick to it.

WW: Unfortunately for our male readers, we've heard a little rumor about you not being single...?

PP: (Pansy giggled when asked) I'm not really supposed to say anything...we're keeping it secret for right now.

The questioned dragged on and Lena flicked to the next page.

I think it's safe to assume that our mall queen, Miss Parkinson, is taken by someone commonly seen in the media. With her father being one of the top thousand richest men in Europe, it's not surprising the young socialite (and now model) has an affluent boyfriend.

Flight Yavari Down

Yes, the company we've been seeing in the media almost too much recently...Yavari Enterprises. With its stock diminishing, and much of it up for sale on the market, nobody is expecting the company to make it much longer.

Pansy Parkinson (Model) commented earlier this week, "I know Lena Yavari from school at Hogwarts, and if you get any impression from her about her family, it's that they're stuck-up.

The same Lena Yavari appeared in our editorial last month. She is rumored to have cheated on her boyfriend at the time, Draco Malfoy. Our anonymous source has told us that this gold-digger and daughter heiress of big-time company Yavari Enterprises cheated and ended the relationship with Draco Malfoy, clearly after snagging a richer man.

Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, is the sole heir to Malfoy&Co, though there has been no responses to our repeated attempts to get his comment.

Clearly, this billionaire has no desire to comment about Lena Yavari's cheating scandal.

Lena nearly growled allowed, tossing the magazine back into her bag, a necklace that she vowed never to take off hung hidden beneath her clothes, between her breasts.

The rain outside was dreary and never-ending. The past week it had not ceased even once. Lena grimly pulled her thoughts away from the distraction of weather, back to the Daily Prophet. Quickly thumbing to the article about the bridge collapse in London, Lena read about the apparent collapse of the Millennium Bridge.

The only thing Lena had heard about it, was that the Dark Lord had threatened to take the lives of many muggles if the Minister of Magic did not step down from his position. Honestly, this was Lena's first glance at a newspaper since the beginning of the summer. The lack of news of Draco will put a damper on any hopes of seeing his face in the newspaper.

"...continuing with the investigation into the cause of the Millennium Bridge..."

"Mind turning that up?" Lena asked the driver of the car. It was the first time she had been to muggle London since she had met Regulus. The driver obliged and turned up the radio.

"River traffic has been halted as police search for survivors. The surrounding areas remain closed. The Mayor has urged Londoners to remain calm, and assures that all missing persons will be located. This tragedy is believed to be the result of terrorist actions, though the Parliament's information will remain classified until sufficient evidence has surfaced and been investigated. This has been a local news update brought to you by KTLN, London."

Lena tossed the newspaper back into her messenger back as she felt the car coming to a stop. She grabbed several muggle bills and tossed them carelessly at the driver. He came around and opened her door to the elements, taking her trunk out of the back and setting it next to her on the wet sidewalk as wind and hard rain pattered against her face.

Her hair flowed limply over her shoulders, uncared for and greasy. The skinny jeans she wore had spots of unknown potion ingredients and other spills from mishaps in the past weak. She wore a nice jacket and heavy exhaust of perfume that was dimming with the pouring rain. Entering the same muggle bar, a warm breeze, scented of beer and musky peanuts, Lena found it mostly empty this afternoon. Regulus sat in the same back corner; Lena approached him quickly and took a seat.

"You look like hell, Yavari."

Grimacing at the man, she nodded at his similar appearance. "Good to see you again so soon, Regulus." It had been almost a month since their last meeting, though Lena had hoped never to see him again.

"I presume that you calling this meeting, and my heart still beating is a good sign?"

Lena smirked. "Apparently."

Hurriedly pushing a small black box across the table, Lena grasped it underneath his own hand, but he did not remove his fingers. Lena eyed him curiously.

"Guard it well, Yavari." The girl nodded. His fingers released and Lena pulled the box gingerly into her pocket. Regulus gathered his things, and his cloak around him, preparing for the rain outside. He stood with his back to the table when he looked down at her over his shoulder. "What made you change your mind?"

"Revenge."

As the man's cloak whipped around in the wind as he opened the door, he did not gaze back at her, and Lena felt herself swirling into the past—At the Malfoy Manor two weeks before, the last Death Eater meeting she had been called to, the last time her Dark Mark had burned and pulsated.

"I'm giving you the year off, Yavari."

The grim smirk on Lena's lips quivered into a frown for just a moment, and suddenly the girl's expression went blank. "You can't treat me like this," Lena paused, choosing her words carefully. Her voice betrayed her apparent dismay, despite her attempt to keep it hidden. "Like I'm some kind of mudblood," she spat sourly.

After everything he has put me through, how can he just discard me like I'm some kind of garbage? An angry scowl formed on her face at the thought.

"Lena..." The Dark Lord's cackling voice somehow managed to come out smoothly. "I'm not discarding you, I'm just giving you a break, a well deserved break, and, when you are needed for our cause, I will call upon you."

Her scowl remained unchanged and her anger was growing more apparent, as her eyebrows creased inward; her heartbeat sped up, and her nervous anxiety overwhelmed her breath.

"Give yourself time, to forgive yourself, to grieve, Lena..." He paused, "I've seen so many, just like you, throw themselves away. Witches and wizards with so much promise...I only ask for your patience. I only ask you trust me; and leave me with your sworn loyalty. And I promise you, I will take down our every threat. At this very moment, I am scheming against Harry Potter within his very mind."

The tiny black box crushed at the pressure from Lena's fingers as she rushed from the bar with her trunk. She found herself in an alley next to the bar, thumbing the box tenderly. Her resistance to her own curiosity faltered, and her fingers ripped the lid off the box.

Inside, a tiny silver locket lay nestled against a cotton bed. She felt the radiating heartbeat, and a shiver overcame her. Though her clothes were drenched from the non-stop rain at this point, she knew that that was not the chill's origin.
Taking this secret of Regulus' would mean that if she did not take it to the grave, she would be in a grave as soon as it was exposed.

The Dark Lord can never know.