20 April 2010

LONDON - At a press conference this afternoon, Minister for Magic Persepolis Zephyr announced a sweeping financial examination affecting, "every department, bureau, office, and closet" in the Ministry of Magic.

"Everything must be accounted for and all must be held accountable," she said with her characteristic warm smile.  A smile that we've learned delivers both good news and bad...

The Minister went on to say that there was absolutely no suspicion of wrong-doing and "very definitely" no catastrophe or crisis that prompted the new budget investigation.

"It's simply prudent to review the balance of a healthy government to ensure all agents have what they need to best serve the people.  We ask that no one be alarmed and we assure all concerned employees and families that we expect no redundancies."

Ministry expert Brittany Chartreuse-Mills commented, "there have been reckonings like this before, but never so out of the blue.  I wouldn't be surprised that there actually has been a scare of some sort that they're keeping secret.  But, we can't know for sure."

We'll have to wait and see.  The Daily Prophet stands ready to report on this investigation as it takes shape.