Chapter Eight: Bad News
Harry awoke the next morning with a start. He had not forgotten the decision he made the night before, nor did he think about changing his mind. It was still early, and Ron, Dean, Neville, and Seamus were still fast asleep in their beds. Harry got out of bed quietly and got dressed. He picked his Captain’s badge up off his dresser and put it in his pocket, and proceeded from Gryffindor tower to Professor McGonagall’s office. He was pleased to see she was already awake, and was seated in her office writing at her desk.
“Professor McGonagall, can I talk to you about something?”
She looked up, startled. It was unusual for her to see a student so early on a Saturday morning.
“Yes, Mr. Potter. What’s the matter?”
“Nothing, it’s just... I’ve been thinking, and I don’t want to be Quidditch Captain.”
This was clearly not what she had been expecting.
“What changed your mind?”
“Ron. I know he’s only been on the team for one year “ but I think he deserves it more than I do. And I think he would do a good job. Besides, I have more N.E.W.T. level classes than he does...If I’m serious about becoming an Auror I’m going to have to focus on school more. As far as Quidditch is concerned....well... I’m a good Seeker, maybe I should stick with that.”
Professor McGonagall surveyed him over her spectacles.
”Is that really what you want?”
He thought about it for a moment, than replied, more sure than he had ever been in his life.
“Yes. That’s really what I want.”
“Alright then. You are officially relieved of your duties, I trust you to relay the message to Mr. Weasley?”
“Yes, Professor.”
He got up to leave and was almost out the door when she spoke to him again.
“That was very admirable of you, Mr. Potter,” she said with a sincere smile. “Thirty points for Gryffindor on your behalf.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
And with that he left for breakfast.
When Harry arrived in the Great Hall, it was still very early. It was somewhat empty at the Gryffindor table except for a few seventh years, as well as Hermione, Ginny, Ron and Dean.
“Morning Harry,” Dean called when he spotted him. “Where’ve you been? I heard you sneaking out this morning.”
Harry grinned.
“I wasn’t sneaking. I was taking care of business.”
He reached into his pocket and took out the Captain’s badge, putting it in Ron’s hand.
“This is for you.”
“Harry, this is the Captain’s badge...”
“I talked to Professor McGonagall this morning. Told her I didn’t think I was the best choice for the job; I’ve resigned. You’re the Captain now.”
Ron was speechless. Ginny, Hermione, and Dean were stunned.
“I don’t know what to say to this, Harry...”
“You don’t have to say anything,” said Harry, sitting down for breakfast.
Ron stood there, still in shock. Then he turned to Harry, quiet and serious.
“Thanks, mate. I really appreciate this.”
“You deserve it...”
Hermione couldn’t take it anymore, she burst into tears. Ron’s face changed to an expression of fear.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing... it’s just you know how I... oh, and you two are just so...” she continued through her sobs.
They were interrupted by a flutter of wings above. Owls had arrived with the post. A large tawny owl landed in front of Hermione with the daily prophet. Wiping her tears away, she unrolled it an looked at the front page. Her expression changed suddenly.
“Oh no...”
“What’s happened?”
She mouthed wordlessly and put the paper down on the table for the others to see. In bold letters across the top half of the page, it read:
MINISTRY LOSES AZKABAN CONTROL
Dementors join You-Know-Who’s ranks, all Death Eaters freed
There was a tense silence among the group. People around them were still talking, obviously unaware of what had just happened. Harry looked up to the staff table, no teachers were there yet.
“This is it, it’s started.” Harry looked to his friends. They were still quiet with shock.
Just then Neville, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati approached the table.
“What’s up with you lot?” Seamus asked.
Harry handed him the paper. Slowly, a frightened look passed over Seamus’s face, followed quickly by the reactions of the other three. Harry turned back to his friends seated at the table; Dean was holding Ginny against his shoulder, still lost for words. Hermione got up and took the paper of Seamus, and began to read part of it aloud.
