Information Central

[Stanhope Inquirer]

The Stanhope Inquirer
Your Home for Late-Breaking and Hard-Hitting News

The Stanhope Inquirer is a once-daily newspaper printed, written, and edited in Stanhope. Most of its entries pertain to society, politics, and entertainment. Those entries important enough to the Plot, (and submitted by Cauldwell members), are posted here.

If you would like to contribute to the Stanhope Inquirer, please PM this account with the subject "Stanhope Contribution:" followed by the title of your piece. Once received, your article will be reviewed and posted if it is up to the standards of the Inquirer. Please, do not submit Cauldwell-Student-Written articles. Submit articles under a pen name, and this name will be a reporter for the Inquirer. If you submit enough articles periodically, you will be put on the staff.

Letters to the Editor, Karl Bennet, will be accepted through PMs. Please title these letters as "Letter to the Editor:" with the title of the article you would like to comment on, (may be more than one). Please write these letters In-Character if possible. You may request that the letter be anonymous, but please PM it through a member account. Guest account PMs will not be accepted.


Contributors:

- Becca (creator, manager) : Karl Bennet, Editor. Lottie Maddox, Philadelphia correspondent. Luis Ellis, Stanhope reporter.

- Brianna : Mallory Tennent, Interviewee. Aurelia Orstaff, Interviewee.

- Cassie : Miranda Mortimer, Gossip Columnist.

- Donna (co-manager) : Nikolai Liber, Lead reporter, International. Roxana Serpico, Political Analyst.

[Stanhope Inquirer]

REVOLUTION ACTIVITY AT RECENT LOW: An interview with Wizarding Council member, Mallory Tennent.

8 May, 2006. Lottie Maddox, Philadelphia.

The Wizarding Council met today to discuss the state of political affairs. While the President was unavailable for comment, your source here at the Stanhope Inquirer was able to interview Prof. Mallory Tennent, a Wizarding Council member since 1992. The following is a full transcript of my meeting with the delightful professor.

Stanhope Inquirer: Hello, Professor, and thank you so much for joining us today!
Mallory Tennent: Well thank you, I'm glad to be here.

Stanhope Inquirer: First off, how has our dear President responded to the Revolution?
Mallory Tennent: You know, I think he's doing really well so far... well, considering the circumstances. -pause.- He's been busy, unbelievably so. He is dealing with the various problems, like a few months ago his main concern was for our schools, before that it was retying alliances with the Muggle republic -- their government -- but now our main concern would be the uprisings going on around the country. He's taking things step-by-step, trying to maintain some sort of order to it all... which is difficult, as you can imagine.

Stanhope Inquirer: What steps has he taken in order to assure the muggle populations safety?
Mallory Tennent: Well, as I mentioned before, he had to re-tie the alliance between the Council and the Muggle government, regain their trust. -pause, insert thoughtful expression.- He has been working with the various departments, especially the Department of Muggle Relations, which they have been working very hard with the President to ensure the progression of availability of aid to wizards and muggles alike. Aurors and Hitwizards are working harder than ever to track down and capture revolutionaries and those who have aided them in their attacks, and extra security has been provided to all social events and also our schools to help ensure the safety of both wizards and Muggles alike. The Department is currently cooperating with the Muggle government's various defense agencies and their military services, to help protect the lives of Muggle citizens from revolutionary attacks.

SI: How much risk is the wizarding community in at this point in the Revolution?
MT: Not very high at this moment, but you can never be too careful. We're taking necessary precautions.

SI: What precautions should we, as wizards, take to protect ourselves?
MT: Um, I'd say keep on your guard at all times. There's not very much you can do by yourself except to, well, keep on your guard. Don't go anywhere alone, don't loiter, and if you see anything suspicious, anything at all, report it directly to an auror, a hitwizard, or your local representative. If you can't reach any of them, you can write anonymously to the Council's Department of Law Enforcement and they will deal with the problem as soon as possible.

SI: What do you think of the lack of Revolution activity?
MT: Suspicious. We believe that many members of the smaller, less-professional clans have dispersed for different reasons. As for the main ones, we're still investigating.

SI: Do you believe that the Revolution will gain power like that of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers?
MT: No. No, I don't think it will at all. You sort of have to compare and contrast here. Unlike He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's reign, there have been many, many revolutions in the past in which the world always seems to climb out of, but with him... He created an era of fear, and I think he still does, even though he was finally vanquished by Harry Potter, eight, nine years ago. But no, I don't think it will. Someday it will end, and the world will rebuild like it always has.

