Chapter 322: The Dark Side of Umbridge
[How did the sweet and charming Miss Dolores Umbridge rise to power in the Ministry of Magic? What secrets lie behind her success?
Special correspondent Rita Skeeter reports for you.
Dolores Jane Umbridge is a Senior Undersecretary at the Ministry of Magic and a member of the Wizengamot, achieving remarkable success at a young age.
But according to her colleague, Ms. G: 'Oh, please, she's a cruel lunatic!'
Why does Ms. G hold such an opinion?
Driven by curiosity and journalistic duty, Rita Skeeter interviewed dozens of people acquainted with Miss Umbridge and can now reveal the dark side of this woman to our readers…]
With an air of supposed objectivity, Rita Skeeter laid bare every one of Umbridge's secrets.
The woman who had always claimed to be a pure-blood witch and even boasted of her connection to the noble Selwyn family, actually had a weak and incompetent janitor for a father, a flighty and unkempt Muggle mother, and a Squib brother whose name had been erased from family records—the latter two having been cast out of their home.
Then, several of her so-called "neighbors" (speaking under assumed names) came forward, describing how Umbridge had been domineering and selfish since childhood, how she bullied her brother, scorned and berated her mother, and ultimately drove their family apart.
[ "I still remember that boy—he was a gentle, quiet child, always covered in bruises, he kept his head down, too scared to speak, like a frightened little hamster."
said Mr. Norgra, whose remaining teeth were barely hanging on.
"Although Ellen was devastated when she left with her son, I believe, in hindsight, it was the best thing that could have happened to them."]
Umbridge later enrolled at Hogwarts and was sorted into Slytherin, forming close ties with several students who would later become Death Eaters.
During her time at school, she and her associates engaged in outrageous acts against Muggle-born students and stopped only after receiving warnings from the school.
Accompanying interview excerpt:
["She was a nightmare. Just making eye contact with her made me shake with fear,"
Mel, trembling, recalled.
Even now, speaking about her time at Hogwarts, she was filled with both hatred and terror, her pretty eyes brimming with tears.
But Umbridge's misdeeds resulted in only the mildest of punishments. Under the protection of certain unsavory friends, she graduated with excellent grades and secured an internship at the Ministry of Magic.
It was there that she found the perfect environment to thrive…]
The following sections of Skeeter's article delved into what she considered the most crucial aspects: how Umbridge shamelessly flattered her superiors, trampled on those beneath her, and rapidly climbed the Ministry ranks—not through merit, but by stealing credit for others' work.
Accompanying the report were damning photographs: one showed Umbridge standing suspiciously close to a foreign Minister of Magic, the two appearing rather intimate. Another depicted her in a pink cardigan, flashing a sycophantic smile at Minister Fudge.
Wade stared at the black-and-white photograph of Umbridge's forced, gleaming smile and couldn't help but feel a hint of sympathy.
He had no idea what Umbridge had done to provoke Rita Skeeter on that ship, but this journalist was clearly out for blood.
Wade was almost certain that, aside from the descriptive and sensationalized language, at least 80% of the events mentioned in Rita's article were true.
After finishing the newspaper, Fred remained silent for a long moment before finally saying to his son:
"Wade, I know you've gained some fame now. Your name appears in the papers quite often..."
"Mm-hmm!" Fiona nodded enthusiastically, proudly adding, "The rising star of alchemy!"
—That was how the media sometimes referred to Wade.
Fred chuckled, then spoke seriously, "But Wade, remember this—no matter how flattering journalists' words may sound, never believe them completely. And most importantly, don't share too much with them."
Fiona immediately protested, "Wade wouldn't do that!"
Then she blinked and curiously asked, "But isn't this different? This Umbridge woman is full of scandals. If Wade were written about in the papers, the biggest question on readers' minds would be—Why isn't this perfect child ours?"
"Fiona, words are easily misunderstood or twisted. And would you really want Wade to be judged by people who don't even know him? He could be envied and slandered, or even attract unnecessary trouble."
Fiona shook her head firmly.
Fred looked at Wade and said, "I know you've never been one to seek the spotlight, but from now on, stay even more focused on yourself. Don't let outside noise distract you."
"I understand, Dad," Wade nodded.
He glanced down at the name Rita Skeeter on the newspaper, then after a brief pause, folded it up and put it away.
…
At that moment, Skeeter—transformed into a beetle—was perched on a rooftop, watching as Umbridge stormed into The Daily Prophet headquarters with a group of people in tow.
Moments later, her fellow reporters came running out of the building, clutching their heads, their faces were filled with suppressed frustration.
Naturally, Umbridge couldn't find Skeeter, so she turned her wrath toward The Daily Prophet itself, announcing stricter regulations to increase government control over the press.
The newspaper's manager, while nodding obsequiously and forcing a smile, tried to evade her wrath with vague responses—
"Ah… Well, journalists do have the right to choose their own stories…"
"If, Madam, you believe Skeeter was making things up, feel free to point out exactly which parts were false… Specifically, which parts are untrue…?"
"Ah, well… If the report is based on facts, it shouldn't really count as slander, right? Unless, of course, you think… Haha…"
The editor-in-chief forced a dry laugh and nervously wiped sweat from his forehead, while Umbridge turned pale with rage.
As he spoke, the entire newspaper office was working frantically overtime—there was an overwhelming demand for copies of this edition, and the printing presses were running at full speed to keep up.
The editor kept gesturing for the staff to work faster while maintaining his obsequious smile.
Suddenly, two owls swooped in through the window and dropped two red Howlers right onto Umbridge's head. A deafening roar exploded through the office—
"You vile, repulsive woman! Your actions are absolutely despicable! The very thought of breathing the same air as you makes me sick—"
Umbridge shrieked and fired a spell at the Howler, but the letter suddenly detonated, splattering her with a massive splash of foul-smelling liquid.
She screamed and jumped back in horror.
Up on the rooftop, Skeeter—still in beetle form—laughed so hard she let out a series of high-pitched "ga-ga-ga" sounds, and her tiny forelegs clapped together in delight.
Then, suddenly, she noticed the sky darken overhead.
A massive flock of owls was swooping in, carrying an avalanche of Howlers, each ready to explode.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Several letters went off in rapid succession, their furious roars shaking the building's glass windows, making them tremble with a pitiful whine.
Rita Skeeter leapt off the rooftop, transforming back into her human form mid-air. Snatching up her camera, she swiftly captured a priceless photograph—
In the image, Umbridge was staring up in absolute terror and her face froze in horror as an unstoppable wave of Howlers descended upon her.
--------------------------------
🙏🙏Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Available on my P@treon page for just $4!!
Early access to the following translations:-
⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
⭐Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +165 advance chapters
⭐Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450
p@treon.com/Lightreaper457
--------------------------------