章 323: 0322 Rita Skeeter
'Rita Skeeter?'
Even before the rhythmic rapping on the thick wooden door reverberated through the room, Bryan was acutely aware of the identity of this unannounced visitor.
To be honest, Bryan rather appreciated certain qualities exhibited by this female reporter. Putting aside what happened on the day of the press conference, the fact that Rita Skeeter could unearth the obscure details surrounding the dark wizard attack incident that occurred during his student years at Hogwarts within a mere matter of days, meticulously tracking down those who had borne witness to that incident, all in an unwavering pursuit of unearthing sensational topics about himself – this unwavering dedication was, if nothing else, commendable.
Especially since she had perceptively seized upon the 'Fiendfyre' as her lead, associating him with the dark wizard who had audaciously attacked the Black Manor in Grimmauld Square the previous year, an event that had sent shockwaves reverberating through both the Muggle government and the wizarding world alike. Such sharp and penetrating thinking, Bryan had to acknowledge, was an increasingly rare commodity.
Knock, knock, knock!
Another urgent burst of insistent knocking came from the other side of the door. Rita Skeeter seemed very certain that someone was present in the room, taking on an attitude of not leaving until the door was opened.
Bryan raised a perplexed eyebrow, pausing for a contemplative moment, before rising slowly from his seated position and making his way towards the door, ultimately acquiescing to her persistent demands and allowing it to swing open.
Rita Skeeter's appearance was not much different from the last time at the press conference, except for a brightly colored shirt. At the moment, her left hand was carrying the distinctive crocodile skin handbag, and her fist was clenched in mid-air, making a swinging motion.
Bryan could probably guess that Rita Skeeter had already learned about him using the Daily Prophet's board of directors to suppress that article, because this woman's expression, which she had not yet had time to conceal, bore obvious anger. But then, realizing that the door was open, she switched to a delighted expression.
"Ah, Mr. Watson, locating your place of residence has proven quite the formidable challenge, even for an experienced journalist such as myself. Oh, but as a renowned celebrity, I'm quite certain you don't recall our previous encounter," she grimaced, her tone laced with equal parts mockery and sickly insincerity.
"In fact, you left a rather deep impression on me, Ms. Skeeter,"
Rita's height barely reached Bryan's chin. He looked down at this uninvited visitor, not giving a pleasant expression despite some appreciation, but rather frowning slightly, trying to exhibit the reaction of someone unwilling to be disturbed when faced with harassment.
Rita Skeeter behaved as if she were an old friend who had known Bryan for years. Without any restraint, she peeked her head past Bryan, shamelessly exploring the room. When she noticed the thick stack of letters waiting to be replied to at the foot of the desk, her eyes lit up, showing great interest.
"You're replying to your fans, right? Oh, it's silly to chat outside the door. Why can't we go in and talk?"
After saying this, without waiting for Bryan's response, she squeezed past him and quickly walked towards the desk filled with letters, apparently intending to take a peek at the contents of the letters before Bryan could react.
But alas, her brazen attempt was destined to fail. Before she had even traversed half the distance to the desk, the unfolded letter resting atop the glass coffee table suddenly animated, folding itself into a precise square before slipping neatly into the awaiting confines of the open envelope at its side. Simultaneously, the drawer of the desk yawned open with a snap, and the remaining letters vanished from sight, whisked into the drawer's depths and neatly arranged, the drawer slamming shut with a resounding bang, completely cutting off Rita Skeeter's prying eyes
"I don't remember inviting you into my room, Ms. Skeeter."
Bryan put down his wand and spoke unkindly.
"Based on your behavior just now, I could very well restrain you and send you to the Ministry for detainment for a period of time, according to both Muggle and wizarding laws--"
"Oh, don't be so dreadfully formal, Bryan!"
Rita Skeeter grinned exaggeratedly. She surveyed the room, quickly locking onto the outdoor balcony behind the curtains, with its glass coffee table and two wicker chairs. She opened the floor-to-ceiling glass door, tossing her leather handbag onto the table before running her fingers through her golden curls.
"Why are you lingering in the door, Bryan? We're about to conduct a highly anticipated interview!" She bared her lips, her three gold teeth gleaming in the sunlight.
