In a surprising turn of events during yesterday's Wizengamot session, the representative for the Noble House of Potter revealed documents indicating that Regulus Black, previously believed to be a steadfast Death Eater, actually opposed You-Know-Who and was killed for his efforts.
The documents prepared by Herr Schmidt provided a detailed account of events that unfolded towards the end of the War. Regulus Black, who had infiltrated the Inner Circle of the Death Eaters, aimed to find a way to defeat Voldemort and protect the Ministry and the citizens of Magical Britain.
For a considerable time, Regulus bided his moment while forced to carry out unspeakable acts to maintain his cover. However, a few months before the War's conclusion, he seized his opportunity. He successfully stole and destroyed several powerful artifacts essential to Voldemort's strength, thereby weakening the Dark Lord and his followers. This treachery marked Regulus as a traitor to the Dark Side he had never truly embraced, leading Voldemort personally to hunt him down. While it was long known that Regulus met his end at Voldemort's hand, it was commonly believed that his failure to meet the Dark Lord's expectations led to his death.
Following the reading of the documents, Herr Schmidt proposed that Regulus Arcturus Black be posthumously awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class. Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore seconded the motion, delivering an inspiring speech about the enduring light in the hearts of the youth of the wizarding world during dark times. The subsequent vote was overwhelmingly in favor, and Regulus Black was finally recognized for his heroism.
While this story concludes with a sense of justice served, we cannot help but ponder: how many other unsung heroes from the War remain unrecognized? How many are still waiting for the acknowledgment they deserve? Here at the 'Daily Prophet', we hope this will not be the last instance in which the gallantry of witches and wizards comes to light.
For further details on You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters, turn to page 13. For more about Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, see page 15. For an in-depth look at Regulus Arcturus Black, refer to page 21.
Sirius Black, in his animagus form, set down the newspaper he had "borrowed" from a vendor in Hogsmeade. It seemed his younger brother was not the villain everyone in the Order of the Phoenix had made him out to be. Shaking his head, the only person to escape from Azkaban vowed to express his gratitude to Harry for restoring his brother's legacy when he finally met him as a man instead of a large black dog.
But for the moment, Sirius had more pressing matters to attend to—namely, finding Peter Pettigrew. The traitorous rat had managed to elude capture three days ago and was now on the run. Knowing that his disguise as a rat had been compromised, Peter was likely desperate, which made him a serious threat to those around him. Perhaps, Sirius thought, it would be better to wait a bit before resuming his hunt—after all, if Peter understood he was being hunted, he could become exceedingly dangerous. The last thing they needed was for him to lash out in a panic. It was prudent for Sirius to hold off, hoping Peter would either return to the Weasleys or find another hiding spot instead of running wild.
In the meantime, Sirius needed to find something to eat. Raiding houses in Hogsmeade wasn't wise, and sneaking into Hogwarts for food from the kitchens would be risky, since house elves were probably instructed to protect the castle from him. This left hunting in the surrounding forests as his only option.
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While Sirius was contemplating his late brother Regulus and plotting the capture of Peter, the rat was hiding within the walls of Hogwarts. Fully aware that Black was after him, Pettigrew knew he couldn't move about freely anymore, requiring a safer refuge. Though he felt somewhat shielded amongst the real rats, the threat of nearby cats or older students using him for magical experiments was ever-present. He needed a more secure location.
Perhaps he should return to the Weasley boy, who had looked after him for so long. Considering the boy was now deemed the chosen one by Dumbledore, it would stand to reason that everyone would be eager to protect him from Sirius, which would extend to Peter as long as he continued to play the role of Weasley's pet rat. However, that meant avoiding situations where Black could potentially find them.
Another option that crossed Peter's mind was to simply finish off the so-called "savior"—both boys, to be safe—before escaping to Albania, where Voldemort's remnants were rumored to dwell. This seemed a more appealing choice, although faint memories nagged him about the Dark Lord's insistence that Harry was his to kill.
Regardless, he needed to act quickly; the thought of spending more time with the filthy castle rats was unappealing.
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Meanwhile, Harry sat on his bed in the Gryffindor dormitories, utilizing the privacy of the wards he had set up to wrap gifts for his classmates and friends. It was during this task that he hit upon a startling realization: Horcruxes were essentially vessels holding shards of a soul, anchoring their creator to this world. On their own, Horcruxes were harmless unless approached by a naive individual. So, if he could find a way to safely seal away what remained of Voldemort's soul—ensuring it could never be released—then the Dark Lord could effectively be considered dead.
The challenge lay in finding a suitable container, as nothing in the world could last indefinitely. Nevertheless, this thought sparked hope in Harry. Perhaps this was a worthwhile approach, especially since he could avoid hunting down each remaining Horcrux.
As he contemplated further, a more ambitious strategy emerged: what if he could banish Voldemort's primary soul to an alternate dimension? This would eliminate the need for a container altogether. Unfortunately, tearing a rift in reality required immense preparation and an extraordinary amount of magical power—far beyond what even Dumbledore or Voldemort could harness without significant boosts from other sources. So, unless he discovered an alternative means of empowering his rituals, this idea seemed implausible.
Yet, unless he came up with something superior to merely sealing Voldemort's soul within an object, Harry resolved to dig deeper into this concept—this may indeed be his best chance at truly defeating the Dark Lord.
