Chapter 939: The Loophole in Name Magic
Chapter 939: The Loophole in Name Magic
"You truly are the savior who defeated the Dark Lord." Rita Skeeter put her camera back into her handbag, "Thank you for your generosity."
"What does being generous have to do with defeating You-Know-Who?" Kyle shrugged, "Besides, that's just a joke. You mustn't write about this in the newspaper."
Rita Skeeter didn't finish listening to Kyle's words. In fact, when she heard that name, she shivered instinctively and unconsciously took two steps back until she bumped into the wall of the corridor and stopped.
"You really should learn to adapt." Kyle glanced at her, "As it turns out, You-Know-Who isn't as scary as he seems, and there aren't any Death Eaters charging ahead for him anymore. You can use his name without any worries now."
"Maybe you don't know this, but many students have already started calling him Voldemort, instead of that ridiculous... person whose name cannot be spoken."
Kyle seemed to think of something and suddenly laughed, "Maybe after a while, Voldemort will regret casting that Name Magic he once took pride in."
Although Kyle couldn't chase after Voldemort and Snape to Nurmengard, it didn't mean he would do nothing.
Taking advantage of Voldemort's escape, he could finally test his hypothesis from a few years ago... whether Voldemort could clearly hear every voice that called his name.
Kyle couldn't possibly complete this experiment alone; after all, he couldn't keep muttering Voldemort's name every moment, that would be too foolish.
But fortunately, he had a group of like-minded friends.
After hearing Kyle's plan, Fred and George eagerly joined the team.
Then, utilizing the Wesley brothers' influence among the students and their innate strong social skills, they quickly formed a team of more than fifty people in a short time.
These people would be divided into several groups to ensure that at every time slot throughout the day, there would be people constantly uttering the three words, "Voldemort."
As for what to say after this name, Fred was writing it.
Kyle had glanced at it before... it was pretty vulgar. The term 'constipated person' that was previously posted on the window was considered a civilized term in this context.
Calculating the time, Kyle thought that the first group should have started by now.
Rita Skeeter's eyes lit up across from him. Her intuition, honed by years of career, told her that what Kyle was thinking about was definitely big news that would shock the Wizarding World.
But soon, she realized that this might be related to the person whose name cannot be spoken.
Well, she didn't really want to know this news, and for a long time, the front page of the Daily Prophet would be reserved for this war.
Other news, no matter how explosive, could only be placed in the corners of the newspaper.
She was Rita Skeeter; her articles could only be published on the front page, and having to turn the page was an insult to her professional abilities.
That's right, that's how it was.
Rita Skeeter muttered to herself, trying to convince herself that she wasn't afraid of the person whose name cannot be spoken.
"I think you can give it a try." Kyle suddenly said, with a hint of encouragement, "Try cursing Voldemort loudly. Trust me, it's a novel experience, and you'll be hooked."
"Next time, next time..." Rita Skeeter mumbled, changing the subject, "What did you mean by the nickname in the newspaper you mentioned earlier?"
"The savior nickname." Kyle said, "You didn't call me that in the newspaper, did you?"
"Not in this issue." Rita Skeeter replied.
"What do you mean by this issue...?"
"Articles are all about gradual progression." When it came to her area of expertise, Rita Skeeter's expression became much more serious.
"The evil Dark Lord and the righteous people's grand battle at Hogwarts... Such a sensational event that could shock the entire Wizarding World definitely couldn't be reported in just one newspaper issue.
"As the most important first issue, it must first inform everyone of the events... so the content above is what I saw, without any embellishment, the complete truth."
Kyle couldn't believe it; he never thought that one day, he would hear the words 'without embellishment' from Rita Skeeter's mouth.
"Hey, what's that expression?" Rita Skeeter said discontentedly, "Although this isn't my area of expertise, it doesn't mean I can't do it. I didn't get into the Daily Prophet just by writing gossip."
"Alright." Kyle clicked his tongue, "I guess you're right."
"That's how it is." Rita Skeeter continued, "Contents like the nickname you mentioned earlier will appear in subsequent newspapers, specifically in the character analysis of the war."
"Rest assured, as my partner, you will definitely be the most important one."
Rita Skeeter said confidently, "I've already outlined the article, guaranteeing that you will successfully replace Harry Potter, the former savior, and become the hottest figure in the Wizarding World."
"Thankfully, no. That's what I wanted to say." Kyle rubbed his forehead, "You can report on me, but please don't give me any nicknames in the article, especially not that so-called savior."
"Why?" Rita Skeeter didn't understand.
"This is a rare opportunity to make your name known throughout the Wizarding World. If it were someone else who defeated the person whose name cannot be spoken, even if they just cast a spell from a distance, they would be eager to claim all the titles for themselves."
"Additionally, this reputation has a significant impact, especially after you replace the savior. It's almost like having one foot in the Minister of Magic's office."
