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Harry fell, face forward, onto a cold stone floor. His glasses snapped, and he winced. He climbed to his feet with bruises and dust covering every inch of him, and held his broken glasses up to his eyes. Harry squinted through them to take in his surroundings, and stared.
He was standing in a large stone fireplace of what looked like a dimly lit wizarding shop. His eyes widened as he took in the merchandise that surely was not on his school list. Harry seriously doubted Mrs. Weasley would've sent him to such a creepy place, which meant Harry must've messed it up somehow. Probably when he choked on ash during the trip.
Harry grimaced as he took in his surroundings and saw a withered and dried up hand on a cushion, with a bloodied pack of cards and an ugly glass eye beside it. Creepy masks hung on the walls, while an assortment of human looking bones were scattered on the counter and rusted, spiked tools and instruments decorated the ceiling.
He turned to the window to see a dark and narrow street that was very obviously not Diagon Alley. He shuddered and decided to leave as soon as possible. Harry headed for the door, only to stop in his tracks.
Draco Malfoy was walking towards the door, on the other side of the glass, with a man who only could be Draco's father: cold grey eyes and long blond hair. Panicking, Harry looked around for a place to hide and spotted a large black cabinet to his left.
Harry shot inside and pulled the doors shut firmly. He heard footsteps, and voices, vaguely.
"Touch nothing, Draco." A voice wobbled from where Harry could hear.
"I thought you were going to buy me a present." Draco whined.
"I said I would buy you a racing broom." The first voice replied evenly, probably Draco's father.
"What's the good of that if I'm not on the House team?" Draco's voice whined again, "Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not even that good, it's just because he's famous… famous for having a stupid scar on his head…" Harry was sure Draco was pouting.
Harry tried to continue to listen but he felt an odd tug, and suddenly it was quiet. There was barely any noise, a slight fluttering like soft wind, as if he was somewhere completely different all of a sudden.
Tentatively, Harry tried pushing the doors open. Except, the doors wouldn't budge. Harry pushed harder, hands bracing against the wood, but they didn't yield. He started to panic, breaths coming out quicker and tears pooling in his eyes and he decided he didn't care if he got in trouble.
He pounded on the doors and screamed. "Help! Please, I'm stuck!" His fists slammed into the doors but the thick wood didn't so much as shake. Hands throbbing, he finally stopped and sat down on the floor of the cabinet, shaking.
"Please, please." He shivered, knees to his chest, and was suddenly reminded of his cupboard. He'd been forced into it for years and as soon as he spent a whole summer out of it, he ended up locked in a cabinet. Maybe someone would find him...
Hanging on as long as he could, he eventually slipped into unconsciousness, and he fell into a deep sleep. Limbo took him, and held his mind trapped there, until it was the proper time…
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The Dangers of Floo Powder: Resurfaced
Concerning: Harry Potter
Harry Potter, age 12, has been reported to be missing for several weeks. He never attended the start-of-term feast for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this September, and has reportedly been missing since August 19th.
This has been discovered to be caused by the Floo Network. Harry Potter coughed, speculated to be choking on ash from the fireplace, and misspoke while heading to Diagon Alley. He was with the Weasley Family, the head of the family being Arthur Weasley who works for the Ministry as the Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office.
"One moment he was there, and the next he was gone. This was normal for Floo, so the rest of us stepped through as well." Arthur Weasley told us in an interview. "When my family and I found ourselves without Harry in Diagon Alley, we all panicked."
Apparently, the Weasleys were frantically searching for Harry Potter for the rest of the same day, but he was never found. They notified Albus Dumbledore, but even he was unable to locate the boy.
Since then, many people have been once again doubting the accuracy and reliability of Floo Travel. As some may remember, there was another Floo accident in 1855.
Violet Tillyman had a fight with her husband, and disappeared through the Floo aiming for her mother's house. Her husband, Albert Tillyman, was concerned she didn't return in the following two weeks, and headed to his mother-in-law's place to bring his wife home.
Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be found. In the following 20 years Violet wasn't seen or heard from and many wizards were terrified they'd disappear into thin air as Violet did. This was later disproven, as Violet had simply ended up with Myron Otherhaus and later married him, having 7 children. She shared her story after her previous husband, Albert Tillyman, died.
