Hogwarts: Don't call me Wandmaker

The information revealed to Rita Skeeter in Chapter 369

Hagrid is in a dilemma. The Blasttail snails he cultivated are liked by others, which should be a happy thing, but the problem is that the other party only likes the Blasttail snail's shell.

This feeling is so strange.

However, he eventually agreed to Siron's request, and he also needed to find something else to do to forget about the argument he had with Ms. Maxim that night.

Taking care of those grumpy little guys is a good option.

Meanwhile, Siren returned to the castle.

He wasn't quite sure if the wand's properties were related to the Blasttail, which is why he chose to make it several more times.

However, it takes time for the blasting snail to hatch, and it also takes a long time for it to grow to the stage where it can be used to make a cane core.

Until then, Xilun can only wait patiently.

Oh, right, besides waiting, he had another important thing to do.

Hogsmeade village.

When Rita Skeeter saw Siron again, her face was ashen, as if she had eaten a florid caterpillar.

“No need to deny it,” Celen said. “I know you were at the ball on Christmas Day, in Animagus form, eavesdropping on people’s conversations.”

“I don’t understand what you mean,” Rita Skeeter said coldly. “But I can assure you that I didn’t get close to you, and I don’t know what you and the others were talking about.”

“I completely believe that,” Celen said.

He didn't think that a little threat could completely frighten Rita Skeeter, that audacious witch, so during the ball, he kept an eye out for any unusual beetles around him.

No special action is needed; once prepared, a simple detection spell will expose all the insects.

During this time, he also did not find Rita Skeeter.

"I'm here to tell you that you can't write about Hagrid being a half-giant in the newspapers."

"That's impossible!" Rita Skeeter looked up abruptly, as if struck by something.

"It is my duty to uncover the truth!" she shouted emotionally. "And do you think no one will know if I don't speak up?"

“I’m telling you it’s impossible. I wasn’t the only one there. When that skeleton witch berated Rubeus Hagrid, there were at least fifteen students around. They all heard it. There’s no way this could be kept secret.”

Her voice was loud, but fortunately they were only standing near a grove of trees at the entrance to Hogsmeade Village, not sitting in the Three Brooms, so they wouldn't attract attention.

“I didn’t mean to hide it, I just didn’t want you to exaggerate and report it,” Celen said. “Hagrid has important things to do right now, and he can’t be distracted by you.”

Rita Skeeter's expression was unpredictable, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

"What if I refuse."

After a long time, she seemed to have made a decision, looking coldly at Xilen.

"Do you think you can order me around just because you have something on me? Let me tell you, that's impossible. I'd rather take you down with me."

“You won’t,” Xiren said confidently. “Besides, aren’t you overestimating yourself? Once your secret of being an Animagus is exposed, you’re doomed. What can you do to me then? Tell everyone that I cheated to become a warrior?”
"But that's the truth. Everyone knows it, so there's no need for you to do anything unnecessary."

“Or are you trying to write an article to smear me, like you did with Dumbledore and other wizards?” Siron shook his head slightly. “That might work, but only if Azkaban can provide you with shorthand quills.” Rita Skeeter’s face flushed red and then paled.

"Fine, I was just trying to be kind." Before she could speak, Xiren continued, "If you promise to forget that Hagrid is a half-giant, I can give you another piece of information as compensation."

“That depends on the value of the information,” Rita Skeeter said.

"Don't worry, this is absolutely explosive," Siren said. "How about the news that Ludo Bagman, the referee of the Triwizard Tournament, colluded with Durmstrang's Warriors and the Principal to cheat?"

"Are you serious?!"

I don't know if it was just my imagination, but I think I saw Rita Skeeter's eyes were glowing just now.

"I can't be 100% sure, I just stumbled upon some clues by chance." He composed himself and said, "But finding the truth shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?"

“That’s absolutely right.” Rita Skeeter became much more confident when talking about her profession.

"What if it turns out they didn't do that? You just said that we can't be 100% sure they did something wrong."

“Then I’ll inform the Ministry of Magic that you’re an Animagus.” Cyren shrugged. “I was the one who gave you the information; do you want any after-sales service?”

Rita Skeeter had never wanted to kill anyone. If she could, she would write a hundred articles about Siron and publish them all on the front page of every newspaper and magazine she knew, at her own expense!

Is he really an Ollivander, threatening with such self-righteousness?

“I have a feeling you’re thinking about some very impolite things,” Xilun asked, squinting.

“No!” Rita Skeeter denied it outright.

"Fine, I can pretend I don't know anything about Rupert Hagrid, but I must warn you, my patience has its limits, and you'd better not go too far."

"Didn't I already compensate you with more valuable information? Is that going too far?"

Siren gave her a disdainful look. "On one side is the gamekeeper of Hogwarts. On the other side is the Director of Sports and Physical Education of the Ministry of Magic, an internationally renowned sports star, and the headmaster of a magic school... With this kind of status comparison, you've really hit the jackpot."

Rita Skeeter didn't speak, she just gave a cold laugh.

On the surface, that's certainly the case, but what if the news was fabricated by Xilun... Oh no, this news must be true!

Thinking of Siren's shameless behavior just now, Rita Skeeter couldn't help but take a deep breath and turn to leave.

For many days afterward, there was no news about Hagrid in the Daily Prophet; the story only circulated within Hogwarts for a while.

However, most people reacted to this with a sense of realization rather than surprise. Upon hearing the news, most students' first reaction was... Ah, I knew it.

After all, Hagrid's enormous size doesn't seem like something a normal human could possess; he could only be a half-giant or a half-troll.

In comparison, the latter is clearly worse.

Gradually, fewer and fewer people discussed him. By the last day of the holiday, apart from a few Slytherins, no one was talking about it anymore.

……

(End of this chapter)