"But I don't want to go to the Minister of Magic's office. There's nothing special about it." Kyle stopped in front of a huge fruit painting and skillfully scratched the large pear on it.
The pear emitted a squeaky laugh, which turned into a doorknob in front of Rita Skeeter's astonished eyes.
Kyle opened the door and walked into the Hogwarts kitchen behind it, where numerous house elves were busy. But when they saw Kyle, they all rushed over to him.
"It's an honor to see you again, Mr. Kyle," said a bearded house-elf respectfully.
"You seem more polite now," Kyle remarked, as a Hufflepuff who frequently visited the kitchen was familiar with the house-elves there.
The house-elf before him was the... head chef?
Kyle wasn't sure if the house-elves had a leader, but this one was the oldest and his words carried weight.
"You drove away that evil wizard and saved Hogwarts," the house-elf's voice trembled, "and... our jobs."
Kyle's gaze wandered, thinking that saving jobs didn't sound like something worthy of praise.
However, he also knew that the house-elves' world was straightforward, and their gratitude was genuine.
"You helped too, didn't you?" Kyle asked, "But I'm a bit hungry now, could you get me... two lunches?"
"Of course, sir, it's our honor," the house-elf squealed and ran off.
"Is this... the Hogwarts kitchen?" Rita Skeeter curiously examined the surroundings.
"As you can see," Kyle said, "Didn't you know? I thought you had already uncovered all these secrets by the time you were a student here."
"What's so secret about the Hogwarts kitchen? Even when I wasn't a reporter for the Daily Prophet, I didn't want to waste time on such things."
"No one cares what the Hogwarts kitchen looks like... they're more interested in knowing if the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is a killer, a smuggler, or a member of St. Mungo's Department of Magical Injuries and Recovery."
"Magical injuries..." Kyle looked at her in surprise, "Was your Defense Against the Dark Arts class this exciting back then?"
"Hasn't this class always been like this?" Rita Skeeter said matter-of-factly.
Kyle couldn't refute her at all.
"But don't you really want to miss out on this chance to be the savior?" Rita Skeeter tried to persuade him again.
The topic of the true and false savior was too captivating, and it would be a bit of a pity to give up on it.
Moreover, the content she planned to report on afterward was also largely centered around the new savior.
Kyle suddenly dropped the idea and didn't want to continue, which meant she had to rethink a new article... For someone accustomed to using shorthand quills, this was no easy task.
"I'm sure," Kyle said, "If you want to write, just use my name, and don't add those messy nicknames."
"Why?!" Rita Skeeter still couldn't understand how someone could calmly give up such a great honor.
"As I said earlier, I don't want to move to the Minister's Office, and I have no intention of overthrowing Amelia Bones."
"So this so-called savior's honor is of no use to me, and... that's it."
Out of habit, whenever Kyle mentioned the savior, he couldn't help but think of Harry.
This also made the nickname 'savior' seem a bit... silly? It felt like carrying this title might even suppress one's IQ, which could be a bit dangerous.
Rita Skeeter wanted to say something more.
Fortunately, at this moment, the house-elf who had just left returned at an even faster speed, placing plates of fried pork chops, pies, and roasted beef legs on the small stone table in front of Kyle.
The stone table couldn't hold all the dishes, so they were stacked on top of each other... Kyle realized that he had only asked for a lunch, but the food in front of him was enough for an entire house to hold a banquet.
"That's enough, more than enough," Kyle quickly stopped the house-elf who was still moving things.
"Is this enough?"
"This is not a little," Kyle muttered.
...
Because the house-elves were a bit too enthusiastic, Kyle and Rita Skeeter quickly finished their lunch and left the kitchen.
"What are you planning to do next?" Kyle asked Rita Skeeter in the corridor.
"What else can I do?" Rita Skeeter said irritably, "Naturally, I'll be editing tomorrow's article."
"Remember to highlight the others as well," Kyle said, "And make it as real as today's."
Rita Skeeter's eyes twitched at the corner, as such a high demand was a bit difficult for her.
Without some embellishment and personal touch, publishing an article like this once was enough; doing it frequently would affect her personal style.
"Never mind, just don't go overboard," Kyle said, seeing her conflicted expression, "It's not a big deal anyway."
"By the way, do you have any news from the Ministry of Magic?"
"No," Rita Skeeter shook her head.
Her gaze and attention had been on Hogwarts, so she wasn't aware of the situation at the Ministry of Magic.
"Yes, I know," Kyle nodded, recalling how Cornelius Fudge had visited Hogwarts late at night, and not just once.
But this situation was different.
"Even if it's as you say, it's not a problem..."
"Helping the Ministry regain its credibility and rightful power is also a good thing. I'm happy to lend a hand."
"Then I don't have much more to say," Rita Skeeter fixed her gaze on Kyle, momentarily perplexed.
She could tell that Kyle and Dumbledore had completely different personalities, and he wasn't the type to be unconcerned about his reputation.
