April 4th, 2027.
Last Saturday the Ministry of Magic descended onto Hogsmeade with the village being evacuated and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry waking to a complete lockdown. Until now the Ministry has remained tight lipped about what happened within the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts and what caused Hogsmeade village to be entirely engulfed in flames.
New information has recently come to light following the announcement of the death of Auror, Eugene Longnecker and, if reports are to be believed, the thought-to-be-dead Agron Mordushku was behind the events.
Presumed dead from a house fire in August 2026, Agron Mordushku was found to be hiding in the Forbidden Forest in an attempt to recruit as he seemingly strived to be the next Dark Lord. The circumstances of his discovery are unclear, however there are reports that his loyal following were not quite as loyal as he had hoped. In recent months the Ministry of Magic was seen to descend upon Hogwarts Castle for undeclared reasons, though it does not take a genius to add the two together.
An inside source has confirmed that Mordushku did die during the Ministry led attack on the forest at the hands of Percius Fletcher. Fletcher attended with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, alongside the Auror Office, due to the reported complicity of the denizens of the Forbidden Forest. And during the assault, Hogwarts remained unnaturally quiet until red sparks were seen over the treetops and staff members joined the fray. Despite the combined efforts, Hogsmeade was one of the many victims that evening and the fires burned until the following morning. A Fund has been launched to help in the rebuilding of Hogsmeade and all donations should be sent to the Finance Office within the Ministry of Magic.
If rumours are to be believed, the Wizengamot are planning to award a select few with Orders of Merlin for their bravery during the altercation. Additionally, the Ministry of Magic will be holding a memorial for the fallen on the 25th April 2027.
A STATEMENT FROM THE MINISTER FOR MAGIC
In light of the recent events in Hogsmeade and The Forbidden Forest, the Ministry of Magic upholds the safety and livelihoods of all our wixen who live in our realm. In lieu of this, the Ministry of Magic pledges to help with funding and the reconstruction of Hogsmeade and provide extra funding to St Mungos to treat the wounded.
The Department of Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures will work as closely as they can with the creatures of the forest who have been displaced by whom we can now reveal as dark wizard Agron Mordidkhowtospellit.
As always, YOUR Ministry of Magic will be there in times of need.
Yours ever faithfully,
Minister Alyssa Merriweather.
Clean up fundraiser to go ahead
To coincide with Hogwarts’ monthly visit to Hogsmeade Village there will be a clean-up/fundraising operation on April 26th organised by Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and The Daily Prophet. It is rumoured that many familiar, famous faces will be present to assist.
Stefan Wartooth, of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes released this statement;
“The Department of Magical Accidents & Catastrophes (DMAC) sends their heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost family, friends, homes or businesses in the horrendous fire that ravaged Hogsmeade and the surrounding area. This disaster strikes close to home for many members in the Wizarding community.
“The DMAC is committed to both the short and long term renovations and has been putting the utmost importance on the rebuild and regrowth in the city of Hogsmeade. DMAC recognizes the heightened concern of residents at this time, and asks for all citizens to please share their concerns to the Head of the Department. We have recently updated our Emergency Operations Plans as well as increased the amount of employees focusing in the city to increase our ability to both plan for and respond to emergencies. We are committed to strengthening our ability to respond and increasing our capacity to support our community in the event of any disaster.
“To those who are sharing their support and devotion outside this city, we would like to thank you all for your gratitude and for a job well done. We are enthralled to see the amount of support the wizarding community has been sharing, including the many students from Hogwarts, who helped put out the fires that very day. Thank you all for your commitment to this community. Each of us has a role to play to keep our wizarding community safe and to care for each other before, during and after a disaster. Let’s work together to ensure we have the tools and knowledge necessary for this herculean task.”
All funds raised at the event, and any donations in the meantime, are to be directed to the Hogsmeade Rebuilding Fund, ℅ the Finance Office within the Ministry of Magic
Births, Deaths, Engagements, Weddings
Obituary: Eugene Longnecker
Eugene Longnecker, an auror for the Ministry of Magic and long time resident of Edinburgh, Scotland, was killed in action on April 4th, 2027 whilst fighting in the Forbidden Forest.
A memorial service will be held on April 25th at 12pm, at the Ministry of Magic with a private interment.
Eugene was born in Banchory, Scotland on March 10th, 1950 and graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1968 and immediately entered the auror training programme. Eugene fought in both Wizarding Wars and returned from semi-retirement to the Ministry to train Aurors. He married Carol Longnecker (nee Gilpen) shortly after graduating and they were married for a short period until her untimely death in childbirth. Thomas Longnecker was born in 1973. Unfortunately at the age of 24 Thomas lost his life fighting the followers of you-know-who.
Little is known of Longnecker’s life following the fall of you-know-who at The Battle of Hogwarts until he returned to the Ministry in 2021 to train prospective aurors. Never one to shy away from fighting evil he returned to active duty when the peaceful life in Hogsmeade was threatened on April 4th and was slain whilst protecting the people he had spent his life sworn to protect.
In lieu of of flowers, memorial donations may be given to the Hogsmeade Rebuilding Fund.
Births
Geoffrey and Orelia Williams are proud to announce the birth of their fourth child, Walter, born on April 10th, at 9lb 13oz and 19 inches long. Mother and baby are resting at home.
Lane Cavanaugh and Musibella Ramotswe are proud to announce the birth of their baby boy, Meriadoc Imani on April 8th, at 4lb 5oz, and 13.5 inches long. Following a difficult labour, mother and baby are recuperating at home.
Engagements: Lysander Diaval & Persephone Vitrac
The families of Lysander and Persephone are excited to announce the upcoming nuptials. Persephone is the daughter of Verenice Vitrac, and Lysander the son of Cordelia Pines, they are both in their final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Following graduation they will be celebrating their wedding in the summer prior to Persephone commencing her training at Ollivander’s, and Lysander beginning his own art company.
In other news
The sudden heat wave that has hit Scotland has brought with it another wave! Frogs of every variety appear to have made their way out of The Great Lake of Hogwarts and are making themselves known across the area.