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THE SEEKER WHO STAYED: HARRY POTTER’S NEXT CHAPTER
In a year shrouded by loss, when the wizarding world has watched too many of its brightest lights flicker and fade, it seems only fitting that one of our bravest shooting stars should choose to fight back once more against the shadows, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent.
Harry Potter — Seeker extraordinaire, three-time World Cup champion, and hero of last summer’s horrifying attack — will not be returning to the English National Team, as originally predicted. Instead, he will turn his sights to academia, joining Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as its newest Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
The announcement, confirmed late last night by the Hogwarts Board of Governors, has already sent ripples of excitement through a community still reeling from the events of last summer’s Quidditch World Cup. The attack, which left dozens injured and claimed the lives of several beloved figures in international sport, marked one of the darkest days in recent magical history.
Among the fallen was Cedric Diggory, celebrated Chaser and Potter’s right hand on the English team. Witnesses report that, as in the air, Diggory was steadfast at Potter’s side, the pair shielding fleeing spectators as terror reigned. Diggory’s final, valiant stand has since become emblematic of the very best of wizardkind.
Potter himself was instrumental in preventing even greater loss of life, remaining on the pitch long after most would have fled. His calm leadership and determination, even through the loss of his teammate and grievous injury of his own (see DOWN AND OUT?, page 9) has transformed Potter from sporting legend into something far more enduring.
While investigations into the motives behind the attack remain ongoing, with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement continuing to pursue leads connected to the extremist group claiming responsibility (see BLOOD PURITY AND BEYOND, page 6), many have looked to Potter’s steadfast response as a source of hope in uncertain times.
Now, after months out of the public eye, Potter has re-emerged with a decision that many are calling outright inspirational.
“Hogwarts has always stood for courage, service, and the passing on of hard-won knowledge” said Draco Malfoy, longtime member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors, “We can think of no one better suited to embody those values for the next generation.”
Indeed, some have remarked that it is far past time for Hogwarts to finally claim its share of Potter’s formidable legacy. His family’s extensive travels during his youth meant that our prestigious institution only saw Potter for a single semester — a period when his mother, renowned charms expert Lily Potter, consulted at the invitation of the late headmaster Albus Dumbledore (see TALENT IN HIS BLOOD, page 8, and FLYING WITH HIS FATHER, page 12). That Potter should now return to the castle, not as a pupil, but as a teacher, strikes many as a powerful full-circle moment.
Friends of the Potter family suggest that this move reflects a desire to give back — to help prepare young witches and wizards for a world that has proved, once again, how fragile peace can be.
Classes are expected to begin as usual in September, with Potter taking up residence at the castle after the conclusion of a well-earned summer abroad. Hogwarts students and staff are no doubt eager to experience the teachings of a living legend, a man whose very name has become synonymous with bravery under fire.