Slytherin's Outstanding Graduates

farce.

The impromptu press conference convened by the Ministry of Magic turned into a farce.

The culprit behind all this was a self-proclaimed righteous rookie female reporter, and what she perceived as a cry from the depths of her heart.

But is Betty Braithwaite's every word and action truly righteous, while Belvina Black's actions are truly heinous?

The answer is no. Braithwaite may not represent justice, and Belvina is not an irredeemable villain. The conflict between the two is ultimately just a difference in their positions.

Generally speaking, a person's stance depends on their position. In other words, "where you sit determines where you think."

Belvina is the head of the Ministry of Magic's Public Information Service and receives a salary from the Ministry of Magic, so she should naturally stand on the Ministry's side.

Although the three-masted sailing ship was old and dilapidated, and the cabins often leaked, Belvina, who was on the old ship, had to tie herself to the mast to prevent herself from drowning in case of an accident until a new ship was built.

Therefore, the sales figures of various newspapers and magazines are irrelevant to Belvina, and whether readers will bang on the table or jump up and down is also irrelevant to her; all she needs to care about is order and chaos.

If the media reporters are allowed to act recklessly, who knows how much trouble these unscrupulous reporters can create with their pens, and whether they will turn the relatively stable wizarding society into a chaotic mess.

If the Daily Prophet's front page headline tomorrow is "Ministry of Magic Resolves to Take Over Gringotts," guess what? Will the goblin rebellion launch another uprising, giving the wizards, who have put away their weapons and let their horses graze, a taste of the intensity of war once again?

It's now 1991, and Harry Potter has already appeared in Diagon Alley. It's a time when trouble is brewing, and we absolutely can't let these reporters cause any more problems.

The silence continues.

It wasn't Cambridge that was silent, but rather tonight's impromptu press conference.

Near the Magic Brothers Fountain, the reporters, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, remained silent, so quiet that they could hear the breathing of those around them.

Belvina remained calm on the makeshift podium. As a student of a great teacher, she had plenty of ways to deal with the group of reporters who were "awakening." She couldn't afford to tarnish her reputation as someone who could "rule the world with half a British drama."

Thinking of this, a chilling, enigmatic smile appeared on Belvina's lips. She waved her hand, signaling her two unworthy subordinates to step back and stop making a fool of themselves.

The Ministry of Magic has spent so much money and nurtured so many people over the years, yet it can't even handle a new reporter. Is that all?

"I fully understand your concerns, Miss Braithwaite," Belvina said slowly. Since it was a conflict between a press officer and a reporter, she would resolve it with words until the other party was convinced.

Belvina continued carefully, "You think I should publish all the opinions I've submitted to the Minister, as well as all the policies and regulations formulated by the Minister and several directors, making all the Ministry of Magic's administrative policies and their implementation public, turning the Ministry into a completely transparent institution with no reservations to the public—but, Miss Braithwaite—once it comes to policy formulation and implementation, things become very complicated—and making policy formulation and implementation public would create a huge conflict with the Official Secrecy Act..."

Once Belvina started talking, it was like the endless flow of the Thames River; she showed no sign of stopping.

What could have been explained in a single sentence or a few words, Belvina insisted on expanding upon, cramming in all sorts of clauses and parenthetical phrases like a dummy.

Her deliberately slowed speech was an ultimate torture; the slow pace was like a captivating chant, every word of which entered the reporter's ears, making it impossible to ignore.

The reporters, bombarded with the jarring audio, all wore expressions that suggested they were "old people, on the subway, or on their cell phones."

Merlin's briefs!

Can anyone tell me what happened?! That damn woman was clearly speaking English, but why can't I understand what she's saying?!

Betty Braithwaite, the culprit, looked dejected and vacant, her face as red as a crab in a steamer.

Feeling lost and confused about life, Miss Braithwaite kept muttering to herself, "What is she saying... Why can't I understand a word she's saying... She must be talking nonsense—yes, she must be talking nonsense... I guess so..."

It's hopeless. Even if it's cured, it'll still drool.

In fact, Belvina wasn't making things up; she was just going around in circles based on the facts.

If you asked Belvina to repeat what she just said, she wouldn't be able to do it word for word.

The exhausting chanting continued, but Belvina's pace was no longer slow; it suddenly accelerated like a car flooring the gas pedal on a downhill road. Her speed was so fast that even West Coast rappers would have to kneel down and sing "Conquer."

"In fact, we also hope to make policies open and transparent so that the public can better supervise us. However, the Official Secrets Act requires us not to do so. Once all the formulation and implementation of policies are made public, all sorts of problems will immediately arise, especially regarding the issue of accountability—we cannot attribute problems such as leaks to the public, nor can we attribute possible mistakes to department members—this goes against the Official Secrets Act and will also create a contradiction between administrative policy formulation and administrative policy implementation..."

Belvina's speech became faster and faster, and her sentences became more and more varied, gradually filling the reporters' blank faces with question marks.

