Daily Prophet Morning Edition
Date: Wednesday, 21 November
Time: Morning Edition
Rating: G
Important Notes: Registry Characters please respond here to provide an accurate list of present Registrants.
Ministry Announces New Legislation!
Improvements in the Registry Process Enhance Security and Minimise Expenditure!
by Janice McLaughlin
The Daily Prophet is pleased to help announce the official Ministry decision regarding the Registration of the riskier factions of our population. We have alluded to upcoming changes in numerous articles over the past months, but we were not yet authorised to offer any details. It has taken a great deal of time and considerable effort on the part of our Minister for Magic, Rudiger Shingleton, but the Wizengamot, at last, has provided enough votes to institute the changes the Minister has been seeking.
For those of you not on the Registry, you may be unfamiliar with the process. Our Ministry keeps a constant log of everyone on the Registry, including requiring a bi-weekly meeting with Aurors in which all spells used from their wands are recorded and logged. They can also be tracked at all times by a simple homing charm placed on their wands. Anyone on the Registry must be in their homes by the strict sunset curfew, and may not leave again until sunrise.
This is a very expensive and labour-intensive process for the Ministry, but it has prevented any of these individuals from engaging in illegal behaviour.
You may see, of course, the minor flaw in this plan. What if a Registered individual leaves his or her wand behind?
Additionally, with the ever-important shopping season nearly upon us, many business owners in our world have complained that their sales have fallen tremendously due to the limit in shopping time, as well as a loss of valued workers who must leave before dark, which occurs just after four o'clock in the afternoon these days.
The Minister has not been deaf to these concerns, and is eager to provide alternatives which will continue to protect the safety of the innocent public, while allowing our Registered population more freedom of activity and a chance to even earn their eventual removal from the Registry, following proper channels.
There will now be three 'categories' of these individuals, based upon their assessed danger to our society.
Level I - Highest Likelihood of Recidivism - The Ministry has developed a tracking device for those individuals the Wizengamot decides are at greatest risk. This is a device to be worn at all times, applied and removed by a Ministry Authorised Auror, only. Magically charmed and keyed to the individual, it will alter its shape according to the body of the wearer, whether the individual uses body-altering potions, is an Animagus, or even a werewolf.
The tracking device enables the Ministry to have a continual recording of the individual's location, and precisely which spell is being used at any given time. Because of the detail and accuracy of this information, Aurors will no longer have to spend valuable man-power time to perform wand-checks, and Registry individuals will no longer be bound by curfew.
Because of flexibility, the device can be worn at wrist, neck or ankle, at the choice of the wearer, and to provide for dignity and privacy, it is small enough to be concealed beneath clothing. However, individuals with shape-shifting abilities such as Animagi and Werewolves will be required to wear the device at the neck.
The information obtained from the devices will remain part of public record for anyone who wishes to do a background check at the Ministry Hall of Records.
Level II - Moderate Likelihood of Recidivism - these individuals are defined as those who have not had any documented evidence of actual Death Eater or Dark activity, themselves, but are in close relation with someone on Level I. Immediate family and spouses, specifically. These individuals have a choice to remain on the Registry as it initially started, with a relaxation of curfew hours to 10:00 p.m. on week nights and 12:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and not to leave their homes before 6:00 a.m., and wand-checks only once a month, or to voluntarily wear a tracking device as per Level I, and therefore be unfettered by wand-checks or curfew at all.
Level III - Least Likelihood of Recidivism - these individuals are already being seriously evaluated for removal from the Registry altogether. Eventually, there will be only two levels. Citizens on this third level will either have to be judged to be a higher risk and moved to level II, or they will be removed from the Registry altogether.
Once removed, these individuals' Registry status will no longer be a matter of public record.
Citizens who are presently on the Registry should expect to hear from Ministry officials within the next two weeks, and be aware that the new law takes effect on December 1. Anyone remaining on the Registry who has not contacted their Auror representative by that date to determine their status and receive their device, if applicable, will risk no less than four week's incarceration in Azkaban, and automatic increase in status to Level I if the person was a Level II; and a delay of not less than six months in the appeals process for removal from the Registry.
This was the final portion of the new legislation which caused the most conflict among our Wizengamot. A certain portion of the Wizengamot, whose opinion was influenced by Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Magic Department, insisted that arrangements be made for an appeals process by which registered citizens could begin the process of case-review and possible removal from the Registry. This requires a full review of all crimes and actions inspiring Registry status to begin with, as well as all actions and spell-recordings since that time, and a seventy-percent majority vote of the Wizengamot.
Arthur Weasley, known to have been a strong Albus Dumbledore supporter up until the moment of his vicious murder by Severus Snape, then and current Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts, was promoted to his present position during the war.
When asked his opinion on this new bill, Weasley said, "Well, it's better than locking people in their homes, particularly people who've done nothing more than suffer some misfortune, and it will free up our Aurors to catch the real criminals."
However, he also added, in defence of his actions which held up the bill for the last several months, "We're still punishing innocent people, people who've done nothing wrong, and that's why I've insisted that we have an appeals process. Those that have done things that truly require them to be monitored at all times, such as Death Eater activity, will be kept on the registry where we can watch their every move, while innocent people can now have their lives back. Besides, it's not like the crime levels in the Wizarding world have dropped since the registry was started."
It must be noted here that Mr. Weasley's eldest son is on the Registry, himself, due to being attacked by Fenrir Greyback and partially cursed, himself. Bill Weasley is not a full werewolf, yet, by every test our Healers and Magical Creature experts can perform. However, no one can guarantee that he will not gradually become one, due to the completely unique nature of his case. Mr. Arthur Weasley is quite probably a little biased because of his own familial ties to the Registry process, and might have better served his community had he recused himself from the process altogether in this case.
