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Christmas is coming in three days and I've been a wreck.

Nothing is going right. The Order is in shambles trying to figure out how to stop the Ministry from being mental and deluded, and with Umbridge in Hogwarts, there's not much we can do.

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Oh fuck.

Where did I put it?

I swear I put it on my desk but then... It disappeared!

"Where is my notepad..!"

I wrote personal and classified things there! About the order and its members.. Sirius' name is mentioned there and I kept a photo we took during last Christmas.

I hope no one's found it. I'll be screwed is someone did.

I've had to give everything I found out to the Order, but I can't without my notepad.

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"Bloody hell..."

Grabbing a fistful of hair, almost snapping my quill in half.

I was running on three hours of sleep, my notepad is missing with all my reports, someone's been in my office in the Daily Prophet and the Minister is mental.

The three of them--Sirius, Remus and Tonks--I could feel their eyes looking at me, hearing me mutter under my breath.

Everything has become much more cold as it's Christmas, Remus gave me a cup of hot cocoa.

"Thank you, you're a Godsent,"
I indulged in my drink.

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A few moments after, the Weasley family arrived. With Arthur a little beat up,

Remus and Tonks left a while early, after Molly had given them their presents.

"Ella! Your present, dear."

I was surprised. I never expected for her to give me a present,

"Oh, erm.. Thank you, Molly."

"You're welcome dear,"
She smiled as I unwrapped the gift.

She knitted a scarf for me! It had my initial on the end, the color with yellow-white stripes.

"It's lovely, Molly."
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Harry entered the room, getting his own present. Sirius smiling down at him,

"A toast to Harry Potter!"

Everyone drank their drink, feasting upon Molly's heavenly cooking.

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"What's up with you, Ella? It's Christmas! What's gotten your wand in a knot?"

Sirius grabbed my notebook, flipping through the pages.

"Padfoot...! You dog!"
He gasped,

"You ghost!"
I gasped,

With our dramatic, offended expressions, everyone laughed at us.

After Sirius had learned I was an Exspiracorum, he'd often call me ghost.

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After Sirius and Harry's talk, the young boy came to me.

"Ella, I've a question, if you don't mind.."

"Yes, Harry?"
I exhaled,

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He shifted from one foot to another,
"How'd you and Sirius... You only met once and yet you're acting as if you've been friends for a long time.."

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I stammered, trying to think of what to say on the spot.

"That's a good question... We--erm.. I am a journalist and I'd be running everywhere, you know? We'd bump into each other here and there.."
Crossing my arms, I tried to look calm as possible.

"Right, yeah.. Okay, thanks Ella."

"No problem, Harry.. Happy holidays!"
I said while they went out the door,

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"That was the best you can come up with?"
Sirius mused,

"What, you want me to say we spent a year watching him together?"
He laughed, shaking his head.

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I grabbed my things and wrapped my new scarf around me, leaving for work.

"I'll see you soon, Padfoot."

"I'll see you soon, ghost."

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DAILY PROPHET
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   Mass breakout from Azkaban.
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Ten (10) High-Security prisoners have escaped Azkaban.

One of them being Bellatrix Lestrange.
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The Ministry of Magic had alerted the Ministry of Muggles about the dangers of this,

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Minister Cornelius Fudge strongly suspects this breakout was performed and planned by the man named Sirius Black.
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   Nothing has been confirmed yet.
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DAILY PROPHET

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DAILY PROPHET
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The Ministry enrages Centaurs.
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DAILY PROPHET

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"He's gathering his army.. How're we to stop them...?"
I wasn't sure of this anymore.

What'll happen if we don't succeed? There'll be deaths and...

I shook my head, trying to get those thoughts out of my head.

"Don't worry, nothing will go wrong."
Remus grabbed my shoulder, rubbing his thumb in circles.

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Dumbledore went up and gone and now Umbridge is headmistress of Hogwarts.

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What is happening to the wizarding world...

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"It's hard not to worry.. Someone's been snooping around my office and stole my notepad..!"

Just as I whispered that, I noticed a letter addressed to me inside my bag.

Opening it, I read it as my heart had fell out of my... Ehem.

Rita Skeeter had asked me to meet her at South Side of Diagon Alley at one of the coffee shops.

Rushing, I shoved everything my bag and went out.

"Where are you going?!"

"Work."

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"Rita."

"Ella..! Glad you got my letter."
She sipped on her coffee, offering me to sit down.

"What's your business with me?"

Clearing her throat, she took out a notepad that seems oddly familiar.

"I've found this... Interesting notepad on your desk a few days ago."

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"Why do you have that?"
I grit my teeth, furious as she had stole something from me.

"Don't fret, dear. I haven't read anything yet.. Except for a small glimpse of The Order of the--"

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"Don't. Give that back--"

She moved away from me as I tried to snatch it back.

"Ah, ah ah... You've been hiding secrets, Ella?"

"I'm not your apprentice anymore, Rita. Now, give that back."
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She flipped through the pages, tutting, as if everything I wrote was wrong and false.

I grabbed her wrist and lead her outside.

Snatching the notepad from her,

I slapped her. Hard.

"That was for disrespecting me and my work."

Bringing my hand back, slapping her backhanded.

"That was for Hermione Granger, who you've insulted countless times."

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Thankfully, I had no dirt on me she can dig up so I wasn't too afraid.

She didn't speak another word, looking disheveled.

But before I left, I knew she had read my notepad, so before I left, I had modified her memories.

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I went back to headquarters. Telling them what had happened about my notepad and with Rita Skeeter.

Only one problem...

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No one was in headquarters.