The speed at which last night's incident was exposed exceeded Hermione's wildest imagination. The Ministry's information containment proved as effective as tissue paper—by the next morning, the Daily Prophet's front page blazed with this headline:
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Prisoner and Werewolf: Villains or Heroes?
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The byline read Rita Skeeter—that British witch journalist with an uncanny ability to unearth the most classified information, specializing in scandalous and controversial articles designed to generate attention and readership.
She possessed an almost supernatural talent for detecting major stories at their inception, somehow obtaining this still-smoldering news through mysterious means.
Hermione, a faithful Daily Prophet subscriber, naturally received her morning edition from the owls' talons while enjoying her Christmas holiday breakfast. Spotting the explosive headline, she arched an eyebrow and nudged Glenn meaningfully, gesturing for him to examine the paper alongside her.
The article's centerpiece featured a moving photograph that spoke volumes: Sirius and werewolf Lupin shepherding battered Aurors from roaring flames. Their swaying, injured forms against the backdrop of fire that seemed ready to leap from the page conveyed the tremendous sacrifice these two men had made protecting their former pursuers.
Rita Skeeter's photojournalism skills were undeniably masterful.
In her article, Skeeter painted Sirius Black as a fundamentally decent man wrongfully imprisoned by Ministry incompetence for twelve years. During his escape, he'd encountered the very Aurors who'd once hunted him—now trapped in a deadly forest fire—and rescued them alongside his companion without harboring grudges.
"Honestly, this is obviously Skeeter's fabrication," Hermione observed with sardonic amusement, "but it's surprisingly accurate to reality."
She'd always despised this journalist who constantly published improper and false statements in the Daily Prophet, but this time her manufactured story aligned remarkably well with actual events.
If the Ministry later issued clarifications regarding Sirius, this woman's journalistic reputation would undoubtedly soar even higher.
The thought was thoroughly irritating.
Shaking off her annoyance, Hermione forced herself to continue reading rather than dwelling on future encounters with an even more insufferable Rita Skeeter.
The article also exposed Lupin's lycanthropic identity, but unlike society's typical prejudice against werewolves, Skeeter lavished praise upon his condition. She heaped compliments, virtues, and noble qualities upon Lupin's character until he practically achieved sainthood in print.
Conversely, she deployed her full arsenal of sarcasm against the Ministry—their supposed opposition. Every conceivable criticism found its way into her prose: institutional bias, prejudicial treatment, willful blindness, and bureaucratic incompetence. She'd weaponized every phrase capable of stirring controversy and public outrage.
By elevating the feared Azkaban escapee and despised werewolf to heroic status while simultaneously demolishing the Ministry's authoritative image, she'd crafted perfect narrative tension.
She understood precisely how to capture readers' attention and manufacture profitable controversy.
Had Hermione not recognized Skeeter's fundamental nature as a traffic-seeking opportunist from her previous work, she might have applauded this particular brand of chaos-mongering.
"This should benefit Sirius and Professor Lupin considerably," Hermione mused. "All the exposed information favors them, and..."
She paused thoughtfully before continuing:
"Frankly speaking, most wizards are easily manipulated individuals who readily accept others' opinions. From that perspective, this terrible journalist actually accomplished something worthwhile for once."
"But I'm puzzled—why would Ministry officials allow Skeeter to publish this information?"
"Misdirection from a larger scandal," Glenn replied, lifting his steaming milk bowl and blowing gently across its surface. "Though it's ultimately futile damage control."
He sipped the rich, creamy liquid, savoring its warmth before elaborating:
"Notice what's missing from today's Prophet—my deliberate exposure to those Aurors and Snape's Dark Mark casting. Ministry officials are desperately suppressing that story, even permitting Skeeter to publish unfavorable coverage as distraction."
"Consider the mathematics: Britain's wizarding population is substantial, but those who personally witnessed last night's Dark Mark represent a tiny fraction. Anyone capable of clearly identifying that symbol possesses sufficient intelligence and caution to avoid reckless public statements. Without widespread attention, such incidents naturally fade from collective memory."
Though Glenn lacked formal expertise in public relations, logical deduction led him to this conclusion—one that earned Hermione's agreement.
"But doesn't this undermine your goal of alerting the wizarding world to Voldemort's return?" she pressed. "Should we invest additional effort? Perhaps discretely spreading information within Hogwarts, or submitting anonymous articles to alternative publications? Luna's father's Quibbler might prove receptive."
Glenn shook his head decisively. Honestly, he'd already decided against further investment in this particular strategy.
"Unnecessary. The seeds of doubt and panic have taken root. Ministry officials might successfully deceive the public, but they cannot deceive themselves indefinitely. This incident may fade from immediate attention, but those psychological seeds will germinate silently over time."
"Patience is sufficient."
"...I suspect you're simply being lazy," Hermione accused with fond exasperation.
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