The New Minister

"There was no hurricane at all."

Fudge said miserably.

"What did you say?!" the Prime Minister roared. He could no longer stop himself from stamping his feet. "Trees were uprooted, roofs were torn off, signposts were bent, and there were massive casualties—"

"It was all done by the Death Eaters," Fudge said. "The followers of You-Know-Who. And... we suspect giants were involved as well."

The Prime Minister stopped abruptly, as though he had run into an invisible wall.

"What was involved?"

Fudge made a pained face.

"He used giants last time, trying to make as big a spectacle as possible.

"Now the people at the Office of Misinformation are working around the clock, and we've sent out several batches of Memory Modifiers to alter the memories of all those Muggles who witnessed what happened.

"Most of the staff from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures have been sent to Somerset. They're searching everywhere, but they haven't found the giants—a complete disaster."

"That's impossible!" the Prime Minister said angrily.

"I won't deny that the Ministry is in a state of panic and morale is low."

Fudge said, "And that's not all. Amelia Bones disappeared afterward."

"Who disappeared?"

"Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"We believe You-Know-Who killed her personally, because she was a very talented witch, and all the signs showed that she put up a fierce struggle."

Fudge cleared his throat, then seemed to make a great effort to stop twisting his bowler hat.

"But the newspapers reported that murder,"

The Prime Minister said, temporarily forgetting his anger. "Our newspapers.

"Amelia Bones... they said she was a single middle-aged woman, and that it was a brutal murder, wasn't it?

"It's caused quite a stir. The police have no idea where to begin."