DENVER, Colo. – In the aftermath of an attack by Simon Drake just minutes before, Secretary of Magic Polonius Aberfoyle announced the formation of a unity government, and appointed his longtime rival Oswald P. Kensington of the Grand Old Mages’ party as his new Vice-Secretary of Magic and Wizarding Secretary of War.
“I call upon our entire wizarding government to come together under a common banner,” Aberfoyle announced. Legislators, he said, must “speak against Drake’s poison with one voice.”
An unnamed House of Warlocks representative from the Progressive Wizards’ Party, who requested anonymity in order to avoid angering party leadership, was unimpressed, even angered, by the announcement. “[Secretary Aberfoyle] has only been awake for less than 48 hours. He doesn’t know what Kensington’s done in his name. Kensington should be locked up in Alcatraz, not given the Vice-Secretaryship and a cabinet position.”
Kensington, with his new authority, immediately promoted Captain Anton Tovoretski to Chief Auror, with orders to arrest his predecessor, Miles Beauregard. When asked later about the move, Kensington said, “He [Beauregard] was either complicit in the infiltration of his force by Simon Drake’s followers, or incompetent in preventing it from occurring. Captain Tovoretski showed immense bravery facing Drake and his own turncoat subordinates, and I have every confidence that he is on the correct side in this war.”
In another surprising move, continuing his theme of promoting unity throughout the wizarding community, Aberfoyle then re-appointed Clark Dowling to the Auror Force, promoting him to full Commander at Kensington’s urging. Dowling left the Aurors’ Department in protest of the Department’s policies several years ago to form his own vigilante squad, the Dark Hunters. Aberfoyle himself was long rumored to be a member of the group, but has not publicly admitted such.
Dowling accepted the commission on the condition that he be permitted to name his own deputies. Dowling’s choices (so far) are Avistrum Deputy Headmaster Aleator Boudreaux and ex-convict Scorpio Douglas. Dowling also made an offer to embattled Avistrum Divination professor Kraven Bloodthorne, but the latter declined, instead announcing his resignation from the academy in order to go and rebuild the Timmernak School for Boys.
Bloodthorne was convicted and later pardoned of a role in the destruction of the school in 2006, and initially protested his innocence, but has since admitted a role while under the Imperius Curse. Bloodthorne has been the target of the new group P.A.L.M. (Parents Against Lawless Magic), which has called for his removal from Avistrum. Bloodthorne stated that he hoped his overtures in rebuilding Timmernak will help mollify the protest group. Bloodthorne will be joined in his efforts by Avistrum professor Audrey Deserand, who also resigned from the school.
P.A.L.M. representatives refused to comment immediately on the appointments or on Bloodthorne’s overtures, promising a separate press release within the next few days.