Peter Pettigrew was plotting his escape.
He knew that if he didn't act soon, once Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge had squeezed every ounce of publicity out of him, the only thing left for him would be death.
But before that, he decided to exact some revenge on the people at Hogwarts who had sent him to Azkaban.
After enduring half a month of daily public humiliation—paraded in handcuffs and shackles before reporters and editors from The Daily Prophet, The Wizarding Weekly, and other publications—he finally found his chance.
—Rita Skeeter.
The journalist, notorious for fabricating stories to grab readers' attention, was trying to write an exclusive feature on him.
When she appeared in front of him for the umpteenth time, Peter, with his rodent-like features, let his beady eyes dart around before putting on a pitiful expression.
"I... I'm just a poor man... I've always been powerless..."
This immediately piqued Rita's interest. Her eyes sparkled as if she had struck gold, certain that she was about to uncover a sensational story.
"Why do you think so?" she asked.
Peter shrank back in his iron cage.
"When I was at Hogwarts... the professors didn't like me... They were mean to me... called me stupid and useless..."
Rita Skeeter, the notorious Dumbledore critic, had her emerald-green Quick-Quotes Quill scribbling furiously across the parchment, leaving dark ink trails behind.
[The revered Albus Dumbledore, adored by countless students, was impatient and dismissive while teaching a poor student, crushing his hopes.]
She leaned forward, her golden curls practically glowing with curiosity.
"And what about your friends at school? Did they ever help you?"
Peter let out a loud sob, looking as though he might faint at any moment.
"No... I thought we were friends... Sirius, Remus..."
"It was all wishful thinking on my part... They forced me to practice Animagus transformations... because of the werewolf..."
Rita's Quick-Quotes Quill moved faster than ever, and her voice became sharp and urgent.
"Werewolf? Who's the werewolf?"
Peter clapped a hand over his mouth, feigning regret for letting the information slip. He looked reluctant to say more.
"Don't worry, Peter. Our newspaper protects the privacy of every interviewee," Rita assured him, though her thoughts were quite the opposite.
Perhaps other reporters at The Daily Prophet might withhold certain details, but what did that have to do with her, Rita Skeeter?
"Well... well..." Peter hesitated before finally speaking. "Remus Lupin, the current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts..."
The quill danced across the parchment, its tip gliding deftly over the surface.
[He was tormented by his friends... forced to transform into a rat to face a terrifying werewolf...]
[One of the bullies, Remus Lupin, concealed his werewolf identity and colluded with Dumbledore to secure a teaching position at Hogwarts...]
Peter rubbed his ear, only to realize there was now a hole where it had been. His hatred for Snape surged within him.
"And then there's Snape, the Potions Master at Hogwarts," he continued, recounting his grievances in an attempt to tarnish everyone's reputation.
"Since our school days, he's always been at odds with James, Sirius, and Remus... They bullied him, and he turned his hatred for them onto me... I wasn't as powerful as they were... I had no choice but to endure his torment..."
"You had such an unfortunate school life, full of bullying and discrimination..." Rita said sympathetically, her expression a mix of pity and understanding. "And what happened next? How did you end up like this?"
Her curiosity was thoroughly piqued. She decided to cancel her other interviews and spend the entire day digging for dirt from Peter Pettigrew.
"I was scared—terrified of the one whose name cannot be spoken—I was so afraid—I had no choice but to turn into a rat—"
"I ended up at the Weasley household—they've illegally modified so many Muggle items, like their car..."
After an hour of spilling secrets about his former friends and the Weasley family, Peter shifted the conversation to Jane Yu.
Ever since his Animagus identity had been exposed, she had become his number one enemy.
"Hogwarts is worse now than it was in my time... There's a terrifying Slytherin student... Jane Yu... She..."
He shuddered, the mere thought of Jane Yu conjuring images of those dreadful serpents constricting and crushing his internal organs. Cold sweat poured down his face, and he felt a sharp pain in his body, rendering him speechless.
But Rita was even more impatient than he was. She kept tilting her head left and right, trying to read his expression. Even her earrings swung and clinked together with the movement.
"What did she do? I believe the school should be a sanctuary for young witches and wizards. It's my duty to rally public support to maintain its integrity and order."
Peter took a deep breath, as if summoning the courage to continue.
"She's spreading a terrifying cursed dark magic artifact in the school!"
"This artifact has an irresistible allure for wizards, stronger than a Veela's charm. Once you touch it, your eyes, hands, and body will never want to part with it again..."
"The young wizards become obsessed with stroking it, from dawn till midnight, forgetting sleep... ignoring everything around them..."
Rita was so shocked that she nearly dropped her Quick-Quotes Quill.
She caught it just in time, silently relieved that her most prized tool hadn't been damaged.
"That's horrifying," she exclaimed, her quill scribbling so fast it was almost a blur.
Rita continued to nod in agreement, coaxing him to reveal more secrets.
"How can Dumbledore allow a werewolf to teach at Hogwarts, or let a student spreading dark magic artifacts remain there?"
Encouraged by her reaction, Peter trembled as though he had found a kindred spirit.
"I... I trust you... Please don't tell anyone... She'll kill me..."
Rita practically thumped her chest in assurance, promising not to leak anything, which prompted Peter to continue.
"It corrupts the students' minds. They skip classes, neglect homework... even hold illegal gatherings... plotting how to defy the professors..."
"At night, they talk in their sleep, shouting things like 'Grab your wand and duel,' 'Fight to the death,' 'It's you or me!'"
"And yet their parents remain completely in the dark, unaware that their children have been cursed into such a state!"
Rita nearly dropped her quill again.
Hogwarts sounded like it had turned into some sort of illegal organization, with all the students as dark wizard recruits!
And Jane Yu was the dark wizard leader, seemingly controlling all the students!
Rita's mind was already racing with potential headlines. The material from this exclusive interview was enough for an entire special edition!
This time, Rita Skeeter was certain she would become the most famous, household-name journalist in the wizarding world!
"What is this dark magic artifact called?" she asked eagerly.
Seeing his plan to ruin Jane Yu's reputation coming to fruition, Peter replied with a hint of secret delight:
"The students call it a game console."
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