Rita Skeeter had lost count of how many times she regretted her actions, but deep down, she knew that when she stood at the crossroads of fate, this outcome was inevitable.
After all, curiosity doesn't just kill cats—it can also destroy a gossip-loving journalist.
It all started when she was commissioned by Wade Grey to track a suspicious group of werewolves.
On that ship, Rita Skeeter accidentally discovered that some Ministry of Magic officials were also traveling on this slow Muggle vessel. Without hesitation, she eavesdropped in the hopes of uncovering a major scoop.
And oh, what a scoop it was.
A Ministry official named Umbridge was bizarre in every possible way—from her attire to her speech and mannerisms. Even for someone as well-informed as Rita, this was an eye-opening experience.
During the banquet, Umbridge boldly discussed how Muggles, Squibs, and Mudbloods should be treated, as well as how to eliminate "filthy non-human creatures."
"I believe Muggles are unworthy of existence—of course, they're already in this world, and occasionally, they can be useful. After all, some jobs need to be done by someone."
"So, we can be a little tolerant—allowing those with dirty blood to live."
"I think that if wizards were to rule over Muggles, we should exterminate the disobedient ones and domesticate the rest, and raise them like livestock."
"They should not receive education, nor should they have the right to wield weapons. Muggles only need to learn how to work."
"As for those born with magic among Muggles—Mudbloods—we must not allow them to wield wands. That would be far too dangerous for the wizarding world."
"I also hope to push for new Ministry policies to strengthen the management of non-human beings."
"For example, expanding the Werewolf Capture Unit and reinstating vampire purges—these measures are absolutely necessary."
"Giants, Veela, goblins, centaurs, and merfolk must all be placed under strict wizarding control... They must prove their worth to justify their existence."
"Of course... I believe giants should all be exterminated. Their only purpose is to remind us that even the Creator is not perfect..."
Since the people seated around her were lower-ranking Ministry officials, many of whom openly or secretly supported pure-blood supremacy and the idea of wizards holding more power, Umbridge spoke without restraint.
She genuinely believed there was nothing wrong with her views. From the depths of her heart, she saw them as correct and just. Even if others didn't understand, she simply assumed she was ahead of her time.
It was precisely because of this unwavering self-belief that Umbridge, often regarded as "terrifyingly evil," was even able to cast a Patronus Charm—something that only strengthened her confidence.
She failed to notice that even those she considered her "own kind" showed signs of discomfort when they heard her cold-blooded and cruel proposals.
She also failed to notice the tiny beetle perched on the Roman curtain rod in the corner of the room.
Rita Skeeter had recorded every word that Umbridge had said. She had plenty of dirt like this, just waiting for the right moment when Umbridge would lose power so she could break a major story.
How does one become a successful gossip journalist? It all comes down to years of careful accumulation.
For the remainder of the trip, Rita almost completely forgot about Wade's request. She was too focused on collecting Umbridge's scandals. The more she investigated, the more she felt she had struck gold.
However, Umbridge's position as the Ministry of Magic's Deputy Minister made Rita wary. For now, she decided to sit on the information, just as she had done with other sensitive material.
But upon returning to Britain, she was surprised to discover that Umbridge's status wasn't as secure as she had pretended.
Minister Fudge had deliberately found excuses to undermine her twice, reassigning some of her most important tasks to others.
Instead, he had her inspecting the quality of cauldrons at import and export checkpoints—work that was typically reserved for interns.
This was a clear sign that Umbridge had been pushed out of the Ministry's inner circle.
Seeing this, Rita was eager to expose her, but since Umbridge still technically held her title, she decided to test the waters with a scandalous affair instead.
Unfortunately, this time, Rita—who was known for exaggeration—didn't even need to lie. Yet she still managed to provoke an opponent far tougher than she had ever imagined.
Before the Minister of Magic, Umbridge acted as obedient as a dog, practically begging for approval. But within the Ministry itself, she actually wielded considerable power and controlled many lower-level employees.
It didn't take long for Rita to face retaliation. She was forced to flee Britain in a hurry.
