The next section Snape and Albus came to was labeled SOWERS OF SCANDAL AND SCHISM. Wondering what exactly that meant, Albus looked down the aisle, but his eyes met a disturbing sight. Each person walking in this section had a bow-legged look about them. Albus was puzzled, but then he realized that each person seemed to be divided in half, with one half of his body pulling one direction, and the other half pulling the other direction. More and more tension pulled on the divided bodies. Finally, Albus heard a scream. He looked to its source and saw two halves of a body lying on the ground, pulled apart by the person’s own tension. The two halves of the body then got up and put themselves back together to reveal a woman with curly blonde hair. Yet it was to no avail, for the woman’s halves immediately began pulling against one another again.
“Hey! Professor, isn’t that Rita Skeeter?”
“Indeed. It is she who has printed many a rumor and scandal against public figures. She was a great asset to those who desired to turn the public against Professor Dumbledore and your father when the Dark Lord made his second rise to power.”
Shuddering, Albus glanced into the corner and saw a man with very red hair, who reminded him greatly of his mother. Snape seemed to notice the change in Albus’ face, for he sternly warned, “Potter, do not let the dead arrest your mind! Do you want to be like them?”
Not listening, Albus continued to watch the man, his concern growing. “Oh no,” he whispered, then called out, “Uncle George! UNCLE GEORGE!”
“No, Potter, it’s not him,” Snape said quietly as he held Albus back. Then Albus understood. The man with the red hair--Uncle George’s twin--turned and looked at Albus with a look of great anguish and longing in his face--a face which seemed very tense. The man began to scream.
“Potter!” Snape got in front of Albus and turned the boy’s head away. They continued on to the next section as Albus shed silent, hidden tears for his deceased uncle. At last, they came to the last section of the Hall of Prophecy: FALSIFIERS OF METALS, COINS, WORDS, AND PERSONS.
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