Chapter 54: Rita Skeeter
Chapter 54: Rita Skeeter
Meanwhile, Felix, dressed neatly, stood by the fireplace in his office. He tossed a handful of Floo Powder and clearly said, "Diagon Alley." In an instant, he disappeared from Hogwarts.
Diagon Alley.
Felix emerged from the public fireplace, shook off the dust, and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket—it was an address.
The next moment, Felix Apparated away.
In the London suburbs, a tall figure appeared abruptly in front of a detached house.
Felix checked the house number, then walked up the steps in the snow and wind, knocking on the door with his wand.
A moment later, an elegant woman opened the door. Her gaze, through a pair of bejeweled glasses, was scrutinizing the stranger in front of her.
Felix introduced himself gently, "Felix Hep, currently the Ancient Runes Professor at Hogwarts—you mentioned me in your article, Ms. Skeeter."
"You're Felix Hep?" Rita Skeeter's eyes lit up. In a blink, her hand, adorned with bright red nail polish, grabbed Felix's arm and dragged him into the room. "Please come in!"
The living room was neatly arranged, with the air filled with the scent of magical incense. On one wall stood a large floor-to-ceiling wine cabinet, and on the other, a square shelf filled with various books, trophies, and newspapers. A crocodile-skin handbag was placed on a shelf behind the door.
"That's one of my accolades... Felix, I'm very interested in you. I've wanted to interview you for a long time", Rita Skeeter said, sitting opposite him. Her hair was styled into elaborate, stiff, and somewhat bizarre curls that clashed with her prominent chin, making her look rather odd.
"Ms. Skeeter..."
Felix was quickly interrupted. This woman was incredibly domineering. She waved her wand, and a Quick-Quotes Quill and a roll of parchment flew out of the crocodile-skin handbag.
"Felix, I'll use the Quick-Quotes Quill to take notes. You won't mind, right? This way, I can have my hands free to talk to you normally..."
Before he could respond, the parchment had already unfurled, and the Quick-Quotes Quill landed on it, its tip trembling slightly.
"Hmm, where to start... Let's begin with the reason for your visit today. I suspect..." She suddenly laughed, revealing three gold teeth, "you're here on someone's behalf, aren't you?"
The long, green Quick-Quotes Quill danced swiftly, spilling out a series of fluid words:
The late-night visitor was full of concerns. When questioned by the writer, he displayed strong dissatisfaction, but not toward the writer, rather at the shadow lurking behind the entire incident...
Felix smiled lightly and glanced at the wall clock—it was just seven o'clock.
He didn't respond but instead surveyed the living room decor with interest. The floor-to-ceiling wine cabinet took up a third of the wall, filled with variously sized and intricately designed decanters and miscellaneous ornaments.
Rita Skeeter raised a heavily penciled eyebrow.
"Are you hesitant, Felix? Don't worry; our readers love rebellious characters. They will protect you."
"Rebellious characters?" Felix repeated.
"Yes, like those who stand up to authority and defy the powerful... If you're under threat, don't hesitate to speak up. We will ensure you receive fair treatment."
The Quick-Quotes Quill continued to record, but Felix had lost interest. He stood up and approached the honor shelf opposite the wine cabinet.
The shelf was piled high with Rita Skeeter's personal accolades, including articles and newspapers she had published over the years, certificates for her best-selling books and their sales figures, and various other such items...
For example, he saw the book by Amando Dippet. He sighed, "If half the content in this book is true, it wouldn't be a bad choice for a toilet read..."
Rita Skeeter’s eyebrows knitted together, and her thick fingers tightly gripped her wand, her two-inch-long, bright red nails digging into her skin.
She quickly stood up and came to Felix’s side, her eyes fixed on him. "Felix, I know you. A colleague of mine advised me not to target you... absurd nonsense. He’s only been out of school for a few years and got into the news system through family connections", she said, hinting at something.
"Let me tell you, our readers have the right to know the truth, for instance—"
"Truth?" Felix interrupted her.
"Yes, the truth!" she emphasized, "Let’s talk about you, your experiences, your childhood, and such topics. I think this can help you have a clear understanding of yourself."
"I think there’s no need for that. I know who I am."
However, Rita Skeeter didn’t give up. The parchment and quill on the table flew to her in front of her. "Felix, you were born in a Muggle orphanage but were sorted into Slytherin. You must have faced a lot of bullying, right? Would you like to talk about it? I think many readers would find it very interesting."
"Rita, Rita, do you really understand me?"
"Of course!" Her gaze was firmly locked on him, as if she were looking at a precious treasure. "Felix, you’re well-known in the Wizarding world. There are many labels on you: a Slytherin from a Muggle orphanage, someone who faced numerous death threats during school, and under Dumbledore’s protection, you defeated one of the 28 Purebloods, the Zabini Family, and a group of Dark Wizards. After graduation, you became an expert in the Muggle world, and now you’re back teaching at Hogwarts..."
As she spoke, she had the quill quickly taking notes. Seeing Felix’s indifferent attitude, she tempted him, "Your story is legendary. If you agree, I’d be willing to write a biography for you. That means countless Galleons and immense fame!"
"However, the label of a Muggle expert seems too weak. Our readers prefer strong-willed Wizards, preferably with ties to famous people... let me think, how should we handle this?"
Felix was amused and pointed to the book in front of him, "Like this kind of biography?"
"Art requires a bit of imagination", she said slyly.
Felix grew impatient and decided to resolve the issue quickly. He returned to his seat.
This action made Rita Skeeter mistakenly believe he was agreeing, so she plopped down on the sofa and commanded, "Let’s start with your relationship with Dumbledore."
"Ms. Skeeter, I need you to stop spreading false reports. I’ve noticed you mentioned me in the Daily Prophet and were planning to fabricate—"
"I’m not fabricating, at most it’s a different perspective..."
Felix nodded. "Let me tell you what a different perspective is." He lightly tapped his fingers on the table.
"Tap, tap", the sound of his fingertips hitting the table was crisp.
"You were saying—" Rita Skeeter suddenly choked. She found that the world in her eyes had changed.
Colors were rapidly fading away: the intricate purple decanter, her deep red robes, the golden trophy in the cabinet, the dark brown crocodile-skin handbag, the light yellow parchment, the green quill...
All the colors were gradually disappearing.
(End of Chapter)
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