After the second task ended, Hogwarts was abuzz with a topic completely unrelated to the match itself.
"Elaina, you were amazing in the match!"
"Right? Right? So, are you dating Fleur now?!"
"Cheating? Two-timing?"
"I'm so jealous, you little tease!"
The hand poking at my cheek belonged to Tracy Davis, and she was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet. Splashed across the front page was a huge photograph of Fleur kissing my cheek. Depending on how you looked at it, it almost appeared as if we were sharing a passionate kiss.
"Could you at least read the article about the match properly…?"
"Eh, I watched the match live, so I don't really care anymore."
"Same here. Honestly, Elaina's love life is way more interesting."
I shot them an unamused look, but Pansy and Millicent just grinned and kept teasing me. They had no intention of stopping. In fact, they seemed determined to milk this for all it was worth. Honestly, this is exactly why Slytherin is like this.
"I think a harem isn't so bad, you know?"
"Haha, enemy of all women!"
"But there are guys too."
"Then an enemy of all humanity?"
"Sounds strong, lol."
Since none of them seemed particularly malicious or serious about it, the mature response was to not engage seriously either and brush it off with vague remarks like "I won't hesitate to sue."
To be fair, the article itself didn't contain any outright lies. At worst, it merely implied that Fleur, overwhelmed with emotion after I helped save her sister, had kissed me out of gratitude.
If anything, I was treated quite favorably, second only to Harry. The article even played me up with lines like, "Hogwarts' number one beauty rushes to save her best friend Harry Potter in his moment of peril!" It seemed that even gossip reporters chose their enemies carefully.
That said, if you flipped the perspective, it also meant there were people being treated terribly.
"By the way, what's our next class again?"
"Care of Magical Creatures."
When I answered Pansy's question, Daphne's eyes immediately lit up.
"Yes! Today's finally the day we get to feed the unicorns, right?! I'm so excited!"
"Never thought I'd see the day someone actually looked forward to Care of Magical Creatures."
"Professor Grubbly-Plank is just unbeatable."
"At the very least, the gamekeeper was a no-go."
The person most affected by Rita Skeeter's reporting was Rubeus Hagrid, who taught Care of Magical Creatures. Thanks to the defamatory articles in the Daily Prophet, his mental health had deteriorated to the point that he shut himself away in his hut.
However, the substitute teacher hired in his place, a middle-aged witch named Professor Grubbly-Plank, turned out to be highly competent. As a result, most Slytherins wrote Hagrid off as a "necessary sacrifice."
"I wish Professor Grubbly-Plank would just keep teaching us until we graduate."
"What about Hagrid?"
"Wouldn't it be fine if he just went back to being the gamekeeper? I mean, he probably only got that teaching job through Dumbledore's connections anyway."
"It looks like that might actually happen."
Draco, who interjected into Pansy and Daphne's conversation, was holding that morning's Daily Prophet.
"Dumbledore's 'Enormous' Mistake to Be Corrected."
The title seemed surprisingly reasonable, so I skimmed the article. The contents were fairly interesting.
The Hogwarts Board of Governors has launched an investigation into the true state of Care of Magical Creatures classes following an exposé by our special correspondent, Rita Skeeter.
Professor Rubeus Hagrid, who teaches the subject, was expelled from Hogwarts in his third year and has since enjoyed employment as the school's gamekeeper through Dumbledore's patronage. Unsatisfied with that role, he ultimately secured the post of Care of Magical Creatures professor, passing over numerous qualified candidates.
"I was seriously injured by a hippogriff last year. It's disappointing to see that none of that experience seems to have been reflected upon," said fourth-year student Draco Malfoy, whose deep disappointment is entirely understandable.
Last month, Hagrid admitted in an interview that he was raising an extremely dangerous magical creature he named the "Blast-Ended Skrewt." As is widely known, the creation of new magical species is an act strictly monitored by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
Furthermore, this so-called Blast-Ended Skrewt is a hybrid of a manticore, classified as XXXXX-level danger, and a fire crab, classified as XXX-level danger. When questioned about whether sufficient consideration was being given to student safety, Professor Hagrid hastily changed the subject, stating, "I'm just havin' a bit o' fun."
Some readers may be thinking at this point that they would like to see the professor's parents.
According to information obtained by this paper, Hagrid's mother was none other than the giantess Fridwulfa. Though Professor Hagrid has presented himself as a pure-blood wizard, he was not even purely human to begin with.
