13 June 2010

The Ministry of Magic called an emergency press conference at 9:18am this morning to reveal that the Goblet of Fire is unable to be located and is thought to be stolen.  The Goblet has been the feature of the TetraWizard Tourament which concluded this last week at Hogwarts, and was due to be returned to its secret storage locale.

"We cannot confirm the method or timing of the transportation of the Goblet of Fire, but we can certainly confirm that it was not at Hogwarts when it went missing," said a representative of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.  "Hogwarts is now as it has ever been a very good place for keeping both children and magical cups completely safe."

The Minister of Magic Persepolis Zephyr herself took the dais for comment, reproduced in full here:

I am shocked and deeply moved by the sudden disappearance of the Goblet of Fire.  The historical significance alone makes this loss deplorable, but now that it has become a symbol of magical fellowship and the triumph of Wizarding Britain's position as cultural leaders in the magical world - you can be sure that we will do everything we can to recover it.

I implore anyone with information as to the whereabouts of this sentimentally priceless but otherwise humble goblet come forward at once and be lauded a hero.  The Ministry of Magic and indeed all of Wizarding Britain and Ireland would be ever in your debt.

And to those quick to lay blame on the goblins of Gringotts, I ask that we reserve judgement. Gringotts is a integral and beloved  part of our magical community and we have no reason to mistrust their intentions.  Outright theft would certainly be beneath them as our fates are intertwined.  Whether we like it or not.

No questions were taken, but further details were provided before the short conference ended.

"We have reason to believe that the Goblet has not merely been misplaced, but we also cannot fathom why anyone could find any practical use of this cherished and historical bauble.  Unless of course, they planned to hold their own centuries-long, highly illustrious magical and academic competition between the world's most famous wizarding schools," said a representative of the tournament.

The Goblet of Fire has been the primary object of contention between the Ministry of Magic and Gringotts Bank which claims the Goblet is goblin-made and therefore goblin property which must be returned immediately.  Inside sources say that the Goblet is housed in the Ministry of Magic when not in use at the Tournament and that the actual provenience of the artifact has never been confirmed.