[Special report by our correspondent, Rita Skeeter:
Recently, two tourists discovered a strangely deceased body on the edge of Glenavon Forest. The victim's face was gaunt, the body shrunken, teeth fallen out—looking like a Muggle a hundred years old.
Identification revealed the victim to be Eileen Custer, a thirty-two-year-old villager living near the forest. According to reports, just forty-eight hours before the body was found, Ms. Custer had been seen walking near the village. No one saw her again after that.
Matilda Horn, a wizard renowned for her expertise in counter-curses, pointed out—the condition of the corpse suggests that this unfortunate Muggle woman likely died as the result of a Dark Magic experiment, possibly connected to the Dark wizards who attacked the Quidditch World Cup campsite earlier this year.
The Ministry of Magic has dispatched Aurors to investigate. Mr. Rufus Scrimgeour refused to disclose any leads. Of course, it's also possible they simply haven't found any.]
Wade: "…"
It started out as a perfectly serious news article, but by the end, she still couldn't resist taking a jab at the Ministry of Magic. This style really was pure Rita Skeeter.
He flipped through the paper but found no further details—only the Ministry of Magic's spokesperson quietly mocking the Irish Minister for being unable to perform basic double-digit arithmetic, an announcement about newly released products in Diagon Alley, and a scholar's recommendation for a new magical book, among other tidbits.
Wade set the paper down and sent Rita Skeeter a message through his book of friends, asking for more details. Because Rita often went "undercover," it was difficult to reach her through the communication beans—ironically, the book of friends was more efficient for contacting her.
For similar reasons, after communication beans came to market, book of friends sales had indeed dropped a bit, but nowhere near as much as originally expected.
As for items like Jinx-Off vests, their high prices meant few buyers. The biggest customers were generally Aurors from various Ministries of Magic, with a smaller number from the Alliance and some shadowy wizards unwilling to show their faces.
When there was no Dark wizard threat to people's lives, most preferred to spend their limited funds on products like magic dolls, soft-glow badges, and daydream quills—things that brought pleasure and comfort.
"Hey, Wade, why are you still reading the paper?"
Hermione snatched The Daily Prophet from Wade's hands, bracing herself on the table. "You haven't forgotten today's plan, have you?"
"Plan?" Wade was still mulling over various bits of data and didn't react immediately.
"Forgotten already? We—" Hermione suddenly noticed a few Beauxbatons students seated at the other end of the long table and quickly lowered her voice. "—the plan to help Hagrid improve his image!"
…
The huge gamekeeper sat on his low stool like a trapped beast, clutching his massive tankard as if it were a lifeline.
Under the blonde girl's scrutinizing gaze, his face reddened as he mumbled, "I don't need any o' that fancy stuff… I mean, I reckon I'm fine just as I am…"
"Really?" Michael flicked one of the artichokes in the vase on the table (though calling it a vase was generous—it was actually another of Hagrid's dented, heavy tin mugs) and said, "I thought you were going to pin this flower to your shirt!"
Hagrid, who actually did want to do this: "…"
"Seriously, Hagrid," Harry said earnestly, "if you want to court Madame Maxime, you really do need to make a few small changes to your appearance."
Hagrid's face turned even redder. "I… Who says I'm courtin' Olympe…"
"Olympe?" Ron raised his voice. "You're already on a first-name basis?"
Hagrid: "…"
"All right, enough!" said Astoria, who had been brought along by Daphne, folding her arms. "There's nothing shameful about wanting to make yourself better because you like someone! Hagrid, be honest!"
She was one of the rare Slytherins Hagrid actually liked. At the moment, she was sitting on a stool by the fireplace, holding one of his rock cakes, trying to gnaw a piece off with her teeth.
Harry and the others, knowing full well how rock-hard Hagrid's baking was, were in absolute awe of her attempt.
Daphne, on the other hand, glanced at her sister's utterly unladylike behavior several times. She tried to endure it several times, but finally she drew a deep breath, turned away, and decided to pretend she hadn't seen anything.
And then she saw Hagrid—his thick hair and beard were practically a natural landmark, and he was radiating a strange, nearly unbearable odor.
Daphne: "…"
Seeing Hagrid still arguing with Harry and the others about whether or not to change the look he was so proud of, Daphne silently reached into her small handbag and took out a pair of gleaming silver scissors.
"All right, debate's over."
Lifting her chin, she looked at Hagrid and asked, "Professor Hagrid, do you want Madame Maxime to smile at you? Do you want her gaze to linger on you? Do you want to go on a date with her?"
"I don't want excuses—only two answers: yes, or no!"
Wade and the others stared at her in surprise. In everyone's mind, Daphne had always been Pansy's quiet little sidekick—they hadn't expected her to have such a forceful side.
Hagrid: "…I… I suppose I do have the thought."
"Then that's settled," Daphne said. "Leave him to me! The rest of you…" She turned her gaze on the group and began giving orders: "Throw out all the junk in this room and get it cleaned up."
"Huh? We have to clean too?" Hagrid said blankly. "I already keep it tidy!"
Daphne waved her hand. "Don't put too much faith in your own judgment!"
She looked at Hermione and Astoria. "Would you like to be a guest in a place like this?"
Hermione tried to preserve Hagrid's dignity. "Actually… Hagrid's already done his best…"
Astoria, still gnawing on the rock cake, mumbled, "If it's Professor Hagrid, of course it's fine—the important thing is being with friends. But if it's for dating, definitely not!"
"Astoria…" Hagrid looked at his little friend in shock, the corners of his eyes drooping.
"It's just the truth, Hagrid," Astoria said, swinging her legs. "I don't want to say something nice just to trick you."
"Uh… thank you for your honesty?" Hagrid said hesitantly.
"No need to thank me." Astoria put down the rock cake, hopped off her stool, and said, "I'll help clean your clothes… Who brought Mrs. Rael's Scouring Solution?"
Wade pulled a large bottle out of his pocket. "I've got a homemade cleaner, works for all sorts of situations—need it?"
"Whoa!" Astoria's eyes went wide as she stared at the big bottle. "You… you enchanted your pocket with an Undetectable Extension Charm?"
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