Chapter 461: Intern Journalist
Chapter 461: Intern Journalist
The last few days of March passed rather quietly. Alastor Moody's shopping spree came to an end on a windy morning.
At the time, a dozen owls, their feathers ruffled, landed on the table in the Great Hall, carrying a massive package. Professor Moody asked a few students to take the poor creatures to Madam Pomfrey for treatment.
"Long journey!" Moody said. "These days, trustworthy people are few and far between. When it comes to safety, you can never be too cautious."
"That despicable person destroyed my collection", he said in a gruff voice. "I spent decades building it! That Snooposcope is remarkably effective, capable of monitoring plots and schemes within a one-kilometer radius. The only issue is that it's overly sensitive, which is why I moved to a remote area; otherwise, it would be going off all the time..."
Professor Marchbanks and Old Vera also left the school on the same day. Professor Marchbanks was carrying a report provided by Felix. She revealed that getting the Ministry of Magic to recognize a new profession was not an easy task. "They'll bring up a lot of irrelevant issues, like the salaries for the new department", she complained loudly. "They always get bogged down in trivial matters, but I'll do my best to push this through!"
"Will you be coming during the Easter break?" she asked Felix, who replied that it would be on April 17th. "The day after Easter? I'll remember that and schedule the meeting for that time."
"What do I need to prepare?" Felix asked.
"Use indisputable facts to shut them up!" Professor Marchbanks waved her fist emphatically.
Before leaving, Old Vera invited him to visit the Ancient Runes Association during the summer. Felix agreed, though he hadn't joined the association. He needed to see "more positive" changes or unless he planned to compete for the title of President of the Ancient Runes Association.
April arrived.
The plants on campus quietly turned green, and the weather became warm and pleasant. Besides the change in the weather, professors from various subjects began reviewing, and the large amount of homework they assigned left the students grumbling, even creating a strange competitive atmosphere.
"I studied until midnight last night", a fifth-year student said in the common room. "Just to finish that blasted History of Magic essay!"
"But he's only three months away from freedom, right?" Ron said sadly, comparing two answers. He was also struggling with the History of Magic essay. "First it was goblins, then vampires, and now it's centaurs... What on earth is wrong with Professor Binns? Is the Ghost cake in Classroom Seven not to his taste?"
"These are essential pieces of knowledge", Hermione said, flipping through the newspaper.
"I know, but I don't care what the centaur leader said about refusing to be called 'human' or the significance of the Centaur Liaison Office. My dad says that department has never been truly used, and no centaur has ever walked into it!" Ron complained loudly, his voice growing louder. "It's become a public joke. If you dislike someone, you pray they get sent to the Centaur Liaison Office, because they'll be fired before long—Harry, what's this word?"
Harry, who was working on his Divination class homework, leaned over and stared at his History of Magic essay for a while before saying hesitantly, "Banshee?"
"It's 'banshee,'" Hermione said calmly. "Centaurs, banshees, and vampires have had conflicts in history, which is one of the reasons centaurs refuse to share the term 'human' with them."
Ron didn't listen. He mimicked Harry's handwriting, scribbled a random pattern, and finished with a little poem as the conclusion. "There you go", he said happily.
Hermione glanced over and said sarcastically, "Whose poem is this?"
"I wrote it myself", Ron said decisively, closing his essay.
"Really, you managed to split one long sentence into seven or eight paragraphs", Hermione remarked. Ron grinned and stuffed the essay into his bag. "Actually, it's nine paragraphs... What's the news? You've been reading for ages."
"Discussions about Ancient Runes are heating up", Hermione said. "It's like a hurricane. Runic Script cards are selling like hotcakes... Many people are waiting for the professor to publish a new book. They obviously know who the driving force behind the change is."
"We're benefiting from it, aren't we?" Ron said with a smile. He had been in a great mood lately. Last week, the employees of 'Future World' came and gave them a bonus of 80 Galleons. According to Neville, he was even smiling in his sleep.
Hermione ignored him and continued flipping through the newspaper. "I feel like someone is missing. It's very strange that she hasn't commented on this major event..."
"Who are you talking about?"
"Rita Skeeter", Hermione said.
"That's perfect, that annoying woman has disappeared. Maybe someone knocked her out", Ron guessed.
"She's writing Regulus's biography", Harry said, looking up. "She might be lying low to avoid the spotlight."
"Oh..." Hermione drew out the word. "That makes sense."
"What's going on?"
"You have no idea what she's writing in her new book. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the Dark Lord grabbed her one day, but are you sure she has the nerve to do it?" she asked Harry.
"I don't know the reason", Harry shrugged. "But Sirius said she's been very serious about it. She shows him the manuscript every so often and disappears for the rest of the time..."
"How is Sirius's job going? Is he adapting well?" Hermione couldn't help but ask. "I can't believe he can stay in a school for so long."
"He's doing well", Harry said. "Sirius said he's figured out a way to deal with students."
"Is he casting the Confundus Charm on them?" Ron asked. Harry didn't answer; he couldn't rule out the possibility.
April 7th.
'Future World' company simultaneously released the Magic Projector and the film of the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. During the 60% off promotion, the total cost was only 120 Galleons. The price was high, but it still attracted a lot of attention.
Especially with the current hot news about the Triwizard Tournament, the release of the film immediately sparked market interest. In the first week, 150 sets were sold, not counting international orders. While future sales would likely decrease and stabilize, it was a good start.
This was followed by intense discussions about the Champions. Wizards seemed to have entered the Easter season early, with a flood of owls arriving at the school every day. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade were filled with posters supporting the Champions.
Amidst this atmosphere, Rita Skeeter emerged from a Muggle-owned rental house.
She organized her manuscript with a satisfied expression. Under immense pressure, she had produced her best work yet. She was confident that if the book was published, it would set the market on fire.
And...
"My colleagues are also quite capable", she mused. On her desk was a press badge with her photo and title—Intern Journalist for The Sun.
Indeed, her disappearance from the magical world wasn't because she was hiding away. Instead, she had temporarily cut off all contact with the magical world.
(End of Chapter)
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