It remains fresh in memory that the bloodthirsty and violent giants, at the height of their power, slaughtered one another, and that the survivors later allied themselves with You-Know-Who in acts of mass Muggle slaughter. Professor Hagrid's disregard for the law and tendency to delight in danger may stem from the inherited traits of his violent ancestry.
It was a difficult article to judge. It didn't lie, but it also didn't tell the whole truth. Rita's malice was palpable, yet Hagrid was hardly a man without skeletons in his closet.
In response to the numerous improprieties revealed by this paper, as well as mounting concerns from parents, the Hogwarts Board of Governors has finally taken action.
Chairwoman Diana Parkinson summoned Headmaster Albus Dumbledore before the board, subjecting him to intense questioning over a span of more than ten hours. Ultimately, Headmaster Dumbledore acknowledged lapses in oversight, stating that "Professor Hagrid's dual role as both professor and gamekeeper resulted in excessive workload, leading to insufficient safety management."
"Going forward, we will assign additional staff while taking student safety as our highest priority, and we will also actively work to ensure strict compliance with all relevant laws."
Headmaster Dumbledore further announced that Professor Grubbly-Plank, currently employed as a temporary instructor, would be promoted to a permanent position and assigned to assist Hagrid upon his return next week.
While concerns remain about resolving all misconduct by attributing it solely to overwork and settling for a minimal suspension, the introduction of external oversight into what had long been a 'sanctuary' seems to have reassured parents for the time being.
Additionally, Amos Diggory of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures conducted an on-site inspection at Hogwarts and compiled a report on the dangers of the Blast-Ended Skrewt.
The report rated the Blast-Ended Skrewt as "Danger Level XXXX" and concluded that it was "beyond the capacity of students to handle." As a result, all Blast-Ended Skrewts currently kept at Hogwarts are to be placed under Ministry control.
However, allegations that Hagrid deliberately created a dangerous magical creature were deemed unproven. Officer Diggory reluctantly accepted Headmaster Dumbledore's assertion that "this was the accidental birth of a new species through unintentional crossbreeding, with no malicious intent to harm students."
That said, a corrective recommendation was issued to ensure that magical creatures would henceforth be managed strictly so that no such "accidents" could ever occur again.
Meanwhile, when the board requested confirmation regarding the possibility that Hagrid is a half-giant, Headmaster Dumbledore flatly refused, stating that "such disclosure cannot be permitted from the standpoint of personal data protection."
In short, the conclusion amounted to turning a blind eye to Hagrid's problematic conduct in exchange for formally hiring Professor Grubbly-Plank and improving the quality of instruction.
"Well, maybe not the best outcome, but probably the better one," I thought.
Unfortunately, the sense of relief was short-lived. The moment the Hagrid story fizzled out without a satisfying explosion, Rita immediately lobbed her next bomb.
As March arrived and the snow began to melt, an incident erupted that burned far hotter than the weather.
"It's here, it's here!"
As soon as Harry and the other two approached, Pansy giggled and pulled out a copy of Weekly Witch.
"There's an article you'll be interested in, Granger!"
"What, did the Ministry finally start taking house-elf rights seriously?"
"Oh, this is way more fun than that."
"Harry Potter's Quiet Heartache."
The gist of the article was that Hermione had allegedly slipped a Love Potion and was weighing Harry and Viktor Krum against each other.
"That woman…!"
Ron growled through clenched teeth as Hermione stared silently at the article.
"They're treating you like some kind of scarlet woman!"
After a brief silence, the Slytherins who had been watching Harry's group burst into laughter, and even Hermione herself was shaking as she tried to hold it in.
"A scarlet woman?"
"…That's what Mum calls women like that," Ron muttered, his ears burning red.
Millicent smirked and nudged Tracy Davis beside her.
"See? Tracy, isn't it great to have another one join the club?"
"Oh, nice. Hermione, want to start a band while we're at it?"
"What would we call it?"
"Scarlet Women."
"Sorry, we're breaking up over creative differences."
Hermione replied coolly, and Tracy beamed back at her with a tone like they'd been friends for years.
Lately, Hermione had been developing a thicker skin against provocation and was able to communicate normally even with Slytherins. The Slytherins, in turn, seemed to give her a certain amount of respect as "Krum's partner."
Of course, that only applied within Hogwarts. There was no reason for outsiders to know any of that.
A few days later, an unusually large number of owls descended on the Gryffindor table, bombarding Hermione with stacks of envelopes. When she opened them in shock, the contents read:
"You delusional trash."
"Poor Harry and Krum."
"Ugly and full of herself, how pathetic."
"You just look like a slut."
"Coming all the way to the wizarding world to cause trouble, how annoying."
