DEATHLY HALLOWS SPOILER ALERT

‘… Harry could not hear a word that anyone was
shouting, nor tell whose hands were seizing him,
pulling him, trying to hug some part of him, hundreds
of them pressing in, all of them determined to touch
the Boy Who Lived, the reason it was over at last –’
—JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

where are we?
what the hell is going on?
the dust has only just begun to fall
crop circles in the carpet
sinking feeling

Exactly ten years ago, Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort. The deadly battle took its toll on those who participated, the castle where it took place, and any and everyone who knew that such a Dark Lord had once existed. Many wizards and witches were either wounded or dead—we all know how many admittances St. Mungo’s took throughout the next week. Even those who had not participated in the battle somehow managed to feel the grief of those lost or wounded, whether from the various reports in the Daily Prophet or experiences recited to them by those who had been there. Every supporter of the Boy Who Lived was ecstatic at the result, yet grieving at the number of lives lost to achieve such an outcome.

The Ministry was quick to gain control. A new Minister of Magic was appointed within hours, and aurors flew to the scene of the battle to take care of straggling Death Eaters. All of those who supported Lord Voldemort—proven to have done so by the marks on their arms—were sent off to Azkaban without a second thought; age did not matter. These supporters were placed under the greatest security imaginable, and those who were extremely close to the Dark Lord were given the Kiss in no time.

spin me round again
and rub my eyes,
this can't be happening
when busy streets a mess with people
would stop to hold their heads – heavy

Nevertheless, Hogwarts was crumbling at the seams. Walls had been knocked down by ruthless giants; parts of towers lay thousands of feet away; the whole school was in shambles—beyond repair. Surviving professors did away with the rubble and half-standing school and worked together to create a new one in its place. While the castle greatly resembled the old—what with its dozens of passageways and secret entrances—the new building was more modern. As well, knowing as they did how students loved to sneak past staff through hidden corridors, each and every professor retired after creating the new school, revealing the secrets to no one.

However, as many historians believe, those ignorant to the past are likely to help or cause history to repeat itself. When weeding out Death Eaters, the Ministry foolishly missed quite a few. You see, the smarter supporters found that once Lord Voldemort died, the spell cast on their Dark Marks was lifted, and they could be removed with the simplest of spells. Those who figured this out were highly intelligent, and closer to the Dark Lord than many who were placed into the northern prison.

oily marks appear on walls
where pleasure moments
hung before the takeover,
the sweeping insensitivity
of this still life

As a matter of fact, one of Voldemort’s closest and most trusted advisors did not attend the battle that night—having other things to see to. Yes, this man survived the battle and the Ministry’s search, making sure his twin sons did also. In a matter of years, the remaining supporters gathered and silently declared to finish out the Dark Lord’s plans. Voldemort’s beliefs were their own, and nothing would stop these men until control was theirs.

The new leader’s twin boys now attend Hogwarts; they are in their sixth year. There has been talk between the growing group of Death Eaters of another revolt—of these twins being their key into the younger generation. History is—as many believe—about to repeat itself, as a man with unfair beliefs gets maddened with power.

The battle lines are slowly being drawn.
But for how long will we be playing
``HiDE and [ s e e k .

hide and seek
trains and sewing machines
blood and tears
they were here first