SI: What are your views on maintaining Cauldwell Academy as a running school during this time of crisis?
MT: You know, I really have to commend their headmasters, Orian Ford and Luther Cromwell, on this one. I personally met with Cromwell not too long ago, it was just after the students from Beaumont Academy and Midlands Academy had settled in. It really surprised me, the capacity they can hold, and according to Cromwell they had room for probably over a hundred more at just the secondary academy alone. He and Ford are really trying to make things as comfortable as possible, for all the kids. It's really amazing. I'd have to say that I agree with keeping its doors open, even if there's a threat in the area. I mean, those four schools really did have good reasons to close, but we can't keep closing them right after another. Now's the time to stand our ground.

SI: What are your views on the "Scarlet Lip" killings, and do you think they are associated with the Revolution?
MT: -pause- I have no comments, but... possibly. We're still investigating the killings.

SI: What other high-profile murders have been officially attributed to the Revolution?
MT: -sigh- There have been many, many killings lately, all over the world, but we're not one-hundred percent sure if they're all revolutionary-related killings. We're going through a large amount of murder investigations. Robert Jennings, a member of the Wizengamot who was murdered shortly after speaking out against the revolution. The murderer has been captured, fortunately. -pause- Various Aurors have been affected, either killed or severely injured. -pause- There have been just too many.

SI: If you could say anything in conclusion to the audience of the Stanhope Inquirer, what would it be?
MT: Keep on your guard. Never give up.

[Stanhope Inquirer]

FIFTH MAN SLAIN IN VIXEN KILLINGS

13 May, 2006. Luis Ellis, Stanhope.

The fifth victim of the brutal "Scarlet Lip" murderer was found this morning in his apartment near New York City. Slayton Riley Sr., 53, was a close friend of the Wizarding Council's majority members. As a muggle-rights activist and a substantial political influence, it is rumored that his death can be attributed to a Revolutionary member. Though it has yet to be confirmed that the killer is the same as the woman behind the last four "Lip" murders, it is assumed that she and her followers are part of the Revolution. It is also suspected that the woman has close personal ties with one or more of the Revolutionary leaders, who have also remained unidentified.

Investigators say that the brutality of the killing far outweighs that of past "Scarlet" murders. Auror James McAggot, ex head-Auror to the Wizarding Council, has hinted that several of Mr. Riley's body parts have yet to be found. However, the investigative team has "more physical evidence than most magical murders." Whether or not this evidence will produce leads has yet to be seen. Auror McAggot reassured reporters that, despite the lack of profile databases, he and his team are currently cooperating with muggle law enforcement to extend the Defense Department's reach.

Mr. Riley's service will be held on Monday, May 15th at four o'clock at Stanhope's own Murry and Sons' funeral home. Attendance should be scheduled with Mrs. Elleka Riley and her son, Mr. Slayton Riley, Jr., who can be contacted through the editor.

[Stanhope Inquirer]

SPAIN REELING AFTER PRIME MINISTER ASSASSINATED
16 May 2006
Nikolai Liber


MADRID, SPAIN -- Early Tuesday morning, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the Prime Minister of Spain, and his wife, Sonsoles Espinosa, were found murdered in the bedroom of their downtown home. First Vice President María Teresa Fernández de la Vega is to be sworn in as the new and first female Prime Minister on Friday.

Although no official cause has been released to the public, it has been confirmed that the killings of the Prime Minister and his wife were planned assassinations. No suspects have been arrested, but the general public speculate it is part of the revolutionary movement in Spain.

Since the attacks in Washington D.C. on December 25th, Spain has been the third country hardest hit by the global magical revolution, preceded by the United States and the United Kingdom.

Rodriguez Zapatero was made Prime Minister in April of 2004 after the party he lead, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), won the general election in March. He was most known for his left-wing views and his legalizing same-sex marriages in Spain.

However, his latest and most hard-pressed campaign since December 25 has been the banning of all magical use in Spain. The Spanish branch of the Magical Counsel of Europe went into an uproar as a result. Because of this, many believe it was, in fact, extremists of the revolution that orchestrated the assassination, though there has not been an official statement by police or government.

King Juan Carlos I has made no comments about the assassination as of yet, but will be expected in attendance to the first day of Rodriguez Zapatero's funeral, a week-long period of mourning set to begin on Saturday. Vigils are already being set up outside of the former Prime Minister's home.

