Chapter 435: Red Nails
Chapter 435: Red Nails
Rita Skeeter lowered her head deeply, afraid to speak loudly. She felt her breathing grow difficult, but this time she was certain it wasn't due to magic. Something more terrifying than magic was at play.
She knew she had to make a decision quickly. She was well aware that the person in front of her didn't care about her life or death. The last time he came to her, his only aim was to teach her to keep quiet. Once she did, she was no longer troubled by this issue. However, if she wanted to seek help, she would have to pay a price.
But Rita Skeeter was confident that her name itself carried value.
"Mr. Heap", she said sincerely, "I hope to receive some advice, now that I've made a fatal mistake." At the same time, she couldn't help but resent another person living in the castle's upper levels, Dumbledore.
In her new book, although she avoided using names, her usual bold and cunning self used numerous hints. She played on the widely acknowledged but unspeakable "entanglements between the Dark Lord and his loyal Death Eaters", adding a lot of detail.
Regarding the information about Regulus, she didn't uncover much—her reputation among wizards was tarnished, and transforming into a beetle didn't help much, as ordinary people didn't talk about a dead person at every turn. She only found some public records and pieced together the characteristics of a dozen or so notable ancestors of the Black Family.
As a result, the "noble and pure-blooded" descendant of the Pureblood Families in her book sometimes appeared graceful and tolerant, and at other times cautious and sharp-tongued, somewhat like the person in front of her...
The one who couldn't even be named was different. This was her carefully crafted masterpiece, aimed at the honor of being the "bestselling book of the twentieth century." The book's promotional tagline abroad was "The Secret Past of the Second Dark Lord." She personally hinted to the foreign publishers to link the dark lord with the prominent figure imprisoned in the tower. She was adept at these small tricks, handling them with ease.
Her long history of spying had taught her one thing: despite people's verbal avoidance, everyone's innermost being harbored a noisy little devil. They wanted to see the unattainable greats fall from their pedestals, or be kicked off them.
And she, Rita Skeeter, played the role of a stumbling block.
With this mindset, she filled her book with a lot of real details. For this, she had to diligently pursue the dark lord's past, especially his childhood. This was a dangerous endeavor, and she carefully chose her breakthrough points. After learning about a few great surnames, she decisively focused on the dark lord's childhood—his life in the orphanage.
Coincidentally, she encountered Dumbledore, who was also interested in the dark lord's childhood. They met at the residence of the Head of the orphanage, and Dumbledore didn't mention the fatal danger she might face. He only gently advised her, "It would be best not to do this..."
That old buzzing bee! Rita Skeeter thought, using a pun on Dumbledore's name.
How old is he this year?
Rita Skeeter harbored a secret, vicious thought, but knowing his profound magic, she realized he might outlive her. Criticizing his school management in the newspaper or portraying him as a senile old fool might be fine, but digging into his true secrets while he was still alive was something she dared not do.
A scrutinizing gaze swept over her, making her draw a sharp breath, her body shivering involuntarily. The roaring fireplace did little to warm her, and her complex thoughts were immediately extinguished.
"You seek my advice?"
"To be honest, I don't see any remorse in you... Perhaps you enjoy it?" Felix said softly. "That would explain it, you made a choice and must bear the consequences of that choice."
"No, that's not it", Rita Skeeter hurried to say. "I know you have influence over some people, like the last Black... Just a word from you—"
"Just a word?" Felix interrupted her. "If I understand correctly, you want me to sacrifice a friend's interests to help someone—pardon me, someone who is not closely related to you?"
Rita Skeeter's breath caught in her throat.
"Chirp (exactly)!" Valen called out indignantly from his arms.
Rita Skeeter's posture became even lower. She recounted her experiences over the past few days, and as she spoke, she seemed to get into the role, her usually emotionless eyes filling with tears.
"I regret what happened to you", Felix said simply after listening. "But don't claim you're innocent; everything was a decision you made while fully aware."