Now that Harry Potter has disappeared as well the panic from 1855 is renewing. Wizards all over Britain are claiming they have also ended up in the complete wrong location, and fear for where the young savior could have ended up.
Is the Floo Network done for? Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge is scrambling to find a way to reassure the public, but without locating Harry Potter there is no proof he wasn't killed in between fireplaces.
Will we ever see The-Boy-Who-Lived again? Will he remain at large, hidden somewhere we can't find him? Is he lost in the Floo Network forever? We have no answers.
More on page 18
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Gilderoy Lockhart: Failure of a Teacher
Concerning: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Gilderoy Lockhart, famous author, took a job as a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this past September of 1992, the very same year as Harry Potter's disappearance.
Throughout the year he gave the students tests and quizzes on himself, with questions such as 'What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?' Many students have come forward since the year ended to usher complaints about the year as a whole.
"Honestly, he shouldn't be allowed anywhere near magical creatures or artifacts!" A Slytherin said when asked about Gilderoy Lockhart. "He released Cornish Pixies into the classroom, and then promptly ran away! He was irresponsible and… and…! I don't think he should come back, ever!"
Another pair of students, fourth year Gryffindors, gave us a quote: "He set a fire lizard on our class one time."
"We kept it, until it was confiscated by a teacher, little thing was adorable." The other told the interviewer.
"The entire classroom did catch on fire though."
As obvious by the comments from students, Lockhart often released magical creatures onto his classes without protections or real lessons. In light of all these complaints, he has refused to comment.
However, this summer, Albus Dumbledore has reportedly been searching for a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. This leads the public to believe Gilderoy Lockhart has resigned from his post.
First Quirinus Quirrell's untimely and covered up death on the job, and now Gilderoy Lockhart's deserved resignation, will the following Defense Against the Arts teacher be up to the task?
More on Quirinus Quirrell on page 7
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Dementors: Are Our Students Safer?
Concerning: Sirius Black and Hogwarts
There was an outcry from Hogwarts students at the start of term for the 1993-1994 school year, as Azkaban guards were sent to stand guard outside the school.
They were sent there to protect the school and perhaps catch the escaped criminal Sirius Black.
Sirius Black is a known follower of You-Know-Who, who was arrested when he was caught for the murder of Peter Pettigrew and 12 muggles who were nearby.
Sirius Black remained in Azkaban for 12 years, until his recent escape. He was sighted near Hogwarts, and many were concerned he'd seek to harm the students there.
There was speculation and suspicious activity from the school, but no proof was found he ever set foot in the castle.
One student, a Ravenclaw, gave us a quote. "There were rumors that Black broke into Gryffindor Tower, but I find it unlikely. Some scratched curtains and a mad portrait could easily explain it."
Alternatively, a Gryffindor was more than happy to refute this statement. "He nearly killed me!" A third year insisted when asked about the criminal. "Ne- I mean, my friend lost his list of passwords, and Sir Cadogan basically confirmed it was Black!"
It is unclear who is correct, as opinion and fact can often be mistaken for the other. Sirius Black wasn't sighted again, and many wizards speculate he was killed by dementors around the castle and his body was never found.
If this is true, the dementors could be detrimental to our students. Reportedly there was an incident where dementors spilled onto the Quidditch pitch one stormy game, drawn to the crowds, and three students nearly died.
If they killed Black without anyone knowing, could this happen to our students?
Even with the criminal still at large, there has been a petition to remove the dementors from the school. Albus Dumbledore seems to be supporting the notion.
More on Sirius Black on page 24
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The Triwizard Tournament
Concerning: Beauxbaton, Durmstrang, and Hogwarts
As everyone in Britain knows, and the majority of the world following along with it, the Triwizard Tournament was reinstated for the first time in two centuries.
It took place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and was won by Cedric Diggory: a sixth year Hufflepuff. Viktor Krum took second with Fleur Delacour taking third.
The Triwizard Tournament was discontinued in 1792 for its high death toll. How is it different now? Albus Dumbledore gave us a quote after Diggory's win.
