MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE

"Harry couldn't think of anyone who deserved to win a large pile of gold more than the Weasleys, who were very nice and extremely poor."

- Harry Potter's reaction upon first reading this article.

MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE was an article published in the Daily Prophet about a week prior to 31 July, 1993. It was a short piece covering the results of the newspaper's own Grand Prize Galleon Draw, a giveaway of seven hundred Galleons. The grand prize was won by Arthur Weasley, head of household of the poor Weasley family. The article also noted the family's plans to use the money to take a trip to Egypt, where Arthur's son William worked as a Curse-Breaker.

Knowing that he did not receive the Daily Prophet, Ronald Weasley sent a clipping of this article to his friend Harry Potter on the latter's thirteenth birthday along with a letter wishing him a happy birthday and a Pocket Sneakoscope.

This article was published in the edition of the Prophet that Cornelius Fudge took with him on a visit of Azkaban. It was due to this that Sirius Black, imprisoned in there at the time, was made aware that Peter Pettigrew was still alive, as he recognized Peter's Animagus form in the article's accompanying photograph. This served as the impetus for Sirius's eventual escape.

Others who saw the article included Hermione Granger, who expressed jealously at Ron being in such a historically important locale, and Draco Malfoy, who used the article to taunt Ron, asking if winning the prize made his mother die of shock.

Transcript
Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw.

A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank."

The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend.

Behind the scenes

 * In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the article is instead titled GRAND-PRIZE WINNER VISITS EGYPT!. Rather than send Harry a clipping of the article, Ron shows it to Harry in person at the Leaky Cauldron.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Pottermore