Two weeks on since its first appearance in Irvingly, the mysterious fog has now spread across the entirety of Hogsmeade. Having spilled into the High Street two days ago, any progress the Ministry teams may have been making has not stopped it blanketing the town in all directions, now through to South Bartonburg, Pennyworth and the Slums.

Despite Pennyworth's reputation as a safe, well-lit area, there are concerns that the forced lack of visibility in the Slums and the havoc wreaked by the loss of magic may lead once more to a rise in criminal activity and violence in the area. Since the fog began encroaching upon the village, there have also been some reports of increased vampire sightings in the streets, even seen by one Wellingtonshire resident - “as bold as brass, middle of the day” - though there has been no evidence of any attacks.  

“This is clearly the start of the apocalypse,” slum resident Mr. Worthy Paine assured me, as he boarded up the cracks in his doorway and refused to step outside. “Have you ever even looked in a crystal ball? They’ve been showing us this fog coming for years.”

Whilst many Hogsmeade citizens are bravely doing their best to go about their daily lives and work as usual amidst the disruption, numerous families elected to leave town days ago at the first sign of fog - an action made increasingly difficult as avenues of travel continue to be cut off in Hogsmeade. For those who have not fled to fog-less pastures, a spokesman has urged residents to remain calm while the Ministry continues to make fighting the fog and its debilitating effects on the use of magic their foremost priority. In the meantime, who knows what the fog will do next?

Yesterday, an anonymous letter regarding the possible effects of the mysterious fog on the supernatural residents of the magical community was published in this paper. Mere hours later, a response was received from sister of the late Minister and recently-revealed vampire, Charlotte Lyra Potter, regarding the subject of vampirism and the fog.

"The idea that a cloud which strips magic of its ability to work may have some lasting effect on my kind is utterly ridiculous, and the implication in the letter that our condition is one all vampires might wish to be 'cured' of is both presumptuous and insulting. Although most vampires do not ask to be transformed (as I myself certainly did not), we are not quite so wretched as your anonymous letter-writer seems to believe. The need for blood as sustenance can be easily managed by anyone with a desire to do so, and there is nothing that ought to prevent a vampire from living out a long and productive life just as any other resident of magical Britain might — nothing, that is, except the prejudice inherent in wizarding society which prevents many of them from seeking gainful employment or integrating into society.

Moreover, vampirism is not a curse; if it had its roots in enchantment, it may well have been 'cured' long ago. It is also equally possible for a Muggle to become a vampire as it is for a witch or wizard, something that is true of almost no magical affliction — a Muggle could not become a werewolf, or catch a case of dragon-pox, which leaves cases such as those open to speculation on whether they might be affected by the disappearance of magic. Vampires, however, have existed for all of history, and will continue to exist regardless of what happens to the magical world.

I believe it would be remiss of me to write to the Prophet and not also to add that although yesterday's letter did not specifically deal with this issue, I am aware that many residents of Hogsmeade and Irvingly are concerned that the thick fog will create a greater danger of vampire 'attacks' as the blocked sunlight opens up previously restricted avenues of movement. This fear is also based in ignorance, as no amount of sunlight can truly prevent a vampire from moving from place to place should they have a pressing need to do so, and it is fairly easy to take precautions against overexposure to sunlight. No one has anything more to fear from us in the fog than they would at any other point — and these fears have always been dramatically overblown. The majority of the vampire community is not seeking out ways to hurt anyone (wizards, Muggles, or otherwise), but rather fighting for equality and good favor."