"In the past, the judges and Headmasters weren't as careful as we are now. We had our medwitch, Madam Pomfrey, on hand during every task and we had safety measures in place to ensure the Champions' safety."
In his quote, he mentioned that Fleur Delacour needed an evacuation in both of the latter tasks. In the second task she was attacked by Grindylows, but was rescued by the Hogwarts staff promptly. She received no substantial harm, and neither did her hostage in the task.
This shows the excellency of Hogwarts, and we hope when the next Tournament occurs Beauxbaton is up for the same. It's scheduled for 5 years in the future, as was custom before its discontinuation.
More on Fleur Delacour on page 14
More on Viktor Krum on page 22
More on Cedric Diggory on page 37
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Hogwarts Teachers: Cursed?
Concerning: Alastair Moody
In recent years Hogwarts has seen many questionable Hogwarts teachers, as well as questionable ways of leaving.
Quirrell ended up dead and Dumbledore reportedly attempted to cover up how in 1991 and 1992, while Gilderoy Lockhart resigned after complaints were put in by the student body and he received heavy fines for educational misconduct in 1993.
In the 1993-1994 school year, Professor Remus Lupin was complimented by many students for his genius and thorough way of teaching. Students stated they most enjoyed his units on Grindylows and Boggarts. He resigned for unknown reasons at the end of the year, much to the protests of the student body.
In the school year of the Triwizard Tournament, 1994-1995, Alastair "Mad-Eye" Moody took the post of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He was said to be a thorough and strong teacher, comforting students but also intimidating them with his lessons.
No students were willing to comment on what his lessons contained.
In more recent news, it has been seen that Professor Remus Lupin is once again taking up the post as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for the 1995-1996 school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Alastair "Mad-Eye" Moody has refused to comment on the grounds of his recent resignation, but it's speculated that he's too suspicious to remain at the school for more than one year.
However, considering that Remus Lupin was reviewed as the best teacher they've had in half a decade, the upcoming school year is sure to be a good one.
More on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on page 19
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Harry felt like he was underwater, voices and images fluttering through his eyes and ears as he tried and failed to focus. As suddenly as though he'd been slapped, he found himself falling.
Strong arms caught him and he blinked, eyes heavy, as though he'd been sleeping for a long time. He looked to see a boy gaping at him. Harry squinted at him and yawned slightly. The boy had silvery hair like Draco's, and the same gray eyes. They were filled with shock, but they were missing the anger and arrogance Harry was so used to. The boy had dark circles under his eyes as if he never slept, and he looked painfully thin.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked, standing. "You look sick." He squinted around the room and saw dark and blurry clutter surrounding him. "Where are we?"
"Harry?" The boy still holding Harry's shoulders sounded aghast. "What are you doing here?" Harry squinted at the boy.
"I was hiding from Draco, in some creepy shop. I came out the wrong Floo. I choked on ash." He ignored the odd noise the boy made as he felt his broken glasses in one hand. Bringing them closer to him, he realized they were snapped and one of the lenses cracked slightly. "Aw seriously? Not again."
"Harry, I need you to tell me the last thing you remember." The boy called his attention to him again. "It's really important." Harry frowned down at his glasses, not responding.
The boy made an impatient sound and drew his wand. He pointed it at Harry's glasses and murmured "Oculus Repairo." The round glasses sprang back together, in perfect condition. He then put the wand away and looked at Harry expectantly. Harry slipped on the glasses happily.
"Thank you!" The boy then made an impatient noise and Harry rolled his eyes. "I was with the Weasleys, at the Burrow." Harry remembered. "I'd never used the Floo before, and I coughed while asking for Diagon Alley."
"You ended up in Knockturn?" The boy demanded, eyes intense. Harry just blinked at him.
"I have no idea what that is." Harry admitted. "But if it's a shop with creepy hands on cushions and bones just littering the counter, then yes that's definitely where I ended up."
"Knockturn Alley is the darker version of Diagon Alley." The blond explained. "It's nearby, and you were in a shop called Borgin and Burkes."