Luckily, her Animagus form had never been exposed, and Wade had "lent" her an invisibility cloak, making her escape relatively smooth.
She used a public owl at the post office to send a blank letter abroad. Then, transforming into a beetle, she clung to the owl's back and flew out of the British Isles.
Originally, she was supposed to land in Denmark, a country known for its openness and tolerance.
However, while flying over the sea, the owl was unexpectedly shot down by a Muggle ship.
Rita and the owl crashed onto the deck. The poor owl died on impact, but the beetle managed to flap its wings just before landing and safely settled into a pile of coiled ropes.
At the time, Rita thought it was just an unfortunate accident.
—Although I have never heard of Muggles eating owls, perhaps these ones have peculiar tastes?
—Muggles are such barbaric and crude creatures.
Rita Skeeter scoffed at the thought and began planning her next move.
It wasn't that she couldn't Apparate—rather, her Apparition skills weren't good enough to cover the vast distance across the ocean. She had no intention of risking Splinching herself.
Then, she overheard a conversation between two Muggles—
"How could there be an owl in the middle of the ocean?"
"Owls are messengers for wizards. Almost all wizards use them to send letters—pathetic fools, they've fallen so far behind the times."
Rita Skeeter's heart skipped a beat.
These Muggles know about the wizarding world? Had they shot down the owl on purpose?
She then heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. Quickly, she squeezed her tiny body deeper into the gaps between the coiled ropes and peeked out.
A tanned man bent down, picked up the dead owl, and removed the letter.
"What does it say?" a younger fisherman asked curiously.
"Strange…" the older man muttered. "It's just a blank sheet of paper."
He flipped the parchment over a few times and rubbed it with his rough fingers, as if suspecting it contained some hidden mechanism.
Then, folding the blank letter, he said, "Maybe it's written with invisible ink—let's take it back for them to check. Also, we need to investigate the address on it."
"Do you think a wizard lives there?"
The young fisherman licked his lips, his voice filled with anticipation.
"Perhaps," the older man chuckled. "If we manage to catch one or two wizards, we'll make a huge contribution this time!"
"Lev, have you ever seen a wizard? Can they really turn invisible?"
"Never seen one, but I've heard that wizards can not only make themselves invisible, but their houses too. Why, do you wish you were a wizard?"
"Who wouldn't?" the young fisherman admitted bluntly. "If I could turn invisible, I'd rob a bank vault and never worry about money again."
The older man burst into laughter. "No need to envy them—who knows? Maybe one day, we'll have magic too!"
Their rough laughter rang out as if right next to her ear, sending chills down Rita's spine.
Perhaps it was the Ministry of Magic's long-standing vigilance and commitment to secrecy that had drilled the Statute of Secrecy deep into everyone's consciousness.
Even someone as self-serving as Rita Skeeter instinctively believed—the Statute of Secrecy must never be broken.
Hearing two Muggles casually joke about the wizarding world in such a familiar and mocking tone filled her with unease.
Her beetle form twitched its antennae, and her sixth sense screamed at her like crashing waves—Leave immediately!
But…
She had no idea how far she was from land and didn't dare attempt Apparition recklessly. Confident in her own survival skills, Rita ultimately decided to stay.
"I'll leave as soon as the ship docks!"
She reassured herself.
"As long as I can slip into some bushes or a forest, I'll be fine. I'm just a beetle—who could possibly find me?"
Besides, in her Animagus form, as long as she could suppress her craving for real food, she could survive on just a few bread crumbs or vegetable leaves.
Water was even less of a concern—just a few dewdrops condensed on the glass in the morning were enough to satisfy a tiny beetle's needs.
The fishing boat sailed the sea for several days, and Rita stubbornly endured the entire time, never once transforming back into her human form.
During this time, she crawled around the ship, sneaking and hiding to gather information, and finally managed to piece together the identities of the crew.
They belonged to a Muggle group called "The Organization."
Everyone on the ship was aware of the wizarding world's existence and believed that wizards had always been demons—spreading plagues, causing chaos, starting wars, and oppressing Muggles.
They despised the existence of wizards yet envied their abilities.