[Stanhope Inquirer]

NEW FACES, NEW SCANDALS AT CAULDWELL ACADEMY
21 August 2006

by Miranda Mortimer

We've all heard the rumors of the mystery behind the new teachers at our beloved Cauldwell. Yes, rumors. But I, for one, am not prey to idle gossip -- no! I, Miranda Mortimer, look for the deeper truth.

I sought the truth this weekend, reaching out to speak with Cauldwell's new Herbology professor, Miss Aurelia Orstaff, formerly of Beumont Academy. At first glance, she is nothing spectacular to behold ; a pretty face among the crowd, with a kind smile. But is that calm exterior merely a fascade? Being the ever truth - seeker, I can sense the fear and desire lying just beneath the surface, waiting to show itself to my keen journalist eyes. As we begin speaking, her fascade melts ; the masquerade has come to an end. Now, all that remains in a shy girl, terrified by the revolution -- as well as her own feelings

Ever the diplomat, she chooses neither side of the revolution arguement, instead assuring me that she's unsure of her position. Knowing this answer to be obviously false, I dig deeper. I find an afraid young woman ; fearful that she may be the revolutionaries next target. Being a god - fearing woman, she knows that shoudl anything happen, she will be safe ... but how sure can anyone be in these modern times? With less than lukewarm feelings for the Aurors at the school, as well as an unreasonable hope for the re - opening of her beloved Beaumont. Perhaps her reunion with her alma matter has been less than welcome.

While she is without true thought or opinion on the matter of the Revolution, she did divulge that it has put a strain on her relationships.

What relationships, you may ask? Ah, yes! Now begins the true juice of my column.

Since her position at Cauldwell was accepted, Ms. Orstaff has found love, in the strangest of two -- yes, two! -- partners: one Professor Benson, and his young ( unnamed ) female assistant. Quite an unlikely trio, but Cupid's arrow is known to strike in the hearts of the most ironic. Aurelia gushes to me that, the revolution was what really brought them all together. Fear and uncertainty can influence many, after all. "We never would have met," she confides, a dreamy look in her eyes. While her love triangle can be speculated as purely physical to the untrained eye, I see true love when she speaks of Professor Benson. And who wouldn't? He's quite the attractive man, in the homeliest way. Hands off, students! Benson is taken.

So many secrets unvieled, so many mysteries unwound. I, Miranda Mortimer, truth seeker ... have done my job well. But, that shouldn't surprise anyone, after all !

Ta, darlings!

M. Mortimer, Truth - Seeker and Accomplished Journalist.

Transcribed Interview:

