ALOHOMORA | CEDRIC DIGGORY

53〝fifty-three〞

ELLIS WAS RIGHT TO THINK Saturday unlucky, but that was putting it nicely. It was downright jinxed.

Tacked onto the noticeboard in all four common rooms was a comprehensive list of the latest rules, the fine print of which literally grew over the course of the day, presumably as they were coined by the school's management. Those who had recovered enough from the initial bombshell of another bout of attacks to pay attention to this became frustrated.

All students' free time, namely free periods and weekends, were now to be spent exclusively in their respective common rooms. The Great Hall would play host to meals, which had become very subdued, and breaks, which were shorter than free periods and hence more convenient to be in closer proximity to classrooms. Extra-curricular activities were completely scrapped. Even Hogsmeade trips had been cancelled, much to the displeasure of the older students, many of whom deemed the village much safer than the castle itself, which wasn't altogether unfair—or for that matter, untrue.

Most communal facilities had also been affected. As crime scenes went, the entire area around the library had been cordoned off and was strictly out-of-bounds. There was a schedule to visit the Owlery for post-sending; each House had their own designated time slot, which occurred twice a week and under the supervision of their Head of House. Madam Pomfrey had banned all non-patients from entering the hospital wing for fear that "the attacker might come back to finish these people off" so that even friends of the victims could not see them.

Contemplating these restrictions, Ellis realized she didn't mind so much being shepherded around or confined to the comforts of her four-poster bed reading over the books she had. She thought she could even handle a little less mail from Cedric. What she would sorely miss was volunteering in Kettleburn's magizoo and—obviously—Quidditch. Nothing, however, unsettled her more than the threat of the school being closed.

At breakfast the next day, the Sunday Prophet brought still more news—whether this was bad or not, it was a matter of opinion.

MUGGLE-BORN ATTACKS:
Minister Orders Hogwarts Gamekeeper to Azkaban

SCANDAL OF THE CENTURY:
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE'S DOWNFALL?

Recently unearthed to be home to a series of shocking attacks on Muggle-born students, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry faces the risk of an unprecedented shutdown. Concerned governors of the renowned establishment have been putting Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, under pressure, Mr. Lucius Malfoy told Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. "The headmaster, it seems, is unable to grasp the gravity of the situation," says Mr. Malfoy. "We had no choice but to seek higher authority."

Two more underage witches of Muggle parentage were confirmed to be Petrified in the ancient school on Saturday morning, doubling the casualty count to four—not including a cat and a ghost—since November last year, and forcing the Minister's hand at last. Rubeus Hagrid was shipped to Azkaban on Saturday evening under the directive of Mr. Fudge himself. This has been done as "a precautionary measure," the Minister states.

Hagrid, who has, surprisingly, yet to receive a formal charge, was expelled in his third year from the very institution at which he currently serves as gamekeeper—and on the account of a scandal that has, for half a century, been kept under wraps by then Headmaster, Armando Dippet, no less. At the mere age of thirteen, reveals our source at the Ministry, Hagrid was found guilty of opening the elusive, legendary Chamber of Secrets, a supposed creation of Salazar Slytherin himself, and unleashing the beast within, leading to several similar attacks and ultimately the death of a student.

Although Dippet did his duty to the school to terminate Hagrid's education in a timely fashion, it is unknown what he made of the beast, but—whatever it was—it has plainly not been a thorough job. Dippet's excuse for allowing another generation of losses is certainly that he had had his mind on other pursuits, for the truth behind a grisly murder transpiring under his administration was readily covered up and disguised, much to the deceased's injustice, as nothing more or less than "a freak accident." (For an excerpt of the original story published by Lorelai Gilmore, see page 5.)

Albus Dumbledore, current headmaster of Hogwarts, appears to be following in his predecessor's footsteps. The highly-acclaimed Chief Warlock has been proven appallingly incapable of putting an end to these horrific attacks—though there is reason to postulate that he may be unwilling to pull the plug. Recalling his father's brutal slaughter of three young Muggles when Albus was just a child, many question whether the Grand Sorcerer had not indeed inherited at least some of the same Muggle-harming proclivities and consider any exhibition of these tendencies in his declining years believable. As if possessed by the late Dippet, Dumbledore has likewise exercised his significant influence to hush up the fiasco stemming from his abysmal negligence, no doubt as part of a scheme that, until Saturday evening, had been successful in retaining his position.

"We, governors, have agreed [in light of Saturday's tragedies] that [Dumbledore] is past his prime." Mr. Malfoy continues to remark, "No one can deny that he's getting on. It's time for him to call it a day."

Endorsed by all twelve governors, an Order of Suspension was issued late Saturday afternoon, decreeing the immediate removal of the Supreme Mugwump from his appointment as Headmaster at Britain's sole wizarding academy. Dumbledore's extravagant failure to preclude these continued atrocities may very well mark his downfall and the end of a widely-esteemed career for the eccentric wizard. Filling the role in temporary capacity is the long-standing Transfiguration teacher and current Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall. A permanent replacement has yet to be named.

This front-page article was met with varying views. People who knew and liked Hagrid naturally did not take well to learning of such a profoundly astonishing prior. Others panicked over details such as the Chamber having been opened before and the monster it housed apparently killing someone, even if already fifty years ago. Nevertheless, none was satisfied by Hagrid's arrest.

United in their disgust by the notion that shaggy, overlarge man they often dubbed "that oaf" could be Slytherin's heir, the bulk of Slytherin House was outraged by what his capture alluded to. Furthermore, its readers were not so far demented with worry as to overlook the report's oversight to highlight any concrete evidence that Hagrid was responsible for the attacks now; "yet to receive a formal charge" and "done as 'a precautionary measure' " was really just "We have nothing on him, but just in case" in politics. The Ministry was clearly erring on the side of safety to save themselves.

More disturbing still had to be the fact that Dumbledore had been suspended, which was undeniable for he was absent at the top table whilst everyone scrutinized Skeeter's piece; it was also announced by a terribly glum Professor McGonagall. How the school governors could think that this would do more good than damage was anyone's guess. If Dumbledore couldn't stop these attacks, who could? The majority of the school population (students and staff alike) had reached this consensus at least—even Ellis.

However, she was focused on something many had dismissed. Such was the strength of everyone's faith in Dumbledore that nobody was hoaxed by Skeeter's defamation of their ex-headmaster but, rather, rebuked the journalist. The words ricocheted in Ellis's head, and though engendered anger, it wasn't so much aimed at the writer than the subject.

Confident he had fabricated that tale of his father notwithstanding, Ellis had to admit it seemed too extreme that Dumbledore would leak such a falsehood to the press just to persuade her that he did understand. Already there was so little she could nitpick about him, with his indisputable brilliance and whatnot...now she couldn't even fault his perfect upbringing? Well, at least she would always have his ruining of her life, she "consoled" herself.

Little though did she recognize that Dumbledore would pose a much greater problem than just being difficult to hate.