Idea

On the first evening of an ordinary school day, the return of Professor Breen and Gryffindor House's champion—Hermione Granger—made the atmosphere in the Gryffindor common room several degrees more cheerful than usual.

When Harry and Ron came down the spiral staircase from the dormitory, arms full of homework, many people were eagerly discussing the confrontation between Professor Breen and the group of Dark Wizards he had arrested for brutally mistreating Muggles—The Daily Prophet had revealed some of the details.

It had taken place in the outskirts of Berlin at night. A golden net of fire had blanketed the earth like a collapsing canopy, its blazing light turning the night as bright as day. Almost all of Berlin had been able to see it.

It had surely been a duel no less spectacular than the one on the night of last summer's Quidditch World Cup final—or so many people believed.

"My mum told my dad about it!"

As Harry and Ron passed Seamus, he was indignantly shaking a copy of The Daily Prophet in his hand. It was open to an article about the sentencing of several Dark Wizards guilty of serious crimes.

"He wrote back and told me that if these rotten bastards were in the Muggle world, they'd be shot for the things they did. I agree with him. Oh, just look at the court's verdict—thirty years in Oxta prison! So if they're lucky, these scum might even get to enjoy retirement?!"

Before Dean, or Ginny—who had immediately become distracted upon seeing Harry—could say anything, Seamus continued furiously.

"I'd bet that if Professor Breen had presided over the trial, he wouldn't have given these scum another chance to see the sun!"

Harry knew that Seamus's father was a Muggle, which was why he particularly hated these Dark Wizards. He