Miranda Mortimer: Ms. Aurelia Orstaff -- charming to meet you. As you may know, I'm Miranda Mortimer, writer for the Stanhope Inquirer.
Aurelia Orstaff: Nice to meet you.
MM: I'm sure. So, let's get down to business, shall we? I noticed that you're a Miss .. not married ?
AO: -blink.- Well no, I'm not...
MM: Oh. Dating, then, I'm sure.
AO: Not really...
MM: Oh, pity. A face like yours, ending up all alone.
AO: Um... thank you, but I don't see it as a... pity.
MM: Of course not -- you're a woman of the modern times. You don't need a man to keep you satisfied .. or, a woman, perhaps ?
AO: I really... is this really any of your business?
MM: Oh, no, darling. I don't want to know -- my readers want to know. It's nothing personal, I'm sure your girlfriends would understand.
AO: Why... I'm not a lesbian, if that's what you're thinking! And why would they want to know, anyway?
MM: Because you're the hot new gossip, darling! Speaking of being new, how does it feel to be in an all - new place, with complete strangers, and all alone? I'm sure it must be dreadfully lonely.
AO: -calming down o_O- Well, I'm not completely alone. I mean, there's the students. And I've been to Cauldwell before, I went to school there before I started teaching at Beaumont.
MM: Ah, yes, of course! A homecoming for you -- how lovely. Couldn't take the pressure of being away?
AO: -blink.- The other professor left, and I didn't want to leave my students...
MM: Or are you still trying to live the `golden years` of you life .. when you were in your prime: popular, with dates.
AO: -sigh.- How could I possibly do that? I've been too busy to even think about a thing like that.
MM: Of course, of course, silly me. Busy with school work, and re - adjusting. Any professors helping ease the pain ?
AO: A few have been generous enough, yes.
MM: Any in particular, dear ?
AO: David Benson, I suppose. His assistant, a student, was kind enough to help me a few times when I asked.
MM: Oh, I see. David Benson. He teaches Care of Magical Creatures, does he not? And you teach Herbology .. quite a match you make.
AO: ... I see us becoming good friends.
MM: Friends, yes. How lovely. Strangers becoome friends, friends become lovers ... ah, the circle of life.
AO: It's not always like that.
MM: Of course not -- what a gross generalization.
AO: ...
MM: Anywho -- you and Professor Benson. How did you meet ?
AO: A few months ago, at the Clausula Ball.
MM: Oh, yes. The Clausula Ball: how very romantic. Did the two of you dance?
AO: o_O Yes.
MM: Splendid. I'm sure he swept you right off of your feet .. which is good, because you spend so much time on your knees. In your garden. Giving your legs a rest?
AO: I... guess so?
MM: I thought as much. Now, do be honest, dear .. have you made any plans to date this dashing Professor?
AO: >_> -slight blush.- No, I never thought about it.
MM: Oh .. then, perhaps this young assistant -- what was his name ?
AO: Okay, that is just crossing the line. One, he's a she, and two, she's a student.
MM: Oh, how very dreadful! Not only a student, but a female one!
AO: -_o I'll get over it.
MM: I hope you don't break the poor girl's heart in that proccess .. what would the Professor think ?
AO: This is ridiculous. Could we go on to the next subject?
MM: Of course, darling.
AO: Thank you.
MM: What are your opinions of the revolutionaries? Are you for, or against the revolution, and why?
AO: I can't really say if I'm completely for or against it.
MM: Ah, a fence politician.
AO: ...
MM: How very diplomatic of you !
AO: o_O
MM: You said you couldn't really say whether you were for or against it .. is something, or someone, holding you back?
AO: -blink.- No...
MM: Ah, I see. Perhaps you're afraid to voice your opinion .. perhaps you could be their next target. I understand, love .. as do my readers. Fear is a powerful thing.
AO: Yes, that it is.
MM: That's what I said.
AO: ...o_O
MM: Only joking, darling! - titters. -
AO: -faint smile.- Of course.
MM: Yes, well. Moving on, then ?
AO: -nod.-
MM: How have these terrible revolution - connected slayings affected your relationship with Professor Benson, and the assistant ?
MM: Surely a strain on you all.
AO: Well, yes, I suppose that if it weren't for the revolution, we all would be seeing more of each other. There's just so much work to be done... Of course, if it weren't for the revolution, we would have never met.
MM: Yes. Funny how love finds itself through the most strange of situations.
AO: I'm not in love with anybody.
MM: Ah. So purely a physical relationship ?
AO: What?!
MM: Physical. Having to do with the body ?
AO: I know what it means!
MM: Of course, dear.
AO: We're just friends, that's all, there's nothing more. That's it, I swear.
AO: Next question?
AO: @_@
MM: You swear, darling ?
MM: To whom, may I ask ?
AO: I don't know; it's an expression.
MM: Ah. Not a religious person ?
AO: Is that really any of your business?
MM: Not my business -- my reader's, darling. They want to know Y. O. U.
AO: It's none of their business, either.
MM: Ah, I understand. - stare. -
AO: ...
MM: Yes, well.
MM: Moving on, then.
AO: -shifts in seat.-
MM: Your school was closed down, corrected ?
MM: Beauxbaton's, yes?
AO: Beaumont. And yes, it was.
MM: Beaumont, of course. Silly me. - titters. - That must have been very difficult.
AO: -sigh.- Yes, it was.
MM: To have everything you loved, your home, taken away from you.
AO: ...We'll have it back, someday.
MM: After the Revolution, perhaps?
AO: Perhaps. Maybe even sooner...
MM: Sooner? How so, darling ?
AO: There's no telling how long this revolution will last. We're hoping to move back once the California area is less... chaotic.
MM: Ah, yes. California.
MM: Any idea how they'll calm the chaos ?
AO: The Department of Law Enforcement is working on it, as far as I know. Aurors and such.
MM: Ah, yes. Have you met any Aurors at Cauldwell ?
AO: Not formally, no.
MM: Ah. Not fond of them ?
AO: I have no problems with them at all! They have good reasons to be at school, I'm glad they're there.
MM: Yes, for protection. Back to the fear conversation -- we're just chatting eachother in circles !
MM: - chortle. -
AO: -smile.-
MM: I think that may be all we have for today, honey.
AO: -suddenly not tense.- Oh?
MM: Yes -- I've got deadlines to meet, of course. - laughter. -
AO: -smile.-
MM: But, I'll be sure to contact you again. I'd love to know how things work out between you and the professor. And, the assistant.
AO: Well, that's only if I have the time. -smile.- Nice meeting you.
MM: Oh, everyone has time for Miranda Mortimer. - laaaaff. -
MM: And, a pleasure meeting you as well!
AO: Uh-huh. -skiddadlez.-
AO: -to... cry or something.-

