Harry had no idea what she meant. He turned to look, and his expression immediately grew strange. Today's front-page headline read, "Minister Fudge Visits Triwizard Cup Champion." It was about Fudge's visit to Will.
The Daily Prophet had also gone out of its way to highlight Will's remarks and question the safety of the Triwizard Cup. Two champions had been injured because of it, which said plenty.
But what puzzled Harry most was Will's claim that nothing had happened to him: he had simply been transported to Diagon Alley. Then who was the Will the Death Eaters had dragged away?
"Harry, Will might have said that to deal with Fudge. You know Fudge would never admit Voldemort has returned..."
Over the past few days, everyone in the High Tower had learned that Voldemort really had returned. Harry had tearfully told them how the Death Eaters had taken Will. Everyone had worried about him, and Sylvia had spent days in tears.
"You don't need to explain, Hermione. Something must have happened to Will, and he must have his reasons for not saying anything." Harry cut her off, gritting his teeth. "Those Death Eaters might even have used a Memory Charm on him. Those damned bastards!"
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Harry was so quick to act on impulse that she had been afraid this would drive a wedge between him and Will. The fact that he could think this way showed he had grown.
Others were different. Plenty of students lacked the judgment to weigh the matter for themselves. When the Daily Prophet arrived, many gave Harry odd looks. He had spent days saying Voldemort had returned, and some had believed him. Now the newspaper had left them wondering.
Was Harry making a spectacle of himself, or had Will not