Some people looked dazed, as if they were under a spell, while others were drowsy, as if they had been put under a mass coma spell.

At this moment, the reporters had forgotten their glorious moment and their newly awakened sense of freedom. They were only thinking about three philosophical questions: Who am I? Where am I? What do I want to do?

The ordeal, which was even more grueling than Professor Binns's history of magic class, finally came to an end when Belvina grew tired of talking.

Although the mesmerizing audio no longer forced itself into their minds, the reporters still couldn't immediately snap out of it; they remained deeply engrossed in the world of the grammar encyclopedia.

One can't help but wonder if these unfortunate kids who graduated from the Hockville Technical School will suffer from long-term effects, such as "apoptosis of the dark."

Just then, a loud voice suddenly rang out in the magnificent hall of the Ministry of Magic, like a spring thunder awakening the earth, pulling the dazed crowd out of the quagmire of the grammar encyclopedia.

"Miss Black, I'm Rom Luce, a reporter from The Quibbler. I have a question for you," the man said, his voice captivating and inviting.

The reporters, as if waking from a dream, glanced at the towering Luce and then at the composed Belvina on the podium, finally realizing that the ordeal of the long and complicated sentences was over and it was time to move on to the next topic.

Belvina fell into deep thought upon seeing Rom Luce suddenly appear.

The Ministry of Magic has never seen this man before, and at least Belvina shouldn't have seen him here.

Rom Luce was dressed in a very shabby manner, his clothes were ragged and his worn robes were covered with patches. He was very tall, at least six feet tall, and with his thick brown curly hair, he looked even taller.

Strangely, despite his youthful appearance, Luce had eyes that were completely out of proportion to his age. Looking at those eyes alone, one might mistake him for a weathered old man.

Another rookie reporter? And a reporter from *The Quibbler*? Why would that comedy magazine send a reporter to the Ministry of Magic? Has Xenophilius Lovegood lost his mind?

One question after another appeared in Belvina's mind. Too many unexpected things had happened today, and this situation out of control made her feel vaguely uneasy.

Belvina withdrew her searching gaze and turned to look at another subordinate who had been following closely behind her—Bob Gordon.

Gordon's heart skipped a beat as he looked haggard and exhausted.

Bob Gordon also had no recollection of this suddenly appearing Rom Luce, and The Quibbler magazine wasn't on the list of attendees. Where did this guy come from?

Seeing the obvious panic on Gordon's face, Belvina understood. She raised her hand to indicate that Luce could ask questions and nodded slightly.

The rather clever Gordon immediately understood and left without a word. He was going to verify Rom Luce's identity and find as much useful information as possible.

"Well, Miss Black, I don't know if you're aware of something, but Harry Potter was in Diagon Alley today," said the unidentified Luce.

As soon as the words were spoken, the reporters, who dared not make a sound, immediately looked around in the crowd; they had also heard about the incident.

This morning, Harry Potter appeared at the Leaky Cauldron and went to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies. Many people witnessed it, and some even hugged and shook hands with him.

If the Gringotts intrusion hadn't been so horrific, Harry Potter's return to wizarding society would have been the front-page news.

"Miss Black, what is the Ministry of Magic's view on Harry Potter?" Roose, whose identity was in doubt, continued.

This is an unexpected yet reasonable problem.

It was reasonable because Belvina had anticipated that someone might ask a similar question; it was unexpected because Belvina hadn't expected the question to come from the concealed Luce.

What exactly does he mean? Should we just pin him down here?

Belvina was suspicious, her mind racing, but she had almost no usable information and couldn't figure out the other party's intentions.

This rendered her thinking futile; her bright eyes held a cunning yet incomprehensible quality.

"Mr. Luce, would you like to hear the truth or a lie?"

Belvina's mind raced, but she didn't show it on her face. She answered the questions calmly, pretending not to notice anything unusual.

First, Rom Loos's identity is definitely questionable, but we can't just shut him down. There are so many reporters present; we can't possibly silence them all.

Secondly, Rom Luce's purpose is still unclear, and it would be extremely unwise to act rashly for the safety of others present.

Therefore, the only way to find out Rom Luce's identity and purpose is to do so discreetly.

Belvina abandoned her plan to take direct action and pretended not to know anything.

On the other side, Rom Luce had an even bigger heart. He didn't seem worried about his fake identity being exposed and remained remarkably calm and composed.

Luce hesitated for a few seconds before replying, "Let's hear the lies first. Lies usually make people feel good, and I think everyone is already too soft for the slightest blow."

Whether he had something to rely on or was genuinely bold and fearless, Rom Luce even had the leisure to crack a joke to ease the atmosphere.

The reporters present chuckled awkwardly, regretting their actions and fearing that Belvina would hold a grudge. They were all trying to minimize their presence and avoid getting this mess on their shoulders.

Meanwhile, the photographer from the Daily Prophet looked utterly defeated; he felt his job was probably gone. Given the current dismal employment rate in the wizarding world, it was unclear how long it would take to find another job.