Yet, he was willing to give up the chance to gain fame in the Wizarding World without hesitation and even used his own popularity to help the Ministry.
It was incomprehensible, truly incomprehensible.
Rita Skeeter sighed, choosing not to say more or probe further.
Although Kyle's current actions perfectly fit the characteristics of her chosen target—popular, well-liked, and behaving strangely—she had never considered investigating him.
It wasn't because of their fragile working relationship, but because she believed she had seen the real Kyle.
As the only person documenting the war, Rita Skeeter had been observing the battlefield, especially Kyle.
She had witnessed Kyle releasing hundreds of Man-Eating Kales and controlling the Cruciatus Curse to surround hundreds of Death Eaters, and then, borrowing Voldemort's power, he killed them.
Rita Skeeter had seen it all, but she didn't speak of it, nor did she write about it in the newspaper; she even helped conceal some of it.
Because at one point, she had already placed Kyle and Voldemort in the same category—the kind of people one absolutely should not provoke.
Picking on soft targets... This was Rita Skeeter's principle for staying alive.
After all, who among the good people could use the Cruciatus Curse so skillfully?
The Cruciatus Curse was known for its chaotic and uncontrollable nature, but Kyle manipulated it like clay, shaping it into various forms he desired.
She even suspected that Kyle's control over the Cruciatus Curse might surpass that of Voldemort.
Aside from the Cruciatus Curse, the Fiendfyre Dragons flying in the sky also seemed to be connected to Kyle.
Fortunately, they were temporary allies, and within her capabilities, Rita Skeeter didn't mind helping Kyle a little to deepen their friendship.
"Oh, right," Kyle said suddenly. "When the next issue of the newspaper comes out, can you place an ad for me? It doesn't need to be a prominent spot; just a corner will do."
"An ad?" Rita Skeeter hesitated for only a second before agreeing, "No problem, but you'll need to give me a photo of the advertisement item beforehand."
"This... might not be ready yet." Kyle thought of Fred, who was still deep in thought, writing sentences. The parchment in front of him was quite large, and he estimated that it would only be finished by the evening."
"Wait a bit longer. Later, I'll send you the flyer, and you can publish it according to the content."
"Okay, no problem," said Rita Skeeter, not realizing anything amiss.
It was just an ad; what could be so important about it? It couldn't possibly be to provoke the Dark Lord.
The two returned to the Great Hall on the first floor.
Kyle carefully scanned the Great Hall but couldn't find any trace of Kanna.
She was probably still in Professor McGonagall's office and hadn't come out yet.
Fred and George, on the other hand, sat there with serious expressions, flipping through books and searching for information, looking like diligent students from a distance.
"Tsk."
Kyle clicked his tongue, turned, and left the Great Hall, heading towards the Ministry of Magic.
Just as Rita Skeeter had said, Amelia Bones indeed wanted him to help salvage the Ministry's reputation, which had plummeted.
There was no other way; nearly half of the staff had been controlled and replaced by Death Eaters, and the Minister of Magic was completely unaware of it... Someone had leaked this information, causing a large number of wizards to be enraged, even surpassing the joy of defeating Voldemort.
Upon returning to the Ministry, Amelia Bones wasn't greeted with flowers and applause but with Howlers from all directions.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that this oversight was enough to force Amelia to step down more than a dozen times. It was only because she had promptly taken corrective actions and helped win the war that she wasn't dismissed on the spot.
The only thing she could do now was to place her hopes on Kyle, hoping he could restore her rapidly declining approval ratings... No, it was about restoring the Ministry's credibility in the eyes of the people.
Kyle readily accepted the interview arranged by Bones at the Ministry, declining only a few matters of principle.
The interviewer was also from the Daily Prophet, but it wasn't Rita Skeeter; it was someone who had never met a wizard before.
Not only had they never met, but they also lacked fame, so the content of this conversation likely wouldn't appear on the front page.
...
A few hours later, Kyle left the room.
Amelia Bones was already waiting outside.
To be honest, since Amelia became Minister, Kyle had never seen her be so warm and friendly towards him; it was as if they were old friends catching up.
"As we discussed earlier, Minister Bones," Kyle naturally knew what she wanted to ask and glanced at the Daily Prophet reporter behind him before saying, "I believe this replacement of staff by Death Eaters was a carefully planned move by Voldemort. They used an advanced Imperius Curse to control the Minister, and then gradually influenced lower-ranking officials."
"At the time, we were busy dealing with the main Death Eater forces and Voldemort, so it's understandable that we might have overlooked other aspects."
"Ah, yes, that's right," Bones immediately agreed, nodding. "We really shouldn't have focused all our attention on Voldemort and neglected other matters.
"Fortunately, we managed to stop Voldemort's plan to attack Hogwarts in time. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to face everyone."
As she spoke, the sound of quills scratching on parchment could be heard from behind her.
...
(End of Chapter)
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