Purebloods under attack!
Yesterday evening the well known and beloved Longbottom family once again came under attack. After years of peace, the family once more was the victim of brutality and hate. In the evening hours, two persons attacked the well-guarded manor, breaking through strong ward lines and attacked the building itself. The entire mansion had been destroyed and burned to the ground. The dark mark has been showcased over the grounds, giving a clear indicator who attacked the mention.
One of the attackers was the well known criminal Fenrir Greyback, a notorious and dangerous werewolf, who came to fame during the war against you-know-who. He bit more people and turned them than any other before him in recorded memory. He is well known for his brutality and vileness. One would come to think that werewolves should be under stricter control to prevent such a dangerous being to ever rise. Haven't we learned over the past months the dangers of those of mixed blood?
Dolores Umbridge, Chief Undersecretary of the Minister himself has been so kind as to offer a few words in this matter:
"This is once more proof. Halfbreeds are dangerous and are to be controlled and monitored strictly. Such attacks are outrageous and I will work to my utmost to have this outbreak under control. We will become a society of peace and order when the threat of the halfbreeds is handled."
The other attacker was co-convict of Greyback and famous Death-Eater Bellatrix Lestrange. Lestranges' allegiance to he-who-shall-not-be-named is well known and she can be dubbed his most loyal follower. Interestingly this title was long thought to be Lord Blacks, who has been cleared of all accusations. Yet it is surprising, that Bellatrix Lestrange was born Bellatrix Black and is a cousin to the infamous Lord. Sometimes coincidences are very interesting. Lord Black denied any comment on the topic of his relation to Mrs Lestrange. Also, it might be of interest that Lord Black currently shelters the former Lady Malfoy, Narcissa Black, who is also a cousin of his and the sister of the notorious Bellatrix Lestrange.
Mrs Lestrange has a rather intimate relationship with House Longbottom. She, her husband and also Bartimus Crouch Jr. , the son of Bartimus Crouch Sr. had attacked the manor thirteen years ago in the ending days of the war. During that attack, they attacked and tortured the hailed and beloved Auror couple Alicia and Frank Longbottom. Sadly, their attack broke the minds of both and only the surprising arrival of the legendary Auror Moody, also know as Mad-Eye prevented their death and the death of their lone child.
Luckily the attack was without casualties, only killing a few house-elves. Lady Augusta Longbottom, the Regent of House Black, was luckily out of the house and visiting a childhood friend. She returned only hours after the attack when she noticed that her floo connection had broken down. She found the smouldering ruins of her ancestral home and called the Aurors in tears. Sadly, she wasn't able to comment, shaken by the disastrous attack.
Her ward, Neville Longbottom, Heir of House Longbottom and lucky survivor of the previously mentioned attack, declined to comment, secluding with his friends. Currently, the boy resides in Hogwarts and is best friends with the famous boy who lived.
What will happen with this friendship when he finds out that his ancestral home is attacked by family members of his best friends guardian? My dear readers, let's hope the two of them will work out their differences and stride on together to a good and strong future.
But we must also ask ourselves, if Longbottom Manor has been attacked and destroyed, one of the most protected homes in all of Britain, where will they strike next and who will suffer before someone steps up and stops these two convicts.
We will, of course, keep you updated and find out more about the past of Fenrir Greyback and all his vicious attacks on page 7.
Your honest searcher of truth and justice, Rita Skeeter
Harry sighed, lowering the Evening Prophet. It was the evening meal and the Great Hall was packed with students buzzing and talking. Professor Dumbledore was missing at the teacher's table. Harry's hand was nudged by a chirping Dawn, who was obviously demanding attention. His eyes, probably like most in the Great Hall, turned to the mousy looking boy on the other side of the table. Neville put down his own paper, looking a little pale. His eyes were wide and he stared at the table, trying to process. Harry leaned a little forward.
"You all right Neville?" He asked carefully, not too loud. Neville looked up slowly, blinking then he nodded.
