Sat. 24th December 2002 • The Wizarding World's Beguiling Broadsheet of Choice • 7 κ
EIGHT DEAD, TWELVE WOUNDED DURING GALA ATTACK
By Eleanor Bledsoe, G.H.B.I.C.M.
Eight people are dead and nine wounded after the terrorist organization Wizards Against Purity came through on its promised threat against last night’s annual Ministry Christmas Gala.
Around 11 p.m. when the ballroom was full of guests, a series of explosions simultaneously went off at the front entrance and the back entrance, trapping guests inside and killing four Aurors instantly. While the remaining Aurors scrambled to make sense of the situation, W.A.P. members entered through the front entryway, now open to the surrounding courtyard and impossible to guard.
W.A.P. members then began indiscriminately firing spells at the gala attendees. According to witnesses, there was no special attention paid to purebloods. Many of the attendees had their wands to defend themselves, though many- particularly women, had checked their wands with their coats at the door, not expecting to need them during the evening.
The ensuing chaos lasted nearly twenty minutes before Ministry backup arrived, a delay caused by short-staffing due to the holiday. The remaining W.A.P. members fled the scene before they could be apprehended.
Two W.A.P. members were killed and four more taken into custody. One of them is alleged to have been involved in the kidnapping and sexual assault of Ginevra Weasley, though his face was so badly mangled by former Death Eater Blaise Zabini that it will take a few days to properly identify him. Zabini and Marcus Flint, another former Death Eater, were both taken into custody following the attack.
Ministry officials cited that “Though we do not believe them to be involved with the W.A.P., two former Death Eaters involved in heavy fighting was understandably suspect, and we brought them in for questioning.” Both men were released this morning.
In addition to the four Aurors, muggleborn William Bradley was also killed in the initial explosion. The Ministry has not released further details about the others killed in the attacks, pending notification of the victims’ families.
The interim Minister will hold a press conference on Tuesday, following the Christmas holidays, to announce the Ministry’s plans regarding this group. He released a brief statement this morning:
“This is a tragic time for us all, and a tragic event. The Ministry assures its citizens that every action will be taken, every stone turned, every door knocked upon to find the members of this group and bring them to justice. In the meantime, cherish your friends, families and loved ones. Take this time to celebrate the lives of those lost as our nation mourns. We must be strong and resilient. We must not let these terrorists win.”