Durmstrang Falls
Calls for Kalmar
Canada and Mexico join calls for Ilvermorny Inclusion
Ministerial Shake-Up in the Balkans
At around 11:37pm on the 22nd of September, forces of The Friends of Golovin were forced to surrender after a sustained assault by the Traditionalists, spearheaded by Norwegian Aurors joining their Scandinavian compatriots in what may have been one of the most violent battles in Wizarding Europe since The Battle of Hogwarts during the Second Wizarding War. With the Norwegian government citing the need for a ‘peacekeeping mission’ across Scandinavia, where the vast majority of the conflict between the Traditionalists and the Friends of Golovin has been taking place, many experts were quick to criticise the so called ‘peacekeeping mission’, stating that Norway’s entry into the rest of the region shows a clear disregard for the national interests of its fellow Scandinavian nations. Minister Dolusdotter had this to say during a press conference held outside of the Norwegian Ministry of Magic: “We hold heavy in our hearts the weight of today’s conflict, and will hold the blood wrought on Durmstrang stone on our hands forever. But it is my honest belief that for a safer nation, we must fight back against those who threaten our way of life, our beliefs, our virtues. Durmstrang marks an important step in ending this conflict, one that has set fire to Scandinavia.”
It is believed to be the intention of the Norwegian Minister to propose talks of a union between the nations of Scandinavia under one federalised entity to prevent this sort of conflict occurring again. When our International Correspondent James Giggle spoke with Minister Olav Jorgansen of Denmark – long noted supporter of Traditionalist groups within Denmark and Sweden – he cited that ‘such a union can only bolster our nation’s resolve in these turbulent days’ and stated that ‘a joining of our nations under one banner, a renewed Wizarding Kalmar is the right thing to do to provide a thriving future for our children, and our children’s children’. Critics of the move are citing this as ‘Traditionalist propaganda’, but it has not stopped Ernest Bjorklund of the Swedish Ministry from speaking up in agreement, providing the Daily Prophet with his opinion that ‘Minister Styrvast must step forward and enter talks regarding this union, in the hopes that it will end the conflict in our nation, or he must step down from his position and allow someone else to do the job’. The Daily Prophet has yet to receive comment from Minister Styrvast.
War Correspondent Michael Mugstone found himself in the company of fleeing Friends of Golovin headed to a location undisclosed by the Daily Prophet for their safety. When speaking to them regarding the battle, they had this to say: ‘It was harrowing. We had to protect the younger students first. They destroyed the bridges out of the castle and stranded us in the walls. I remember that some of the Professors raised shields to protect the school, but there was like…a lightning against the barrier which split it apart, before this… I don’t know what it was, it was like smoke cutting through the sky. Some of the Professors joined the fight with us, some of them fought against us… I was with the Magical Creatures Professor… Styrkar Byrnesson? I don’t know what happened to him…’ When asked if she had any message for our readers, she said ‘Please, we need help. If we could just get Stangeland… Odinson here. He started this… He can… He has to help us.’
Elsewhere in Europe, Albania and Serbia saw a shake up of their Ministry staff as Clirimodius Mordushku and Drago Gvozdic won the seats of Minister of Magic in their respective home nations after a hard few months of campaigning. Already critics have risen against the election of Minister Gvozdic, with some stating that they were not able to vote against his election due to voter blockading committed by close aides and staff in the Serbian DMLE. There is as far as the Daily Prophet is aware no fact to these allegations, but things felt palpably tense within Serbia according to writers in the nation. Already Gvozdic and Mordushku have made sweeping moves within their parliaments, with Gvozdic offering direct aid to Romania with their Vampire problem, in a unique solution that has involved offering incentives towards the Vampires to move across borders into Serbia. Already several prominent members of the Vampiric Society of Romania have crossed into Serbian borders, though whether this will have a long-standing effect on the issues Romania has been facing is another question.
At the same time, Clirimodius Mordushku and Drago Gvozdic also brought their governments together for a discussion on the civil war happening in Scandinavia and how to prevent the conflict from spilling over into their nations. In a shock statement just last night, Clirimodius Mordushku stated to the Wizarding World ‘Albania will not be home to those who wish to bring conflict to our streets, to our houses, to our neighbourhoods. It will never be home for those who seek to bring us violence over peace’. Gvozdic’s own response to this was apparently in unilateral support, as the two nations have begun – in a shocking international move – to deport those with links to the Friends of Golovin, ridding them of their citizenship. Already there are reports coming in from Italy, France, Greece, Türkiye and Spain of Albanian and Serbian Wixen and Squibs cast from their homes, some reportedly to have no affiliation with the Friends, nor the conflict in general.
Across the pond, the Canadian and Mexican Ministries have recently joined the US Minister in their calls for inclusion into the Tri-Wizard Tournament. With Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft & Wizardry serving and teaching the population of North America – including Puerto Rico and Hawai’i – it is no wonder the rest of the nations of the continent have joined the Minister in their calls for a meeting. With few critics across the Atlantic, it remains to be seen how the Old World will take the request by the new to enter into the prestigious tournament, though apparently Castelobruxo and Koldovstoretz have both come forward as feeling ‘jilted’ by Ilvermorny, as it was apparently not 20 years prior that Castelobruxo suggested to the two other schools that a Tri-Wizard Tournament-esque competition would be good for their three institutes, with the United States and Mexico being the ones to vote against it. More news on the unfoldings in North America shortly.
Turn to Page 2 for more, Page 7 for all the Sports and Page 11 for Fashion – Find out all about how star Auror-for-Hire Petunia Petalkiss wears her hair, or for those with a ‘conflict’ in your wardrobe join us as we advise how you too can replicate Minister Doludotter’s stunning outfit at her last speech, down to a replica of her Goblin-Silver band, for well over half the price!..
