(ISSUE NINTY-ONE: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF CC THORTON)

[TRACEY SHEPARD]

NOVEMBER 23, 2012

7 KNUTS

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF CC THORTON

Since the Hogsmeade attack last June, things have been relatively quiet for the wizarding world. Almost, too quiet. Hogsmeade made an unprecedented return and reopened bigger and better after only a few months. England saw similar changes throughout the country as well. Minister Dyer made gay marriage legal, a stark contrast to the previous law that outlawed all marriage to anyone outside of purebloods and half-bloods. If the attacks did anything, it seems like they only unified the country, making it a more open and accepted place than ever.

Still, we here at the Daily Prophet are always watching. Things might seem calm on the surface, but that doesn't mean discourse has left us altogether. Most notable is the recent disappearance of explorer C.C. Thorton, a renowned expert in the life cycle of the flying willamite. The willamite is a small, feathered creature capable of taking down it's favorite prey Asian elephant in just one bite. Thorton left the country for Nepal two months ago to seek a new hot spot reported to have been found there. While he was expected back after a week, no contact has been made with him since.

Given the potent and volatile nature of his research subject, it would be easy to pass his disappearance off as a terrible accident. Upon further investigation, sources tell us several objects were discovered in his home including a half-packed dufflebag, a stocked specimen sample kit, and a stack of travel papers he would not have been able to enter Nepal without. Curiously, the one major thing that has not been found is Thornton's notebook, which we are told holds every bit of his life's work and is never left out of his sight.

Did Thorton pack his notebook and head out on a different adventure without informing anyone first? Or are more nefarious forces at hand in the disappearance? No further clues are available at this time.

template by eliza exclusively for TB