[Breaking! The Tragic School Life of Criminal Peter Pettigrew Exposed!]
[Bullying and Being Bullied: The Campus Culture Under Dumbledore's Leadership!]
[Hogwarts in Crisis! Save the Children!]
[Shocking! Becoming a Dark Wizard Requires Only This Item!]
...
The headlines went viral.
The special edition of The Daily Prophet had never sold so well, reaching an almost universal readership.
It must be said that wizards have an extraordinary sensitivity to celebrity gossip. Rita Skeeter's report spread like wildfire among the wizarding community, becoming the hot topic of discussion on every street corner. Every wizard seemed eager to share their opinion.
The demand was so overwhelming that the newspaper had to reprint multiple times to satisfy its readers.
Meanwhile, Hogwarts descended into chaos.
The subjects of the report—ranging from Dumbledore at the top, to Snape, Lupin, and the professors involved in Peter Pettigrew's capture and trial, down to Jane Yu, Harry, Ron, and the students addicted to gaming consoles—
None of them escaped unscathed from Rita's scathing articles.
Even those outside the school, like Sirius Black lounging at St. Mungo's and the Weasley couple at The Burrow—
They weren't spared either.
Among all the affected parties, the one under the greatest pressure was undoubtedly Dumbledore.
His office was flooded with letters of complaint, Howlers, and packages filled with dungbombs and stink pellets from outraged parents. The headmaster had to dedicate an entire room just to receive the correspondence, lest he be buried under the deluge.
"Allowing a werewolf to teach? What if he loses control during a full moon and harms the students? Who will take responsibility?"
"Years of unchecked bullying on campus, and my child has such a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!"
"If Lupin can be a professor, should we also teach our children how to bully others?"
More than half of the letters were protests against Lupin.
His involvement in past school bullying and his werewolf identity, now made public by the press, caused an uproar among parents. They expressed grave concerns about their children's safety and demanded his immediate dismissal.
Other letters questioned Jane Yu and her gaming console.
"A student distributing Dark Magic devices? Is Dumbledore nurturing future criminals?"
"I can't believe my child was exposed to such dangerous Dark Magic items at school! They'll be ruined!"
"We trust the school, but is it truly safe? Maybe we should bring our children home!"
Although Dumbledore made every effort to explain that the gaming console was not a Dark Magic device and had already been banned on campus—
The parents were unconvinced. When it came to their children, their anxiety was palpable.
"Jane Yu is holding illegal gatherings at school, encouraging our children to skip classes, neglect homework, and even forgo sleep!"
"Cover-ups, complete cover-ups! The report clearly states that Dumbledore condones campus bullying!"
"The school must expel her! We can't let her corrupt our children!"
Faced with mounting pressure from parents, Dumbledore found himself deeply troubled and anxious.
He never expected Gilderoy Lockhart's curse to strike again!
He thought he had figured out the curse's pattern—
It flared up intermittently, popping up now and then to wreak havoc on his students!
Once again, he "wished" Lockhart a long and eternal stay in Azkaban.
While Dumbledore was overwhelmed, Jane Yu was already packing her belongings.
She had always known that the power of righteous parents was the most formidable force!
From her observations, Dumbledore was struggling to cope with the parents' protests, showing clear signs of retreat!
And just like her, Professor Lupin, who had been heavily criticized in Rita Skeeter's articles, had already submitted his resignation to Dumbledore!
Although Dumbledore was doing his best to persuade him to stay and counter the opposition, he alone couldn't withstand the parents' collective outcry.
It was said that Lupin would leave at the end of the term.
And after him, the next one to pack up and leave would undoubtedly be her!
...
But she wasn't the only one thinking this way.
Newt Scamander, the newly appointed professor, quickly realized the situation as well.
While tending to the magical creatures with her, he made sure to send his grandson Rolf away and then comforted her:
"Being expelled isn't the end of the world, Jane."
"I can leave Dumbledore a resignation letter right now and take you to Romania to study dragons."
Jane was both shocked and deeply moved by his words.
This was her true pillar of support!
Even though he had "betrayed" her a little while ago, their hearts were clearly still aligned!
Not wanting her to feel burdened, Newt casually brushed Buckbeak's feathers in the suitcase while speaking lightly:
"You know, I've never been fond of desk jobs."
"My work at the Ministry of Magic when I was younger was dreadfully boring... Thankfully, this teaching position lets me continue working with magical creatures."
"This job was always going to end automatically after you graduated, and then we could explore the world together..."
He turned his head slightly, showing a relaxed demeanor, as if this were no big deal:
"I was expelled from Hogwarts myself, you know... But in the grand scheme of my life, it was just a minor episode."
Reflecting on his youth, Newt felt a pang of nostalgia.
Back then, he had taken the blame for his friend Leta and was expelled from Hogwarts, leaving him feeling utterly lost.
Perhaps because he had once been through such a storm, he was determined not to let Jane suffer the same fate.
After all, he had taken this teaching position specifically for her magical creature education—
If she were no longer at the school, what reason did he have to stay?
"Thank you for comforting me," Jane replied with a smile. "But don't worry, I'm not troubled by the idea of being expelled."
"To be honest, I'm sick of Hogwarts. I can't wait to go to Romania and see the dragons."
Newt smiled in satisfaction.
He knew Jane had a strong spirit!
No wonder she was his prized apprentice!
She was destined for great achievements!
He would bring this up with Dumbledore right away!
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