Hogwarts: Voldemort, don't stop me from studying

Chapter 965 Big News

Early in the morning, the New York subway tunnels were crowded with sleep-deprived faces;

A Kansas farmer is carrying a pitchfork towards the barn;

In a park in Silicon Valley, young men and women in sportswear are running.

A pretty waitress with a sweet smile served a cup of coffee to the familiar old police chief in a coffee shop in a southern town.

Many other people, while watching the news on TV, ate bread and oatmeal, planning their day.

Just then, a rousing orchestral melody suddenly filled the air, and the morning news began.

The female anchor's expression was solemn with a hint of bewilderment, and her usually fluent speech was punctuated by stuttering:

"Good morning, everyone. This morning, we'll start by focusing on a breaking news story."

"Just this morning, a major incident occurred at the Stonefield family estate on Long Island, New York, and at least two hundred people have been confirmed dead, including several prominent figures in the political and business world."

"This is the worst attack on a private estate in the United States in nearly fifty years..."

Countless people looked up in astonishment, and some even shouted, "What is this guy talking about? Is it April Fool's Day?"

Upon hearing the opening remarks, all the viewers put down their food, forgot about their work or studies, and called for their family and friends to come to the television.

The camera quickly switches to aerial footage from a helicopter.

Stonefield Manor, once a world whose scenery was only imaginable to ordinary people, now resembles an anthill ravaged by a giant beast.

The manor gates were wide open, and the red and blue lights of police cars, ambulances, and news broadcast vans flashed, painting the pre-dawn sky with an unsettling hue.

Police officers in uniform set up a long yellow cordon, outside which was a dense crowd of people—reporters, onlookers, family members who had rushed to the scene, and many more passersby who had come to film the incident.

The police couldn't get rid of everyone, and they were powerless against the television station's helicopters that were brazenly loitering overhead.

Or rather, they were all bewildered at that moment.

Some people wearing masks and protective suits mechanically carried out bodies one by one. The normally lush green lawn was filled with stretchers covered with white sheets and gray body bags.

There weren't any particularly gory scenes on TV, but just by looking at the bulging shapes of the white sheets, viewers could imagine that the corpses underneath must have looked extremely gruesome.

NBC's star live reporter, Katherine, stood at the edge of the security line, her face a mixture of professional seriousness and barely suppressed excitement, and quickly spoke into the live camera:
"...We are now at the main entrance of Stonefield Manor. As you can see, this area has been completely sealed off by the police."

"But according to our inside information and eyewitness accounts, the interior of the manor was nothing short of hell on earth!"

"Ruins, blood, corpses... Yes, I'm talking about corpses... a lot of corpses!"

"It wasn't just the bodyguards and staff, but also the more than one hundred distinguished guests who were invited to the Stonefield family's 'private dinner' last night."

"Shoot over there! Rashida, quickly turn the camera over!"

The camera shook violently as Catherine screamed, then quickly regained focus—

Dozens of shaken people, escorted by police, shakily walked toward the ambulance. They were wrapped in blankets, some crying, others with blank stares.

Naturally, other informants quickly relayed the information to Catherine, and soon the reporter explained to the audience:

"These are the people who were lucky enough to escape – mainly the bodyguards brought by some of the guests, as well as some servants who were working on the periphery or outbuildings of the manor at the time."

“If they had been in the main hall, they might be dead by now! We have to be thankful that William Stonefield didn’t let them stay for some ulterior motive…” “Oh, look! That’s the only survivor in the hall—Sir William Stonefield’s grandson, Chris Stonefield!”

"There are rumors that he will take over the Stonefield family business... Oh!"

Upon seeing the young man's appearance clearly, the reporter couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

The young heir, who had attended an awards ceremony yesterday noon and looked very confident, was now wearing a heavy white straitjacket, his hands were cuffed in front of him, his hair was messy, and his face was covered with dirt and dried tear stains.

His eyes were unfocused, his mouth twitched uncontrollably, and he would sometimes mutter to himself and sometimes suddenly let out a sharp howl.

The camera suddenly started shaking as the reporters, like a herd of wild bulls, finally broke through the police's blockade and rushed directly in front of Chris, the camera almost shoved into his face.

"What happened last night?"

Has Sir Stonefield really passed away?

Why were you the only one who survived?

A barrage of questions came crashing down on Chris, who suddenly chuckled to himself:
“They’re all dead…hahaha…Grandfather…Paul…everyone! Smash them into mincemeat…a gift…a gift…hahahaha…”

He was laughing wildly with tears streaming down his face when the police forcibly shoved him into a car.

The camera shakily zoomed in on the reporters, and amidst the noise, Catherine had to cover her ears and shout:

"Chris Stonefield witnessed everything last night and has completely broken down!"

"Police stated that he is key to clarifying the truth of last night's tragedy and has been listed as an important witness and placed under protective custody."

"Based on the information we have so far, what happened at Stonefield Manor last night was by no means a simple revenge killing or robbery."

"All of this seems to be related to a shocking conspiracy that the late Sir William Stonefield had been planning for many years..."

Some television stations did not seize the opportunity to enter the manor immediately, but instead went to interview the families of the victims.

In the video, a middle-aged woman dressed in luxurious clothes, but whose makeup was ruined by tears, was surrounded by reporters.

She held up an exquisite black invitation card with gold foil stamping, the paper almost soaked with blood.

The woman wept uncontrollably in front of the camera:

“This is what my husband took away last night… Stonefield’s invitation… I begged him not to go, I told him those secret parties are never good. I told him the kids have a fever and I need him…”

“But he wouldn’t listen. He said it was a ‘ticket to the top floor,’ and he was afraid of offending the Stonefield family… and now…”

The woman covered her face and wept uncontrollably, with a bewildered child in her arms sucking on his finger.

The child asked timidly, "Mommy, didn't you say you were bringing me to pick up Daddy? Where is Daddy?"

The crying suddenly became shrill, and the woman wailed:

“Stonefield? They’re devils from hell! Give me back my husband!”

Even after the scene was cut off, the heartbreaking screams seemed to still echo in everyone's ears.

(End of this chapter)