The Daily Prophet

2 September, 2018 - Evening Edition

The early morning sky today was marred by the dreaded Dark Mark, a horrifying specter of a skull and snake known by all of England as the mark of Lord Voldemort, the Dark wizard who terrorized England for years. Visible from the entire town of Ottery St. Catchpole and beyond, the Mark cast a green tint on the entire area, sending Muggles and wizard both into panic.

The Mark was cast above the "Burrow", the home of Arthur and Molly Weasley, after an attack there by unknown persons dressed in the garb of Death Eaters. The attack occurred approximately 8:30 in the morning, by all accounts, and the mark was seen not long after.

Reports of the attack are spotty and uncertain, given mostly by St. Mungo's employees and Muggles who had not yet met with the Ministry's Obliviators, and had their memories modified to erase the attack from them.

Reports from the Muggles included stories of a wild-looking man who stormed into the village after the Dark Mark was cast, killing residents left and right - "wild man" rumors have been circulating among the Muggles from this man's appearance, and from physical description may by a known Death Eater, Fenrir Greyback, a werewolf who had been a part of Lord Voldemort's followers.

Other reports from the Muggle village include those of two young boys fleeing from the "wild man" on a hovering broom, flying as fast as a "car" (A Muggle transportation machine), and yet other reports of flashes of light coming from an area on the outskirts of town, and of course the Dark Mark, which most of the Muggles describes as a green, glowy skull.

Members of the family were unavailable for interviewing, but a source at St. Mungo's (who has asked to remain anonymous) confirmed that two members of the Weasley household were killed in the attack: Arthur Weasley, 68, and Percy Weasley, 42.

Many witches and wizards in England cannot help but be reminded of Voldemort's reign of terror in the 1970s and 80s, and again in the 1990s when he returned, seemingly from the dead. The Daily Prophet urges people not to panic - there is no reason to believe that Voldemort may have returned. People are also encouraged to brush up on defensive spells, and make sure their families know safety procedures and emergency contact information.

It is entirely possible that a new powerful Dark wizard may be organizing the remaining Death Eaters, but it's just as possible this may be a copycat crime, or a ragged group of left-over Death Eaters committing an act of revenge. Impossible to say at this point if recent deaths and disappearances are linked, but the Ministry is doing everything it can to find out.

We urge our readers again not to panic, to simply keep reading this newspaper for other news, and to keep their eyes and ears open. Anyone with any information on this morning's attack or other such activity should contact either the ministry of Magic's Magical Law Enforcement department, or this newspaper.

Today's Cartoon of the Day comes from Ms Silvia Texidó Viyuela - well done, Silvia!

So why worry about Dementors, you ask? Would you want this kissing you? We think not.

Owls to Ms. Viyuela can be sent here. (Tap your wand on the word "here" to view location.)

Anyone wishing to submit his or her cartoon to the Daily Prophet for our daily contest should send an owl to ‘Cartoon Submission, Daily Prophet’. Winners receive ten Galleons, and the cartoon printed in the paper. Make sure include your name and address with your submission.

Rolf and Luna Scamander, well known naturalists and explorers, have discovered a brand new species of magical insect: nargles. For years, the existence of nargles was a debated topic, first reported in the magazine "The Quibbler", viewed by many to be a rag of complete nonsense. But in this case, its facts were precisely on target.

Nargles have been so long overlooked because of their natural invisibility; it is a defense mechanism against predators...even if a bigger insect can see or hear them, it will become confused if it cannot see the thing it is hearing or smelling. For that reason, nargles have no natural enemies in the wild.

Nargles are of a slight concern to humans, for their bite is mildly toxic, and a large number of humans are violently allergic to its venom. The insects themselves are only one-fourth of a centimeter long, but their bite packs a punch. Five hospitalizations in England alone this year have been attributed to nargles.

Luna Scamander says that there is no need to panic - St. Mungo's has developed a vaccine for nargle bites, so that if even the most allergic person is bitten and gets to hospital within the next five minutes, this potion can stave off the symptoms of nargle bites.

. (Falmouth Falcons optimistic of chances - page 2)

Page 2

The Falmouth Falcons, a British Quidditch team out of Falmouth, in Cornwall, England, are optimistic about their chances at next year’s World Cup. Claims Captain and Seeker Jeremy Hyde, “We’ve got it all in the bag.”
	The Falcons, known for hard play and a high amount of fouls and outright cheating during games, have cleaned up their game considerably, not crossing the line so audaciously during their games. They lament this necessity, claiming that if people don't want to risk marring their pretty hides, they need not to be playing Quidditch, but their fairer game plan has given them a considerably higher track record.
Chaser Marcus Flint says that he’s not too worried about making it to the World Cup. “The other teams are slipping,” he claims confidently. “We’ve trained hard, and perfected our game. There’s no way we can lose.” The Quidditch semi-finals are to be held in the spring, and the Falcons are scheduled to play their first game the end of September, against the Woollongong Warriors of Australia. It is to be a home game.

.....

The United Kingdom has long enforced a law deeming it illegal for wizarding citizens to create new magical beasts, and for good reason. Many dangerous beasts have been created as a result of experimental breeding by amateurs, and such beasts are often impossible to control or to hide. The acromantula, a sentient, vicious, carnivorous spider of great size was a wizard-made creation, and that is only one example.

However, the law has been looked at anew, and it has been decided that certain individuals may be allowed to breed new creatures, or experiment with magic and animals.

People wishing to do so must apply for a permit with the Ministry of Magic, in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Any and all experiments must be humane and painless to the animal, and must be not exceed four X’s on the Ministry’s creature-rating system. (Five X’s indicates a known wizard killer, such as acromantulas, chimeras, and basilisks; four X’s indicates a creature that may be dangerous or somehow protected, and indicates that a witch or wizard with specialized knowledge must contend. Most creatures that common wizards handle are three or fewer X’s.)

To obtain a permit, one must prove oneself sufficiently competent in both magic and animal-handling, and must have proper facilities to safely perform their magic and breeding.

Page 3 (Advertisement)

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Our various models are available any all fine Quidditch supply stores, as well as through Owl Order from Quality Quidditch Supplies, in Diagon Alley. The Firebolt! Great Britain's favored broom!