Chapter 394: Falsification
Chapter 394: Falsification (Please subscribe, favorite, and vote)
"Here we go again." Hermione angrily threw the newspaper onto the dining table. The front page read: "Wizengamot Elder Griselda Marchbanks Suspended on Suspicion of Colluding with Goblin Insurgency."
"It's only been two weeks, and this is already the second pro-Dumbledore Wizengamot Elder to be suspended. It looks like Fudge has completely thrown away his dignity for power", Liam said, leaning over to read the newspaper. "Unfortunately, Professor Dumbledore is a good guy and can't retaliate in kind."
Liam had always felt frustrated reading this part in the books, but experiencing it firsthand made him realize that the books had actually toned down the situation. The real situation was far worse. As the side with principles, Dumbledore was at a significant disadvantage in this struggle against Fudge, who had no qualms about breaking the rules.
"If those people were Death Eaters, it would be easier to deal with them. We could use magic to persuade them if necessary. Unfortunately, our enemies are members of the Ministry of Magic, and Dumbledore, who always plays by the rules, can't outmaneuver Fudge, who makes those rules."
"Most people support us, so how does Fudge dare to go against everyone? Who gives him the courage?" Ron said, holding the newspaper and joining them.
"Who else, the Pureblood Families, of course", Hermione said, crossing her arms. "They control the Ministry of Magic, and as supporters of the Dark Lord, they naturally want to cause trouble for Dumbledore. However, even they might not have expected Fudge's lust for power to create so many problems for us."
"I think we should find a way to give Umbridge some trouble, so she stops focusing on us all the time", Liam said to Hermione on their way back to the Common Room after morning classes.
"Good idea, but do you have any specific plans?" Hermione quickened her pace to walk alongside Liam.
"Give Umbridge a scandalous love affair. From what I know, such news spreads the fastest and causes the most chaos." They had just reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, and Liam turned to Hermione, sharing his idea.
"That's a bit low, but you're right. This tactic, though unethical, will be the most effective. Besides, Fudge and his cronies have already resorted to framing us, so we shouldn't hesitate to use similar tactics against them."
Hermione paused for a moment before continuing. "There's one problem, though. I don't know what kind of relationships are unacceptable in the Wizarding World. I'm worried that their moral standards might differ from ours."
"That's easy. I know someone who can help." Liam's face lit up with excitement. "Fred and George."
"What's up?" The Weasley twins, who were sitting at a table in the corner of the Common Room, looked up from their notebooks.
"Um—", Liam hesitated as he approached the twins, feeling a bit awkward, especially in front of his girlfriend. But he had no choice but to ask.
"I was wondering, what kind of relationships are considered unacceptable for Wizards?"
"Ah, that's an interesting question." Fred and George exchanged a glance and then shared a mischievous smile. "Are you two suddenly discovering that you're long-lost siblings?"
"No, it's not about us", Liam and Hermione said in unison. "What else?"
"Then it would be certain inter-species relationships, like Hagrid's parents. Though we've always been curious about how—", The Weasley twins glanced at Hermione and quickly shut their mouths.
Liam, who had spent his previous life online, immediately understood, while Hermione still looked puzzled. She then turned to Liam and asked, "What's going on? What did they mean just now?"
"You're not an adult yet; it's better you don't know about this." Liam said, ruffling Hermione's hair. He then looked at the Weasley Twins and said, "I guess Wizards have a lot of Elixirs and Spells for that sort of thing. Anyway, let's not discuss this. Is there anything else?"
"We can't think of anything else", the Weasley Twins shrugged regretfully. "As long as the gap isn't too big, Wizards are generally quite tolerant. For example, Fleur last year. Some people mocked her bloodline, but that was just jealousy. We heard Bill say that there are plenty of Wizards in France who drool over Fleur's grandfather."
"Is that not a specific taboo among Wizards?" Liam suddenly remembered a blind spot in his previous questions.
"There are many more, like if one of the parties is already married. That's absolutely frowned upon. Another example is the recent romance between a captain and a player on the Holyhead Harpies. Such a relationship between a superior and a subordinate is definitely not allowed."
"Holyhead Harpies? Isn't that an all-female team?" Hermione asked, confused. "You mean a captain and a player?"
"Hermione", Fred crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back on the sofa. "For Wizards, certain sexual orientations might not be widely accepted by the mainstream, but they're far from being considered morally corrupt, let alone a taboo. We're more open-minded about this compared to Muggles."
"Right", George also caught on. "Why are you asking us this today?"
"It's useful for us", Liam and Hermione exchanged a glance. "You'll soon know why we asked this. We might even need your help later."
"Can you tell me your plan now?" After saying goodbye to the Weasley Twins, Hermione asked eagerly.
"It's simple. I'll try to create some news that looks real. Then I'll spread certain records." Liam said, a mysterious smile on his face. No matter how much Hermione pressed him, he refused to reveal the specifics. He just smiled and said, "You'll know in a couple of days. I need to be prepared before I can start."
Two days later, right after Herbology, Liam dragged Hermione to the Room of Requirement. This was where Ravenclaw's Diadem had been hidden before, but now one corner of the room was enclosed by a wooden fence with a door.
"What's this?" Hermione asked, opening the door. She found the enclosed area looked very familiar, with the overall layout resembling an office, though she couldn't place where she had seen it before.
"I set it up based on a photo of Fudge's office", Liam explained. "Next, we need to make a small sacrifice and play the roles of Umbridge and Fudge, taking some photos."
"How do we do that?" Hermione got excited. "Do we need to use Polyjuice Potion?"
"No need", a clear female voice said. Hermione turned to see Rose Crystal flying over with a brass camera. "Big Brother's new invention. This camera can automatically replace the people in the photo with others. For example, if you take a photo of you two kissing, the developed film will show Umbridge and Fudge kissing."
"That's great", Hermione patted her chest. "I definitely couldn't kiss Fudge."
"Exactly, that's why I invented this camera", Liam shrugged. "Do you think I could kiss that toad's face?"
The rest of the afternoon was spent under Rose Crystal's commands: "Closer, closer", "A bit more shy", "A bit more wild, Umbridge isn't a lady who's all proper and refined." By the end, both of their faces were as red as if they were bleeding.
Fortunately, their efforts paid off. The six large rolls of film they produced that afternoon were excellent. If used well, they would be enough to give the recently smug Fudge and Umbridge a huge shock.
(End of Chapter)
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