2102

With repair efforts well underway to refortify Azkaban prison in light of the mass break out months prior, Magical Law Enforcement (now under the leadership of Evangeline Shacklebolt) continued their efforts in rounding up escapees and returning them to their cells. With no clear leads as to how the breakout had occurred in the first place, it could only be assumed that it was an inside job - but how?

While the mysterious and ominous circumstances surrounding the breakout and subsequent assault on Diagon Alley hung in the air, the Ministry kicked off the 2102 year with a Greenhouse Party hosted by the Department of Environmental Regulation and Protection in celebration of a Corpse Flower blooming. The event marked the first appearance of Alphonsine Rosier (previously spotted in Knockturn Alley with Sebastijan Grimmson) who had been hired by the likewise newly appointed Senior Undersecretary Duncan M. Fletcher III. The evening went off without a hitch, though department heads Eliora Dodderidge and Airey Flamsteed continued to act rather out of character.

Though relatively quiet around the Ministry with things moving as usual, the continued malfunction of the floos and lifts along with the added presence of owls for interdepartmental communications created an underlying tension felt by all. Tension continued to mount as the trial for Jack Roller drew closer. Held in Courtroom 10, the Ministry's largest courtroom and reserved for only the most serious of trials, Jack Roller was charged for numerous crimes before the Wizengamot and a jury consisting of civilians Aditya Atreyu-Rehman, Lyssa McKellar, Leobald Kitridge, Euphrasia Kruus, Eureka Russ, Ziggy Song, and Rula Van Hutton. Roller soon caused disturbances during the trial, denying a majority of the counts against him and demanded he have his own lawyer. Minister Charles Hollingberry presented evidence to the court that Roller had indeed signed away his right to further representation of his own accord, in front of himself and several witnesses. Former MLE department head, Alexa Cambridge, was called to testify against Roller and confirmed his involvement. Roller continued to deny the claims, citing his own stupidity as evidence that he was incapable of pulling off such schemes. Auror Ronan Carter suspected Roller to have been placed under the Imperius Curse, and rose from his seat in the audience to approach the Minister mid-trial and request a postponement. However, there was no time for the Minister to even entertain the idea as suddenly the courtroom was engulfed by darkness, save for a flash of green light. When the lights returned moments later, Roller was found dead on the floor.

With the arrival of the American Ambassador Hilary Pen, who was hoping to have Roller extradited back to America, and the courtroom erupting into chaos, the Minister placed Head of Security Simon Bennet in charge of securing the area and weighing everyone's wands with Prior Incantato before they left the courtroom, in an attempt to find the culprit who had cast the Killing Curse. Rosier, who had been acting as Scribe for the trial, escorted the Minister from the courtroom without having her own wand weighed. Despite Bennet and his team's efforts, the culprit was not found; the truth about Roller's death, and surrounding circumstances, remained a mystery.

Following the trial and murder of Roller, mysterious and unremoveable graffiti began appearing around Diagon Alley, composed of the unnerving message 'For the Greater Good' accompanied by the sign of the Deathly Hallows. Law Enforcement were quick to note that the first two locations were also severely hit during the attack on Diagon Alley a year prior, which felt too pointed to be purely coincidental. Despite continued investigations, all leads regarding who may have painted these symbols led to dead ends.

In July, the Department of Magical Games and Sports hosted the third annual Winged Horse Festival at Fletwock Stadium where young and old alike could meet with riders and their steeds to get to know more about creature and sport alike. Soon after the afternoon race completed, Screwt Blast clenching victory, an Azkaban escapee showed up at the event and sent red sparks at several of the horses, causing a stampede of these majestic creatures. Thankfully none of the winged horses were seriously injured in the fray that followed, and the man who had disrupted the family day was caught and returned to Azkaban.

Meanwhile, back the the Ministry, Airey Flamsteed's unnatural behavior (not exclusive to the longing looks he cast towards Alphonsine Rosier every time they were in the same space) continued to intensify, until it resulted in a dangerous situation between himself and Unspeakable David Truebridge in the Chamber of Codes. Stumbling upon his department head while the man was searching furiously for something among the records and artefacts, Truebridge saw as Flamsteed's features began melting off, only ceasing once the man drank the contents from a phial he retrieved from the pocket of his robes. Concerned that his former professor may be dying, Truebridge's concerns were silenced and he was then ordered to continue helping the department head in his cataloging of artefacts. The pair found a chest, with an intricate series of binding runes serving as a lock, from the year 2020, which triggered something dark and sinister in the department head. Locking the door, Flamsteed threatened Truebridge and, when the young man would not comply, placed him under the Imperius Curse. As the bind runes on the chest demanded a blood sacrifice, Truebridge was forced to cut his finger and offer his own blood to the chest, which opened to reveal the Elder Wand* nestled inside. The wand now in his possession, Flamsteed moved to cast Avada Kedavra on Truebridge and tie up all loose ends when something inside him battled against this heartless tactic, and he cast Obliviate instead. Strengthened by the Elder Wand, the spell knocked Truebridge unconscious and Flamsteed left him on the floor of the Chamber of Codes, where he was later discovered by fellow Unspeakable Luther Holt. Truebridge had no recollection of how he had come to be in the chamber in the first place, nor what had happened here.

As September rolled in, Alphonsine's access to the Senior Undersecretary's office as the receptionist to Level One allowed for Lucien Rosier to slip in undetected and utilize the direct floo found there to travel to Headmaster Trent's office at Hogwarts. He kidnapped the man and assumed his identity, in order to search for something hidden in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.

Also of note, the graffiti, previously only found in Diagon Alley, began appearing inside the Ministry as well. On Level One, Kodee Chosen, formerly the personal assistant to Senior Undersecretary Fletcher, was demoted to janitorial duties following some behavioral issues, and Alphonsine Rosier was promoted in his place.

* there are discrepancies between the Harry Potter films and books as to the fate of the Elder Wand. SS canon will be sticking with book canon and the subsequent accepted canon material found in the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage production.