[Stanhope Inquirer]

TERROR IN NEW YORK CITY
26 August 2006

by Nikolai Liber

NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- Horror reigned in all boroughs of New York City when a blackout sent millions into panic on exactly 12:00 AM, Friday morning.

The sudden loss of power reached across the city and into adjacent regions, including New Jersey City. The freak blackout caused collisions with two trains, several subway trains to get stuck underground, sixty-two stuck elevators and at least three known to have fallen in the shaft, killing those inside, and at least thirty-nine known car accidents so far. Across the city, people abandoned their cars on frozen bridges, at tolls, and in mass traffic jams.

Hospitals, now severely overcrowded with the injured as well as people looking for safety and electricity, are currently the only known facilities in the effected areas whose generators are fully operational. Elsewhere, such as New York's major government and business buildings, technicians have discovered generators either entirely gone or irreparably destroyed. In Wall Street, executives are scrambling to import working generators to revive from the lethal lapse in the stock exchange.

Upon investigation of the blackout and the sources that power New York and the surrounding areas, authorities discovered all the factories and plants supplying electricity were either completely destroyed, dismantled, or burned; none of any of the plants' workers have yet to be recovered. "This is an act of greatest evil. This attack was very evidently long-planned with people infiltrated on levels we cannot even comprehend, but we will stop at nothing to track down those traitors and exact justice," said Chief Inspector Donald Helmsley early Friday morning.

But the catastrophic blackout that caused a complete grinding halt in all business, transportation, and daily life was not the only thing that sent New Yorkers into a panic. Approximately five minutes following the loss of power to the city, the highest two levels of the Empire State Building suddenly exploded, lighting the blackened New York skyline. Upon the historic building's face could be seen a pattern in the only powered rooms of the building (whose source of electricity has yet to be determined), forming an open eye. Despite teams of fire fighters and technicians, neither the fire nor the lights in the building could be vanquished; both lasted until approximately six in the morning, when both fire and eye vanished mysteriously.

Less than an hour after the blackout and the burning of the Empire State Building, panicked calls came in about the distant Statue of Liberty. When authorities arrived at the alarmingly desolate Liberty Island, they found a horrific sight: the symbolic statue of freedom and liberty had been grotesquely re-shaped. The torch she'd once held now lie at her feet in a circle of gigantic flames enveloping her, the hand now raised towards the heavens with an eye carved into her palm. Stripped of her crown, Liberty stood in tattered robes, and though her facial expression remained unchanged, merely turned towards the sky, dark streams flow from her eyes. The flames are too hot to allow anybody close enough to take a sample from what streaks the old statue's face, but it is widely rumored that it is, in fact, the blood of all the employees that'd been on the island at the time, who had been incinerated in the fires engulfing her.

President Matthew Turner has not yet officially addressed the terrorism that has struck New York, but is expected to give a speech this Monday. Meanwhile, Head Councilman Arcus Schruber spoke to the media early Saturday morning. "We will not stand to be so grossly shown as monstrous as the people which are behind the destruction in New York. We hope to be able to cooperate with muggle forces to return the eletreety to their people and capture the vile beings that wreak such devastating havoc on us all."

[Stanhope Inquirer]

[ CAUTION: THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION, BUT MAY STILL OFFEND. IT IS NOT FOR THOSE WEAK-OF-HEART AMONG US. You lame weak-of-heart! ]

DOZEN DEAD IN NEW JERSEY MASSACRE

27 August, 2006. Luis Ellis, Stanhope.

In the shadow of Friday's ghastly tragedy in New York, evil reared its ugly head again late last night.

