17 July 2009

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement has officially charged Nathan Briggs (26) of Knockturn Alley in the burglary of the Magicarium Apothecarium on the 18th of May.[1]

Unspeakable Jowd of the TIme Travel Investigation & Regulation Bureau arrived at the scene along with Hitwizard Apollo Ackerzonne. 

"The [Department of Mysteries] received an anonymous tipoff that a robbery would occur at the Magicarium Apothicarium in Diagon Alley. The Ministry has kept eyes on the artificer shop as several powerful artifacts and relics have been known to circulate through the shop. Sure enough, the perpetrator was discovered [...] in the process of banishing a muhra glass to an undisclosed accomplice, of which the perpetrator has yet to admit where the glass has gone," said Mr Jowd.

The Muhra Glass,[2] the object of the burglary, has yet to be recovered. 

Unspeakable Jowd again: "Muhra Glass orbs are very rare relics, able to keep volatile potions suspended for an indefinite length of time, perhaps by halting time itself. The ministry did not feel the need to confiscate the glass from Mr. Thomas Pierce, the Magicarium owner, as it is within his rights to display and sell the muhra glass. The ministry keeps tabs on it lest it should fall into the wrong hands, as you can see the potential for acts of terror: such has transporting unstable, explosive potions or, in theory, even Runespoor venom."

At this time it is not clear how the Department of Mysteries knew about the crime beforehand.    "The tipoff was a very advanced Diviner, all that's all we can say."

Briggs has been charged with a hefty stack of offenses including Magical Burgling, Wandfiring Upon Ministry Law Enforcement Agents, a Class 3 Breach of Mysteries Information, as well as Premeditation to Cause a Paradox.  How Briggs will stand up the charges remains to be seen, although it wouldn't hurt for the Muhra Glass to show up.  All told, these charges could send Briggs to Azkaban for 8 years.

1.	Sound In The Night
2.	The Muhra Glass at the wiki