Chapter 4
The Girl Who Lived or the Girl Who Disappeared?
Rita Skeeter
Yes, you heard it right. Albus Dumbledore has lost the Girl-Who-Lived! Apparently, according to Hogwarts Gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid — who was there that night — Albus Dumbledore
placed the Girl-Who-Lived on a doorstep! On a winter’s night! Professor Minerva McGonagall, another eye-witness, said that she had previously met the family Dumbledore wanted to put our saviour in.
“They were horrible people! ” the distraught woman said, “The worst kind of Muggles there are! You couldn’t find two people who are less like us. And they’ve got this son — I saw him kicking
his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets!”
You heard it from here, the Headmaster of Hogwarts wanted to place our saviour in a muggle home, a magic-hating one no less!
The DMLE is investigating Dumbledore and are trying to determine where Estelle Potter is. Just what else has Albus Dumbledore done that we’ve naively ignored? Could the Defeater of
Grindelwald really be the jovial grandfather image he’s created for us?
Albus Dumbledore was unavailable for a comment.
Minerva hid her smirk behind her cup of tea before feigning distress at the sight of the article. Albus was shaking in pent-up rage, unaware of the looks of horror he was receiving.
Where that meddlesome bug had gotten this information, he doesn’t know, but when he finds out the person responsible… there’s a reason why he is the greatest and most powerful wizard of this time.
McGonagall!
Why did she comment on this when she knew Estelle had to go to the Dursley’s for her to be able to fulfill her destiny.
The poor newspaper was crushed between his shaking hands as he turned to his deputy headmistress who was calmly sipping her tea. Before he got the chance to question her actions,
McGonagall stood up abruptly, using her wand as a microphone to silence the noise.
“I understand that this comes to a shock,” she paused as the Weasley Twins let out enraged yells, followed by some other Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, with a few Ravenclaws joining in. Even the
usually composed Slytherins let their masks drop at the sight of the Daily Prophet.
Minerva raised a hand to silence the commotion, disguising her smirk as a sad look.
“This news is very unfortunate, but I assure you that Aurors and the DMLE are further investigating these claims,” Minerva had to explain, not even glancing at the teacher's expressions.
“Do you know anything Professor?” Minerva looked over to see a Ravenclaw second year, Luna Lovegood her mind provided, asking — her normally dreamy voice mingled with worry.
“Not right now I don’t. I don’t think anybody knows.” (pfft i'm just repeating the same sentence over and over again)
Someone yelled over all the quiet murmurs, “It says that Dumbledore had something to do with this! What do you have to say about that, huh?” directly at the headmaster himself.
This statement caused an uproar, some agreeing while the others were still firmly under his thumb, yet still looked at him with such mistrustful eyes it made him want to bash a wall.
Dumbledore was seething. When will they understand that this was all for their benefit, not his. (this is what my parents say to me lmao)
Instead of answering the claims and yells directed his way, Dumbledore instead said calmly, “It’s nearly class time, I advise you all to make your way to your classes before you are late.”
This only caused more suspicion throughout the students, some more distrusting the grandfatherly-like headmaster they all used to worship.
“I can’t believe they let her write about the headmaster like that!” Hermione cried in her shrill voice. Ron and Neville both winced at the sound of it. They were both studying in the library
(though trying in Ron’s case since he kept on getting distracted) but Hermione had come over and had invited herself to sit with them, and didn’t even bother to be quiet!
At this rate, Madam Pince was going to kick them all out, if judging by the dirty looks she kept glancing at them.
“I mean, it’s Dumbledore! How could he have done something like this? It’s impossible!”
“Miss Granger, just because the Headmaster defeated a dark lord, does not make him god,” Ron interjected before she could go off ranting again.
“Exactly, he is just as human and makes mistakes or could have purposefully done this,” Neville ignored Hermione’s aghast gasp as she glared at them both.
“I can understand Neville’s idiocy since he’s a Hufflepuff, but you Ronald? I expected better of you!”
“Heir Longbottom, you will address him with the proper title, Miss Granger. And he is not an idiot. Don’t ever think to disrespect him,” even though Ron himself didn’t have a title since he’s
one of the youngest out of 7 children, doesn’t mean he would let someone disrespect his best friend.
“Hufflepuffs are not idiots. No wonder you are so ignorant, you’re such a Gryffindor,” Neville piped up from his spot, glaring at her. Hermione huffed in annoyance and stomped off with her
stack of books and annoying attitude.
Neville and Ron sat down in sync, Ron grinning over at Neville in relief, Neville smiling softly back.
“Thanks for having my back.”
“What are best friends for?”