"Go back to the Muggle world, please."
It was a spectacular inferno, a storm of slander and abuse.
Worse still, among the barrage of anonymous letters delivered by owl post were some that, upon opening, spewed concentrated Bubotuber pus, leaving her hands covered in painful sores.
"I told you so!"
Ron shouted furiously.
"Gossip reporters like Rita Skeeter and the people who send this garbage are all insane!"
Storming over to the Slytherin table, Ron glared at Pansy with blazing anger. Pansy's interview had been quoted in the article, and her comment, "Maybe she used a Love Potion?" undeniably contributed to the backlash.
"It's not, it's not my fault! Normally you'd know something like that was a joke, wouldn't you?!"
Pansy backed away with a pale face, desperately trying to dodge responsibility.
"I didn't do anything wrong! It's Skeeter's fault for taking my words out of context, and the readers' fault for taking it seriously!"
However, Pansy's excuses only poured oil on the fire, and Ron exploded in anger.
"If the same thing happened to you as to Hermione, could you really talk about it like it's someone else's problem?!"
"Stop it, Weasley. You're the outsider here. Don't act like you're involved."
Draco stepped in after seeing Pansy on the verge of tears, but the situation only kept heating up.
"What are you talking about, Malfoy? You're the outsider here!"
"No, I'm dating Pansy."
"What? Well, congratu— no, that's not the point! Even if you're dating, you should at least know the difference between right and wrong!"
"I'm saying that if anyone's going to lecture her, it should be me. Not some complete stranger like you, acting all high and mighty."
"What are you all even arguing about?!"
It looked like the discussion was about to spiral completely out of control, so I stepped in to mediate before things got any worse.
"For now, Draco, please step away with Pansy for a bit. Also, Pansy and Draco, so you've finally started dating. Congratulations."
Under different circumstances, I would have celebrated properly, but given the situation, I sent the two of them back to their dorm first.
Next, I stopped Harry, who was about to throw the threatening letters he'd received into the fireplace.
"Harry, please wait. These are important evidence, so we need to keep them instead of burning them. And also…"
This time, I turned to Hermione.
"Before you go to the infirmary, please let me take some photos as evidence."
Hermione's hands were covered in large, yellow swellings, puffed up with bumps all over, like a pair of thick, knobbly gloves.
"No, I… I don't want anyone to see my hands like this…"
"Oh, that expression just now is perfect."
"..."
I kept taking photo after photo, making sure she looked as much like a painfully afflicted victim as possible.
**
After taking the photos and seeing Hermione off to the infirmary, I couldn't help but smile to myself.
"Well then, with this much evidence, we should be able to file a lawsuit."
"That's the spirit!"
Ron clapped his hands.
"This will send Skeeter straight to Azkaban!"
"I never said that."
Or rather, I continued,
"In this case, I think it'll be difficult to actually hold anyone criminally responsible."
"You've got to be kidding! Look at what Hermione went through!"
Unfortunately, the ones who directly harmed Hermione weren't Rita herself, but an unspecified number of readers. A secret police force in a dictatorship might be able to arrest all of them one by one, but the Ministry of Magic doesn't have that kind of authority.
As for Rita, she didn't directly cause harm or order anyone to do so, nor did she force readers to buy Weekly Witch. Since she didn't exercise coercive power over them, it's difficult under current law to charge her as an accomplice.
"The concept of aiding and abetting is vague, and if interpreted too broadly, all sorts of actions could end up being treated as crimes."
For example, if an overzealous shop clerk sold a knife to a poor person and that knife was later used in a robbery-murder, there's a risk that, in hindsight, the clerk could be accused of incitement or aiding the crime, on the grounds that they aggressively sold a kitchen knife to someone who seemed likely to commit robbery due to poverty.
Ron spoke with obvious dissatisfaction.
"Then what's the point of suing at all?"
"To stop the bashing, obviously."
If we launch a large-scale lawsuit, it will at least draw public attention. By making it widely known that the article in question is baseless, the slander against Hermione should die down.
"So Skeeter and the people who sent those letters just get away with it?"
"Sadly, the world doesn't work in a way where every problem can be solved so easily."
Trying to solve everything all at once could even lead to radicalization and spark new troubles, just like the former Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.
"But then nothing might change at all."
"And that's exactly the problem…"
Compared to Gryffindor-style reforms, which tend to rush ahead idealistically and spiral out of control, Slytherin-style reforms are so cautious that they often end up just creating the illusion of progress while changing nothing.
If I ask my mother to handle the lawsuit, I doubt we'd lose. The real question is how far the Ministry of Magic would be willing to move.
