Right after this, Harry Potter finally learned that all the targeting he had suffered had actually been done by Professor Quirrell—not by Snape. Back then, during the Quidditch match, it was Quirrell who had been chanting a curse, while Snape had actually been trying to help him. This revelation left Harry stunned and bewildered.
Edward's eyes carried a hint of contemplation. In Edward's view, the character who was shaped the best was, in fact, Snape.
After all, starting from the Philosopher's Stone, the audience kept wondering: why did Snape target Harry Potter so intensely? The animosity was so obvious, and in the early part of the movie, the audience was even deliberately misled into believing that Harry's misfortunes were all caused by Snape. After all, Snape was muttering incantations the entire time, and the moment his robes caught on fire, Harry regained control of his broom.
This antagonism also lasted for a long period. Practically every time Snape saw Harry, his expression would sour, full of disapproval. Harry himself held strong opinions about Snape as well, and everything wasn't revealed until the final stretch of the story—of course, many of those hints were foreshadowed earlier.
Such as that unique Patronus.
Later, after Harry extracted Snape's memories, he finally learned everything.
Once upon a time, Snape had been very close to Harry's mother, Lily. But because of a quarrel, Snape called Lily a "Mudblood," and Lily resolutely broke their friendship him, never speaking to him again—yet Snape continued loving her deeply.
In the end, Lily married someone who used to bully Snape back at Hogwarts. They had Harry, which made Snape's emotions toward Harry extremely complicated.
On the day Lily died, Snape arrived too late. He could only collapse in despair, cradling the woman he loved, crying uncontrollably as his tears fell without end. Even after Lily's death, Snape's love for her never faded; his Patronus remained identical to hers, and he desperately wanted to protect Harry's life. That hesitation made Dumbledore consider alternative solutions.
The reason Snape paid so much attention to Harry was precisely this: he believed Harry had Lily's eyes, but unfortunately looked far too much like James Potter. That face alone was enough to kindle Snape's resentment.
It was through this unyielding devotion—paired with the lifelong regret of missing his chance—that Snape managed to win the hearts of countless Harry Potter fans, earning him the title of "the most devoted man in the series."
But those plotlines belonged to later. Edward wasn't planning to film that part immediately. Compared to that, he needed to repair and renovate the old castle he had purchased, and once fully restored, it would serve as his set for Hogwarts.
Although Edward had considered building a separate set, he realized Hogwarts would need to be filmed repeatedly over a long period of time. Real locations were better than temporary sets, and the castle he bought happened to be a perfect match.
There was even a lake nearby—extremely convenient, practically a naturally born Hogwarts.
Thinking of the castle reminded Edward of something else. Although he had purchased it, he hadn't done any real renovations yet. So, Edward decided he should make a trip there. He also saw it as an opportunity to give himself and Fortune, Q, and the others some time off. After all, these past weeks Edward had been constantly busy, and Fortune had also been working non-stop. Even someone as wealthy as Fortune couldn't withstand such work pressure.
A proper break was necessary.
Even though Edward was the boss of both Devon Corporation and Ghost Films, he was still allowed to rest. Sure, sometimes he still had to handle company business during vacations, but it wasn't too burdensome. Traveling or taking time off was still perfectly possible. After all, if a boss spent every day trapped in the office, he would probably be more miserable than any corporate worker.
And so, after briefly informing Zoroark, Edward prepared to leave. But before he could go, he still had to accept an interview.
An interview with the "Sixth Princess."
"Thankfully it's the Sixth Princess conducting the interview and not some strange, unpredictable program. Otherwise, things would really get troublesome." Edward took a deep breath. Interviews were something that felt very distant from his past life, yet extremely close in his current one. If Edward wanted to, he could go out every day and accept interviews—but he simply didn't feel like it.
Edward was somewhat resistant to interviews, especially because in his previous life he had seen a certain infamous talk show host. Her interviewing style was so awkward it could make your toes curl into the ground. And by either luck or misfortune, that host somehow also existed in the Pokémon world. Edward remembered her show's local name: "Dee's Exclusive", which was unintentionally hilarious.
Edward vividly remembered an episode he once watched. Under the harsh studio spotlights, the show—supposedly a warm corner for celebrities to "share their life stories"—completely fell apart. The guest that day was Mark, a once-promising internet entrepreneur who had gone silent after his startup failed two years earlier. The plan had been to explore the theme of "Restarting Life," but the host's relentless questioning dragged the interview into a swamp of pure awkwardness.
"I heard your company couldn't even afford payroll in the end?" Dee opened with that. Mark's smile froze at the corners of his mouth. Edward sat upright—if it had been him, he would have walked out already.
"Our cash flow was tight at the time, but we prioritized compensation for the team…" Mark adjusted his posture and tried to reply, but before he could finish, Dee cut him off:
"But during your funding round, you said you'd 'never let the team suffer.' Now you've broken that promise—don't you feel ashamed?"
Whispers and stifled laughter rippled through the audience. Edward remembered that sound vividly. But what impressed him even more was how Mark's knuckles went pale as he gripped the sofa, forcing himself to remain composed.