The Daily Prophet will continue to keep you informed of developments.
Time: Morning Edition
Rating: G
Important Notes: Registry Characters please respond here to provide an accurate list of present Registrants.
Ministry Announces New Legislation!
Improvements in the Registry Process Enhance Security and Minimise Expenditure!
by Janice McLaughlin
The Daily Prophet is pleased to help announce the official Ministry decision regarding the Registration of the riskier factions of our population. We have alluded to upcoming changes in numerous articles over the past months, but we were not yet authorised to offer any details. It has taken a great deal of time and considerable effort on the part of our Minister for Magic, Rudiger Shingleton, but the Wizengamot, at last, has provided enough votes to institute the changes the Minister has been seeking.
For those of you not on the Registry, you may be unfamiliar with the process. Our Ministry keeps a constant log of everyone on the Registry, including requiring a bi-weekly meeting with Aurors in which all spells used from their wands are recorded and logged. They can also be tracked at all times by a simple homing charm placed on their wands. Anyone on the Registry must be in their homes by the strict sunset curfew, and may not leave again until sunrise.
This is a very expensive and labour-intensive process for the Ministry, but it has prevented any of these individuals from engaging in illegal behaviour.
You may see, of course, the minor flaw in this plan. What if a Registered individual leaves his or her wand behind?
Additionally, with the ever-important shopping season nearly upon us, many business owners in our world have complained that their sales have fallen tremendously due to the limit in shopping time, as well as a loss of valued workers who must leave before dark, which occurs just after four o'clock in the afternoon these days.
The Minister has not been deaf to these concerns, and is eager to provide alternatives which will continue to protect the safety of the innocent public, while allowing our Registered population more freedom of activity and a chance to even earn their eventual removal from the Registry, following proper channels.
There will now be three 'categories' of these individuals, based upon their assessed danger to our society.
Level I - Highest Likelihood of Recidivism - The Ministry has developed a tracking device for those individuals the Wizengamot decides are at greatest risk. This is a device to be worn at all times, applied and removed by a Ministry Authorised Auror, only. Magically charmed and keyed to the individual, it will alter its shape according to the body of the wearer, whether the individual uses body-altering potions, is an Animagus, or even a werewolf.
The tracking device enables the Ministry to have a continual recording of the individual's location, and precisely which spell is being used at any given time. Because of the detail and accuracy of this information, Aurors will no longer have to spend valuable man-power time to perform wand-checks, and Registry individuals will no longer be bound by curfew.
Because of flexibility, the device can be worn at wrist, neck or ankle, at the choice of the wearer, and to provide for dignity and privacy, it is small enough to be concealed beneath clothing. However, individuals with shape-shifting abilities such as Animagi and Werewolves will be required to wear the device at the neck.
The information obtained from the devices will remain part of public record for anyone who wishes to do a background check at the Ministry Hall of Records.
Level II - Moderate Likelihood of Recidivism - these individuals are defined as those who have not had any documented evidence of actual Death Eater or Dark activity, themselves, but are in close relation with someone on Level I. Immediate family and spouses, specifically. These individuals have a choice to remain on the Registry as it initially started, with a relaxation of curfew hours to 10:00 p.m. on week nights and 12:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and not to leave their homes before 6:00 a.m., and wand-checks only once a month, or to voluntarily wear a tracking device as per Level I, and therefore be unfettered by wand-checks or curfew at all.
Level III - Least Likelihood of Recidivism - these individuals are already being seriously evaluated for removal from the Registry altogether. Eventually, there will be only two levels. Citizens on this third level will either have to be judged to be a higher risk and moved to level II, or they will be removed from the Registry altogether.
Once removed, these individuals' Registry status will no longer be a matter of public record.
Citizens who are presently on the Registry should expect to hear from Ministry officials within the next two weeks, and be aware that the new law takes effect on December 1. Anyone remaining on the Registry who has not contacted their Auror representative by that date to determine their status and receive their device, if applicable, will risk no less than four week's incarceration in Azkaban, and automatic increase in status to Level I if the person was a Level II; and a delay of not less than six months in the appeals process for removal from the Registry.
This was the final portion of the new legislation which caused the most conflict among our Wizengamot. A certain portion of the Wizengamot, whose opinion was influenced by Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Magic Department, insisted that arrangements be made for an appeals process by which registered citizens could begin the process of case-review and possible removal from the Registry. This requires a full review of all crimes and actions inspiring Registry status to begin with, as well as all actions and spell-recordings since that time, and a seventy-percent majority vote of the Wizengamot.
Arthur Weasley, known to have been a strong Albus Dumbledore supporter up until the moment of his vicious murder by Severus Snape, then and current Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts, was promoted to his present position during the war.
When asked his opinion on this new bill, Weasley said, "Well, it's better than locking people in their homes, particularly people who've done nothing more than suffer some misfortune, and it will free up our Aurors to catch the real criminals."
However, he also added, in defence of his actions which held up the bill for the last several months, "We're still punishing innocent people, people who've done nothing wrong, and that's why I've insisted that we have an appeals process. Those that have done things that truly require them to be monitored at all times, such as Death Eater activity, will be kept on the registry where we can watch their every move, while innocent people can now have their lives back. Besides, it's not like the crime levels in the Wizarding world have dropped since the registry was started."
It must be noted here that Mr. Weasley's eldest son is on the Registry, himself, due to being attacked by Fenrir Greyback and partially cursed, himself. Bill Weasley is not a full werewolf, yet, by every test our Healers and Magical Creature experts can perform. However, no one can guarantee that he will not gradually become one, due to the completely unique nature of his case. Mr. Arthur Weasley is quite probably a little biased because of his own familial ties to the Registry process, and might have better served his community had he recused himself from the process altogether in this case.
The Daily Prophet will continue to keep you informed of developments.