"I know..." Rita Skeeter said craftily. "I've brought some 'sincerity.'" She raised her hands, showing her bright red long nails, which then made a "clicking" sound as they detached from her fingers.
Ten fingernails, resembling small daggers, floated in front of Felix. Niffler tried to reach out to grab them, but Felix stopped him. He observed them for a moment through the air, then turned his head without showing any emotion.
"I have three suggestions. You can choose to listen to them or not, or you can listen to one or two. You are a smart person, Rita. You need to judge for yourself."
"First, downplay the impact of that book. The extent to which you do this depends on your resolve. However, I need to remind you that Dumbledore won't be interested in a dead man's childhood..."
"Second, I will contact Sirius Black and tell him that you have agreed to write a biography of Regulus. He doesn't care about his own reputation, but he cannot tolerate others tarnishing his brother's name. So, Rita, bring out your best writing skills."
"Finally..."
Felix's long fingers flicked slightly, and an Ouroboros Ring suddenly appeared, transforming into a sleek, black Slytherin. It darted to her face and, before she could react, slid onto her bare finger.
Rita Skeeter stared blankly at the ring, her eyes locking with the small, emerald-green eyes of the Slytherin.
"If you ever face a threat to your life, just stroke this ring. Trust me, you will have enough time to send a distress signal—those people won't let you die easily if they decide to act because of your 'offensive actions.'"
Rita Skeeter exhaled, her expression becoming more solemn. She bowed her head and took two steps back, speaking respectfully. "I can do all three things, Mr. Heap." She then transformed back into a plump beetle and flew out of the castle.
Felix lowered his head in thought, took out a piece of parchment, and wrote a message:
"Sirius Black, I know you are troubled by that annoying book. I wanted to discuss this with you.
Rita Skeeter just visited me. The book won't be reprinted, but the thousands of copies already in circulation might be irretrievable. I had Remus buy up as much of the existing stock as possible a few days ago to minimize the impact.
Additionally, she has agreed to write a biography of Regulus. Every word in the biography will need your approval, so you can hold her to the highest standards. I believe you and Kreacher can provide enough details to make the characters in the book come to life. However, I suggest you omit the name of the Horcrux or delay publishing that part...
So, you might want to stop lurking around Rita Skeeter's house. She is already a frightened bird, and I don't want to read about you being sent back to Azkaban over breakfast.
Also, if you are interested in becoming a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts next year, you should start preparing now. I have a friend in the Muggle world who can arrange for you to be a Teaching Assistant for a while.
If you are interested, contact Mr. Zacharias Cripp at the following address..."
After finishing the letter, the fire in the fireplace turned a bright emerald green. Felix tossed the parchment into the fire, and it spun and disappeared.
Coming back to his senses, he noticed Valen staring at the bright red nails floating in the air. "Oh, those are not for you", Felix said, putting away the nails that recorded countless secrets.
He considered these nails as something that might never be useful, or might be needed tomorrow.
Then, he flicked his wand, and a silver light flew from the tip, wrapping around Valen like silver silk and gradually solidifying into a silver cloak. Valen wriggled its body, amazed by the transformation, as if countless invisible Flower Fairies were weaving clothes behind it, forming a silver cloak.
"Chirp?"
"One of my recent research projects—reshaping a Patronus into a new solid form", Felix smiled. "You can try it out."
Valen blinked, looked at the glowing cloak behind it, and put the hood on, revealing only half of its pink beak.
"Chirp! Chirp?"
It found itself floating, and Valen looked at Felix in surprise. Felix hadn't drawn his wand or pointed a finger; he just smiled.
Valen twisted its body, and the silver cloak followed, then it flew toward one side of the office—
"Wow chirp!"
In no time, Valen mastered the cloak—just a slight turn, and the cloak would quickly change position.
Niffler played happily, flying around the room and chirping excitedly.
Felix pondered that this magic was likely only usable by him, but he already knew a flying spell with some side effects, which he rarely used.
As for the principles and samples of the 'flying wings,' he had already given them all to Lupin.
There is one more page, to be sent a bit later.
(End of Chapter)
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