"The truth is more important than the facts."

-Frank Lloyd Wright

POTTER: A NEW DARK LORD?

Harry Potter, until recently hailed as the boy who lived, is now a deranged, violent young man bent on world domination, writes Rita Skeeter Special Reporter. He adamantly denies working for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but was willing to use an Unforgivable Curse in full view of Ministry officials. Yesterday, in the middle of Diagon Alley, he used wandless magic to destroy this writer’s property.

Though he does deny any involvement with You-Know-Who, he is quoted as saying, “I guarantee you… that the second I ‘betray the whole of the Wizarding world by becoming loyal to my parents’ murderer,’ I will immediately give you an exclusive interview.” This is unstoppable proof of his future plans for the destruction of our world.

As one of the few people left in Potter’s life, Remus Lupin spoke to this reporter to say, “He is often like this, angry, violent. We always had to be very careful we never made him mad. Most of the time he’s fine, but when he isn’t, it can become dangerous. I think James would be ashamed of him, but I also think the Ministry is doing the best possible thing right now.”

James Potter was one of the Ministry’s most respected and powerful Aurors in the first war, and his name remains a measure for all other Aurors to live up to. He faced You-Know-Who a total of four times with his wife, and was killed in the fourth attack. Both Potters were Aurors at the time of their deaths, but it has been found that Lily Potter was being transferred into the Unspeakables, an event that never had the chance to take place.

It is often thought that because of the physical similarity between father and son, their behavior will be similar, but after the events of this summer, the idea is clearly false.

The Ministry is issuing an edict that anyone found helping will immediately be looked upon as a traitor. In a surprising joint announcement the Goblins have finally come forward to take their side in the war. (full story on page 2)

The Longbottoms, a family still supporting Potter, was unwilling to give a statement.

(see page 2, THE GOBLINS SPEAK OUT; page 3, Edict From the Ministry; page 4, WHY WE SHOULD NEVER HAVE TRUSTED THAT BOY)

>=====<

THE GOBLINS SPEAK OUT
The Goblins made a brief statement today, explaining their side in the approaching war. Below is the abbreviated speech.

“Harry Potter, who originally worked for our support has had his record tainted by the testimony of several officials under the power of Veritaserum….Both the Ministry and growing Order of the Phoenix spoke to explain the boy’s actions both at the Ministry this spring, and this summer, also including information on the now infamous meeting between Potter and You-Know-Who at the end of the Tri-Wizard tournament last year. Based on these testimonies…it is the decision of the Goblin High Council to pledge support for the Ministry, and offer our support in their announcement earlier of the Traitor by Association Act.

“At the request of the Ministry, Gringotts will continue to offer Potter only the use of his vault, but will disclose all information on his activities to the Minister.

“All this is done in the hope that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will be defeated and that Potter will not take his place.”

>=====<

Harry very patiently stood up from the edge of the bed in his hotel room. He stepped over to his trunk, and transfigured a paperweight into a block of wood. He then, very calmly, set it in the middle of the floor, picked up the sword and hacked the thing to pieces.

Each cut was attached to a name, and he shouted his way through his enemies. Dumbledore. Fudge. Ron. Weasleys. Tom. Fudge again. Rita. The Order. Death Eaters. The Ministry. The Goblins.

It took almost half an hour before the block could be described as dust, but it had prevented him from strangling every member of the Order. I suppose that is a good thing. Not quite sure though.

He managed to suppress the urge to brutally murder something, and sat down on the bed slowly clenching and relaxing a fist. His stomach growled.

Harry sighed, “Food does sound like a good idea doesn’t it Dad? Let’s see what room service offers, then.” Having never ordered room service, he spent several minutes looking through the menu on the table and being generally appalled by the prices. Eventually he settled on his choice and dialed the phone. “Room service? Yes, this is room 1109, yes bill to the room. I’d like a chocolate milkshake, a slice of apple pie, and a pepperoni pizza. Yes, yes, I know that it’s nine in the morning, I’m paying you aren’t I? Alright, very good, twenty minutes. Thank you.” He hung up. Comfort food. “Padfoot, that should satisfy except that now I have to kill twenty minutes.”

One hand was absently rolling his wand between his fingers, but the other was resting on the Prophet. Considerably calmer than he had been, he reread the cover story and the press announcement. He scanned the editorials, laughing outright at some of the ‘facts’ of his Dark activities. One claimed that he had attempted to sacrifice Ginny in his second year; another claimed that he had bastard children littering Hogwarts. Harry very nearly fell out of his chair as he saw that. “Poor misinformed woman. She implies that I have a love life.”

Finally there was a knock at his door, he flipped the paper closed and tossed it carelessly onto the bed, racing for the door. The man was standing behind a cart and was ready to walk in. “Don’t.”

“Excuse me sir, don’t what?”

“Don’t come in.”

“But sir I—”

“Here, I’ll give you fifty pounds, and you can just leave the cart here. I’ll put it back outside when I’m done. Alright, thank you, bye.” Harry shoved money at the man, dragged the cart inside closed and locked the door. “Must remember to stop leaving my Firebolt out and hovering like that.”

He sat down happily on the edge of the bed, flicked on the TV and ate. He watched the last few minutes of an American talk show involving three couples all of which had accidentally married a relative’s divorcee. At the end half of them were screaming and the other half was crying.

It ended and he flipped through, stopping on the BBC. Apparently the royal family was going on vacation.

