A Certain Magical Hogwarts

The wizarding world's media could be divided into two main factions.

The first was the state-owned media, which included newspapers like Ministry of Magic Chronicles and The Wizarding Daily. These publications served as the voice of the Ministry of Magic.

These state-run newspapers were the least popular among readers, especially The Wizarding Daily.

One powerful wizard once commented that their analysis skirted around core issues, focusing more on manipulating or venting emotions, making them nothing more than second-rate tabloids.

The second faction comprised mainstream media, such as The Daily Prophet, Wizard Weekly, and The Quibbler, among others.

Among them, The Daily Prophet was the most widely read newspaper in Britain.

While not a state-owned outlet, its significant influence on the wizarding community made it lean in favor of the Ministry of Magic.

Of course, according to Wizard Weekly's investigative reports, The Daily Prophet received substantial funding in Galleons from the Ministry.

Overall, The Daily Prophet was most concerned with its circulation numbers; otherwise, it wouldn't allow a firebrand like Rita Skeeter to publish her articles.

Rita was undoubtedly a star in the wizarding media industry, her articles a staple for major publications. 

Her coverage ranged widely. Terrorist attacks, major sporting events, Ministry activities, she reported on almost everything.

Occasionally, she ventured into writing biographies of prominent figures, which proved immensely popular among nosy readers.

Compared to Rita, Xenophilius Lovegood might have been an editor with his own magazine, but his sales paled in comparison.

If one were to translate The Quibbler into the Muggle world, it would be equivalent to magazines like True Stories, Unsolved Mysteries, or Aliens Among Us.

It catered to a niche audience, like Cedric Diggory, who was still a bit of a naive schoolboy at heart.

Children's money might not amount to much, but it was particularly easy to earn.

Take this year's The Quibbler: Christmas Special, for example. 

Despite the content being the same across the editions, Cedric insisted on buying all seven versions with different covers for his collection.

Rita Skeeter, however, scoffed at such small-time profits.

Her success could be attributed to multiple factors, but the most crucial was her deep understanding of what her readers secretly desired.

What did they desire?

Readers were most drawn to tales of fallen idols, redeemed rogues, collapsing reputations, wizarding divorces, and juicy scandals.

Rita understood this perfectly. 

Her targets were often the most famous figures in the magical world. The more prestigious or prominent they were, the better they fit into Rita's—and her readers'—expectations.

For instance, she wrote a biography of the former Hogwarts Headmaster Armando Dippet titled Armando Dippet: Master or Moron?

According to Dumbledore, only a quarter of the content was factual, while the remaining three-quarters were pure fabrication.

But it was precisely this blend of truth and lies that made the book a bestseller.

Similarly, Rita had now set her sights on Newt.

Her latest article painted Newt as a scumbag who had abandoned Seraphina Picquery, the former President of the American Ministry of Magic, and slyly implied that her child might have some connection to him.

Creating a rich background for the story and involving grievances of two generations, Rita was well versed in dramatic story telling.

Despite her unpleasant reputation, one had to admit that Rita was exceptionally well-informed, often acquiring first-hand classified information that struck at the heart of her readers.

Like how she knew about Newt's plan to secretly release a dragon in Romania.

Many had tried to uncover her sources, but none had succeeded.

In her words words, she had "a well-trained flock of little birds," a claim that only added to her mystery.

…

After dinner, Newt retreated to his room with his treasure-filled suitcase.

The old man intended to fortify the case and check for any other little darlings that might have taken advantage of the chaos to escape.

He also planned to write a strongly worded letter condemning Rita, demanding a public apology in her newspaper, failing which he threatened legal action.

William wasn't entirely on board with this approach. Newt was too upright, in this aspect, he was indeed a standard Hufflepuff.

But being so righteous had its downsides. Rita was a shameless journalist, and receiving such a letter would only give her more ammunition.

In the next edition of her paper, William fully expected to see a headline along the lines of: Fearless Journalist Threatened by Newt Scamander.

Though Newt was an expert in magical creatures, dealing with reporters like Rita required a more aggressive strategy.

For instance, William thought of The Godfather—he could imagine sending Rita's favorite animal's severed head to her bedroom. Surely that would silence her…

That iconic scene was William's personal favorite.

Of course, it was all just wishful thinking; he wasn't about to land himself in Azkaban.

After Newt left, Perenelle, the ever-gentle old lady, took Hermione to her room.

Boba Tea followed them, strutting along boldly.

Nicolas, meanwhile, invited William for a stroll around the estate.

Nicolas Flamel's birthday banquet, while grand in name, was an intimate gathering with only a few attendees.

In over six centuries, the old man had never thrown what one would call a party, and his estate rarely welcomed visitors.

Whether it was his birthday or not, Nicolas always invited William over, so this Christmas holiday, both William and Hermione would be spending their time at the estate.

"You two caused quite a bit of trouble when you left," Nicolas said with a chuckle as they walked along a smooth path.

"No one's ever managed to flood the Slytherin common room yet."

"I'm really sorry…" William scratched his head, knowing full well he'd be killed by Snape if he went back.

"What's the situation there now?"

"Don't worry, child." Nicolas patted William on the shoulder.

"Albus's power is immense. As long as he has his wand, he can restore everything effortlessly."

There was a peculiar undertone to Nicolas's words, but William didn't catch it.

"William, I invited you here because there's something I want to discuss… privately. I feared it couldn't be adequately explained in a letter."

William sighed. Life had felt like a whirlwind lately, and he had plenty of questions to ask as well.

"Let's start with today," Nicolas began as they strolled leisurely. "You've already heard Newt mention the Sirens, haven't you?"

"Yes, and he brought up Death. Mercury even hinted at a different version of the story."

"Ah, yes. Theres a lot of things happening at once, it must be confusing." Nicolas smiled.

"When I first encountered these matters, I was just as lost as you."

"Tonight, child, would you like to hear my story?" Nicolas asked with a twinkle in his eye.

William nodded, and the old man led him into a magnificent structure.

They seated themselves in dark, hand-chiseled dragon-hide chairs crafted from black walnut.

Nicolas Flamel clasped his hands and gazed at the ceiling. After a moment, he spoke:

"To understand my story, we must begin with Death and the Three Brothers.

Yes, this is a tale quite unlike the one you know."

With a snap of his fingers, Schubert's Death and the Maiden began to play softly, filling the room with an eerie, somber melody.

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