No sooner had the words left his lips than the door flew open with a bang.
A woman stood there wearing jewel-studded glasses and sporting meticulously styled golden curls. She flashed a smile she clearly believed to be alluring, baring her teeth. Her thick, stubby fingers spread over the doorframe, making her look like some kind of grinning ghoul.
Rita Skeeter, the well-known reporter from the Daily Prophet.
Her scrutinizing gaze swept through her lenses and landed on Tver, then shifted to Marvolio standing slightly behind him.
"Dawlish, I've heard your name more times than I can count—the rising star of crime-fighting in the wizarding world. People are dying to know what caused your recent transformation. Well? Interested in giving me an exclusive interview?"
Rita licked her lips, excitement gleaming in her eyes.
Marvolio sighed.
"Hurry up, before I lose patience."
The comment made no sense to Rita, and her confusion deepened.
But Tver spoke before she could ask anything.
"You'll have plenty of time to talk later, won't they, Dawlish?" Marvolio nodded, visibly displeased. "But we came today for something else."
Rita looked Tver over again, this time with real surprise.
Handsome. Gentle. That was the impression he left.
If what he'd said earlier wasn't a lie, then at most he was just a Hogwarts professor.
She dared poke fun at Dumbledore himself, exposing what she believed to be his carefully crafted façade—yes, she had always thought Dumbledore's warmth was just a mask.
So why would she worry about one of his professors?
But… Fawley?
She smugly decided she had just uncovered the reason behind Dawlish's obedience.
"Come in," Rita said, sounding bored as she turned away. At worst, she could enjoy the pleasant view.
Marvolio watched her back, a glint of cruelty flashing through his eyes.
"The more I compare, the more I think your way is better than mine," he muttered, "but let me give you a piece of advice. Sometimes, being forceful works a lot better."
Tver also recognized the famous journalist's arrogance. He shook his head with a helpless sigh.
"There'll be an opportunity."
They followed Rita into a living room as gaudy as her makeup.
The first thing that caught the eye was a nearly half-body-sized portrait placed prominently at the front of the room. Rita Skeeter in the painting observed them with a keen expression, lips curled into a playful smile, her left hand twirling an ornate quill.
It looked exactly like the Rita standing before them.
She settled into an armchair in front of a bookcase, behind which sat a neatly stacked tower of newspapers—piled high enough to surpass her seated height.
"I only have tea. Is that alright?"
Her tone sounded polite, but her wand kept moving, summoning two teacups without waiting for an answer.
"No need. If all goes well, we'll be leaving shortly."
Tver smiled and sat across from her. One of the teacups halted in mid-air, forgotten.
Seeing this, Rita's smile slowly faded.
"Then let's get straight to the point. Mind if I use my Quick-Quotes Quill?"
She didn't wait for Tver's reply. The quill leapt into the air instantly, and a roll of parchment unfurled beneath it.
"If I'm not mistaken," she said with absolute confidence, "you're the mysterious heir of the Fawley family, aren't you?"
"So tell me—what brings you here? Looking to boost your family's public presence? Or perhaps, like your grandfather, hoping I can shape public opinion and build your political reputation?"
As a famed journalist, Rita always had impeccable sources.
And Tver had no intention of hiding who he was. Sometimes, acting as a pure-blood heir made things significantly easier.
"Neither." Tver drew out several photographs, letting them drift gently to her. "I simply want you to write a report—about some recent events at Hogwarts."
Rita took the photos in surprise.
She'd received similar requests before—another Defence Against the Dark Arts professor had once asked her to write about his brilliant classroom accomplishments.
She'd taken one look and tossed it into her rubbish bin.
Was this going to be the same?
Curious, she began flipping through the pictures. Very quickly, her hands froze.
Students petrified, their terrified expressions locked onto their faces, lying stiff and unmoving on hospital beds.
She recognized the Hogwarts Hospital Wing instantly.
Petrification? Attacks? Those horrified expressions… Had Dumbledore been experimenting on his students?
Hundreds of thoughts exploded in her mind in seconds.
Sensing its owner's excitement, the quill beside her trembled and raced across the parchment, eagerly awaiting the moment she spoke.
"If it's petrification, wouldn't a counter-curse fix it?"
If the problem could be resolved so easily, the impact of the report would drop dramatically.
"This is dark magic. To lift their condition, we have to wait until the mandrakes mature—six months from now."
Tver's reply was exactly what Rita wanted to hear. Her mouth stretched wide, her eyes narrowing into delighted slits like a shark scenting blood.
"Tell me everything in detail. If I'm satisfied, I can write a few exclusive pieces on your grandfather, you, and your family. I can even introduce you to several high-ranking Ministry officials. Don't doubt it—I still have pull with them."
Tver shrugged casually and recounted, one by one, the three attacks that had happened at Hogwarts since the start of term.
The more Rita listened, the more excited she became. Her mouth opened and closed with his words as she murmured her own theories under her breath.
Her Quick-Quotes Quill trembled wildly, as though it might explode from sheer excitement—
After enduring the era of two Dark Lords, Dumbledore—who had long hidden within the walls of the castle—was finally revealing his ambition. The author had always wondered why he refused the position of Minister for Magic, choosing instead to remain the headmaster of a wizarding school.
Now, after the author's painstaking investigation, the truth behind his shocking conspiracy had finally come to light!
Dumbledore scoffed at the petty role of Minister. He intended to recreate the legacy of his former friend—Gellert Grindelwald. Through unmatched personal power and the generations of students he cultivated at Hogwarts, he planned to tighten his grip over Europe… and perhaps the entire world!
And the recent attacks within the school clearly…
Before the quill could finish the line, it froze in mid-air.
Tver had also said everything he intended to say.
"Sorry, it seems my quill has broken."
Rita offered an apologetic smile and quickly fished another quill from her crocodile-skin handbag. She could hardly wait to write down more.
But the new quill didn't behave any differently. The moment it hovered above the parchment, it too went still.
She was just about to pull out a third quill when Tver stopped her.
"It's not the quill. I just don't want your report turning into that kind of story."
"Oh?" Rita brightened, convinced Tver had something even juicier to reveal. Her voice grew urgent.
"What is it? Dumbledore isn't trying to become the next Dark Lord, but instead plans to nurture several new ones? Like that so-called 'Chosen One'?"
"No," Tver said with a mild smile. "I need you to portray Dumbledore as indispensable."