"Yeah, I mean..." His voice trailed off and he picked up the paper again. Hermione next to him huffed loudly, slamming the paper on the table. Her eyes stared angrily at the papers before she turned them towards Neville.
"That is an awful article. Why does she wait until the end of it to state that Mrs Longbottom is fine? Shouldn't that be the first and most important thing in this? And also stating that there were no casualties when house-elves did die?" She stated, crossing her arms with a frowned forehead. Harry nodded in agreement. Neville raised his eyes, looking more confused than everything.
"Yeah, but...I didn't decline a comment. I wasn't even asked. And Gran, I can't imagine her crying. Is this even true? Why doesn't anyone inform me and-"
"Mr Longbottom!" The three teens turned their head and saw Professor McGonagall striding along the Gryffindor table. Their head of the house was striding along the table in hurry, her emerald robes billowing behind her. She arrived, folding her hands in front of her lap, looking at the brown-haired boy with somewhat soft eyes.
"Mr Longbottom, would you please accompany me to the headmaster's office? There has been a development." Neville turned his head shortly to Harry and Hermione, who both nodded at him.
"We take care of your things, go!" Hermione offered quickly when Neville started shoving things into his bag. The boy smiled with gratitude and quickly stood from his place. Both the teacher and student walked out with quick steps. A lot of eyes were following the two of them and they crossed paths with a just arriving Ron when they left the Hall. The red-haired boy quickly made his way to his friends, looking over his shoulder at the pair walking out. He sat down in the place Neville just left.
"What is going on?" He asked, looking at the doors. Hermione leaned a little forward.
"Longbottom Manor has been attacked. His grandmother is okay, but a few house-elves died and the headmaster called for Neville." Her voice was full of sympathy for their friend. Ron opened his mouth in surprise, blinking at them.
"Do they know who it was?" He asked in a hushed tone.
Harry nodded and looked up from Dawn. The phoenix was nuzzling the palm of his hand with chirping sounds. Harry ruffled her feathers and tickled her under the beak. "The prophet says it was probably Greyback and Lestrange." He said with a grim tone, frowning a little. Dawn seemed to notice his distress and chirped at him with worry. He quickly looked down at his nervous familiar, giving her a smile and patted her back. Ron looked surprised.
"Really? The breakouts? Man, then we are lucky no one was hurt." He said with a sigh. Hermione shot him daggers with her eyes.
"No one hurt? Didn't I tell you just now that house-elves died?" She asked angrily and pointed at him with her fork. Ron ducked his head at the tone, waving at her.
"Sorry, Sorry, I forgot, It's just...you know they are house-elves." He tried to calm her but it had the opposite effect. Her eyes lid up like candles and she slammed her fork on the table, making the black-feathered hatchling jump and chirp in surprise.
"Just house-elves?! Ronald, they are living beings!" She hissed at him in an angry tone. The red-haired boy waved and looked really surprised.
"Yeah, of course, sorry, I didn't think about tha-" But she interrupted him.
"Clearly, think the next time you speak Ron!" Hermione said with a firm turning of her head, resuming to eat. Ron looked at Harry and just shrugged. Harry sighed, looking at his watch and started collecting his things. Ron raised an eyebrow.
"Where are you going so quickly?" He asked, only a little food in his mouth. Harry sighed and shot him an apologetic look.
"Detention with Snape." He groaned, getting a sympathetic look from his friend.
"Tough luck man, but better you than me, mate. Hang in there." Harry nodded and picked up Dawn, placing her in her pouch. The bird cooed and chirped when he quickly paced down the table and out of the hall. She loved when he was walking quickly and made happy noises. He rounded out of the Hall, pacing quickly. He dodged Peeves and a thrown cake barely and was bounding down the stairs to the dungeon. After two minutes, a little out of breath, he reached the potions classroom and caught his breath. Looking at his watch he saw he was on time, thanking Merlin for it. Being late to detention with Snape was a horrible experience which he really didn't want to repeat. He quickly knocked and a snarling voice from the inside called him in.