"You're quite interesting, Ms. Skeeter--"
Bryan half-closed his eyes and chuckled softly. He didn't attempt to drive her away further but, instead he closed the door behind him and walked towards the balcony.
By the time Bryan had settled into one of the wicker chairs, Rita Skeeter had already produced her quick-quotes quill and a fresh piece of parchment from her handbag, clearly intent on documenting their impending conversation.
"Bryan, I'll be using the quick-quotes quill for notes, you don't mind, do you? This way, I can free up my hands to have a proper conversation with you."
Bryan gestured that he didn't mind, maintaining a pleasant smile on his face, but there was no trace of amusement in his eyes.
"I won't mind where you found out about my residence, Ms. Skeeter. As a well-known journalist with professional integrity, I assume you have your ways. But I'm curious, why did you waste your time on me? I mean, I'm already 'outdated,' right? The current trend is Sirius Black, and your colleagues are trying hard to find out the inside story of his arrest from the Ministry of Magic--"
Rita Skeeter raised a heavily drawn eyebrow.
"Don't underestimate yourself, Bryan. People are still very interested in you, and Sirius, he's the one who's truly outdated."
Bryan pursed his lips and didn't speak, because he noticed that the green quill was writing frantically on the parchment spread out on the glass coffee table:
In this conversation that was achieved after going through various difficulties, Bryan Watson tried to steer the topic towards the current hot topic of Sirius Black's arrest. The young and handsome face showed a nonchalant expression, but the strange purple eyes flashed with a light that told the writer that he was afraid of something. Perhaps he was afraid the writer would bring up the article that should have met the public long ago, revealing some horrifying truths, but ultimately disappeared quietly in the face of power.
"Huh, how interesting--" After meeting Rita Skeeter, Bryan uttered this remark for the second time.
"You went through all this trouble just to defend yourself, Ms. Skeeter? over the article that exposed the 'truth'?"
Bryan laced his fingers together, his smile growing cold.
"I did it not to solve my own troubles, Ms. Skeeter, but to prevent you from making a mistake. Not to mention that there is no evidence in your article that connects me to the dark wizard who committed a crime outside Grimmauld Place in the outskirts of London. As for what happened that night when I was at Hogwarts, your article didn't have a single word that was close to the truth, Ms. Skeeter. If that article were to be published, I would have taken action to protect my reputation."
Rita Skeeter was an experienced and tough-talking journalist. Throughout her career, she had interviewed officials from various magical ministries and prominent figures in the wizarding world. She could always seize control of the conversation, gradually causing even the most influential 'big shots' to falter under her sharp questioning, ultimately breaching their defenses.
However, Bryan seemed to be completely indifferent to her "impressive reputation." This young wizard carried a heavy aura that suppressed her, making it impossible for her to "freely express herself."
"Henry and Grace--you surely remember their names, Bryan. Two innocent young wizards were seriously injured by you. That's the truth, isn't it?"
Rita stared at Bryan's eyes without blinking, her face with a large chin showing a stiff smile.
"The truth?"
Bryan was amused.
"Ms. Skeeter, someone like you should understand that the truth is always a relative term. And whether it's you or the people in the wizarding world, what they pursue is never the 'truth'."
Rita finally realized one thing, that the young man sitting across from her, who would probably be in a lesser-known department doing menial tasks if he were in the Ministry of Magic, or running errands everywhere, Bryan Watson, was not the kind of brainless "fool" she usually encountered.
He was very intelligent and alert, and most importantly, Bryan had an astonishing network of connections in the Wizarding world.
You see, even if the Minister of Magic wanted to remove her article from the Daily Prophet, it would not be a simple task. But according to the information she had gathered, Bryan Watson had somehow managed to order the newspaper to withdraw her article, even though the next issue was already being printed in large quantities.
"I don't understand what you mean, Bryan," Rita raised her heavily drawn eyebrows, wiping away the smile that had disappeared from her face due to the thick layer of powder, and her eyes became cold.
"Our readers have the right to know the truth, Bryan, and my job is to uncover the truth."