He felt a slight ripple and, without turning said, “Hello Professor Snape, how are you?”

“Idiot boy, don’t you even have Anti-Apparition wards up?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then how did I get him?” Snape scowled.

‘They’re set to allow you and Remus in, but no one else.”

“Impossible.”

“No, it’s possible. It was in one of the books you gave me. The Dark Arts and How to Use Them, chapter eighteen, part four, page four ninety-three.” Harry turned from the news and looked at the professor. “Didn’t you read them?” By his face, Harry guessed not.

“Why are they still open to Lupin?”

“Why shouldn’t they be?”

“Potter, I have always known you were blind to events you disliked, but this is appalling. You read the Prophet’s cover story I assume. Reread it.” Harry frowned, but obeyed, having long since learned that Snape did not recommend things unless they needed to be done. As Harry reached the quote, he hissed under his breath.

“‘He is often like this, angry, violent. We always had to be very careful we never made him mad. Most of the time he’s fine, but when he isn’t, it can become dangerous. I think James would be ashamed of him, but I also think the Ministry is doing the best possible thing right now.’ Remus? Remus said this? One moment please.” Harry stepped to a small table and lifted a quill from his trunk. He then scratched Remus’ name from the ledger. “Another traitor.” He muttered darkly.

Severus sneered. “If you can do that, why, I might ask, haven’t you bothered to make yourself unplottable?”

“It only works on places not people.”

“Fool, I found you by tracing an owl path. People can be made unplottable just as easily. Sit still, it needs to be done immediately.” Harry watched as a spell was quickly cast on him, he felt vaguely detached for a few seconds, but the feeling passed. “In your recent letters you have asked several questions I was not comfortable about answering in writing. I can answer them now, but do not waste my time.”

Harry sat down beside his meal and looked directly at the man who had spent five years making his life a living hell, who would attack him if he could, who worked only towards his own benefit, and who was the only person left that Harry could really ask for help. “I will start with the easier ones; why is my parseltongue ability appearing subconsciously?”

“It is the same thing that occurred in your second year. You can think in both languages and so speaking in both is not difficult, even for your puny mind. However, the connection between yourself and the Dark Lord may be strengthening, and so his actions may reflect through you.”

“So if he is speaking in Parseltongue then it may slip out of my mouth?”

“It is possible.”

Harry disliked the idea of being controlled but was already wondering if the connection worked both ways. “How am I doing wandless magic?”

“No one knows. Since, until you controlled wandless magic was considered impossible, there is no information to reference.”

“My wandless magic isn’t controlled, most of the time it’s just a reaction on instinct, and it usually only works when I’m very emotional. What are the Dementors doing?”

“That falls into the scope of Rabastan’s assignments. Something of which I am not a part.”

“Will you continue to teach me Occulemency and Legillemecy?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“My mind contains too much as it is; it would be dangerous to open in at all.”

Harry stared directly at the Potions Master and very quietly, very firmly asked, “Why is everyone betraying me?” His eyes were already watering, but he refused to cry in front of Snape.

“What do you mean?”

“The Order, the Ministry and their Traitor by Association Act, Ron, the Goblins breaking their word to me, the rumors that are flying, Remus’ comment. Why is everyone betraying me?”

Harry could feel the breath of pause before the answer. “Based on your actions.”

“Bull Shit. The evidence against me is not nearly enough to accuse me of anything.”

“You killed Bellatrix.”

“SO WOULD ANYONE ELSE IN MY POSITION!” He didn’t care if the Slytherin-esque style of his countenance was slipping.

“Weasley accused you after seeing the books.”

Harry was tingling was anger. “You gave me those!”

“The Order doesn’t know that.”

“Why do they think I turned?! I’m the bloody Golden Boy of Gryffindor, I’m the damned Boy-Who-Lived, I’ve fought Voldemort and saved people’s lives, why do they think I betrayed them?”

“Because you can say all those things.”

“That makes no damned sense.”

“Yes it does. It makes the perfect reason for them to trust you no matter your actions. You have done a disproportionately large number of good deeds to the point that it seems unusual. They feel you have been playing a part all this time. Think, it makes sense. I am a spy, but I am a very good one, and the first thing to know is that anything out of the ordinary will be questioned at some point. Potter, your entire being is out of the ordinary, it is no small wonder that they doubt you.”

Harry clenched his mouth closed, hissing, “Why do you still trust me?”

“I cannot tell you that. All you need to know is that I still, foolishly, do. Goodbye Potter.”

The Professor stood up to Apparate, and Harry shouted.

“What do you need now Potter?”

“Since I am being youthfully optimistic in the hope that I’ll survive this summer and ever have a chance to reach Voldemort, I will continue with that and assume that you trust me based on my character and truthfulness instead of whatever obscure reason is really driving you. I have not betrayed my family or Sirius. I never have and never will. I will never join Voldemort, no matter what he offers. I will never be able to forgive the Order for what they are doing to me.

“Since I no longer can trust anyone’s actions except my enemies, I have to trust what you have said. This is what you will do for the time: Stop giving any information about my whereabouts or actions to Remus; he is to be completely removed from the knowledge loop, continue to update me on the events inside the Order and with Voldemort, and know that if you betray me too, I will not hesitate in killing you. I will send you an owl if my location changes.” His emerald calm was back, “Goodbye Severus.”