The scene spiraled downward as the questions grew harsher. When Mark tried to explain how the economic winter had affected startups, Dee suddenly raised an eyebrow toward the camera:
"Viewers, look—his ears are turning red! Isn't this the face of someone who just wants to escape?"
A few awkward laughs echoed. Mark forced a smile, but the camera zoomed in on his swallowing throat.
The most controversial moment came at the end, when Dee lifted the last product Mark's company ever released—a "smart water bottle"—and sighed dramatically:
"So, all it can do now is remind you to 'drink water,' but it couldn't save your company, right?"
Mark lowered his eyes, remained silent for several seconds, and finally whispered, "Yes."
After this episode aired, public outrage exploded. Many said Dee had gone way too far. But Edward had seen even worse—truly outrageous moments from a notorious host in his previous world. The internet was full of clips so unforgettable they made people question how that host had ever been allowed so many shows. Surely all that "shock value" wasn't just a planned effect?
Interviews like that were complete disasters. Thankfully, today Edward would not be subjected to that kind of torture. The Sixth Princess' interviews were always normal and professional. After tidying himself up, Edward arrived at the station.
Television stations still held some importance. Even though hardly anyone watched TV anymore, the industry still retained a sliver of market share. After all, the older generation still used it, and tradition dies hard.
Edward remembered that when he first arrived in this world as a child, TVs were a luxury household item. Later, as they became more common, the first golden age of television arrived.
But it didn't last long. Then came the wave of technological change—smartphones. Their rise delivered a heavy blow to traditional television, forcing it into decline. Still, the industry survived, though barely. Many stations eventually moved online to survive.
"Television stations, huh?" Looking at the building before him, Edward could still faintly sense its former glory, leaving him a little nostalgic.
With his invitation letter, Edward entered easily. Even in decline, television stations were still substantial institutions. They had once been an important voice for the League, so naturally they were protected.
A small police unit even guarded the entrance.
"Director Edward! It's such a pleasure to meet you!" As soon as Edward entered the Sixth Princess' studio, he saw the host—someone he recognized. She was a veteran host for the network, well-loved for her sweet looks and excellent hosting skills.
She had once handled a major live broadcast incident flawlessly, keeping the show running so smoothly that no viewer realized anything had gone wrong. Truly a seasoned professional.
Edward respected professionals like her. He disliked incompetent hosts—the kind who only stirred trouble and made everyone uncomfortable. Compared to them, today's situation was far preferable.
"I'm honored to be here for this interview," Edward replied politely with a smile. Treat people with courtesy—it never hurts. Sure, Edward was powerful enough that being late wouldn't matter, but there was no need to act like some egotistical celebrity.
He didn't need to flaunt his status.
The host was indeed skilled; in just a few words she smoothly guided the conversation toward the interview details. Edward reviewed the plan with her, ensuring no mistakes would occur later.
After confirming everything, Edward felt relieved. At least he wouldn't need to worry during the interview. That alone made him quite satisfied. After a brief conversation, the interview officially began.
"Director Edward, The Grudge 3 has surpassed one billion in box office within two weeks of release. Yet on social media, 78% of viewers say they had to sleep with the lights on after watching. What do you think about this 'painful but enjoyable' viewing phenomenon?" Lanny asked with a gentle smile.
"This shows that we successfully evolved horror films from simple sensory shock into a collective psychological experiment. Modern people are under immense pressure; experiencing fear in a safe environment actually becomes a way to release emotions. That said, I still recommend insomniacs avoid a second viewing." Edward chuckled. He had already planned how to answer these questions.
"The previous film, The Grudge 2, was criticized for relying too much on jump-scares. But this time, you used many long shots to build suffocating tension—for example, the seven-minute night sequence of Kayako crawling. Why take such a risk and change the style?" Lanny continued.
"True fear isn't a ghost suddenly popping out—it's the moment when you know danger is approaching but your body refuses to move, as if nailed to the floor. That scene used a 360-degree rotating shot. The viewer's perspective was completely synchronized with the victim's, even the breathing sound was medically sampled. Under extreme fear, breathing becomes uneven and fragmented." Edward explained patiently.
He did enjoy using jump-scares—simple and effective.
"Actress Takako Fuji mentioned that you had very strict requirements during filming, and even bought a whole house specifically as the shooting location for The Grudge. What's your view on that?" Lanny asked gently.
"That house has been converted into a themed escape room, and all the ticket revenue is donated to anti-domestic violence organizations. During filming, I did have high expectations for the cast, and I also wanted to address some physical phenomena. For instance, people often hear the sound of marbles falling in the attic, but that's just old wood expanding and contracting with temperature changes." Edward shrugged. He had done some science explanations—but of course horror films weren't exactly the best place for scientific analysis.
Lanny laughed, then continued with a series of questions. Finally, as the interview neared its end, she asked the last one—a question she had prepared in advance.
"Many viewers say Director Edward is very good at scaring people. So as the final question, could you use one sentence to frighten those who haven't watched the movie yet?"
"When you leave the theater and feel a sudden heaviness on your shoulder, whatever you do, don't look back. After all… not every 'viewer' in the cinema is necessarily human." Edward delivered his rehearsed line perfectly.
The entire studio burst into laughter, and with that, the interview drew to a close.
(End of Chapter)