"Ah, that explains why Draco and his father were there." Harry frowned. "I think Draco was complaining about me having a broom at Hogwarts, he doesn't have one." The boy rolled his eyes.
"He was." The boy confirmed. Harry looked at him suspiciously.
"Are you Draco's brother or something?" He asked, eyeing the boy. "You definitely look like a Malfoy. If not a little sick." The boy sighed.
"We need to find a teacher." He said instead of answering. Harry frowned but nodded.
"Where are we?" He asked again. This time he looked around with glasses on, and he found a very odd room looking back at him. It was massive, and every inch of it was covered in broken and strange looking objects.
"This is Hogwarts, we're in a hidden room on the seventh floor. It's the Come and Go Room." The boy explained, standing to his full height.
He'd previously been crouching with Harry, but he was ridiculously tall. Harry wasn't even as tall as his shoulder. Harry knew he was short, but the boy was tall.
"C'mon, we need to find a teacher." The boy repeated and then reached out a hand, seemingly reluctantly. "Here, this room is a maze." Harry took the boy's hand dutifully and they headed off.
Harry looked around the room as he was led by the hand, soaking in what he could. There was broken furniture littering the area in messy stacks, several looking as if they had been exploded. He cringed into the boy holding his hand away from an enormous stuffed troll, gray skin and lumpy body on full display. Harry noticed rattling cages and cracked potion bottles with congealed contents, or shimmering evil looking liquids.
As they came to a stop, Harry noticed a huge door with swirling gates that seemed to shift as if it were magic. If it really was a place inside Hogwarts, it almost definitely was magic.
The door swung open slowly, great sounds of stone sliding across stone grating his ears. Stepping out, the boy didn't release his hand and set off firmly down a corridor. Harry recognized the arched doorways and high up flaming torches. That confirmed it, Harry was at Hogwarts.
"How did I get here?" Harry asked as he was tugged along.
"You were inside a Vanishing Cabinet. They were used in the first war to hide from Death Eaters." The man said absently as they walked briskly by a classroom full of students. "A person in the Cabinet is temporarily in two spaces at once, but in neither place. Someone needs to pull them out of the other side." Harry frowned.
"That store leads straight into Hogwarts?" Harry said, confused. "Isn't that dangerous? Someone could sneak in!" The boy's step faltered before continuing.
"Yes. I suppose that's true." His voice was wary, and very tired. "We still need to find a teacher."
Harry followed as the boy navigated the castle expertly, in a way second year Harry only dreamed of. The other boy definitely knew where he was going. Harry realized the boy never told him his name, and opened his mouth to ask before they came to a stop.
"Wait here. He's in a class right now, but this is more important. Don't let anyone see you until I have the professor." The boy said. Harry stayed in the corridor, leaning against the wall with a frown.
Why can't he let anyone see him? Was he in trouble? Hogwarts classes hadn't even started yet… Harry froze. Had he been trapped for a month? That was insane! He'd have starved to death… but magic. Magic could've kept Harry alive between the Cabinets, and until some boy pulled him out. Was he… in the future?
"Professor Snape, I need to talk to you." Harry heard the boy say, leaning through the door into the classroom. "It's important."
"Important enough to interrupt my lesson?" The drawling voice of Professor Snape drifted into the hallway.
"This is more important than anything anyone's said to you, ever." The boy said seriously. Harry blinked. Was he talking about Harry? He wasn't that important…
"I'll be right there." Snape said immediately. "Class, if anyone explodes a single cauldron, you'll all be doing detention with me for a week." He bit out menacingly. The class then started complaining but Snape said nothing else.
Harry straightened, no longer leaning on the wall as Snape swept into the hallway. He faced the boy irritably, scowling.
"What's so important? If this is about the–"
"Professor, I found Harry Potter." The boy interrupted. He turned to face Harry and the Professor whipped his head around, eyes very wide and face very pale.
Harry stepped forward cautiously, frowning. Snape hated him. Why was he looking at Harry like that?
"He was in the Vanishing Cabinet." The boy said when the Professor didn't speak. "That's why he's… like that." The boy trailed off lamely as he gestured to Harry.
"How did he manage that?" Snape exclaimed. "He was in Knockturn?" Harry glared.