In the ensuing silence, Rita's quill began fabricating again:
When the author asked about the shocking assault on classmates that happened at Hogwarts during that year (the specific details will be attached to the report), Bryan Watson, who gained fame by annihilating Greyback, denied it vehemently and reacted with strong outrage. This makes us suspect the true nature of this hero, who is shrouded in a halo of heroism.
Bryan shook his head disappointedly.
He had invited this journalist in to have a good conversation with her and establish a certain level of friendship, but he had not expected Rita Skeeter to be so stubborn in wanting to spread rumors about him.
"I think it was a mistake to start this conversation, Ms. Rita Skeeter," he said calmly.
Bang!
Under the radiant rays of the sun filtering through the windows, the glass coffee table, reflecting the luminous beams, suddenly erupted in a blaze of flames. Rita Skeeter leapt to her feet, frantically attempting to rescue her prized crocodile skin hand-bag and her trusty quill, which had been resting upon the table's surface, from the flame. However, the flames were so intense that, in the blink of an eye, all her possessions had been reduced to mere ashes.
Mere moments later, the flames dissipated as abruptly as they had appeared, leaving the glass coffee table and the potted plant adorning its surface wholly intact. As a gentle breeze wafted through the room, the remaining ashes swirled and danced, ultimately escaping through the balcony railing and disappearing from sight entirely.
"How dare you do this, Watson!"
Rita Skeeter, who had interviewed countless famous wizards in her career, had never encountered such brazen audacity. She glared at Bryan with a malicious look.
"Watson, you will pay for your actions, I swear, you will be ruined!"
"Leave, Skeeter, I have other things to attend to, so I won't personally see you out--"
With a casual wave of his hand, the door to the room swung open automatically, and Bryan calmly uttered his dismissal.
If Rita Skeeter understood the operating rules behind the peaceful and harmonious facade of the wizarding world, both on the surface and underground, she would not have done anything foolish out of impulse. If she was not clear-headed enough, she would not only ruin her career, but also face a fate as bad as or worse than that guy who was also a best-selling author.
Rita Skeeter left angrily, slamming the door shut as she left.
Bryan just shook his head lightly and proceeded to his desk, where he resumed composing the reply he had been forced to interrupt.
*******************************
For More Chapters; patreon.com/FicFrenzy
章 324: 0323 Revenge?
Rita Skeeter was furious, slamming the door shut as she left.
Bryan just shook his head lightly and proceeded to his desk, where he resumed composing the reply he had been forced to interrupt.
Rita Skeeter, standing in front of the door, had a pale face and was panting.
"Damn Watson. No one has ever dared to do this—intercept my reports, destroy my things!"
Rita's eyes, filled with malice, fixed on the door as she plotted her next move.
"There must be something shady going on, right? Oh, of course, that's a given. These influential figures are all cut from the same cloth. It's never easy to uncover the truth, and Watson is so mysterious, no one knows what he has been doing in the two or three years since he left Hogwarts. There's something fishy here."
Before visiting today, Rita Skeeter had investigated Bryan Watson, who suddenly appeared in the public eye, but the results of the investigation were not very satisfactory.
All the information she could find was about Bryan Watson before he graduated from Hogwarts. After graduation, until last year when he was hired by the Hogwarts Board of Governors to search for the Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets, Bryan Watson seemed to have completely disappeared from the wizarding world, and there was no information available.
Bryan neither chose to work in the Ministry of Magic nor held any positions in the famous companies in the wizarding world, and he had cut off all contact with his former classmates.
There remained only one plausible possibility: Bryan Watson had returned to the Muggle world and ceased all interaction with the wizarding community.
But was that possible? For a wizard of great power to leave the wizarding world and mingle with Muggles was as inconceivable as a centaur leaving the forest to make a living in Diagon Alley.
And how did he establish connections with those influential figures?
There was only one possibility, he had hidden his identity and had been secretly working for those decadent pure-blood families, and corrupt politicians who were just figureheads.
A gleam of satisfaction flashed in Rita's eyes as she believed she had discovered the truth of the matter.
But she lacked crucial evidence now.
Rita was not one of those clueless rookie journalists. She knew what kind of report could attract the public's attention. It wouldn't be enough to rely on rumors; there had to be some truth in the lies to make it difficult for people to distinguish between truth and falsehood!
