Support System

Chapter I - Meaningless Suffering

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The grotesque picture of what happened in June at the Ministry still remained clear as ever in Harry Potter's mind. This midnight hour he sat in his tiny bedroom at Number 4, Privet Drive on an unusually windy Tuesday for late-July. As usual he'd been forced to return to the awful Dursley residence, where his life would always be far from ideal, to wait out his summer before his 6th year at Hogwarts. However, this particular summer was remarkably worse than all the rest combined, because something irreplaceable was stolen that terrible night at the Ministry; for this summer Harry suffered mourning the death of ... No, he couldn't bear to think of his godfather's name.

Not right now.

At this precise moment, Harry Potter actually sat at his small desk with a quill and parchment at hand. Using insubstantial lamplight, he'd been attempting to write a reply to a message that one of Hogwarts' largest barn owls had brought him. It very unexpectedly had been sent to him by Dumbledore, which to Harry meant it merited special importance. Curious as ever, Harry eagerly opened Dumbledore's neatly addressed envelope the moment the owl handed it to him, barely regarding the attached edition of the Daily Prophet. Unfortunately, though, this particular message of Dumbledore's was very grim:

Dear Harry,

I'm writing to forewarn you that unfortunately due to the grave circumstances which now face the wizarding world, visiting the Weasleys and Miss Granger is simply out of the question this summer. I do understand that it has always been your wish to spend as little of your summer vacation as possible with your aunt and uncle, Harry, but the war is raging in open fire now that Voldemort has revealed himself.

Nevertheless, I will personally ensure that some familiar faces in the Order escort you to King's Cross on September the first, so that you can begin your 6th year at Hogwarts safely. Thereafter, I solemnly promise that you will not be made to suffer the absence of your closest friends any longer. But presently, Harry, I must beg you to please stay put for your own safety!

With sincerest apologies,

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore

Understandably, Harry felt quite disappointed as he'd been expecting to leave for the Burrow any time now. Plus, in three days it'd be his sixteenth birthday for Merlin's sake! Harry swore loudly at the thought of this, but then abruptly reminded himself of the Daily Prophet forgotten on his desk. Grabbing it, Harry - who, frustrated, felt only slight guilt for being angry with Dumbledore - was intensely alarmed upon glancing at the front page:

EXONERATION OF SIRIUS BLACK PRECEDES THE TROUBLING DISAPPEARANCE OF MINISTER CORNELIUS FUDGE BY UNKNOWN FORCES

By Rita Skeeter

In a stunning about-face, Sirius Black's June death has been followed by his legal exoneration, having infamously been convicted for "traitorously" killing Lily and James Potter. Remarkably, Cornelius Fudge illegally did not even grant Black a fair trial, which then led to the unconscionable twelve-year Azkaban incarceration that Black suffered. This abomination is one of the greatest atrocities of the decade perhaps, a despicable scenario of injustice.

Meanwhile, as follow-up readers know, proof of Fudge's year-long conspiracy to hide the return of You-Know-Who - having been forewarned by the credible testimony of Harry Potter, which was reasserted by Albus Dumbledore himself-continues to surface. Now today, unbelievable, shell-shocking news regarding Cornelius Fudge's whereabouts alarms our world: the official word is that Minister Fudge has mysteriously disappeared under surprisingly violent circumstances! Indeed, after Minister Fudge failed to report to work Monday without any word whatsoever, Auror Nymphadora Tonks was sent to privately investigate. What she discovered inside Fudge's home was overturned furniture, glass shattered everywhere, ripped paintings, completely wrecked bedrooms, and lastly, this blood-written, horrific message on every wall in the house: Minister Fudge's many blunders foresee definite, all -encompassing destructions upon the wizarding world.

But before pandemonium is unleashed, let it be clarified that the Daily Prophet has also ascertained knowledge that the abolishment of Fudge's power was to be enacted publicly this Friday, which sheds additional light on the matter. His devastating actions in the People's regard have left him in the eye of universal resentment, after all. Exampling so, a close associate to Fudge privately informed the Prophet, "...The toll of disappointment from the infuriated public was maddening Fudge, more and more each day, and Friday at work he looked sickly pale and unfed." How very out-of-character, many would agree, that such behavior would be for Minister Fudge, a normally unflappable politician.

Overall, these facts brings to light several possibilities, outlandish as some may seem: Has Fudge faked his own kidnapping in fear of escalating punishment for his many deplorable actions, which surely doom him given currently expanding revelations? Or might this be the work of an angrily formed gang, an odious coalition buried within our suffering masses, deciding to actively pursue their own version of "justice"? Is this a soon-to-end, politically intentioned demonstration to instigate chaos among the already terrified magical world? Or most perilously, is this kidnapping the latest concoction of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself!

Regardless, the only thing clear is that our lives have slipped from the Ministry's top concern. Our protection weakens worse and worse every day, each day as the unimpeded crime rises... - July 28, 1996

Harry finished reading bitterly, lost in apprehensive thoughts. He was infuriated that despite the Prophet slandering him a liar his entire fifth Hogwarts year, taking help from cows like Dolores Umbridge for instance, suddenly now they sensationalized him as a victim! And perhaps most unethical of all was how previously they'd cooperated alongside the Minister's extortions, but now were too quick to vilify Fudge in the eye of the public! All in all, Harry felt highly insulted by the Daily Prophet's efforts to sell-out.

Nevertheless, this stunning news was beyond captivating. Cornelius Fudge, the Minister and whom Harry presumed would've been most protected, actually disappeared in what was likely a vicious kidnapping! Harry firstly suspected Voldemort was the obvious culprit, but on second thought speculated that some other coalition with separate intentions might just as well be guilty. Could the obvious outrage toward Fudge's conspiratorial cover-up of Voldemort's return have provoked this kidnapping? Notwithstanding, Harry couldn't think of more than two motives if Voldemort's Death Eaters were not responsible: murder or ransom, and Harry felt safely sure that by now such culprits would have publicized their hostage-hold on Cornelius Fudge.

Harry reasoned to himself, 'Besides, how many people would chance holding Fudge hostage for some heavy ransom at a time when the public is LEAST sympathetic toward him? Why not capture someone that would attract massive sympathy, somebody heroic to the current magical world, or something like that?' But could Harry realistically believe that this had been committed by some totally unconnected third-party? That he felt all the wiser had to be first looked at as the grain of salt that would make the Prophet the best-seller of this incredible news. 'Maybe the Ministry is even forcing the Prophet to suggest that Voldemort isn't behind this so that everyone doesn't go into uncontrollable panics,' Harry also entertained thoughtfully.

Understandably, this new mysterious danger made Harry unimaginably restless: puzzling worries haunted his sleep with nightmarish images, all which terribly showed his friends dying while Voldemort chaotically conquered; Harry's night essentially became the disquieting apprehensions of his unsettled mind. Hopeless, Harry turned and tossed all night long in his bed sheets, totally missing out on a peaceful night's sleep. Most surreal, tonight reminded him that he, Harry Potter, always suffered more than the rest...