.We.find.ourselves,.most.unfortunately,.in.the.same.position.we.were.two.and.a.half.years.ago.when.the.murderer.Sinus.Black.escaped,..said.Fudge.last.night...Nor.do.we.think.the.two.breakouts.are.unrelated..An.escape.of.this.magnitude.suggests.outside.help,
.and.we.must.remember.that.Black,.as.the.first.person.ever.to.break.out.of.Azkaban,.would.be.ideally.placed.to.help.others.follow.in.his.footsteps..We.think.it.likely.that.these.individuals,.who.include.Black.s.cousin,.Bellatrix.Lestrange,.have.rallied.around.Black.as.their.leader..We.are,.however,.doing.all.we.can.to.round.up.the.criminals,.and.we.beg.the.magical.community.to.remain.alert.and.cautious..On.no.account.should.any.of.these.individuals.be.approached..
There.you.are,.Harry,..said.Ron,.looking.awestruck..That.s.why.he.was.happy.last.night...
.I.don.t.believe.this,..snarled.Harry,..Fudge.is.blaming.the.breakout.on.Sinus?..
.What.other.options.does.he.have?..said.Hermione.bitterly...He.can.hardly.say,
.
.Sorry,.everyone,.Dumbledore.warned.me.this.might.happen,.the.Azkaban.guards.have.joined.Lord.Voldemort..‐.stop.whimpering,.Ron.‐..and.now.Voldemort.s.worst.supporters.have.broken.out,.too...I.mean,.he.s.spent.a.good.six.months.telling.everyone.you.and.Dumbledore.are.liars,.hasn.t.he?..
Hermione.ripped.open.the.newspaper.and.began.to.read.the.report.inside.while.Harry.looked.around.the.Great.Hall..He.could.not.understand.why.his.fellow.students.were.not.looking.scared.or.at.least.discussing.the.terrible.piece.of.news.on.te.front.page,.but.very.few.of.them.took.the.newspaper.every.day.like.Hermione..There.they.all.were,.talking.about.homework.and.Quidditch.and.who.knew.what.other.rubbish,.when.outside.these.walls.ten.more.Death.Eaters.had.swollen.Voldemort.s.ranks..
He.glanced.up.at.the.staff.table..It.was.a.different.story.there:.Dumbledore.and.Professor.McGonagall.were.deep.in.conversation,.both.looking.extremely.grave.
.Professor.Sprout.had.the.Prophet.propped.against.a.bottle.of.ketchup.and.was.reading.the.front.page.with.such.concentration.tht.she.was.not.noticing.the.gentle.drip.of.egg.yolk.falling.into.her.lap.from.her.stationary.spoon..Meanwhile,
.at.the.far.end.of.the.table,.Professor.Umbridge.was.tucking.into.a.bowl.of.porridge..For.once.her.pouchy.toad.s.eyes.were.not.sweeping.the.Great.Hall.looking.for.misbehaving.students..She.scowled.as.she.gulped.down.her.food.and.every.now.and.then.she.shot.a.malevolent.glance.up.the.table.to.where.Dumbledore.ad.McGonagall.were.talking.so.intently..
.Oh.my.‐..said.Hermione.wonderingly,.still.staring.at.the.newspaper..
.What.now?..said.Harry.quickly;.he.was.feeling.jumpy..
.It.s….horrible,..said.Hermione,.looking.shaken..She.folded.back.page.ten.of.the.newspaper.and.handed.it.to.Harry.and.Ron..
TRAGIC.DEMISE.OF.MINISTRY.OF.MAGIC.WORKER.St.Mungo.s.Hospital.promised.a.full.inquiry.last.night.after.Ministry.of.Magic.worker.Broderick.Bode,.49,
.was.discovered.dead.in.his...bed,.strangled.by.a.pot.plant..Healers.called.to.the.scene.were.unable.to.revive.Mr.Bode,.who.had.been.injured.in.a.workplace.accident.some.weeks.prior.to.his.death..