After the events in Hogsmeade, Harry expected his professors and the Aurors to question him later that day. However the interrogation, as he thought of it, did not come when he expected. Instead he simply received a note asking him not to mention the dead Dementor except to his closest friends, a request that came directly from the Minstry of Magic The Ministry was worried what would happen if the knowledge that the guards of Azkaban were vulnerable became widely known. Harry laughed at the idea that they could keep that information a secret, too many people had seen the corpse of the Dementor for it to be kept quiet now. The foolish idea seemed to him like something Fudge would try. It really was useless, especially since Draco Malfoy was one of the witnesses. It was all but guaranteed that Lucius Malfoy already knew what had happened, and if there was anyone who didn't need to get that information it was him.
Harry did not have to wait long to see Fudge's plan fail. The next day the Daily Prophet published a detailed account of his encounter with the Dementors. The shocking part was that the article was fairly accurate in reporting what happened, although Rita Skeeter's speculation about its significence was skewed (as always) against him. Harry thought she might note that the four students he and Daphne had rescued were the children of Death Eaters but she left that part out, no doubt due to Lucius Malfoy's wealth and political power. Additionally, Skeeter had given him a new title: Lord of the Dementors. According to her, the Dementors had pledged their loyalty to him after seeing one of their own fall in battle.
What most interested Harry was the question of where Rita Skeeter was getting her information. Although most of the time she was just making up lies, on some occasions she knew things she should not have known unless she had been there. Harry suspected that she may have an invisibility cloak much like his and was using it to spy on people. Cloaks like that were good but he did have one advantage on them: the Marauder's Map. Harry knew he would have to consult the map from now on anytime he wanted to be sure he was alone. He wasn't sure what he would do if he did find Skeeter hiding on the school grounds. Although it was against the rules for her to come to Hogwarts uninvited she did not seem to be a threat in the way Barty Crouch Jr had been, so dueling her was probably out of the question. Besides, killing her would likely cement his reputation as a future dark lord.
Reactions to the article at Hogwarts seemed to be mostly overshadowed by the news that Durmstrang would be leaving after the second task, which would be held as scheduled the following weekend. Rumors abounded that the Durmstrang Headmaster had been kidnapped or murdered and his body thrown to the bottom of the lake. The professors were mostly unable to stop the rumors because even they did not know where Igor Karkaroff was. Even Professor Snape had no proof that the man had not been abducted or killed, he and most of his possessions had just vanished late Thursday evening. A sense of unease was growing amongst the residents of the castle as they all could tell something strange was going on, but none of them could determine what exactly it was.
...
The following day Harry was eating lunch and describing his encounter with the Dementors to Neville when Professor McGonagall walked up to the Gryffindor table to ask Harry to accompany her to the Transfiguration classroom for a meeting with the Headmaster.
"Sorry Neville, I guess I've got to go. I'll tell you the rest later." Harry said as he stood up from the table and popped the last part of his sandwich in his mouth.
"No big deal, Harry. Like you said the Prophet got most of right anyway." Neville answered with a shrug.
"Follow me, Mr Potter." Professor McGonagall commanded once Harry had gotten his things together. Harry gave Neville a wave good-bye and started walking with his head of house out of the Great Hall and towards the Transfiguration classroom. As they walked Harry wondered what they were expecting of him and hoped they wouldn't be too mad at him when he admitted that he wasn't quite sure how he had killed the Dementor. Once they reached the classroom Professor McGonagall motioned him inside before closing the door behind them. Waiting inside were Professor Flitwick, Professor Dumbledore, and to Harry's surprise Alastor Moody. He was looking much healthier now than when Harry had seen him last.
"Good to see you again Professor Moody." Harry said, smiling at the former Auror.
"You know I was never your Professor, Potter." Moody responded with a grin. "Although I will be, starting tomorrow."
"That's great news!" Harry answered excitedly. "I was getting a bit tired of having Snape teach Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts." Dumbledore chuckled at Harry's admission while Moody just nodded in agreement. Moody never really trusted Severus Snape, despite Dumbledore's assurances of the man's loyalty. He accepted that Snape had truly turned his back on Lord Voldemort, but a man who could turn on one master could easily turn on another.
"Harry, I have brought my pensieve with me in the hopes that you might allow us to view your memory from yesterday. Would that be acceptable?" Harry nodded and placed his wand on his forehead as he concentrated on the memory he wanted to share. As he slowly pulled the tip of his wand away from his head he was rewarded with the sight of a small silver strand, exactly what he had hoped to see. He placed the strand into the pensieve and waited for his professors to join him. All five people in the room placed their heads over the stone bowl and were instantly drawn into the memory.
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