More than once, Rita overheard them excitedly discussing how, if they could capture a wizard, they would send them to a laboratory for "dissection" and transplant magical abilities into members of their Organization.
Although they had no idea how such a transplant could be done—as if magical power resided in a specific organ—they were absolutely convinced that the laboratory would figure it out.
And if it hadn't succeeded yet, it was only because they didn't have enough "research samples." But eventually, they would.
Just fantasizing about their "wonderful lives" after gaining magic was enough to keep them passionately discussing the topic for hours, making the long voyage across the endless sea much less boring.
Only a single beetle hid in the cracks of the wooden walls and trembled in fear.
Compared to these Muggles, even Voldemort seemed almost kind.
…
A few days later, the fishing boat finally reached shore.
The beetle wasted no time and flew off the ship and darted into the fallen leaves of the bushes near the coast.
Rita Skeeter took one last glance at the fishing boat and the people waiting at the dock, making a mental note of this place. Then, sticking close to the grass, she flew away, the joy of freedom and safety echoing in her heart.
Once she had flown a safe distance away, Rita Skeeter transformed back into her human form. Her next step was to find someone to ask where she was before deciding whether to Apparate or use Muggle transportation.
"I need a proper meal... I'll order red wine foie gras and French escargots, with lobster and oysters, and of course, a steak… maybe some stew too…"
She muttered to herself, feeling the desperate need to soothe her starving stomach.
With her red-painted nails, she ran her fingers through her slightly tangled golden curls and felt irritated—it is never easy to find a satisfying hair salon.
Rita made a conscious effort to push the more dangerous thoughts out of her mind.
"I'm just a journalist," she told herself. "This kind of trouble is better left to Wade Grey—he wanted to investigate the forces behind those werewolves anyway."
"But these people are Muggles… Well, who's to say werewolves and Muggles can't be working together? My investigation results are what they are!"
"Wade Grey and that meddlesome Dumbledore are both the type to stick their noses into everything. Even if they find out I lied to them, there's nothing they can do about it…"
Muttering to herself, Rita followed a narrow path and searched for signs of human habitation.
But the area was eerily desolate—not just devoid of people but even lacking insects.
From a high-altitude view, this was neither the mainland nor any known Muggle country.
It was merely a large, sparsely populated island.
At the center of the island stood a vast complex of buildings.
But as a beetle, Rita Skeeter couldn't fly high or far enough to get a full view of the island from above. She was still searching through the jungle.
Nearby, on a tall palm tree, a hidden surveillance camera rotated halfway, its lens locked onto Rita Skeeter's figure.
Before long, a sharp alarm sounded from somewhere, followed by the furious roar of a man:
"What is this? Can someone tell me how this idiot of a woman got in?!"
—
Buzzzzzz——
Seconds later, a piercing humming sound echoed across the entire island, with sound waves spreading outward from the island's center.
At the same time, countless hidden electromagnetic coils around the island spun at high speed, generating a massive, invisible electromagnetic field.
Startled birds took off in a frenzy, wild animals in the jungle began to flee wildly—some even crashed headfirst into trees. Even the insects hidden in the grass scattered in a desperate panic.
In the surrounding waters, schools of fish darted toward the deep sea. Near the rocky edges of the island, cylindrical pipes spewed scorching hot streams into the cold seawater, leaving the seabed devoid of any common marine life.
Unaware of what was happening, Rita Skeeter was still walking through the jungle when, suddenly, an unbearable pain surged through her body.
It felt like she was being stabbed by needles, devoured by ants—she let out a bloodcurdling scream and collapsed as she was writhing on the ground.
"AAAAAHHHH!!"
Her shrieks echoed through the jungle.
The hellish sensation lasted only a minute, but to Rita, it felt like an eternity.
As soon as she regained some sense of control over her body, she fought through the overwhelming pain, stumbled to her feet, and attempted to Apparate.
—Even if it means Splinching, even if Umbridge's people find me , I don't care anymore.
Compared to this agony, what is Azkaban?
"Thud!"
She spun twice in place—and collapsed.
The magic she had always relied on, obedient and unwavering, had suddenly betrayed her will.
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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