“The Final Battle”

By: Kingsley Shackbolt
Minister of Magic

I was in London.
This is what I remember most about that night and that dawn. It started with me in London. Who I was with and what I was doing is unimportant. Even today some of the dealings of the order of the Phoenix must remain secret.

The summons came very quickly. Aberforth Dumbledore smuggled Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley into Hogwarts. With Snape fleeing, the die was cast. I remember needing to get to a portkey. I was never the best broom flyer, and I must admit taking great risk to get to the portkey to Hogsmeade, and then the long tunnel to walk into a war.

I could recount the fighting, the spells, the destruction wrought upon the school. I could describe the smell of the giants and the creatures. I could tell you about the cold feeling one gets in the pit of the gut when someone you have known for years dies and the way things slow when a hex flies at your face. But none of this is important. What is important is that we never forget the 48 people who died that day defending freedom. What is important is that we never forget that people made a stand against fear, lies and secrecy. This is why I release today details about the Death Eaters; so there are no more secrets. So we can build a new future together.

When Harry Potter killed the Dark Lord, so easily, so simply; it was as if a veil had been lifted. We were afraid of ourselves. We were afraid of each other far more than the Dark Lord. He was powerful, yes, but his true power lied in fear.

! We must oppose fear in all things! ! Fear destroys societies!
Look at the Muggle World. They are terrified of terrorists and pollution. Terrified of crime, of ‘identity theft’ (no idea what this is but if I find Wizards are involved I will not be happy). They are terrified of their neighbours, money and another hundred things. If they have nothing to be afraid of, they deliberately seek out something to be afraid of.

We can help where we can but really that is the Muggles problem.

We must not become afraid like we were when Voldemort was around.
It nearly killed us last time. ! We need to learn from the past!