Harry opened the door, walking in quickly. Behind the desk sat Snape, in his signature black robes. The greasy-haired man looked up with a cold sneer on his face and blinked at him.
"Potter. Close the door, we don't have the entire evening." He said with an annoying voice and Harry bit down all the comments that came to mind. He made his way over to his most hated Professor. Snape pointed at his office, a cold sneer in his eyes. "Place your things in there." Harry nodded and walked over, setting down his book bag. Snape's office looked just like the potions classroom, full of glasses with creatures and organs in them. Harry returned, brushing over Dawn's head. He walked up to Snape, making him look up again. The man stared at him, then pointed at the pouch on his chest.
"You will place that down too, Potter. You are here to clean cauldrons and that would get Phoenix dust all over the cauldrons. So if you don't want to repeat this all night put it away." He said with a mocking tone, turning his head to the parchment before him again. His pale hand waved towards a pile of old black cauldrons. Harry bit again on his lip, forcing down the answer he had in mind. He knew it was no good and every word he said would be a lost cause. He walked back to his book bag and took off the pouch. Dawn looked at him and crawled out of the pouch. He brushed through her feathers with a soft smile and turned to walk over. Instantly Dawn started chirping and he felt the demand for closeness. When he walked over the threshold the door slammed shut behind him at a flick of Snape's wand. The man looked really smug and Harry did his best not to yell at him. He felt the longing and sadness that Dawn send him through the bond, hating it. He himself felt so lonely, he wasn't sure he had ever felt like this before. This pain reminded him most of the hope of finding his parents when he had been young, crying in his cupboard after Uncle Vernon had taught him one of his 'lessons'. He walked over, trying his best to keep his composure, while he started scrubbing.
For a while Snape kept quiet, working on whatever he was doing and only the scratching of a quill on parchment was to be heard. Then his cold voice filled the room.
"I know you think, being a Lord now, scrubbing cauldrons would be beneath you Potter, but remember, you aren't better than us. Or do you think you are better, famous and now noble?" His voice was quiet, barely over the limit of the hearable. Harry gritted his teeth, kept working with renewed anger. Snape rose his voice.
"I asked you a question, Potter. Too fancy to answer questions from mere commoners now Potter?" He had this grin in his voice totally enjoying himself at that moment. Harry shook his head, biting his lip.
"No Sir." He pressed out. Snape sneered behind his back, continued marking the essays in front of him.
"No to you think you are better than us or to answering questions Potter?" He said with a snide voice.
"Both sir." Harry growled, attacking a piece of baked ingredients with more vigour. Snape barked at him.
"Do not take that tone Potter! Five points from Gryffindor."
Harry gritted again his teeth and pressed out a sorry. He felt the longing and hurt form Dawn. He could see it almost in front of himself, his tiny familiar in her pouch chirping at the door, while she was lying in the dark and cold office. The looming creatures in the glasses around her. With new anger, he hacked at some hard baked in the residue. The image of her shivering and crying out to him was firmly plastered in his mind. The door was silenced but he could feel her misery in their bond. This was the first time she was separated from him, for longer than the few seconds he had needed to know how much it hurt him to leave her in the first days after her hatching. He barely noticed the time flying by, only anger and sadness were filling his mind. Snape made a few more snide comments, berating, belittling and mocking him.
After two hours Snape suddenly barked at him. "You are done, Potter. Get out of here." He waved towards the door. Harry stood, his fingers hurt and scratched and he paced over to the door to his office. Snape raised an eyebrow smirking at him.
"Where you think you are going, Potter? I said leave."