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts and return to wrapping gifts, Harry glanced at his watch. Time had slipped by as he pondered, and it was nearly seven in the evening—dinner time. With a sigh, he decided to finish wrapping later. After straightening his clothes for a presentable appearance and checking his wards, he made his way to the Great Hall.
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Despite the fact that Sirius Black was likely the only individual within miles who could see through his animagus transformation, Peter steered clear of returning to the Gryffindor common room while it was crowded. After all, rats weren't commonly kept as pets, and he certainly didn't resemble a sleek, decorative rat. The risk of being targeted with unpleasant spells was too high.
Ensuring that most students were occupied at dinner in the Great Hall, Peter Pettigrew made his way towards the Gryffindor common room. Although he encountered no one en route, gaining entry remained an issue. He required the Fat Lady's password, but as a rat, he could not speak. His only option was to return to his human form.
Fortunately, the Fat Lady was currently napping, which gave him an opportunity to proceed unnoticed. Once transformed back to human, Peter quietly approached the portrait.
"Lion's pride!" he called out, believing it to be the current password. Unfortunately, he was mistaken, and the entrance did not open. The failed attempt roused the Fat Lady from her slumber.
"Sirius Black?" she asked, still groggy. "I will not let you in." Though he was relieved that he hadn't been recognized, he needed access to the common room—and since that wasn't happening by conventional means, he resorted to force. Drawing the butcher's knife he had stolen from the kitchen—initially meant to deal with the boys who would hinder his master's plans—he lurked towards the portrait.
"You will let me in," he hissed, brandishing his weapon. The Fat Lady, however, remained resolute, refusing him entry once more. In a fit of rage, Peter lunged at her with the knife, but she swiftly moved to a nearby painting to evade him.
After swiping at the now-empty portrait several times in frustration, he realized he faced solid stone instead of the passage he had hoped for. Worst of all, time was running low; students would soon be returning from the Great Hall. Yet, Peter wasn't foolish enough to risk revealing his identity or compromising his cover now—transforming back into a rat with witnesses around would be disastrous.
Searching for alternatives, he spotted the hiding Fat Lady and shot her a menacing glare, causing her to cower behind a boulder in the painting of an African savanna. This was his chance. Shifting back into his animagus form, Peter scurried into the gap between stones in the wall. When the Fat Lady peeked out again, he was long gone.
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Despite finishing his meal somewhat quickly, Harry was not the first to leave the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. As he approached the entrance to the common room, he found a group of students theorizing about the Fat Lady's absence. Speculation ran wild, and the more students arrived, the more absurd their theories became. Yet, no one, including Harry himself, thought to seek out the Fat Lady for answers.
Finally, Professor McGonagall arrived to investigate the commotion surrounding her "cubs" and their inability to enter the common room. Unlike the students, she promptly began searching for the Fat Lady, locating her hiding behind a boulder a couple of minutes later.
"What happened, my lady?" the Transfiguration professor inquired.
"S-Sirius Black!" the portrait stammered, her voice trembling. "He... He tried to force his way in. When I denied him, he pulled out a b-big knife and..."
"Thank you, my lady," Professor McGonagall interjected, sensing the distress in the painting. "We'll ensure your portrait is repaired." She thought to herself, *In the meantime, we need someone to guard the entrance... but who will be willing to take on that task?*
Finding a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor common room proved to be more challenging than anticipated. The news of Sirius Black's attempted intrusion had spread like wildfire, and nearly every portrait or statue was unwilling to accept the responsibility. After searching for nearly three hours, Sir Cadogan's portrait—who typically resided on the seventh floor near the Divination classroom—volunteered to take on the role.
However, Cadogan was known for his eccentricity; within mere minutes of assuming his position, he began concocting absurdly complicated passwords that frustrated the students. Yet, with nobody else brave enough to accept the task, he remained the temporary guardian of the Gryffindor common room.
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While students hopefully returned to their beds for the night, the day for Hogwarts professors continued as Headmaster Dumbledore summoned them for a meeting in his office to address the attack on the Fat Lady.
"Now that we are all gathered," the ancient wizard began, surveying the assembled professors, "let us discuss a matter of utmost importance." After a brief pause, he continued, "Today's events have demonstrated that Sirius Black is capable of infiltrating the castle relatively easily, leaving a witness to his actions merely due to an outdated password. Had it not been for this oversight, we might have faced dire consequences. We must enhance our security measures to prevent such incidents in the future."
A murmur of agreement rippled through the gathering, and Dumbledore allowed a moment for silence before proceeding. "Given that he is clearly targeting the chosen one, I propose we relocate young Ron to private accommodations separate from the Gryffindor dormitories to enhance safety for everyone involved."
This suggestion prompted immediate protests, especially from Professor Snape, who bore little affection for Ron—though his dislike for Harry was far stronger—and unexpectedly from Professor Sprout. She contended that singling out a student would negatively impact house morale.
To quell the dissent, Dumbledore raised his hand, signaling for quiet. "Please allow me to elucidate my reasoning. I understand that separating young Ronald from his friends may not appear prudent. However, given the ongoing crisis with Black..." He continued, "Removing him from the Gryffindor dormitories would enable us to implement more robust protections that wouldn't function effectively in a densely populated area. By relocating him temporarily, we can safeguard his fellow housemates, as Black will have no reason to seek him out."
Dumbledore infused his voice with a hint of magic, compelling the others to find agreement with his proposal. Although a few skilled in the art of mind manipulation could sense his influence, the professors were too fatigued to resist, and one by one, they began nodding in acceptance of his plan...