"It was an accident!" Harry exclaimed. "I came out the wrong Floo, and then Draco showed up in that creepy shop too and I hid! How was I supposed to know the Cabinet was magic?" He huffed and crossed his arms. This is why he couldn't stand Snape. The man always accused him of the worst.
"It's true. He ended up in Borgin and Burkes. My father was pawning off dark objects that day, and I came along because he promised me a racing broom." The boy said tightly. His eyes darted to Harry who was staring in confusion.
"Your father… I didn't see…" Harry trailed off in horror and his eyes were wide as saucers. "How long was I in that Cabinet?" His voice shook. Nobody moved, and the Professor was just staring at him intently. "I know I ended up there August 19th, and so classes shouldn't have even started! I assumed I'd been there a month at most. How long has it been?" The boy moved to crouch in front of him with tired eyes.
"Harry, I'm Draco Malfoy." The boy said bluntly. "Today's date is June 29th, 1997." Harry just stared unbelieving. "Your friends and I… our 6th year is basically over."
"I've been gone…" He swallowed. "For nearly 5 years?" The boy… Draco… winced at the horrified tone.
"Yeah. Your friends Granger and Weasley are 17 now. I turned 17 a few weeks ago." Draco admitted.
"I know. June 5th." Harry said as though Draco thought he was dumb, and ignored Draco's gobsmacked expression. "Why're you being so nice? You hate me." He then looked past Draco to Snape, who was still standing stock still in place. "You hate me too." Snape didn't move.
"I was jealous." Harry looked back to Draco in surprise. "You were so famous, and you had so many friends, and were so good at everything you did. And yet… you didn't want to be my friend." Draco sounded wistful, and then shook his head slightly. Harry interrupted before Draco could continue.
"I never wanted to be famous." Harry admitted quietly. "When Hagrid picked me up from my Muggle relatives and he told me I was famous, I hated the idea. Not much I could do to change it." He shrugged, and then looked up at Snape's scoff.
"You paraded around the school with arrogance. You reveled in your fame and neglected your schoolwork." Snape snapped, glaring down his hooked nose. Harry glared right back at him.
"What was I supposed to do?" Harry snapped. "Be quiet and not be in awe of Magic? I'd never seen magic before! I'd never had friends before, I never had a full meal before, and I definitely had never had a chance to do well in school!" Harry stopped his rant to step back from Draco and cross his arms. "You hated me no matter what I did. From that first lesson."
The three stayed where they were for a beat. Harry crossing his arms, Draco crouching a step in front of him, Snape lingering a small ways away stiffly. Harry glared at Snape, unbending until the Professor sighed.
"I apologize." He sounded strangled, but Harry's eyes widened. "I don't like you. I won't deny it. However, I am still a Professor." Harry frowned.
"I don't understand." He resisted scowling again. "Quirrell said you saved my life during that Quidditch match last year, and you oversaw the next one to make sure he didn't Jinx my broom again. And yet you hate me." He looked up at the man in wary confusion. "Why?"
"Hold on." Draco held out both hands and stood, turning his head from one to the other. "Back up, what happened?" Harry sighed.
"Professor Quirrell was trying to kill me because he had Vol– I mean, You-Know-Who under his turban like some creepy parasite." Harry shuddered. "He let loose that troll, and I followed him into the third floor corridor at the end of the year. He was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone for Vol–, I mean, You-Know-Who, so he could create himself a new body but he failed because I managed to delay him until Dumbledore showed up. Quirrell died because… well, I sort of killed him." Harry took a deep breath as he finished, and noticed Draco looked horrified.
"As a first year?" Draco's voice was shrill and Harry frowned.
"Yeah." He confirmed. Harry then turned back to Snape expectantly. The man was frozen.
"Professor?" Draco asked, his voice still disbelieving.
"I–" Snape stopped and then scowled. "It's not relevant. We must inform the Headmaster of this development." He swept off, cloak billowing out behind him, and Draco grabbed Harry's hand to pull him after the Professor.
Harry stumbled along, trying to keep up with an adult and a freakishly tall Draco from the future.
What an odd start to his day.