Post by Sir MerlintheWizard on Jul 1, 2009 0:41:07 GMT -5
The war between good and evil has hit closer to home than ever before. Lord Voldemort conquered the Ministry, securing the position of Minister of Magic for himself after slowly infiltrating its walls with his followers, both willing and under the Imperius Curse. His forces were great enough still to attack Hogwarts, demolishing its security and even its very foundation.The battle for control of the school left many dead. Many more went missing in the confusion, including Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Both sides suffered casualties in this great equalizer. When the dust settled, there was no one to oppose the Ministry's might.
The Order of the Phoenix fell, broken apart from the losses. Hogwarts suffered irreparable damage. Only the Ministry remained, mending its wounds quickly and efficiently. Voldemort's efforts to soothe the general public through gentle assurances that the Ministry is uniting the world through darkness seem to be working . . . kind of. So far, there have been no major rebellions, and an uneasy complacency has settled over the Wizarding community. The workers are sporting new uniforms, wrapped up primly in a look that projects the Ministry's internal changes. "Unity Through Darkness" has become something of the new slogan, chanted enticingly into the ears of the Wizards and Witches under Voldemort's control.
Hogwarts gained a new Headmistress. Tabitha Solaris, a powerful witch from Salem, Massachusetts, came to head the falling numbers of students. Though distant, and very different from the late Albus Dumbledore (lacking any hint of twinkle in her eye), Tabitha is a strict, fair, and efficient Headmistress. She makes sure that her staff does everything it can to keep the students safe and to provide them with the best education possible. In her first two years, Tabitha actualized the Hogwarts Security Task Force, a team dedicated to the heightened security of the school. Comprised of ex-Aurors, now persecuted by the Ministry, and otherwise talented witches and wizards in all fields of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Hogwarts Security is built of the best.
Hermione Granger stepped up to reform the Order of the Phoenix. Inexperienced as she was, being the cleverest witch of her time had its advantages. She set off on a mission to find and recruit as many of the old members as possible, bent on creating a vigilante group dedicated to fighting the Ministry in any way they could. Because anyone may be a spy, it has taken four long years to gather a small group of willing participants: persecuted Aurors, those wishing to avenge loved ones, members old and new alike. The Order is tightly knit and secretive, following Tyler Durden's lead: you do not talk about the Order. New members are brought in by invitation only and subject to approval. Everything is done as precaution, to protect against those who would threaten the little progress the Order has made.
St. Mungo's hospital has played a big part for both sides: it stands as Switzerland, neutral and unyielding. It is the only hospital capable of treating Death Eaters and Order Members alike, and thus an uneasy and unspoken truce befalls anyone to enter its doors.
In four short years, the world has changed drastically. The sun still shines, birds still sing, but beneath the surface, a war is bubbling to a violent head. Muggles are no longer in the dark about the Wizarding World; Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade Village fail to supply the same cheery air. No one knows if the underdogs will prevail, but the Ministry will do everything in its power to put them down.
