Daily Prophet. Extra.
James Potter: The Man Who Didn't Survive
A moving photo displayed a destroyed house, a scorched lawn, and the mutilated body of James Potter beside Voldemort's remains. The image spoke louder than any written story.
On the night of October 31, 1991, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named invaded the home of James Potter and his family with the help of the missing Peter Pettigrew. The Potter family was under the protection of the Fidelius Charm...
Senior Auror James Potter fought the Dark Lord and won. He fought for love, for justice, for peace, and died protecting his family. In doing so, he saved not only his loved ones but also the entirety of magical Britain. Offer your prayers of gratitude to our hero. We, at the Daily Prophet, wish strength to his widow and child.
The Ministry of Magic will crown Auror James Potter with yet another medal: the Order of Merlin, First Class.
On the second page of the newspaper:
A photo.
A young woman in her early twenties, with hair half blonde and half black, was entering the Ministry of Magic with her child, who appeared to be less than two years old. Both were visibly worn, clad in tattered robes and with unkempt hair—something you'd expect from beggars, not a noblewoman like her.
Narcissa Malfoy (née Black): Mother or Traitor?
The article described the events: Narcissa, a woman sold like a broodmare in a forced marriage, endured everything in silence. But fate was even crueler: her husband allied himself with the cruel Dark Lord whom we all despise. And she endured.
She bore two children who gave her strength and purpose. Yet her insane husband sought to sacrifice one of the children in an ancient ritual.
She found the courage to flee with her children, providing the Ministry with secret information about her husband. As we know, this led to the conviction of several of You-Know-Who's allies, including Lucius Malfoy and Corban Yaxley.
After that, Narcissa fled with all her strength, surviving the relentless pursuit of the Dark Lord himself, keeping her children alive.
In seven solar cycles, the Ministry will hold an interview with Narcissa, where she will give statements to help locate the remaining criminals among the Death Eaters. And, of course, the Daily Prophet will faithfully follow the event.
A young man sat on a leather couch, reading the paper. His hand ran through his hair, tugging slightly as his jaw clenched. His dark eyes gleamed, even in the dim light. He inhaled deeply through his slightly crooked nose: one breath, two, three.
He felt conflicted, not about his master's death, which he doubted. After all, the man's cursed mark still lingered on his wrist, though weakened. For anyone experienced in magic, the truth was clear: the wizard who cast the spell wasn't dead. If he were, all his spells and enchantments would have lost their power. Of course, there are exceptions: some alchemical items, rituals, and special magics don't follow that rule. But he sensed this wasn't the case with the mark. Its weakened state suggested the wizard who created it was in dire condition.
However, this wasn't what fueled his storm of emotions. It was his old nemesis. That arrogant fool Potter who once again saved the day. The Ministry had turned him into everything he'd ever wanted: a martyr. He'd bet a golden Galleon that Potter was "writhing in happiness in his grave" at the hero recognition the wizarding world now bestowed upon him. The thought of Potter as a magical world hero made Severus deeply unhappy.
Yet, he knew Potter had protected Lily in some way. Despite having struck a deal with Voldemort to spare her, Severus doubted the Dark Lord would have kept such a promise, at least not without demanding her total submission, which she would never concede.
He grabbed a calming draught, savoring its bitter taste before swallowing, and let the words slip from his velvety voice. "You won, James, as you always do. But now Lily is alone. Perhaps..." He let his body sink fully into the chair, gazing upward, only to confirm to himself, "No, don't be pathetic, Severus."
He grabbed the newspaper and tossed it toward the other miserable occupant of the house.
"Lucius, can you still read?"
The blond man, thin to the extreme, was lost, staring out the window into nothingness. Perhaps at the faintly glowing stars attempting to pierce the deep monotony of space. Or perhaps he was in another dimension called his mind. He neither turned nor responded to Snape.
Severus flicked his wand, casting a simple Levitation Charm without uttering a word. The paper landed precisely in Lucius Malfoy's lap. Even this, however, failed to bring the man back from his trance. He remained motionless, lost in thought.
Vincent's Perspective
Vincent stretched the newspaper's pages as far as his inconveniently small child arms would allow. He read the headlines with curiosity.
'James is a hero.' He pondered the Ministry's actions.
'No surprise there. It's clear that Dumbledore decided to hide the truth, or the Ministry did. I suppose they obtained Lily's memory. They undoubtedly know it wasn't exactly James who defeated Voldemort. Well, this means Dumbledore or the Ministry suspects my intentions. Besides, having James as a martyr helps give the Ministry an air of competence and legitimizes the actions of the Order of the Phoenix. Just a little lie for the greater good. Predictable.'
'Narcissa, the traitor?' This, on the other hand, surprised him. Someone was clearly trying to nail Narcissa's coffin, essentially turning her into the Death Eaters' number one enemy. He hadn't expected the Daily Prophet to be so harsh in its approach. 'But maybe this works in my favor. I should use a few people to ensure she has access to the Malfoy assets. That'll be useful.'
After finishing, he tossed the paper aside and stretched his arms upward, resting his head on a soft pillow. He sighed.
"Maybe tomorrow. It's not urgent."
He surrendered to sleep. The future would take care of itself.