“Early this morning, Ministry officials inspecting Azkaban Prison were assaulted by Death Eaters who had been apparently let out of their cells the night before by the prison guars, Dementors...After being knocked out the Ministry officials awoke to find the prison had been deserted by both the Dementors and Death Eaters...Some prisoners, who had refused to join the forces of You-Know-Who were left and were suffereing the effects of Crucio, the torture curse...the Ministry is particularly worried about the escape of recently exposed Death Eaters Lucius Malfoy, Augustus Rookwood, Antonin Dolohov, and others captured months ago after the incident at the Ministry of Magic that the world to the return of You-Know-Who...”
“That’s sure to improve Malfoy’s attitude,” Harry remarked.
“Yeah, he’s been pretty quiet lately “ it was too good to last,” Rom replied.
Just then Professor Dumbledore walked from the side entrance of the Great Hall, followed by Snape, Lupin and McGonagall. They sat down at the staff table and were talking quietly and seriously amongst one another.
“The staff already knows,” Hermione pointed out.
“What’s going to happen now, what does this mean?” cried Parvati.
Ron looked at her seriously.
“This means that any day now, all this is going to break into war.”
“People are going to start to suffer... people are going to start dying,” Neville said.
Everyone looked at him. They had all been preparing themselves for the idea of war all summer... but they hadn’t let their minds think of the effects it would have. They all looked at one another. Harry looked up again to the teachers. McGonagall had left. Harry had just began to wonder where she could have gone when suddenly “
“All students please report to the Great Hall immediately,” Professor McGonagall’s voiced boomed from the walls.
Within a few minutes the Great Hall was filled with the anxious chattering of hundreds of students.
“What’s going on?”
“Does this have something to do with You-Know-Who, you think?”
It seemed that Harry and his friends were the only group of students who already knew the news “ except for the Slytherins. Malfoy had walked into the Great Hall as though he owned it, followed by Crabbe and Goyle, whose fathers were also captured during the Ministry of Magic incident and, it could be safely assumed, had escaped that morning also.
“Look at him strutting around, proud that his father’s in league with murderers. He’s pure evil,” Hermione glared tearfully in Malfoy’s direction.
Ron, who was now seated beside Hermione, placed a comforting arm around her and shook his head in disgust. Dumbledore stood up to speak and everyone fell silent.
“As some of you might already know, early this morning, the Ministry of Magic lost control of Azkaban prison. Many prisoners, including all Voldemort’s supporters, were freed by the prison guards, the Dementors, who, it is believed, have also joined forces with Voldemort.”
Many people gasped. Harry looked around; most faces were horror-struck.
“As most of you know, this means that there are many worse things to come. I want you all to be on guard, but also know that as long as you remain inside these castle walls, I will not let any harm befall you. I want you all to write to your families, letting them know you are fine, and making sure they are fine, too. Older students, I want you to serve as an example to younger students, comfort them, make sure they understand what is going on. I want you all to put aside your differences, we must be strong and unified against what is about to come. We will, of course, continue with lessons normally. We will also continue with Quidditch games, Hogsmeade visits, the Halloween feast, and everything else that we enjoy. We will not let our enemies cause us to live in fear. We cannot give into what they want. And remember, no matter what happens, myself and the other professors, along with your peers, are here to see you through it,” he paused and looked around at the students. “You are now dismissed.”
Only a few students were able to bring themselves up out of their seats; many began to talk nervously amongst each other. Some were even crying in each others arms. Harry thought about all the destruction caused by Voldemort, he thought of Cedric and Sirius, of his parents, of Neville’s parents; he looked around at the fear in his fellow students’ faces. He saw Dean with his arms around Ginny, and he looked at Hermione in Ron’s arms. Seamus was sitting stony faced at the table next to Neville who had his own face in his hands; Parvati and Lavender were seated next to each other, silent. He looked over and saw Katie trying her best to reassure Euan that everything would be fine, even though it was clear she didn’t believe it herself. He looked up at the staff table where the teachers even seemed to be at a loss for words. And then he remembered the prophecy.
It’s up to me, he thought. I’m the one who has to put a stop to this. It’s up to me.