Harry turned his head, trying his best not to yell at the man, his hands rolled up to fists. "I still have my things in your office professor."He breathed hard, trying to hold back as many emotions as he could. Snape didn't move his features and unlooked the door with a swish of his wand. "Oh yes, I almost forgot." He said with so much satisfaction in his voice. Harry hurried through the door and was greeted with pained and sad chirping. Dawn was sitting at the edge of Snape's desk, as close to the door as she could. Her wings batted and fluttered and she chirped at the sight of him. Their bond was filled with hurt and relief and Harry hastily walked up to her. She jumped off the table to his chest his arms came around her and the warmth of her body spread through his. Harry sniffed, fighting the tears. A voice came from the other room.
"Hurry up, Potter." Snape said in an angry tone. Harry grabbed his bag and the pouch, Dawn still in his arms and quickly left, not sharing a look at the potions professor.
"Tomorrow night, same time Potter." The man snarled at his back. Harry's jaw tensed and he kept walking.
"Yes, sir." He got barely out before he fled the potions classroom. He got about halfway to the Gryffindor common room, before he broke down against the sidewall, crying. He slumped to the ground and hugged Dawn, who was nuzzling against his chest in search for closer contact. Dawn chirped sadly at him ruffling her feathers and nibbled at him, like feeling if he is really there. Harry's tears fell on black feathers and he tried his best not to hug her too close, worried that she might get hurt. For a while the boy and the sad Phoenix just sat there, crying and feeling the comfort of each other's presence. After a while, Harry's eyes were puffy and red and his voice was hoarse. He lifted his head smiling at the black bird in his arms.
"I'm so s-sorry Dawn. I d-didn't want you to s-suffer like this." He whispered making her chirp at him a little louder. She batted her wings and Harry brought her up to his face, letting Dawn nuzzle his face with her warm small head. For a while, they just sat there again. Sniffing, while Harry whispered to her, apologizing over and over again.
Finally, he got up and with Dawn on his arm, feeling her warmth seep through his clothes, he made his way to the tower. His footsteps echoed through the empty corridors. Harry's faint whispers and Dawn's sad chirping were the only other noises. He quietly mumbled the password to the Fat Lady, ignoring her good night wish, something the portrait noticed with a little bit of a frown. Climbing through the hole, he found the common room pretty quiet. Ron and Hermione were at the side with Neville and a few sixth years were playing exploding snap at the side. Hermione turned her head when he came in and jumped to her feet.
"Harry!" She exclaimed half running half walking over to him. Her face displayed a worried look and she reached out to him, noticing his puffy eyes. "What's wrong? You look terrible." Her questions were soft and worried, when she put her hand on his shoulder, guiding him to their friends. Ron raised his head, frowning too.
"What's going on? Are you all right? What happened?" He asked quickly, scooting to the side. Harry slumped down next to him after he dropped his bag. Quickly Dawn jumped up in his chest and snuggled into the crook of his neck. For a moment she started Gryf, who slept through the entire episode, but he only hissed once before turning back to sleep.
"Snape happened." Harry growled out while petting the snuggling hatchling. Ron frowned.
"Did he attack you?" The Weasley boy knew Snape had it out for Harry so maybe this time he went too far with this. Hermione had a very different opinion on the topic.
"Don't be stupid Ron. Professor Snape is a teacher, he wouldn't attack Harry, teachers don't do that!" She said. Ron turned at her now frowning himself again.
"Oh yeah? What about Quirrel? Or when Lockhart tried to obliviate us?" Ron shot back, angry at being called stupid. Hermione had a tendency of belittling him. The bushy-haired girl frowned, not really knowing what to say to that.
"Well...yeah but that was something different." She said thinking deeply. Harry shook his head.
"He didn't attack me." He just stated, brushing his finger underneath Dawn's beak. The bird cooed again. Hermione shot a triumphant 'I told you so' look at Ron. The youngest Weasley rolled his eyes and shrugged before turning to his best friend.
"So what did he do?"
Harry gritted his teeth, feeling his anger rise when he thought about it. Dawn got agitated too, ruffling her feathers like she wanted to look bigger than she was.