At approximately 1:00 a.m. last night, the families of the twenty-one houses in the Marigold Heights community of Muggle Franklin, New Jersey, met horror face to face. Twelve human bodies were suspended in the air above the center of the high-end housing community, their screaming still echoing down into the town. The four families were hanging above their houses at the top of Franklin's Hill, leaving them in full view of the 6,000+ muggles living there. The twelve victims, ranging from two to fifty years of age, had all been hung in crucifixion-style positions. To the town's horror, they had been stripped naked and their bodies mutilated.

"Some of them were missing entire limbs!"--says an anonymous source from within the Council--"But they were still screaming. It was like they were too scared to give it up." On closer inspection, authorities found that charmed barbed wire had been used to suspend the victims. Their wounds were "self-inflicted," suggesting the use of an Unforgivable Curse. One of the victims, a muggle female in her late 20's, was missing most of her abdominal cavity. She was pregnant at the time of the crime, and the baby has yet to be found.

The strangest element of all, however, was the glistening wide-open eye glowing in the air above the victims. As wizarding authorities arrived on the scene, the eye that had been charmed out of barbed wire, began to attack anyone that tried to retrieve the corpses. The victims all died at various points in the night, but at approximately 5:19 this morning, the eye disappeared as the sun began to rise. Authorities were able to remove the bodies and secure the area. Eyewitnesses claim to have seen a lone, cloaked figure standing beneath the glowing eye shortly before officials arrived, but this has yet to be confirmed. Authorities are still unsure if this was the handiwork of a singular assailant or a team of Revolutionaries, but these testimonies seem to suggest impossible: Can a single witch or wizard be responsible for such horror?

The greatest loss to many was the death of Alicia and Tom Johnson's son, Adam. Adam Johnson, 13, was what some call a muggle-born wizard. He was interested in joining the Quodpot team and had recently been recognized for his academic achievements by Luther Cromwell, headmaster of Cauldwell Academy, where he had been attending school since his eleventh birthday. This particular victim has brought both muggles and wizards alike into mourning over the massacre, and in some ways has brought them closer together. Members of both worlds from around the country are expected to arrive in Franklin for the memorial services on Wednesday.

Despite the brotherly emotions recent tragedies have created, many parties are unsatisfied with the performance of muggle and wizarding authorities alike. In particular, however, there seems to be a rise of anti-wizard protests and demonstrations after recent events.

Fabiyan Korina, Chief of Superior Security for the Wizarding Council, had this to say during a press release earlier this morning: "The acts of horror these 'Revolutionaries' have committed in no way reflect the feelings of the wizarding world as a whole. We are doing everything we can to find the culprits, and we promise to bring peace of mind back to wizarding and muggle citizens alike. This attack brings into view the fact that we are all vulnerable, and now, above all other times, we must band together to strive toward a common goal." Korina, who has recently been under fire by muggle authorities for his ambiguous stance, was quoted as saying that "we have not yet done our best." Despite the mixed views on the Superior Security's success, (or lack thereof), Adrian Cauldwell, property owner of Cauldwell Academy, approves "of Korina's tactics wholeheartedly." Adrian, whose only daughter is engaged to Korina's youngest son, stated that their marriage would be "something to look forward to in the wake of recent nightmares."

[Stanhope Inquirer]

SAYING FAREWELL TO AN ERA

25 December 2006
Nikolai Liber

STANHOPE, NC -- The wizarding world will have to celebrate this year's Christmas without one of its most loved and prominent figures, Luther Cromwell, who was discovered in his bed at sunrise this morning. Healers say he passed during the night in his sleep. Cromwell, who was fifty-eight, leaves behind two daughters, Christina (32) and Jessica (28). Cromwell's wife, Laverne, passed twelve years ago in a housefire begun by an ashwinder.

Cromwell leaves behind a legacy as the headmaster of Cauldwell Academy, one of the country's leading wizardry schools for the last century and one of the only schools left open in the wake of the revolution. Cromwell's quick thinking and good judgment allowed Cauldwell to persevere through such terrible times with a tripled student body, opening its doors to all students left lost in the closing of their own school.

Friends and colleagues recall Cromwell with a smile. "All he wanted was for everyone to smile, and in times like these, that means a lot. He was just a wonderful person in general, and without his guidance, so many of us will be lost and confused," said Christina Cromwell of her beloved father. Others describe him as a friendly, smiling father-figure to students and teachers alike, outgoing and jovial to everyone who was in the same room with him. To be sure, he has left behind a legacy that won't soon be forgotten.

