Month 9, Day 1

I had to look back at a calendar to figure out what to date this, I got lazy over the past few months, since it's hardly been an Occlumency journal for a time, but today in the Prophet-

I'll just paste it in, no reason I should have to rewrite it, though I suppose transcription might be calming.

MINISTRY CONFIRMS: DARK LORD FOUND DEAD

Wizard World Rejoices

Today, Ministry officials confirmed that a corpse recently found and placed under top secret examination at St Mungo's is, in fact, the corpse of none other than Lord Voldemort, the infamous mass murderer and terrorist responsible for the death of thousands since his initial rise to power.

Voldemort, known mostly by wizards as You-know-who or He-who-must-not-be-named, was discovered dead late Sunday morning. He appears to have been a victim of the Killing Curse. Ministry officials were unwilling to specify a time of death, but said the body showed signs of decay indicating that Voldemort had been dead for several months.

Ministry officials also refused to speculate as to who was responsible for Voldemort's death, though one highly placed source in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement did state that despite the state of decay in which Voldemort's body had been found, it had been freshly scarred with the symbol known as the Dark Mark, suggesting that one of his followers had been responsible for the death. Other sources, however, have suggested that the secretive Order of the Phoenix might have acted in concert with Harry Potter, also known as the Boy-Who-Lived, to stage the attack.

Extensive magical procedures were performed to determine the veracity of Voldemort's corpse, according to ministry sources familiar with the procedure. "There is absolutely no doubt as to the identity of the corpse," one source told the Prophet. "Albus Dumbledore himself performed the most difficult tests on the body and has assured us that there is no enchantment that could pass his inspection."

Dumbledore himself was unable to comment due to ill health. However, Potions instructor Severus Snape told the Prophet that the Headmaster would be celebrating with students as soon as his health permitted.

Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour is expected to address the wizarding world publicly later today on the death of Voldemort. Sources in Scrimgeour's office confirmed to the office that Scrimgeour would call for a national celebration, but also caution that Voldemort's followers have yet to be captured.

Yet despite the death of Voldemort, the Ministry remains less than confident in its ability to permanently stamp out remnants of his following in the short term. Other sources have speculated that Azkaban may also be unsafe for those followers, given last year's mass-breakout.

Celebrations are expected to last well into the night tonight. Wizarding authorities are primed for showers of shooting stars.

Ron and Harry are outside, calling for me to come out and go to Hogsmeade. Harry admitted he didn't know what happened and I pushed, I had to, but he wasn't lying. It could be some kind of internal struggle, I suppose, but I don't think-

The door is opening. I think Lavender is letting them in. I'll think of something once I can get alone again.

Wait…that isn't Lavender.

(In a clearly different script) Hello, Miss Granger.

"Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, a serpent stung me."

-Ghost, Hamlet