Hogwarts: Harry Returns from Azeroth

Chapter 181, Section 180: Rita and Sirius

Denial from those being protected is the greatest torment to a hero, and may even extinguish a candle already flickering in the darkness.

For such a ridiculous reason.

“I told you, don’t treat me like trash like Voldemort,” Harry said with a sneer. “I don’t need your submission, nor do I need you to call me master—just remember this lesson.”

"I understand, I understand, I will remember, really." Rita trembled even more violently when she heard the name Voldemort. Like everyone in the wizarding world, she was filled with fear of the man whose name could not be mentioned.

She dared to mock and slander Dumbledore, but would she dare to mock Voldemort?

Whether during Voldemort's life or after his death—even though he is dead, Rita's reports over the years have never used Voldemort to ridicule or distort his story.

Because there are still many Death Eaters on the run in wizarding society who haven't been caught. Voldemort fell too quickly back then, and the Ministry of Magic wasn't prepared at all.

To put it bluntly, Rita was afraid of being retaliated against.

Dumbledore wouldn't punish her for her recklessness, but Voldemort and his followers would certainly do so.

“That’s good,” Harry said softly. “But remember, Rita—you don’t get a second chance.”

"What happened today is my final warning to you. If I find out that you have done anything in the newspapers or behind my back that insults the honor of heroes, tarnishes the glory of those who have sacrificed their lives, or lies and fabricates stories about others—you will die."

The words were very plain, as if they were just saying what to eat tonight, but they were full of compelling intimidation.

It's like a one-way notification, regardless of the recipient's wishes.

"I...I remember," Rita said tremblingly, swallowing hard in fear.

In her mind, the man in front of her was already equated with Voldemort; he was no longer a child, but a demon, making her truly feel the threat of death.

“You have witnessed my power firsthand. When I truly want to do something, even the Ministry of Magic cannot stop me—the same is true for Dumbledore, but he restrained himself.”

“So don’t take any chances, Rita,” Harry said, sitting up. “Hold out your hand.”

Rita was trembling like a leaf, and she looked up and pleaded, tears and snot mixed together.

"Please, don't...don't kill me..."

“Have you lost your ability to think? I already said this is just a warning,” Harry said impatiently. “Now, put your hand out.”

Rita closed her eyes, trembling, and did as she was told.

Harry waved his hand gently, and a clump of dirt flew in from the ground outside the window. Like a pool of liquid, it flowed, stretched, and wrapped around Rita's outstretched wrist, eventually forming a circle.

During this process, its texture is constantly changing, gradually transforming from black soil into dark gray rock. Seven different elemental runes are engraved on the surface of the rock, which are now faintly emitting an orange-red glow.

“You can try to get rid of it if you can,” Harry continued. “I don’t mind.”

Not feeling the expected pain, Rita opened her eyes and stared intently at the bracelet-like object that had appeared on her wrist. The orange-red runes had faded and looked unremarkable.

“I won’t, Lord—” Rita said repeatedly, forcing a pale smile as she pleaded, “And what about the Daily Prophet next—?”

Rita carefully observed Harry's expression, and if she sensed anything amiss, she would change her story.

“Why not? All you have to do is report the facts,” Harry said calmly. “How you write it, in what order, and when you release it is all up to you. That’s your job.”

“But the Ministry of Magic…” Rita took a deep breath, “Based on what I know about the Ministry of Magic, the minister won’t like something uncertain that will bring a lot of controversy… that would affect his approval rating.”

“Especially since your matter involves soul magic and the Secrecy Act,” Rita said cautiously. “According to past practice, Fudge will either send an Auror to control you. Well, considering Dumbledore’s existence and your status as the savior, he probably won’t do that directly, but the Ministry of Magic will definitely make sure the Daily Prophet doesn’t report these things.”

“I’ve said it before, Rita,” Harry said seriously, “when I really want to do something, nothing can stop me—I don’t care how the Ministry of Magic reacts, I just want to see what I want happen.”

Her pupils constricted, and after a brief moment of astonishment, a surge of ecstasy filled Rita's heart.

"You mean—I can, the Daily Prophet really can report these things? You, or Dumbledore, will help us—I mean, the Ministry of Magic can no longer force us to—?!"

“Of course, isn’t that what a journalist and newspaper that dares to speak the truth should do?” Harry scoffed. “What kind of truth-telling is it to only report trivial matters? Not only that, I also need you to reveal the truth of a matter to the public.”

"The truth?!" Rita became even more excited, and even the numbness and pain in her body seemed to disappear temporarily, filling her with energy.

She loves this; physical pain is nothing compared to big news.

"Sirius is innocent," Harry said directly, without any intention of keeping him in suspense.

"Who?" Rita didn't even immediately recall who Sirius was, after all, the name had been gone for far too long. A few seconds later, she finally realized who Harry was talking about, and her eyes widened. "Sirius?! Innocent?!" How were those two words connected?

“You heard me right, Sirius Orion Black, my parents’ friend, my godfather, he is innocent—it wasn’t him who betrayed my parents, it was Peter Pettigrew.”

Harry's words were like a bomb, leaving Rita completely dizzy. Her brain, which had been somewhat numb from the lightning, started working rapidly, frantically thinking.

“But—Sirius himself admitted—my God—” Rita stammered, not daring to doubt Harry’s words, after all, they came from Harry Potter, the very person who should have been a blood feud with Sirius.

