Daily Prophet Article

[joym999 at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 17786

***************** THE DAILY PROPHET ********************

********What the Wizarding World Was Wondering***********

April 27, 2001                       Weather: Wet, Windy

YOUNG MALFOY ARRESTED IN PEEPING INCIDENT
*Muggles Arrest Wizard Outside Sexy Singing Star's House; Ministry 
"Helpless" to Intervene*

by Joywitch M. Curmudgeon

HOGSMEADE, U.K., Apr. 27 - Draco Malfoy, son of prominent British 
wizard Lucius Malfoy, was arrested yesterday by the muggle police 
outside the residence of singing star Magical Spice.   Malfoy, 21, 
was found peering into the second floor bathroom window of the 
singing sensation's residence, where the star was about to take a 
shower.  The young lady saw him perched on the window ledge and 
screamed, alerting her security forces.  Apparently, Malfoy was too 
inebriated to disapparate before the arrival of the Muggle police and 
too embarrassed to inform the Ministry of Magic, or his family, of 
his arrest.

Unfortunately for young Malfoy, his arrest was reported on the 
muggle's evening news telecast, which is seen by millions of British 
muggles.  For this reason, the Ministry of Magic says it can not 
intervene, as it usually would when a member of the wizarding 
community is taken into custody by muggles.  "We can't let Malfoy 
disapparate from his jail cell, or take any other means to rescue 
him, without the muggles noticing because his arrest was broadcast to 
the entire country," said Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, "We 
can't put a Memory Charm on the entire population of Great Britain, 
for goodness sakes."  Minister Fudge added, "He will just have to 
take his chances with the muggle justice system."

Lucius Malfoy, president of the Slytherin Society of Great Britain 
and patriarch of one of the most prominent wizard families, is 
reportedly furious with the Ministry of Magic's refusal to 
intervene.  At a press conference today, Mr Malfoy stated, "My son is 
in the hands of those dirty, no-good mudbl – I mean muggles.  It is 
unseemly for the Ministry to allow a full-blooded wizard, from a long 
line of wizards, to remain in the custody of mere muggles.  I am 
outraged that the Ministry refuses to intervene, and in addition 
refuses to allow the Malfoy family to reclaim its own.  The Ministry 
will pay for this dishonor!"

Since the Malfoy family has not been permitted to retrieve their son, 
they have hired muggle barrister Heidi Tandy, an American lawyer 
famous for her sympathetic courtroom pleas for lenience for young 
lawbreakers.  According to Tandy, "Draco Malfoy is a confused and 
unhappy young man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  
Those who argue that my client is either evil or unredeemable do not 
fully understand the complexity of Draco's character or the difficult 
upbringing he has had."  Tandy added, "Draco was only seeking Ms. 
Spice's autograph, and did not realize that he was breaking the law."

According to Lavender Brown, Ms. Spice's press agent, the singing 
star is "terrified and upset" about the incident.  Spice, a crossover 
singing sensation popular in both the wizarding and muggle 
communities, has recently been plagued by voyeurs and stalkers.  
According to Brown, Spice has had to hire both security trolls and 
muggle security guards to patrol her property.  However, none of the 
security agents noticed Malfoy perched on the ledge outside Spice's 
bathroom.  The muggle news reports speculated that Malfoy climbed a 
drainpipe to the second floor of the house, however, a Nimbus 2001 
broom was found on Spice's property and confiscated by the muggle 
authorities.