For the past few months, our school had given residence to the dark and rather feared professor, Zimelda Zemeckis, who changed our potioneering for the better. And though she was amazing in the classroom, rumours and gossip filled the air, talking of the woman and her wicked ways.
She started off rather mysterious, rumours of her being a Lycan, the Hag of Crowscreep, and even a Vampire filled the air based on her appearance, though further speculation led us to believe that her appearance was in fact the product of one too many vitality potion’s; an ironic thing, considering how she was presented in her final moments at the school.
I will admit that the woman became a mentor to me. We spoke often of different potioneering techniques, worked in Remedials to help better myself as a witch and foster my love of potions. In our talks, though, I tried hard to figure out what the woman was up to, and why she was in our school. It was almost obvious she was from the Ministry with how she carried herself, causing this reporter to grow wary almost immediately.
As the months went on, more hints of a potential Ministry takeover seemed apparent; rumours of Zemeckis’ past filled my ears and I tried to tighten my relationship with the woman, hoping to keep watch on her and that maybe I could convince her that reform was unnecessary to the school. We spoke on an adult level more than as professor and student, as I was determined to get the truth out of her, constantly suspicious of what was happening to our school.
Z & R
When Professor Romanov was let go, it seemed apparent Zimelda Zemeckis was set in her ways. Her reform was by order of Judy Dorchester, the Chief Warlock to the High Courts, a woman that can strike fear in the hearts of many. A few weeks later, Professor Helga Von Der Vogelweidhof was forcibly transferred from Transfigurations to Ghoul Studies as well, further showing the apparent reform Zimelda Zemeckis was determined to bring.
When Headmistress Fischer came to find out what happened, she confronted the Vice-Chancellor in front of a rather large audience, students gathering in the middle court yard as the witches slung words at each other. It was then that the Headmistress came out with the truth about Zimelda and her dark past, that she was a former Death Eater from the late Dark Lord’s reign. During this exchange of allegations and vindications, the then-Potions Mistress launched a curse at the Headmistress, known universally as Rescendio Vitae, a terrifying and dark spell that slowly eats away at ones vitality. The Headmistress, gravely injured, had no choice but to apparate away to receive medical attention, presumably at St. Mungo’s.
This attack caused a dark moment to cover the school. Our Headmistress went missing for weeks, students whispered of the reform, those that were gifted worried about their places in the school, and in general, the castle was in a completely worried disarray. Ravenclaw student Lyra Arcand spoke out many times to the Potions Mistress, apparently causing her to get threatened, jinxed, and treated rather harshly by the woman. Not long after, the Headmistress returned to the school, looking gaunt and worn, the hex that had struck her having worked far too well.
Upon her return, the Headmistress called for a school-wide meeting in the castle. She spoke of Zimelda Zemeckis and her betrayal of the school, calling out what the wicked witch had done and what the Ministry had cooked up. Zimelda came in right on time, speaking back to the Headmistress, and right as she gave admittance of her deeds in wanting to reform the school, remove those that seemed unfit, and change it in her favour, Professor and Auror Draco Romanov showed up on the scene, ready to arrest her for her words. The Vice Chancellor fled and Headmistress Fischer had all the students raise their wands with a Lumos, a symbol to strengthen the school until the clocktower rang.
At the moment, we are unsure of the whereabouts of Zimelda Zemeckis, though she’s rumoured to still be on the run. But we have hope that she will be caught soon and a trial will be placed on her arrest. What will happen now with Hogwarts? Zemeckis had been rumoured to have stopped the Hag from attacking others in her presence. Will it return?