Rita's eyes sparkled with a mischievous light as she remembered the pile of letters on the desk in the room.
"You will soon pay the price."
After making up her mind, Rita's expression became cheerful. She disdainfully glanced at the door, then turned and walked away with an arrogant stride.
If a few harsh words were enough to make Bryan tremble in fear and live in constant anxiety, he likely wouldn't have slept a wink over the years. Rita's visit was just a minor incident he soon put out of mind.
Perhaps because the letters had been cleared out, the desk in the room looked much neater. Glancing at the clock on the wall, where the hour and minute hands were frozen, Bryan stretched and yawned, closing the magic book in front of him.
Late February, in the middle of the night, the gentle breeze wafting between the tall buildings was already mixed with the rich scent of spring.
Standing on the balcony, looking out, the quiet city was still brightly lit, and even the clear moonlight from the bright moon melted into the murky glow.
Perhaps it was because he had been preoccupied with many things recently, his head would intermittently feel swollen, and when the discomfort disappeared, deep fatigue would follow.
A wizard with extraordinary magical power should have an abundance of energy that ordinary people could not reach. This phenomenon was unusual, indicating that there was some problem with his body, and the problem had already begun to show its severity.
"I'm getting old."
Bryan chuckled self-deprecatingly, then turned and walked into the room, closing the glass door and lying down on the bed, closing his eyes to rest. However, from the slight twitching of his eyebrows, it could be seen that he was probably enduring something.
The last light in the hotel building finally went out, and on top of a pine tree in the courtyard below, a chubby beetle, not commonly seen at this time of year, took off with a flutter of its wings, flying swiftly towards the room that had just gone dark.
The beetle perched on the top of the glass railing, and when it saw that the room's occupant had already laid down through the gap in the curtains, the buzzing sound of its trembling wings revealed its joyful mood.
It behaved patiently, not attempting to break into the room immediately, but instead pretended to crawl up and down the glass panel like a normal beetle, feigning interest in the mosquito carcasses stuck to the glass railing.
There was still no sign of any disturbance in the room. After twenty minutes, the beetle could no longer contain itself and landed on the balcony floor. Taking aim at the gap between the sliding door and the floor, it charged forward, trying to squeeze into the room through the crack!
Boom!
In an instant, a burst of firework-like flames dazzled, and the thunderous explosion caused the nearby rooms to tremble with a rattling sound. The rooms, previously dark, lit up one after another, and people panicked and ran around, screams filling the air. People on the Third or Fourth floors were shouting that there had been a gas explosion!
Looking at the completely shattered glass door and the reinforced glass railing, as well as Rita Skeeter, with half her body hanging hundreds of feet in the air, her golden hair and cheeks charred black, her mouth spewing black smoke as she fainted, Bryan raised an eyebrow and revealed a strange smile.
...
*Scenebreak*
...
In the aftermath of the earth-shattering announcement by the British Ministry of Magic that the notorious Sirius Black had been successfully detained and taken into custody, a veritable tidal wave of reporters descended upon the Ministry's entrance hall, swarming in from across the European continent and even the far reaches of the Americas.
These bold journalists were utterly determined to uncover every miniscule detail surrounding Black's capture, as well as the unfathomable means by which he had managed to plot his escape from the Azkaban prison in the first place. With an insatiable hunger for information, they relentlessly attempted to approach and interrogate every single employee of the British Ministry who dared to pass through the crowded lobby.
However, the specifics of this highly sensitive matter remained shrouded in an impenetrable veil of secrecy within the uppermost echelons of the Ministry, and apart from the select few Aurors who had been entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the captured Sirius Black, as well as the privileged department heads involved in the operation, the vast majority of Ministry workers remained utterly oblivious to the greater facts of the unfolding saga.
Even the sociable Mr. Weasley, a man who could typically rely upon a network of well-placed friends spanning various ministerial departments to keep him up-to-date of the latest developments, found himself at an utter loss to understand the seemingly inexplicable surge in efficiency that had gripped the typically overstaffed and lethargic British Ministry in recent days.