Betty Braithwaite, though out of the world of grammar encyclopedia, has lost her way in life. She cannot accept tonight's defeat, let alone losing to someone with connections.

Belvina smiled, then said seriously, "As we all know, Mr. Potter defeated that person whose name cannot even be mentioned. He has made indelible contributions to the peace, stability, development, and prosperity of the wizarding world. The Ministry of Magic wholeheartedly welcomes Mr. Potter back to this big family."

As always, it's full of rambling nonsense, with absolutely no substance.

What is the Ministry of Magic trying to do by not welcoming Harry Potter? Are they going to arrest him and send him to Azkaban?

If Cornelius Fudge really dared to do that, his term as minister would be pretty much over. He wouldn't even need a public demonstration; the Ministry of Magic would oust him from his post internally.

"Are you satisfied with this answer, Mr. Luce?" Belvina suddenly became more talkative, as if she wanted to talk more about Harry Potter and the boy who had survived such a terrible ordeal.

"That sounds really comforting, Miss Black," Rom Luce said with a smile. "Now we should hear the truth, and see if that feels comfortable too."

What is the truth about Belvina?

The truth is, she really wanted to see Zhao Zhongxiang!

Ah, no...

Belvina sincerely hoped that Harry Potter could kill Voldemort immediately and not give the Dark Lord any chance. Great boy who survived!

But can Belvina say that?

Obviously not. She dares to tell the public now that the Dark Lord will be making a limited-time return, appearing at St. Mungo's bedside in the early hours of the morning, or possibly at the Department of Mysteries.

At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on Belvina, including the Ministry of Magic employees maintaining order, after all, her surname was Black and both of her brothers were Death Eaters.

One of them was particularly notorious.

"Gentlemen, and of course, lovely ladies," Belvina exhaled a long breath. "What I want to say is that the boy was forced to leave his parents when he was just over ten months old. Yes, his achievements are remarkable, reaching heights that most people cannot attain, but please don't overlook what he lost for them."

When Harry Potter is mentioned, everyone thinks of the boy who survived and defeated the invincible Dark Lord.

On the night Harry Potter lost his parents, wizards across the country were celebrating wildly. The fireworks and the magic used in the celebration even attracted the attention of Muggles, so much so that Millison Barnard, the then Minister of Magic, received a severe scolding from the International Wizarding Federation.

Now, Belvina is telling everyone not to overlook what the boy lost because of this, well—very intriguing.

If someone else had said that, no one would have thought much of it; they would simply think that person was kind-hearted and compassionate. However, Belvina was no ordinary person; these words, coming from her own mouth, carried a deeper meaning, worthy of careful consideration.

"Also, some of you should know that the boy had been living a life of dependence on others," Belvina continued, her eyes even welling up with tears. "I hope everyone can be more tolerant and understanding of him, and I implore you all to let him feel the love from the wizards."

As she spoke, Belvina bowed deeply to the reporters present, as if she were asking everyone there for a favor.

Faced with the breathtaking view of towering peaks that could be seen from below by bending down, the reporters, whose emotions were already stirred by sadness, couldn't muster any romantic thoughts. Some of the reporters, who were already parents, even wanted to take Harry Potter home and give him the warmth of a family.

Rom Luce did not speak again, his weathered eyes flashing with an indescribable light.

He could sense the sincerity in Belvina's words, and his confusion stemmed from this genuine feeling.

If Belvina's heartfelt words were a lie, then she was rather frightening; if Belvina was telling the truth and she truly had goodwill towards Harry, then from what standpoint was she?

Confusion and bewilderment crept onto Rom Luce's young face. His disguise at the press conference tonight seemed to have worked surprisingly well, yet not quite so well... Luce couldn't find the right words to describe the feeling.

Where the bewildered Luce couldn't see, and where the saddened reporters couldn't see, Belvina once again revealed a triumphant smile, even the tears welling up in her eyes seemed to carry a hint of laughter.

Hey!

This wave is essentially the villain trying to whitewash himself.

This has already garnered enough public goodwill; let's see who dares to talk about the Death Eater family members again.

As expected of me, Belvina, Humphry Slytherin's Distinguished Graduate Black!

Belvina thought smugly, but when she stood up, the smile on her face had vanished, and her tearful appearance made people feel sorry for her.

Who could have imagined that a press conference that had devolved into a farce would be enveloped in a somber atmosphere during the question-and-answer session? In this atmosphere that brought tears to everyone's eyes, the impromptu press conference came to an end.

The reporters, having gained little, left in small groups, their footsteps echoing across the dark, glossy wooden floors as they headed to the other end of the hall. Some disappeared with a soft "poof," while others lined up in front of the gilded fireplace, waiting to leave.

The photographer dragged Betty Braithwaite along like a dead dog, panting as they walked toward the gilded fireplace.

Rom Luce, a journalist of dubious identity from The Quibbler, strolled along, neither using Apparition nor queuing to use FlooNet.

Behind him, Belvina's gaze was fixed on him, her slender fingers holding a thin note.