Chapter Three: The Strategem of the Renowned Journalist

He burst into the dark little cell and hauled Rog up by the collar.

“My lord, you—”

“Heh. Haven’t you always wanted to see your mother, Jessica? I’m granting your wish.” With that, he opened Cell C2 and tossed Rog inside.

“You and your mother need not thank me.” Paul left the prison with a smile. He still had to find an owl to carry a letter. Damn little Death Eater—what a nuisance.

After the war with Voldemort ended, the entire magical world suffered heavy losses and its population dwindled sharply. Diagon Alley, once so bustling, was now deserted. Were it not for the stream of new students arriving as the school year approached, one might even doubt this was Diagon Alley at all.

Rita had silky blond hair and finely arched brows; nearing forty, she spent every day thinking about how to craft a report that would be shocking, contrarian, and irresistible to gossip about.

She adjusted her gem-studded spectacles and set her splendid quill in motion. The bright green shorthand quill danced rapidly across the page, and before long a fresh article had come hot off the press.

“People have already lost interest in the Dark Lord!” Rita tore up the draft again, and the wastepaper basket beside her was already crammed full of crumpled paper. She lifted her coffee cup and stood by the window, staring at the lonely street below as she pondered how to write a sensational piece.

“Coo, coo.” An owl landed on the sill. Rita handed it a few treats and casually picked up the letter.

The handwriting on the envelope was crooked and ugly; clearly it had come from some wizard in a filthy back alley. In ordinary times, Rita would have tossed such a letter straight into the bin without a second glance.

But this one was special. It came from Azkaban. A smile spread at the corners of Rita’s eyes, and with her red nails she carefully broke the wax seal.

“Azkaban. Death Eaters.” Before she even drew out the letter, she had already thought of a new angle.

Wizards across the magical world had, in one way or another, relatives or friends imprisoned in Azkaban. If she could write one or two pieces about that, and then turn her fire on the Ministry of Magic and the Dementors as well... it would surely raise both her fame and her newspaper’s sales to a new height.

As Rita mused on this, she idly skimmed the letter. The hideous handwriting made her eyes ache, but the contents made her sit up straighter.

“Azkaban has actually held a baby prisoner for a full eleven years! Unforgivable! Absolutely unforgivable!”

In his own mind, Paul exaggerated the matter, using clumsy phrasing to tell Rita that a child had spent eleven years in Azkaban. Between the lines, he implied that the child had been locked away in the prison.

The next day, an article signed by Rita Skeeter stirred discussion among wizards. Its headline read: “The Ministry’s Secret: Have We Created a New Dark Lord?”

Just as the wand and scales in the Ministry atrium mural symbolize law and justice, so too have we always regarded the Ministry of Magic as a fortress of righteousness and a guardian of truth. But when the symbols of justice and fairness are marked by a shadow, can we still place our trust in such a creed?

According to the latest information I have obtained, the number of prisoners in Azkaban Castle soared during the war. Astonishingly, this was not the result of any just tribunal, but rather of Auror vigilantism: they authoritarianly cast wizards into cold, damp cells without trial.

Under the banner of war, such vigilantism was painted as a heroic mural of “defending our magical world.” But in truth, does this not mean that, along the road from prosperity to ruin, we have created a new Dark Lord of our own?

Here I must make one point clear: criminals undoubtedly deserve proper punishment, whether they are Death Eaters or vile dark wizards. Yet let us remember that once, the Dark Lord likewise defended his ideal of “pure blood” with this same overbearing and absolute power. He granted no fair trial, asked no questions, and never once wondered, “Are they guilty?”

He simply stripped away their rights, and led the entire magical world toward chaos and fear.

As our protectors, the Ministry and the Aurors should uphold law and justice while preserving order. They must not abuse their power, nor ignore fairness and humanity under the pretext of protecting us.

The Ministry and the Aurors must remind themselves that there is something even more terrifying than the Dark Lord: a society that has lost justice and dignity. Therefore, I call upon us all to work together and prevent history from repeating itself. Let justice be our shield, not our sword. Only then can our magical world truly emerge from the darkness, gain the strength to defeat threats like the Dark Lord, and genuinely protect witches and wizards. Otherwise, we may simply be paving the way for another Dark Lord.

In this razor-edged article, Rita used her seasoned and sensational style to expose how the Ministry and the Wizengamot had been throwing wizards into Azkaban without trial.

The officials of both departments, seeing Rita’s piece, merely laughed rather than angry. The matter had been settled years ago; for that sharp-tongued woman to attack them with it now was sheer fantasy.

At Minister Fudge’s command, the Minister’s Office quickly drafted a notice and released it that very day.

Dear wizards,

The Ministry has recently received concerns from some members of the public regarding Death Eaters and dark wizards being sent to Azkaban without trial. Following review, it has been confirmed that certain Aurors did in fact bypass normal judicial procedures during the war and directly carry out imprisonment.

In view of this matter’s impact on the principles of legal justice, the Ministry hereby offers the following explanation:

1. Those directly imprisoned were all key members of the Death Eater organization, and there is conclusive evidence proving their involvement in multiple serious crimes that endangered wizarding society and public order. Their illegal acts were clearly established, and there was a high risk of escape and retaliation.

2. Given the complexity and severity of Death Eater criminal activity, and in urgent consideration of maintaining public safety, the Ministry applied special procedures to certain core individuals and sent them directly to Azkaban in order to prevent greater harm.

3. After the war ended, the Ministry has conducted strict review of the above individuals in accordance with the law and completed trials according to procedure, ensuring that every case was handled fairly.

We will continue to uphold the rule of law and justice, and to safeguard the fundamental rights and interests of every wizard. Any criminal who violates the law will receive the punishment due. We thank all sectors for their concern regarding this matter, and we welcome your continued oversight of our work. Let us work together to build a more fair and just society for the wizarding world!

Joint statement of the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot, July 2, 1991.

Rita, seated on her flying carpet, laughed. It was clear the author of the notice was in rather good spirits, and had given themselves grounds for a rebuttal that was convincing enough.

“For now.” Rita waved her wand, and the tea set beside her sprang to life.

The teapot rose into the air and brewed the steeped black tea. A white teacup edged in gold hopped into Rita’s hand, letting the woman stamp it with the vivid red print of her lips. She tucked the Ministry notice into a small leather folder; in the distance, the castle of Azkaban was faintly visible on its wave-battered island.

“Dear Miss Rita, welcome.” From atop Azkaban’s tower, Paul stood waiting with head craned forward, greeting the beauty before him with extravagant warmth.

“Good day, Mr. Paul!” Rita removed her gloves and, inwardly disgusted, shook hands with the scruffy wizard before her. As Paul turned to show her around Azkaban, Rita hurriedly cleansed her right hand with the Scouring Charm.

“Forgive me for speaking bluntly, Mr. Paul, but this morning the Ministry and the Wizengamot issued a joint statement.”

“A statement?” Paul scratched his balding head. Azkaban was simply too far away; even the owls did not wish to fly here. He had never known what was happening in the wizarding world.

“Yes. The statement addressed those Death Eaters—yes, the people in your letter who were allegedly thrown into Azkaban without trial.” Rita held her nose as she approached Paul’s office. The Dementor that had drifted by in the corridor had made her legs go weak; she truly detested this place.

“I’m very sorry, but the Ministry, at Fudge’s request, has conducted a new review. After their strict investigation, they say the situation described in your letter did not occur.”

“They’re lying!” Paul cursed crudely, then pulled from the drawer Rog’s admission letter. He brandished the envelope in the air, and the Hogwarts crest gleamed with a peculiar light beneath the candle flames.