Then, in a moment that would permanently etch itself into the collective consciousness of the wizarding world, Barty Crouch Sr., an esteemed member of the Wizengamot and the head of the International Magical Cooperation Department, dropped a bombshell with a grim expression that left everyone stunned. The Ministry, already wobbling on the brink of overcrowding, exploded into utter pandemonium as reporters from the most renowned newspapers across Europe and the Americas promptly abandoned their current assignments and embarked upon a frenzied exodus towards London, desperate to be among the first to break this momentous story.
Unable to force their way into the Ministry's overstuffed confines, these legions of journalists instead converged upon the surrounding streets, effectively blockading the entrance to the British Ministry of Magic in their relentless pursuit of answers. The commotion they generated was so huge, that even the journalists from several prominent Muggle newspapers, bewildered by the inexplicable gathering of oddly-attired foreigners upon an otherwise unremarkable street, hurried to the scene in the hopes of unraveling the mystery.
Norrus used a stern gaze to drive away the reporters seeking information about the foolish Sirius Black, as well as the former "hero" Peter Pettigrew, who had been awarded the First Class Order of Merlin by the International Confederation of Wizards, only to have that unceremoniously stripped from him a mere three hours after Crouch's shocking announcement of his seeming resurrection from the grave.
"Ah, Norrus, thank you--"
With a flash of emerald fire in the fireplace, a sweating Mr. Weasley stumbled out, nearly falling to the ground, but Norrus supported him with his tall frame.
"Hello, Arthur," Norrus acknowledged with a curt nod, his expression etched in unyielding coldness.
"It seems the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office has been exceptionally busy these past few days?"
"Perhaps," Mr. Weasley replied weakly, too utterly drained to even consider complaining about the upheaval wrought by the flood of foreign journalists. He mustered a feeble smile and asked, "These newcomers aren't quite accustomed to our rules. By the way, are you heading out for work?"
"No—" Norrus said in an emotionless tone, "I'm off duty."
With that, he lowered his head and stepped into the roaring flames of the fireplace, disappearing from sight in an emerald blaze.
'Off duty?!' Mr. Weasley mused enviously, casting a mournful glance at his watch, which proclaimed the hour to be 10:30 AM.
'Why, oh why, had I never tried applying for the Department of Mysteries all those years ago?'
<-Diagon Alley->
Norrus Deman emerged from the public fireplace, neatly brushing the soot from his garments before casting a wary, scrutinizing gaze about his surroundings to ensure he had not been followed. Satisfied with the absence of any potential pursuers, he set off at a brisk pace towards a secluded alleyway situated not far to the west of the magnificent white Gringotts building, whose towering presence could be discerned from virtually any vantage point within Diagon Alley.
However, Norrus's destination was not the wizarding bank, but rather an obscure yet infamous alley that lay in its foreboding shadow – the dreaded Knockturn Alley.
As he slipped through the narrow passage, the very sky above seemed to darken ominously, the air growing thick with a faint yet oppressive sense of malice. Yet, rather than recoiling from this sinister atmosphere, Norrus instead visibly relaxed, his demeanor akin to a fish finally returning to the familiar embrace of the sea after enduring hours under the merciless glare of the sun.
After confirming that no one was spying on him, Norrus flipped his wrist, and a black traveling cloak draped over his forearm.
Putting on the cloak and donning his mask, Norrus let out a heavy sigh and relaxed. The cold and emotionless face hidden behind the mask became somewhat cheerful. For Norrus, raised from a young age to embrace the ancient traditions of the Unspeakables, the modern wizarding lifestyle held no comforts whatsoever. It was the filthy, dangerous underground world that brought him true joy and contentment.
If it weren't for his mentor's insistence that he take over the position of the Unspeakable, and the fact that working in the Department of Mysteries did offer some conveniences, he would never have associated with those wizards who had forsaken their honor.
The underground world, which had hardly changed for hundreds of years, obviously wouldn't undergo any unexpected changes in the few weeks he had been away. Everything remained the same, chaotic yet orderly.
*******************************
For More Chapters; patreon.com/FicFrenzy
週次パワーステータス
200+ 推薦
ランキング 
28 推薦
チケット あなたも好きかも
段落コメント