"I cleaned cauldrons and he mocked me the entire time. But the worst was that he locked Dawn in his office during the entire detention."
Hermione gasped and her eyes looked down at the small bird that snuggled desperately against her beloved Harry. She couldn't remember them being out of arms-reach for longer than a minute, the furthest was when Dawn had hopped down the table during the starting feast and while she did, Harry had watched her the entire time. To think that the poor girl had been locked in a cold and dark office for two hours was horrible. Harry must have been so hurt. Her eyes were wide and Hermione clapped her hands over her mouth.
"He didn't." She said unbelievingly. Harry just nodded, feeling his eyes tear up again. Ron growled angrily next to him and Neville looked to him with worry. He wasn't as close with Harry as the other two but he had noticed his bond with the little bird too and to think that Snape would do this to him. Hermione reached out placing a hand on Harry's forearm.
"Doesn't he know about the bond? Why didn't you tell him?" She whispered. Harry's eyes flashed and he hissed at her.
"Of course he knows! He was delighted doing this to us!"
Hermione flinched back. While she was thinking teachers were there to protect them she couldn't deny that Professor Snape was out to get Harry. No one in the entire fourth-year potions class didn't know that. She nodded slowly.
"I'm sorry, Harry. You need to tell someone. Professor McGonagall or Sirius! They have to do something about it! This can't be right." She urged him. Harry shook his head, frowning.
"No, that is exactly what Snape wants. Me running to someone, so he can say something like 'Oh can't even handle a simple detention Potter?' or something along the line."
Hermione looked over at Ron, who gritted his teeth. Yeah, that sounded like something Snape would do. Still, she raised her voice. "I think you should tell them anyway Harry, this is-"
Harry interrupted her, while his fingers trembled in Dawn's feathers. "No Hermione. I will survive this. Just drop it." He turned his head to Neville, desperate for a distraction. "What did professor Dumbledore say?" He asked, wanting to change the subject. Neville glanced over at Ron and Hermione who looked equally worried.
"No much. My Gran was there, as well as Madam Bones, the head of the DMLE. They told me a little bit, just wanted to make sure I was informed. Apparently, the Manor is only half destroyed, so Gran plans to reconstruct. They are trying to figure out how they got in."
Harry nodded, brushing his fingers through Dawn's feathers again, making the bird chirp quietly. "Do they know if it really was the two?" He asked looking down at his familiar. Neville nodded, casting down his own eyes.
"The found T-Tipsy and Bibby, two of our house-elves with W-Werewolf claw marks. They are pretty sure it's them." He said swallowing. The info had hurt Neville the most. Bibby had been the elf that had cared for him ever since he had been little. She had been his companion in his early years, almost his only company for most of his childhood. Knowing she was dead was hard, even though she was an elf. He had liked her like every one of their elves. Harry looked grimly at his friend.
"Sorry to hear that mate." He whispered, making Neville nod.
"Thanks, Harry." It got quiet for a while when Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks. Ron cleared his throat after a moment.
"Harry mate, I think Hermione is right you should really-"
Harry stood up abruptly, not looking at them. "I'm going to bed, good night." He said, grabbing his bag. His friends watched him storm off and sighed.
"Should we say something to Professor McGonagall?" Asked Neville after a moment. Hermione shook her head sadly.
"He said he didn't want that. He would be mad when we go behind his back for this." She whispered it out more than anything. Ron nodded.
"Yeah, but we have to do something." He said. The common room was quiet, only after a moment, it was interrupted when the exploding snap game of the sixth years did what its name suggested and exploded. Hermione looked over for a moment, then she nodded, looking at her friends with determination.
"We have to be there for him. That is all we can do really. I just hope Snape doesn't do it again."
Harry meanwhile was lying in his bed, snuggling close to Dawn and was whispering to the little bird, petting her back feathers and tried the hardest not to cry again.