American comics: From Hogwarts to God on Earth

Just as Snape, who had unknowingly been led astray by Dumbledore, had predicted, the rune that he had been worried about was now being cheered by the ostracized Slytherin students.

Indeed, Slytherins are known for their unity, but this unity only manifests when they are united against a common enemy. When it's just their own people, Slytherin's atmosphere resembles social Darwinism. Ironically, they bully others not based on grades, but on family background. Pure-blood gets a point, half-blood gets nothing, Muggle-born gets a point; rich gets a point, middle-class gets nothing, poor gets a point deducted, and so on.

Of course, there were Muggle-born wizards and pure-blood paupers in Slytherin, and quite a few of them. Some of these young wizards didn't choose to become lackeys of certain people, and thus endured subtle forms of bullying. These individuals weren't particularly arrogant, but over time, resentment had built up within them. When Rune forced the Slytherins to apologize, they were overjoyed.

That's why, even though many Slytherins were just being forced to apologize, some students immediately picked up Rune and tossed him around. Coupled with the commotion from the Slytherin students, led by Edward, who had already decided to follow Rune, Rune was momentarily overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and could only let them toss him up and down.

Rune thought to himself, "Let them be." So he didn't use his flying ability.

After the farce, it was already evening. Rune had just left the Requirement House when he sensed something approaching, but it wasn't dangerous. Rune's beast sense merely gave a warning, like a lazy waiter encountering a customer outside of mealtimes.

However, he still looked around, scanning every corner carefully, and finally spotted a familiar beetle. This beetle had eye-like markings around its eyes. Rune immediately knew who it was, whispered reassuring words, then found a secluded spot to take flight and plunged straight into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

"Come out," Rune said. The beetle trembled slightly, its body began to swell, and its carapace slowly cracked open, revealing soft skin. Its limbs gradually stretched out, its head became clearer, and its facial features gradually appeared.

A moment later, a woman wearing an oversized pair of jeweled glasses appeared before Rune. She still had her meticulously styled curly blonde hair, a sharp face, and piercing eyes, but Rita Skeeter, who usually wore a sly smile, was now pale. Her eyes darted around in a panic, her hands trembled involuntarily, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

"What's wrong?" Rune frowned.

Rita Skeeter's hands clasped together involuntarily, her body trembling slightly, her voice barely audible: "I think I've gotten myself into big trouble..."

"Did you offend Grindelwald and the Sorcerers..." Rune asked softly, "or Voldemort and the Death Eaters?"

He walked over to Rita and gently patted her shoulder. The overpowering scent of her perfume made Rune hold his breath slightly. "Or perhaps the Ministry of Magic?"

Upon hearing "Ministry of Magic," Rita's eyes widened immediately, and Rune understood instantly upon seeing her reaction.

Rita was, after all, a journalist. She might disdain so-called justice, but she couldn't refuse the fame and prestige that came from revealing the truth. Her coming to find her most likely meant she'd offended someone she shouldn't have. And for Rita, who in the magical world was someone she couldn't afford to offend? Nothing more than the two Dark Lords and their minions, and the Ministry of Magic.

Rita wasn't even afraid of Dumbledore. This was because everyone had witnessed the Ministry of Magic's actions towards Dumbledore over the years; they knew he had a bottom line, and that he would absolutely abide by any specific rules and regulations. Therefore, not only was Rita unafraid of Dumbledore, but almost everyone in the wizarding world was. What use is a sharp sword if it can't be drawn?

But besides the two Dark Lords and their minions, there's another force Rita can't afford to offend, and arguably even more threatening than the former. This force is, of course, the Ministry of Magic. After all, both Dark Lords have lost power, making it difficult for them to even deliberately seek out remnants, let alone provoke them. But the Ministry of Magic still exists, and all wizards in Britain are still under its jurisdiction.

Some might wonder, given that the Ministry of Magic seems like a force similar to Dumbledore's, and that as long as you follow the law, there's nothing to fear. But setting aside the fact that Rita herself is an illegal Animagus, the Ministry of Magic is essentially a violent institution. If Ministry members truly wanted to target individual wizards, they would have plenty of grounds, such as violating the Statute of Secrets—a catch-all offense.

What is a "catch-all" crime? It is a crime with an abstract name and vague description.

For example, Section 13 of the Wizarding Code states that any magical activity that might attract the attention of non-magical members is a serious violation of the law. Furthermore, the law even stipulates dress codes for wizards and witches among Muggles, requiring them to dress strictly according to Muggle standards and to be as fashionable as possible when interacting with them. Clothing must be appropriate for the climate, region, and occasion, and no alterations or modifications may be made in front of Muggles.

So here's the question: what constitutes magical activity that might attract the attention of Muggles? What constitutes clothing that complies with the Secrets Act? Isn't that entirely up to the Ministry of Magic to define? So if a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Magic really wanted to punish a particular wizard, they could just accuse him of violating the Secrets Act and arrest him in Azkaban.

What's even more alarming is that the current Minister of Magic is Fudge. As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too; how can one expect the Ministry of Magic members to uphold their duties? Furthermore, Rita had previously revealed that she had incriminating evidence against key Ministry officials, yet she still got into trouble, which precisely illustrates the magnitude of this trouble.

Rita was secretly groaning. After all, she had just been threatened by Rune, and it was only natural for her to try and appease him. So she decided to interview a few Potions Masters and sing hymns to the seemingly powerful little boy. But then the Potions Masters disappeared.

If things had ended there, it would have been fine, but she chose to delve deeper, using her Animagus to search the Ministry of Magic for files on missing wizards. As she expected, she found them, and the number of missing wizards each year was staggering. She even forgot to flatter Rune, and after some time, successfully drafted a press release.

After it was published, the article indeed attracted widespread attention. Rita's name became an overnight sensation, but she was warned. A threatening letter was stuck to her face, yet she slept soundly that night, meaning that the guy could have easily killed her, but for some reason didn't. This terrified Rita.

At noon, another Auror came knocking on her door, and Rita was naturally terrified. She could only grasp at the last straw and seek refuge with Rune, whose strength was unknown.