---

"One is not  two countries. One is not meat corrupting. It is important to stay sweet and loving[1]. Good evening listeners and welcome to the Haunting Hour. Are you sweet and loving this night? Has the Roman saint's corrupted holiday left love bites to last you the rest of the common year month? I certainly hope it has - for we all are in need of a little more affection than usual in these trying times.

We were robbed of the very fruit of our society, last Valentine weekend.

One might assume that it is only through their own resilience and daring that these youths were returned to us not one week ago. But our relief cannot cloud the issue at hand, the sheer blunder that has led to hurts we can scarcely imagine.

These children, these innocents, held within the Ministry itself? Close to the very halls that claim to instil justice where it is violated! Where is your outrage, my fellow wizards and witches? Where is your indignation?

Of course... I, your humble host, do not presume to encourage a cry for blood. There has been plenty of blood already. It is change that I implore of you to incite.

Perhaps it was not your child, nor your blood nor creed nor race nor alma mater. But we were all young once. Many of us were young at a time when violence was necessary in the halls of Hogwarts castle.

You might remember another kidnapping not too long ago, listeners - that of a Hogwarts student and werewolf[2] whose disappearance outside of term time slipped beneath our notice. A blip. Before that the poisoned innocents of St. Mungo's. And now four children dead, ten scarred. There is a force in wizarding society who indubitably means us ill to the extent of harming the most vulnerable of us.

But at last we have hard evidence that such forces may emanate from our Ministry. It is no longer a suspicion.

a pause

Often I have accused the Ministry of Magic of being complicit in these crimes. I speak to you a truth that you already know and understand but have been hesitant to voice. Surely I am not broadcasting to a sea of spectres? Are you there, listeners? Is your silence as complicit as our Minister's?

No longer can I serve as comfort or reminder. Let me be frank. Should the Haunting Hour cease its speech, it would be under direct threat of a politician's bloody left hand. The danger is real. Your concern, without action, is not.

I am asking for more than an echo.

Don't go anywhere with your pitchforks just yet. Here is a message from our sponsor. We will return to see what calls the void will bring tonight.

---

1.	Tenderness and Rot by Kay Ryan
2.	Trumble Found at Loch Ness - Dec 25th

"Good evening," Balfour murmurs sedately into the microphone after having flicked the switch that would put the callers through to his broadcast. They weren't on air just yet.

            "Ah, good. The left hand hasn't gotten to you yet..." the voice on the other line[1] is familiar but the noise in the background obscures it - Balfour recognises crackling fire, murmurs, someone chewing obnoxiously loud. "This is the fruit of society speaking."

"Of course." A pause from the host, who has lit his final cigarette of the night. "And is this an anonymous call-in?"

There is hesitationas several voices reply in different tones of certainty. Yes. Anonymous. He breathes out in relief and nods to himself, flicking several switches.

"Alright then. We're on air in three... two.... "

---

B  Welcome back, listeners, to the Haunting Hour. We have with us tonight a group call from none other than Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. And why not? Having so often been victims to recent crimes, they deserve a say as much as any of us.

      V  The very spirit of generosity. You can hardly claim altruism.

B  Hah! Well. You can't trust my selflessness but you can take advantage of this moment. We're broadcasting live to a late night wizarding world. How might our ears oblige you

      J  Well... I don't-- I don't know. It's that, I don't think the ministry is really as stable as we thought. The aurors are doing great, but there's not really.... They can't move forward when the system they're working in is probably corrupted.[2]

B In what way do you mean corrupted?

      V In the only way that matters. We were inside the Ministry of Magic the entire time and that can't happen without somebody turning a blind eye, can it? Purposeful ignorance.

      J  Exactly. One of the corridors led straight to the auror office. For sure, level nine is corrupted. Maybe what the Unspeakables are working on don't need to be kept secret from the public. It allows room for... (a long pause, a slow exhale) It allows room for inhumane experiments. Why does it need to be kept a secret if it isn't inhumane? Is this the kind of government we want to support?

B Your accusations are bold but they ring true. Do you think this corruption is restricted to the Department of Mysteries alone, then? Or are you implying that level 2 is also involved because of where the corridor had led?

      J  No. I don't think it's the aurors. (Exasperated sigh) I think that there isn't... What's the word... Enough transparency with level 9's projects. I don't think the aurors are incompetent. They're around because dark wizards keep doing shit things. They are necessary. I think the nature of the Department of Mysteries allows... More room for corruption to happen without anyone knowing.

B You'll be hard-pressed by traditionalists if you're pushing for a transparent level 9. Not that I don't support you. I have it on good authority that Ministry officials keep an ear to this show: is there anything you'd like them to know while you have their attention?

      V Yes. We weren't the only cells in that labyrinth. I don't know what - or who - were inside the other ones but I know that information hasn't been shared with the public. We deserve to know the truth.

B Even if it is a hard truth?

      V Especially if it-- shit. Gra-- no, it's the doo--

B Hello? Hello, can you hear me? I said--



B It appears our callers may have had an interruption from the powers that be, listeners. Or as they are better known: the faculty of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Don't hold it against them for catching these naughty children, who play rebel rousers after curfew. But if our exchange this evening has cleared up anything, it is that the Ministry of Magic, corrupt or not, has underestimated its youth. They play the rousers better than we do. I leave you now to think on your daughters or sons, nieces or nephews or precocious grandchildren. They seem to know something we do not.

---

The microphone is switched off, lights across the apparatus on Balfour's desk slowly dying from orange to black. He recognised both the voices speaking on air - one as Mihai's girl, sharp as a whip. The other was Alex's cousin. It seemed strange to be hearing such things from a boy who talked himself into buying a water buffalo in Thailand.

Balfour rose from the broadcasting desk, heart heavy but hopeful. He hoped they didn't get into too much trouble at school for this.

1.	Virgil Carstairs, V
2.	Juni Zamperia, J