A Certain Magical Hogwarts

Chapter 289 It's so hard!

Luna delivered the message and left quickly, as she was going to ride her "little donkey" backwards to deliver Christmas gifts from house to house.

William and Hermione escorted Luna to the roadside and watched her disappear into the swirling snow.

The unicorn gradually disappeared, and Luna's ethereal singing voice drifted from afar, like heavenly music.

Tsk tsk... William always felt that Luna had an ethereal quality. If she were to impersonate a charlatan, she would probably be even more captivating than Professor Terry Launey.

William took Hermione's hand, crossed the small bridge, and returned to the house.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong, William?" Hermione asked, puzzled.

"A wizard has come in!" William pulled out his wand.

He looked around but found nothing.

Strange, he clearly felt that the protective spells he had set up around him had detected the wizard approaching.

Most importantly, he set up a spell of unwavering loyalty, so that no strange wizard could enter without permission!

Mrs. Lorris, who had been squatting by the window carving wood, suddenly leaned down, bared her teeth at William's back, and issued a warning.

"A beetle!" Hermione exclaimed in surprise.

She quickly poked it with her wand, and the beetle flew up, ready to run away.

William was taken aback. Beetles in the dead of winter? He seemed to remember something and pointed his wand at the beetle.

"Showing oneself through form!"

His wand emitted a blue-white light, which struck the beetle.

The beetle hung in mid-air, its small green body writhing wildly before crashing to the floor.

Another dazzling flash, followed by something like a fast-forwarded shot of trees growing:

A head appeared on the ground, and limbs stretched out. After a while, a woman appeared.

The woman had exquisite hair, stylish big waves, and wore a pair of jeweled glasses. Her thick, fleshy fingers clutched a crocodile-skin handbag, and her nails, about two inches long and painted bright red, made her look like a demon.

—Rita Skeeter!

William recognized the woman immediately.

He raised an eyebrow and laughed.

interesting,

How interesting...!

According to the Ministry of Magic's records, there were only eight registered Animagus in the 20th century, including William.

William knew that the number was pitifully small, and there must be quite a few illegal Animagus.

If Professor McGonagall hadn't known about William's academic progress, he probably wouldn't have reported it.

But Rita Skeeter is definitely not among these eight people.

This means one thing: Rita is an illegal Animagus.

No wonder she always gets valuable information; she's an Animagus, and a beetle at that... No wonder she's a Ravenclaw student.

It's just excellent...

Nonsence!

William suddenly felt incredibly awkward. Three consecutive Defense Against the Dark Arts professors were all Ravenclaw alumni... Rita was one too... What?

Is the whole world deliberately targeting my adorable American?

Ravenclaw... It's supposed to be a place that cultivates outstanding talents, so why does it seem like it's producing scum?

Shouldn't we clear Slytherin's name and give them a proper makeover?

William sighed.

"Where am I? How did I get here?"

Rita, true to her journalist background, despite illegally trespassing into someone else's home, wore a bewildered expression, as if she had encountered a time warp and ended up there.

Illegal Animagus travel is a serious crime, and if discovered, she'll definitely lose her Azkaban annual pass. She'll probably have to feign madness to mislead the public.

Rita seemed to suddenly see William and exclaimed in surprise:

"Oh, Mr. Stark, it's good to see you! What am I doing here?"

Is this your home?

She wandered around, carrying a small crocodile skin bag.

“Great, that’s it—great,” Rita Skeeter said. “Now, let me think…”

"How about an exclusive interview? I've written to you several times, wanting to interview you, but I haven't received a reply."

Now is a great opportunity! I guarantee you'll be on the front page of every major newspaper tonight, taking your fame to the next level!

You won't object to me using a quill pen to take notes, will you? That way I can have my hands free to have a normal conversation with you..."

Rita reached into her crocodile-skin handbag and pulled out a long, bright green quill pen and a roll of parchment.

She put the tip of the green quill pen into her mouth, curled her tongue, and licked it with relish for a while.

Then she placed the pen vertically on the parchment. The quill trembled slightly, spraying out a large amount of ink that landed on the pristine white paper.

"Come on, do you have a private room, just you and me, for a one-on-one interview... Let's start a wonderful Christmas?"

In just a few minutes, Rita had taken over the reins, as if the beetle had never existed and that she was just an ordinary reporter.

And this was just an ordinary interview.

"A separate room is fine, the living room is perfect." William sat down on the sofa, revealing an innocent smile.

"I know you—Rita Skeeter. Aunt Rita, since you're here, you're a guest. What would you like to drink?"

"Auntie...!!" Rita silently took a deep breath, feeling as if she had been suffocating.

This is the first time someone has ever called her "Auntie"!

"Fire-flamed whiskey, no ice, please!"

"Okay, then pour Auntie a cappuccino."

William waved his wand, and the teapot on the table automatically poured a cup of coffee, which floated into Rita's hand.

"..." Rita told herself: Stay calm and don't get angry.

Her eyes fell on Hermione, clearly attracted by the cat tail, and she showed a hint of excitement.

This is big news.

Stimulate!

I knew I had come to the right place.

The sketching pen began to write quickly.

William snapped his fingers, and the sketching pen stopped.

Rita was stunned for a moment, not expecting that William could actually... cast spells without a staff.

The rumors were true! Stark was incredibly powerful, unlike ordinary wizards.

"Rita, I've heard Uncle Newt mention you," William said softly.

"Oh, that report?" Rita frowned; Scamander certainly hadn't said anything good about her.

This is problematic. Preconceived notions can significantly diminish the impression and make the interview less effective.

"I know you're good at twisting the facts and always trying to create a big news story." William pushed up glasses that weren't actually on his face.

"Oh, William, I think you've misunderstood me about this. I was just reporting the facts."

"Don't let that old scoundrel Scamander fool you; Piqueli still can't get over him."

"Being unable to forget someone and having an affair are two different things."

William's smile faded, and he said expressionlessly, "Besides, I don't want to talk to you about this right now."

"You transformed into a beetle using your Animagus powers and sneaked into my house, what do you mean by that?!"

"Child, I didn't break into your house. I was outside and I don't know how I ended up here."

And you've misunderstood; I had been drinking a compound herbal decoction.

"Rita, don't forget I can also use Animagus, so I can naturally tell the difference between the two."

William glanced at Hermione out of the corner of his eye, then pulled a bottle of Truth Potion from his pocket.

He swayed, and like Snape, drawled out:

"Don't admit it? Just one drop, and you'll reveal your secret. Want to taste its saltiness? No additives whatsoever."

"That's illegal!" Rita immediately grabbed her wand.

But William was faster; he flicked his wand slightly.

The cushions on the sofa turned into ropes, binding Rita's hands and wrapping her whole body, suspending her from the ceiling.

"You turned into a beetle and sneaked into my house. It's understandable that I accidentally had a magical outburst, after all..." William said softly.

"I'm still a child!"

"Professor Dumbledore and Minister Fudge will understand me, but you are different, a liar, an illegal Animagus...right?"

Rita gasped as she realized she had bumped into something hard.

硬，

It's so hard!

Much tougher than Scamander!

……

……

(Thanks to "Hellcat", "Mulita", and "Ataier" for their generous donations.)

(End of this chapter)