Until this moment, Rita finally grasped Vivi's spirit.
As a tabloid journalist, being observant is her fundamental skill.
No one knows what Rita and Vivi really talked about inside the room, but seeing Rita walk out with that relieved expression, everyone had a rough idea.
"How did it go?" Harry entered the room asking Vivi, "Did she agree?"
"I gave her a reason she couldn't refuse." Vivi said with a smile, "Don't worry, I didn't force her, and you all should know, the 'Prophet Daily' won't bow to anyone."
"But their stance is quite flexible." Little Sirius said from behind.
"Yes, but the 'Prophet Daily' won't bow to anyone." Vivi repeated.
Upon returning to the editorial department, Rita let out a breath of relief.
She was scared now, extremely scared.
And even a bit regretful.
"I'm really foolish, truly." She paced back and forth in her office, muttering to herself, "I only knew that woman has the surname Grindelwald, making her prime news material, yet forgot she's a natural-born malevolent killer Dark Wizard..."
But regret was useless, having been seized by Vivi's leverage, she of course had to follow the orders.
There was no choice but to comply, not only because she had been caught, but as she was pondering how Vivi was a 'born evil Dark Wizard', her back suddenly experienced a burning stab of pain.
"Ow ow ow——"
Her screams echoed throughout the editorial department.
"Are you alright, Lady Skitt?" Someone outside knocked and asked with concern.
"I'm fine! I'm fine!" Rita shouted loudly, "I just kicked the leg of the table! I'm fine!"
The person outside was skeptical, but since Rita said she was okay, he didn't press further.
Rita knew exactly what happened, there was a curse on her back...
If she dared to resist that woman, she'd suffer the same soul-burning pain.
She had no doubt that if she dared to do anything against Lady Grindelwald, she'd be consumed by the curse's flames, leaving not even her soul behind.
She busied herself in the editorial department all night, after several edits, she finally settled on the news article.
The next morning, number twelve Grimmauld Square received a copy of the 'Prophet Daily'.
This time, Rita did not fabricate any gossip columns, instead she seriously recounted Regulus Black's heroics to the readers.
Under her portrayal, Regulus Black became a hero bearing hardships, joining Voldemort only to strike him a mortal blow at a crucial moment.
The article was accompanied by a photo of Regulus Black, a skinny young man, looking frail, which further stirred some witches' sympathy.
As a journalist, Rita very much understands the reader's mindset.
"Seems this Rita isn't completely irredeemable." Little Sirius said with the newspaper in hand, smiling happily, "I think she can speak some sense after all."
"She must have been scared, otherwise with her character, she wouldn't likely compromise."
Though Dumbledore said this, his expression was calm, yet Little Sirius still saw Dumbledore's schadenfreude.
It's not surprising Dumbledore would be like this, after all, that Rita had fabricated quite a bit about him before.
But as a dignified White Wizard and the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore naturally couldn't go to Rita Skeeter and give her an offer she couldn't refuse.
Rita also grasped this point, so when writing gossip about Dumbledore, her pen on the paper nearly sparked flames.
The effect was immediate, and the new issue of 'Prophet Daily' caused a huge stir in the Magic World.
Heroes like Regulus, who are tragic yet deserving of empathy, hold an even greater emotional pull.
Many witches, upon seeing Regulus's photo, found their hearts instantly stirred with sympathy.
"Regulus Black is a hero!"
Such letters, like snowflakes, were being sent to the Ministry of Magic.
The Ministry was overwhelmed, with no way to rid themselves of the situation.
Even Fudge, while giving a speech somewhere, was asked about when Regulus Black will be vindicated as a hero.
"We promise, we'll definitely clear his name once the truth of the matter is confirmed!"
As a seasoned politician, Fudge certainly wouldn't give a direct answer, only an ambiguous reply, ensuring Regulus's vindication once the facts are clear—though if they're not clear... or when they can be clarified, the initiative rested in his hands.
Politicians generally lack a sense of security and prefer to hold initiative, as this allows them an undefeated position.
But here's the rub: win, win, win, and the final result is a total loss.
The 'Prophet Daily' certainly wouldn't stop at publishing just this one article, in fact, Rita had already prepared a series of actions to vindicate Regulus Black—or perhaps she intended to take this opportunity to curry favor with Miss Grindelwald.
She's a journalist with a keen nose; Grindelwald... oh, the news of Gellert Grindelwald's escape has spread across Europe, and this Miss Grindelwald comes from Austria, which clearly marked her as the descendant of Old Grindelwald.