The plan was subtle in the effect that no one saw it coming. Dark wizards were taken by surprise by the newly dubbed ‘Bounty Hunters.’ The raids were effective and while the Ministry had its panties in a bunch over the new methods they could not complain about the number of dark wizards being removed from power.
They complained ardently about the location Dumbledore had chosen to house these criminals. No one thought that the Chamber of Secrets could be put to such use, but it was a simple matter of adding steel bars and minimal furniture, it already had the feel of a prison.
More students were pulled from the institution and the number of students was at a record low by Christmas holidays. No one wanted their children living and sleeping above a prison filled with malignant and festering evil. Minerva didn’t know how to change public sentiment since she agreed with it.
Only one thing could change the status of ‘war.’ It was as if Dumbledore had been waiting for it, known it was coming. The first in a line of many attacks had been attempted on the school, the third so far in recent history.
The students were protected but with each new attack more were removed and suddenly Hogwarts was a ghost town. Its doors had closed officially for the first time in over a thousand years. There were no students to teach, no reason to keep it open as a school.
Hogwarts had become a prison, and Dumbledore’s plan was coming into full sway. Now the ancient castle could really become a battleground. He would force the fight on his own territory.