(1939-11-09) The Daily Prophet - Durmstrang Hostages Rescued
Details for Durmstrang Hostages Rescued
Summary: Dippet and the Hogwarts students held at Durmstrang have been rescued.
Date: 9 November, 1939
Location: N/A
Plot: For the Greater Good
Related: An Unintentional Rescue
Characters
TitaniaCassiusGilbert

9 November, 1939 — Last night, Hogwarts received some unexpected visitors, arriving by Portkey. Former Headmaster Armando Dippet, along with the other three Durmstrang hostages: Lois Pym, Gareth Carrow, and Kiefer Vaughn. They were in the company of four unlikely rescuers, plucked from the clutches of the Army of Truth at Durmstrang Institute in Norway.

In our interview with Armando Dippet, he revealed that he masterminded the rescue operation himself. Having spent over a year creating a number of Portkeys, Dippet sent them by owl post via an accomplice at Durmstrang, intending them for specific wizards in England, along with a magically hidden message. It is uncertain why the parcels did not reach their intended recipients, but Dippet postulates that Grindelwald may have constructed a Confundus Charm powerful enough to confuse the owls, and even eradicate the addressing on their post.

As a result, the wrapped Portkeys fell into the hands of some unlikely wizards: Aurors Hugh Carruthers and Shelley Prewett, Cyril Malfoy, brother of Unity Party leader Cassius Malfoy, and Unity's primary opponent, author and actor Gilbert Sullivan.

This unwitting quartet of rescuers, with the assistance of Dippet's accomplice, came head-to-head with Soldiers of Truth, bravely fighting their way to the rescue of the hostages. With skill and wit, they navigated through Durmstrang Castle to a hiding place containing another Portkey. This was a second Portkey that had been placed by Dippet in 1938, during the fateful events of the Triwizard Tournament, and left there until such time that he could use it to free not only himself, but his young charges, Pyn, Carrow, and Vaughn.

The newly freed hostages are being treated at St. Mungo's Hospital for malnutrition, and according to some sources, injuries possibly sustained from violence.

Minister Gambol has visited the patients at the hospital, and this morning released a statement that "The I.M.C. is in contact with the Norwegian Ministry of Magic, working with their authorities to further investigate this matter."

Cassius Malfoy also had something to say. "This is another example of Minister Gambol's lack of strong leadership, and the dangers of her isolationist stance. Action was required a long time ago, but our Absentee Minister preferred to hide her head in the sand and wait for somebody else to solve this country's problems."

He added, "I'm delighted that the hostages are safe at last, and so very proud of my brother, Cyril, as well as his fellow rescuers, for their heroic role in bringing our countrymen home." Malfoy even personally praised Sullivan: "Whatever our political disagreements, I have nothing but respect for Mr. Sullivan, and he deserves to be recognised for what he has done."

When asked for a response, Sullivan was humble. "The real praise should go to Aurors Prewett and Carruthers, as well as Cyril Malfoy." In regard to the political ramifications of the incident, he commented, "Once again, I find myself in partial agreement with Cassius Malfoy. Something needed to be done much earlier than this. However, it has little to do with Minister Gambol's isolationist stand. All the opposite. If we cannot manage our own house as it stands, how do we expect to be able to manage properly and justly integrate a very different culture into our society? This incident serves as the perfect example of how disjointed we are as a society, and how much work we still have to do before we can even think of repealing the Statute of Secrecy."

The Daily Prophet will continue to report as details come out about this incident, and its political ramifications.

- Shauncey Rochester

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