Still others say that his death seems untimely and suspicious, especially with the revolution ravaging streets around the world. However, investigators have found nothing unusual in his home or offices in Cauldwell; healers concur with this, as no trace of any foreign substances could be found in his blood. Even so, some maintain conspiracy theories on his passing.

Cromwell's will, discovered in his office, designates that his house go to his eldest daughter, Christina, and his finances as well as belongings be split between the two daughters. He wishes to be buried alongside his wife in Stanhope and, usual to his humor, that his portrait "not be so ghastly as the others." At the closing of the will, Cromwell has designated that he wishes the most "hard-working teacher of her generation" be made headmistress in his stead: Azara Bowen.

A ceremony for Cromwell will take place Wednesday, January 3rd, a day after the students' return to school; he will be commemorated with a new plot of flowers in the school's garden, as is tradition. Bowen will be instated as Cauldwell Academy's new headmistress January 4th.

[Stanhope Inquirer]

WORLDWIDE ATTACKS SHAKE FOUNDATIONS OF CIVILIZATION
26 December 2006
Nikolai Liber

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It had been a full year. A long, arduous year, one filled with pain, violence, anger, and confusion all over the world ever since the earth-shattering words spoken in Washington, D.C., at the Christmas Ball of 2005. The world would never be the same, and we knew it -- but no one expected something of this scale.

On the exact one-year anniversary of the revolution, the world was shaken by simultaneous attacks in countless nations around the globe, all on famous, iconic symbols of muggles. At once, everything seem to explode; it was one in the morning in London. Two in the morning in Paris, Rome, and Berlin. Three in the morning in Athens. Four in Moscow, nine in Hong Kong, ten in Tokyo, eleven in Sydney.

In the United States, it was five in the evening in Los Angeles, seven in Chicago, and eight in Washington, D.C.

When finally everyone believed this Christmas would be a pleasant one, life seemed tear apart at the seams.

Though the attacks happened at the very same instant -- almost down to the second -- it is difficult to explain the chaos that erupted all at once. Beginning in Los Angeles, it was Grauman's Chinese Theater, the icon of Hollywood and cinema everywhere; when the clock struck five, its doors blew open in blinding light, smoke, and fire. Every theater inside remained locked down, trapping the people inside in total darkness while the world-famous theater poured black smoke into the sky over Los Angeles.

The clock struck seven in Chicago and the windows of the Sears Tower blew out from top to bottom in what appeared to be successive explosions on every floor. Glass and papers poured onto the streets below, showering citygoers with ash and falling debris. Only twenty minutes later, the tower buckled and collapsed, filling Chicago's windy streets with smoke, ash, and debris -- by then, the rest of the world was waking up to chaos.

It was the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. that blew open at eight o' clock. Tourists were blinded by the smoke that suddenly blew out of a deafening explosion in the structure's alcove, the roof almost blown open. By the time it was deemed safe to investigate the scene, all that was identifiable was the head of Abraham Lincoln with half of his face broken off.

Elsewhere, the attacks were far more shocking, awakening citizens while they slumbered; in London, the face of Big Ben, the famous clocktower, burst, the tower itself collapsing only moments later. In France, it was the Eiffel Tower. Explosions began at the top, the lights lining its iron structure bursting into sprays of sparks; the two levels of shops and restaurants were blown clear open. By the time the dust had cleared, the structure of the tower itself had been warped into shapelessness, though some say that, at the center, there appeared to be the shape of an eye.

In Berlin, it was the Brandenburg Gate, the icon of Germany; multiple explosions disconnected the columns from the gate's top, causing it to come tumbling down into the street and the columns to fall into neighboring buildings. Meanwhile, Athens' National Archaeological Musem was gutted; Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral all but demolished; Hong Kong's Cheun Kong Center was ripped to the ground, taking with it the Bank of China tower; the upper levels of Tokyo's Metropolitan Government Building were utterly devastated, though the skyscraper managed to remain stable. Finally, it was the Sydney Opera House down in Australia that poured black smoke into the air and debris into the harbor.

These attacks across the globe have rocked societies everywhere, sending a violent shockwave into everyday lives; hundreds of thousands have perished in the violence. The exact death toll has yet to be declared, as it continues to rise in leaps and bounds by the hour. Muggles and wizards alike have suffered massive losses in the hellish violence that have claimed so much and so many, tearing the rift between the civilizations even greater. Many doubt that the rift will ever close.

Through all the confusion of debris and fire, one thing is certain: there is no end to this revolution in sight.