When it comes to this matter, no one has more right to seek revenge or to hate than Harry—yet it was Harry himself who said Sirius was innocent.

"Could you please tell me more about it?" Rita asked eagerly, taking a deep breath. "How did you discover this incredibly powerful secret?"

“I heard it from my parents,” Harry said calmly. “Didn’t you see James Potter’s spirit today too?”

"Uh!" Rita was a little taken aback; she hadn't expected to hear such a response.

Following the broken clues, discovering evidence left over from the case, and searching for hidden relics—Rita originally thought she would hear such a legendary story, but she never expected that Harry's answer would be what the deceased himself said.

A bit disappointing, it's not a compelling story... but on the other hand, it does seem quite captivating.

Rita suddenly had a realization. Even though she had witnessed the soul of the deceased return to the world today, her thinking was still stuck in the framework of wizarding magic, which was why she had overlooked this point.

"...Twelve years ago, my parents used the Faithful Charm to ensure their safety and prevent Voldemort or the Death Eaters from coming after them, and their first appointed Secret Service agent was Sirius Black."

The Seal of Loyalty is an extremely complex spell that can magically conceal someone's secret forever within the soul of a living person, creating a secret keeper.

The place where the spell of unwavering loyalty has been cast will be hidden. As long as the person keeping the secret does not reveal it, even if someone who does not know this secret arrives at the hidden place, they will not be able to see anything that originally existed there.

“That’s a fact we know,” Rita nodded.

"But actually my parents played a little trick here, or more accurately, it was Sirius's sudden inspiration—he persuaded James to change the Keeper of the Secret at Potter's old house to Peter Pettigrew, and then publicly announced that he was the Keeper of the Secret, thus drawing all of Voldemort's gang's attention to himself, so that no one would care about Peter Pettigrew's existence."

Rita's eyes were already shining.

This is the big news she's been longing for.

"In other words, it was Peter Pettigrew who betrayed the Potters; after becoming the Secret Keeper, he went and told Voldemort the secret!!"

"Yes, that's exactly what Sirius felt most guilty about. He believed that his idea had killed my parents, so he went after Peter."

“But he killed twelve Muggles and blew up a street,” Rita said, frowning. She had accepted Harry’s version of events.

“Actually, that was Peter’s magic. Peter blew up that street. According to Sirius, he only found one of Peter’s fingers there, so he stopped resisting the Ministry of Magic’s pursuit,” Harry shook his head and said. “To atone for his sudden idea, he was thrown into Azkaban without complaint.”

“Yes, yes, that makes sense.” Rita’s disheveled appearance did not diminish her excitement at all. She chattered on and on, “No wonder he just laughed when the Magic Law Enforcement Team arrived at the scene and did not try to escape or resist.”

“If it’s about avenging his dark master, then he shouldn’t have killed Peter Pettigrew, but you—uh, no offense,” Rita choked. “And I remember very clearly that Sirius’s case didn’t go through a trial at Wizengamot, and not even Truth Potion was used. Yes, yes, yes! It involves a big shot now! Barty Crouch!!”

“Without a doubt, this will severely damage the Ministry of Magic’s prestige and credibility, sir,” Rita said, looking intently at Harry. “Fudge won’t be happy to see this happen. This kind of oversight by the Ministry of Magic will directly affect his approval rating—the Ministry of Magic will go crazy!”

“Who cares?” Harry tilted his head. “That’s the truth. Should everyone else have to pay for the Ministry of Magic’s mistakes?”

“Even the Ministry of Magic can’t completely control the Daily Prophet, can it? Instead of trying to fix their mistakes, they hope to suppress them so they can continue to enjoy their power. There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” Harry said with a sneer. “I won’t allow it.”

"And there's something you're not entirely accurate about. Fudge might not be happy to see the truth come out. Just like you said, wasn't it someone else who threw Sirius into Azkaban without trial?"

"Ah! The former Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and now the Director of the Department of International Magical Exchange and Cooperation!" Rita was so excited she almost peed herself. "He was a formidable opponent when Fudge became Minister of Magic two years ago. If Crouch's son hadn't been a Death Eater, he probably would be the Minister of Magic now!"

“I understand completely now,” Rita said excitedly. “Even now, Crouch is a strong contender for Fudge’s position, but if Crouch were to make another mistake like this—sir, if I may ask, may I convey this to Fudge on your behalf?”

"Excuse my bluntness, but Fudge is an idiot," Rita said with a look of disdain. "Besides sitting in his office looking at his own statistics on approval ratings, he can't do anything, so naturally he wouldn't think of this."

“If we don’t let him see the truth, this incompetent idiot will only fly into a rage and then desperately deny everything you’ve said—he might even beat you into a black wizard because of your… magic.”

“It doesn’t matter. Just don’t forget the lessons I’ve taught you,” Harry said calmly. “Go and prove your worth as journalists who dare to speak the truth and as newspapers that dare to report the truth.”

“I will definitely not let you down,” Rita said solemnly, bowing her head. “Even the Ministry of Magic cannot stop us in this matter.”

Rita couldn't wait.

After learning such a bombshell, she even felt that all the suffering she had endured today was worthwhile—she had indeed gotten the biggest news in this strangely-looking building, just as she had initially planned, hadn't she?

(End of this chapter)