Chapter 646: Rita Skeeter's Request for Help

Rita Skeeter, a sensational journalist.

She is known throughout the British magical community for her bold writing style and outrageous, exaggerated claims.

Some people support her, while others dismiss her.

But if you look closely, you will find that her articles contain a lot of true and hidden information. They are not only very intriguing but also well worth reading.

[Who was responsible for the two battles at the Ministry of Magic? Why was Dumbledore always able to appear at the right moment?]

Andy's eyes lit up at the headline.

At the beginning of the article, Rita Skeeter briefly described the entire process of the two Ministry of Magic battles.

In the article, she said that the two Ministry of Magic battles shared a strange common point: Dumbledore's timely appearance at the last minute to turn the tide every time.

Is this a coincidence?

In particular, this time, the Ministry of Magic was obviously well-prepared for the attack by the Death Eaters, but Dumbledore did not appear to stop it until the last minute.

This is almost similar to the situation when Dumbledore intervened to stop Grindelwald.

During the years when Grindelwald was wreaking havoc in Europe, Dumbledore never left Hogwarts. It was only when the entire European wizarding community was no longer able to put up a struggle that Dumbledore stepped forward to save the day.

This earned Dumbledore great prestige!

After much investigation, Rita Skeeter discovered that Dumbledore and Grindelwald had an unknown and secret relationship.

Not only that, but Rita Skeeter also pointed out that after the last wizarding war, it was Dumbledore who vouched for Snape, thereby saving him from punishment.

However, it was Snape who led the Death Eaters in their attack on the Ministry of Magic.

At the end of the article, Rita Skeeter mentioned that after many days of intensive investigation, she discovered that it was Albus Dumbledore who guided Voldemort into the wizarding world.

She said that Voldemort had a special respect for Dumbledore, and Dumbledore could not bring himself to kill Voldemort.

This is very worrying!

"Noice!" Andy praised.

The article was written in a very subtle way, but the content was extremely suggestive.

Even Andy couldn't help but suspect that Dumbledore was the real mastermind behind the scenes.

Think about it: two consecutive super villains who wreaked havoc in the wizarding world, Grindelwald and Voldemort, were both deeply connected to Dumbledore.

And Dumbledore always appeared 'in time' at the last minute.

Could there be anything fishy going on?

After reading Rita Skeeter's entire article, even Andy had to admit that he had almost been led astray.

The key point was, there was no false info in the article, but it was able to lead you to think all sorts of wild things.

This woman really is something!

Putting down the newspaper, Andy rubbed his temples.

If Rita Skeeter's report contained any useful information, it was probably the gossip involving Voldemort – she said that Bellatrix Lestrange was Voldemort's most favoured Death Eater and that the two of them had an unusual relationship.

If the report was true, he wondered whether Voldemort would become enraged and issue a kill order against her.

In addition, she mentioned that the Death Eaters had recently been frequenting Knockturn Alley, suggesting that they might be plotting a conspiracy to subvert the wizarding order.

Andy fell into deep thought.

***

After washing up, Andy slept until the next morning.

The Quidditch World Cup was over, and the only thing Andy could do next was wait patiently for Hogwarts to start.

Andy also had a new study plan for the new semester.

Just as Andy was quietly enjoying his last few days of holiday, an unexpected letter interrupted the peace.

It was the day after the World Cup final.

The letter was from Andy's aunt, Ashia Collins, who wrote that her colleague Rita Skeeter was in trouble and hoped that Andy could provide some help.

Andy had only one thing to say in response.

She wouldn't be in trouble if she hadn't done these stupid things!

Of course, Andy ended up agreeing to meet Rita Skeeter.

Because she is an ingenious journalist!

***

Hogsmeade Village, Three Broomsticks, private room on the upper floor.

Andy entered and found Ashia Collins and Rita Skeeter already there.

"Hi, Andy!"

Ashia gave Andy a tight hug. "You've grown a lot since I last saw you."

Andy: "..."

After taking a seat, Andy asked, "Ms Skeeter, what's the matter? Are you being chased by Voldemort?"

The word 'Voldemort' made Ashia and Rita Skeeter freeze. If Andy hadn't been sitting there, they would have used the Apparition to escape.

"Andy!" Ashia's face paled.

"The taboo spell..."

Andy explained, "It's just a little trick! Of course, you probably can't bypass it."

Hearing Andy say that, although they were still a little nervous, the two of them weren't as tense as before.

After calming down a little, Rita Skeeter nodded slightly, her expression twisted as she said, "Yes, I've had a bit of trouble... They're after me and also destroyed my house."

"Because of that article?" Andy raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe I hit a nerve!"

Rita Skeeter immediately changed to a proud expression when it came to her profession.

"I know you, Mr Collins," she said. "You met with Dumbledore in private on the day before the battle at the Ministry of Magic."

"Of course, I didn't report that."

Andy: "..."

After a pause, Rita Skeeter continued: "I know a lot of hidden information about important people... Yes! They are not as glorious as they appear."

"The dirty dealings involved behind closed doors are beyond your imagination."

Andy remained silent.

Could this perhaps also be a dirty deal between influential people?

"You mean the Death Eaters are conspiring in Knockturn Alley?" Andy asked after a moment of contemplation.

"Of course!"

Rita Skeeter looked very pleased when she said this: "You probably don't know, but I was there that day too... Borgin and Burkes, you remember, right?"

"After you left, the You-Know-Who went there."

"Since then, the Death Eaters have been active in Knockturn Alley."

Andy: "..."

This woman is really something!

"So why didn't you report it?" Andy asked.

At this, Rita Skeeter immediately put on a warm and friendly smile, "Of course because we're on the same side... You're Ashia's nephew."

"Ashia is my best friend."

Andy: Do you think I would believe that?

"It's because my popularity has gone down, isn't it?" Andy exposed her lie.

Andy had not shown up at the Ministry of Magic battle from beginning to end. Even if she reported this, she could not maximise the benefits.

The reason she mentioned this incident a bit in this report was probably to set the stage for the next report.

----

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