"If we had more time, money, and people, we could have launched our own media outlet through Professor Lockhart's company or GM Corporation, but…"
Given the current situation, that kind of luxury was simply out of reach.
"For now, when you're in trouble, you consult acquaintances in the relevant field."
One of Slytherin's strengths is that, as an elite house, it has absurdly strong connections in political and financial circles. As for me, in the business world there's former Head Girl Gemma Farley, and within the Ministry there's former Quidditch team captain Marcus Flint, reliable alumni I can turn to.
So, that's how it went.
I immediately asked senior Flint, who works in the Magical Law Enforcement, whether he knew anyone "who's really enthusiastic about countering this kind of mass media issue and seems to have a ton of authority." His reassuring reply was, "Leave it to me."
"Actually, Rita Skeeter's constant scandal-hunting has already made the Ministry desperate to take countermeasures. When I told them about the Weekly Witch incident, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic herself said she'd offer full cooperation."
"The Senior Undersecretary…!"
An unbelievable heavyweight.
The Senior Undersecretary is essentially the magical equivalent of a top civil servant, second only to the Minister in power. This wasn't just catching a sea bream with a shrimp, it was like hauling in a whale.
And so, a week later, the person who appeared before me was a toad-like witch wrapped in garishly pink clothing. Who could she be?
That's right.
"Pleased to meet you, my dear. I am Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic!"
Undersecretary Umbridge moved quickly.
"Leave the Rita Skeeter matter to the Ministry. You know Barnabas Cuffe, the editor-in-chief? I happen to have connections with him…"
She immediately exerted influence on the Daily Prophet, contributing a major article that prominently covered the incident.
"Questioning the Wielding of 'Freedom of the Press': The Tragedy Brought About by Excessive Sales-First Mentality"
The front page featured a tearful photo of Hermione, alongside images of the slanderous comments from the threatening letters and her swollen hands, making for shocking content that grabbed the reader's attention.
"Is it acceptable for children, who should be protected by adults at school, to be exposed to such malice from society at large, and even placed in danger by having 'swelling sap' sprayed on them?"
The story of a vulnerable fourteen-year-old girl becoming the target of gossip, being relentlessly attacked by heartless comments, and suffering not only mental but physical pain due to swelling sap, sent shockwaves through the wizarding world. Needless to say, it was in a very bad way.
"For a long time, the mass media has used 'freedom of expression' as a shield, rejecting every proposal from the Ministry of Magic to establish appropriate rules. But if that very 'freedom of expression' is causing tragedies like this, then whose rights is it truly meant to protect?"
Undersecretary Umbridge's article drew an enormous response. Many people deeply sympathized with Hermione, the pitiable victim. At the same time, outrage toward Rita and Weekly Witch boiled over, and I heard that letters of complaint flooded in.
At the end of the article, the following was written:
"To ensure that such tragedies never occur again, I present four proposals.
First, strengthen penalties for 'insult offenses' and impose harsher punishments for defamation and slander against individuals.
Second, reform information disclosure laws to grant police investigative authority to identify anonymous letter writers.
Third, enact a 'False Reporting Regulation Act' to swiftly halt malicious articles by media outlets or individuals.
Fourth, strengthen 'punitive damages' to allow additional sanctions aimed at preventing similar harm in the future.
Freedom of expression is important, but when there is a risk of violating the human rights of others, limiting that freedom does not run counter to the public good. Does the Ministry of Magic not bear responsibility for regulating malicious media so that children can live in safety?"
Of course, Rita didn't take this lying down. She immediately published a rebuttal in Weekly Witch, arguing that "Undersecretary Umbridge's proposals amount to de facto censorship, allowing the Ministry to bury scandals inconvenient to them!" However, this only earned her overwhelming backlash from public opinion, along the lines of "Who do you think you're kidding?"
She had likely made enemies on many fronts. The backlash was far fiercer than during the Hagrid or Hermione incidents, and by the end, Rita was burning so intensely that even Undersecretary Umbridge herself couldn't control it, let alone me.
As a result of the uproar, Weekly Witch suffered a major drop in circulation. Amid large-scale restructuring, Rita Skeeter was fired, and she was also forced into "voluntary resignation" from her position at the Daily Prophet.
"..."
Even so, for some reason, my heart didn't feel light.
In terms of gossip articles being swept away, this was surely a positive change. As for Rita, one could say she simply reaped what she had sown.
And yet, for some reason, a faint sense of unease occasionally crossed my mind.
What exactly had we gained, and what had we lost?
(End of chapter)
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