For Glenn and Hermione, who already knew the truth and understood that Sirius Black had been wrongfully accused, Rita Skeeter's exposé carried virtually no shock value. But for those who had remained in the dark for so long, it proved absolutely earth-shattering.
Once this edition of the Daily Prophet hit the stands, opinions erupted everywhere like wildfire. Voices arose from every conceivable position as people scrambled to express their thoughts.
Conspiracy theories flourished: "The Ministry has been deeply infiltrated by You-Know-Who's remaining forces—this entire incident was orchestrated to clear Sirius Black's name." Sharp criticisms emerged: "Ministry incompetence and willful blindness caused an innocent man to suffer twelve years of wrongful imprisonment." Some extreme werewolf advocacy groups even began spreading inflammatory rhetoric: "All werewolves are good werewolves—when will we finally achieve equality?"
In the end, only the Ministry of Magic suffered genuine damage.
The Ministry received such an avalanche of mail that their systems nearly collapsed. Owls streamed endlessly through the building. Mail processing staff sported bloodshot eyes and cracked lips, appearing decades older as they worked around the clock. Minister Fudge grew increasingly frazzled—several items in his office bore the scars of his frustrated outbursts as he struggled to manage countless interview requests.
Fudge was approaching his breaking point.
Why do these catastrophes always occur during my administration?
Recognizing that this crisis showed no signs of abating—indeed, it was intensifying—the Ministry realized that continued inaction would blacken their reputation beyond repair.
After considerable deliberation, the Ministry's official statement finally appeared in the Daily Prophet, occupying a full quarter-page spread.
The entire piece consisted largely of bureaucratic nonsense and empty phrases. The essential message could be distilled to a single sentence:
With Ministry assistance, Sirius Black successfully apprehended the true perpetrator of the explosion twelve years ago—Peter Pettigrew.
The language remained deliberately ambiguous and vague, glossing over the Ministry's catastrophic misjudgment while emphasizing that Peter Pettigrew's crimes had been confirmed. They would revoke his previous honors and impose severe punishment. Sirius Black's charges were baseless, and his arrest warrant had been lifted.
The Ministry official responsible for crafting this statement had agonized over every word and phrase for days before publication.
Below the text appeared a series of photographs showing Peter Pettigrew—who should have perished twelve years earlier—during his recent trial. In these images, Minister Fudge presided with stern authority from the judgment seat.
Before one crisis could fully resolve, another wave crashed over the wizarding world—shock at this dramatic reversal.
The Ministry's deliberately vague statements and subtle linguistic manipulation allowed speculation-prone readers to fill narrative gaps through imagination.
Perhaps events actually unfolded like this...
The Ministry's brilliant officials had discovered suspicious circumstances surrounding that explosion long ago. However, lacking sufficient evidence and unable to locate Peter Pettigrew, they chose discretion over publicity. Instead, they pretended to imprison Sirius Black while secretly collaborating with him to investigate the matter and track Pettigrew's whereabouts.
Even Peter Pettigrew's Order of Merlin, First Class had been mere bait—designed to lull the traitor into complacency.
Through tireless effort spanning twelve years, truth finally emerged and the long-fugitive criminal faced justice.
Such an absurd narrative—surely no rational person would believe it?
Many did.
Thanks to Ministry agents secretly manipulating public discourse, this preferred interpretation quickly dominated wizarding opinion. Every society contains mindless followers who form strong opinions based on others' descriptions rather than facts, then defend their conclusions with unwavering certainty.
The Ministry successfully steered public perception in their favor, conveniently omitting any mention of Peter Pettigrew's subsequent disappearance. Despite consistent Auror testimony describing Death Eaters infiltrating their ranks before losing consciousness, the Ministry showed no intention of investigating further.
This infuriated Sirius, though he didn't despair. His enemy's continued existence somewhere in the world meant opportunities for personal vengeance remained.
What Sirius didn't realize was that Peter Pettigrew might already be reduced to ash under Snape's tender care.
His resilient attitude stemmed primarily from his newfound freedom—he could finally stand openly beside his beloved godson.
After completing Ministry medical treatment and regaining consciousness, Sirius and Lupin returned to Hogwarts.
"I've purchased a house near your dreadful relatives," Sirius announced, clapping Harry's shoulder warmly. "You can visit during holidays."
"Really? That's brilliant!" Harry's face lit up before concern crept in. "But... are you leaving already? Professor Lupin, can't you continue teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts? I'd wager you're the finest instructor Hogwarts has ever seen!"
Learning of their return, Harry had abandoned Quidditch practice immediately, rushing to the Defense classroom still clutching his Firebolt—Sirius's Christmas gift—without bothering to change from his training robes.
Lupin smiled gently at Harry's praise, though melancholy shadowed his expression.
"Harry, I'm deeply grateful for your confidence in my teaching, but my lycanthropic identity has been exposed. I cannot remain at Hogwarts."
"But you'd never hurt us! Everyone knows that—you received our letters, didn't you?"
"Some decisions transcend personal preference, Harry. While students may accept me, countless others in wizarding society cannot tolerate a werewolf teaching at Hogwarts. I'm sorry, but I cannot continue as your Defense professor."
"Will I ever see you again?"
Harry's plaintive expression tugged at Lupin's heart. Sirius laughed heartily, throwing a companionable arm around his friend.
"Don't fret—he'll be staying with me! Whenever you miss us, simply walk over for a visit!"
"Brilliant!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
🔥 Want to read the next 120+ chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on Patreon - patreon.com/DarkGolds]