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As everyone knows, in the Wizarding World, whenever one piece of hot news fades, a new one quickly fills the void.
It's a pattern.
Like the waters of the Black Lake, seemingly calm on the surface, yet always hiding surging undercurrents beneath.
Thus, in this season of vitality, when all things competed for growth, the Wizarding World's famous reporter, Rita Skeeter, published another article in The Daily Prophet.
The headline this time was as sensational as ever:
[SHOCKING! Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr Has Escaped from Azkaban for Thirteen Years! You-Know-Who Is About to Return!]
As soon as this article appeared, it was like a depth charge, instantly detonating throughout the Wizarding World.
That morning, the Owls nearly broke their wings delivering the newspaper to every subscriber. By noon, the topic was being discussed everywhere—on street corners, in pubs and tea rooms, and in the corridors of the Ministry of Magic.
"Did you see it?"
"I did! Barty Crouch Jr! That Death Eater! He's actually still alive!"
"Wasn't it said thirteen years ago that he died in Azkaban?"
"Who knows! The paper says he's been in disguise! Impersonating Moody!"
"Moody? That Mad-Eye?"
"Yes! On the day of the funeral, two Moodys were fighting, and one of them was him!"
"Merlin... is You-Know-Who really back?"
"I don't know... but the paper says that a dozen Death Eaters appeared at the same time that day, shouting 'Long live the Dark Lord'..."
Such remarks spread like wildfire, and fear spread like a plague.
If one were to ask what the most feared thing in the British Wizarding World was today, You-Know-Who would rank first, and few Wizards would disagree.
Because the damage Lord Voldemort had brought to the British Wizarding World was too deeply ingrained.
In those years, countless families were torn apart, countless Wizards met violent deaths, and countless people spent every night in fear.
To this day, people still used "You-Know-Who" instead of speaking his name.
That name alone was enough to send a chill down one's spine.
So, as soon as the article came out, the entire Wizarding World exploded.
—
Minister for Magic's Office.
Cornelius Fudge slammed the newspaper in his hand onto the desk.
"Rita Skeeter!"
He spat out the name through gritted teeth, the fat on his face trembling.
This damn woman, again!
Last time she wrote about his incompetence and how he had allowed the Azkaban escape; this time she was even more ruthless, writing directly about the return of You-Know-Who!
If the public believed this nonsense, how could he continue being Minister?
Fudge paced back and forth in his office, more and more beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
He had to debunk the rumors.
He had to debunk them immediately.
But how?
Crouch had indeed escaped, he had indeed appeared, and a dozen Death Eaters had indeed shouted "Long live the Dark Lord" at the funeral—these were all facts that could not be denied.
Fudge stopped pacing and stared out the window for a long time.
Then he turned around, picked up a quill, and scribbled a line of text.
Notify all media outlets that an emergency press conference would be held at 3:00 PM in the Ministry of Magic Press Conference Hall.
—
At 3:00 PM, the Press Conference Hall was packed with people.
Dozens of reporters crowded around the long table, Quick-Quotes Quills flying through the air, while wizarding cameras flashed continuously.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the figure in pinstriped robes standing at the podium.
Fudge stood behind the lectern, his expression serious and somber.
He cleared his throat and waited for the noise to subside before slowly speaking.
"Everyone, I know why you are here today."
His voice was low, carrying a hint of exhaustion—the exhaustion of being tormented by urgent matters all day, which felt very real.
"Regarding the unfortunate events that occurred at Mr. Barty Crouch's funeral a few days ago, and the... article published today by Ms. Rita Skeeter, the Ministry of Magic has a responsibility to clarify the facts for the public."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across everyone present.
"First, regarding Barty Crouch Jr—yes, he did indeed escape from Azkaban."
A buzz of discussion instantly rose from the crowd.
Fudge raised a hand, signaling for silence.
"But—this has nothing to do with the resurrection of You-Know-Who."
He emphasized each word deliberately.
"According to the investigation conducted by our Auror Office, the truth of the matter is this—"
He pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket, unfolded it, and read aloud.
"Barty Crouch Sr., the former Ministry official whom we recently bid farewell to, committed a heartbreaking act in the final years of his life."
"Using a method we have yet to determine, he smuggled his son—Barty Crouch Jr., who had been sentenced to life imprisonment—out of Azkaban, hid him in his own home, and controlled him with the Imperius Curse for a period of time."
The room erupted into an uproar.
The reporters looked at one another as their quills scribbled frantically.
Fudge continued.
"The reason Barty Crouch Jr. appeared at yesterday's funeral is that the power of the Imperius Curse gradually weakened after his father's death, allowing him to regain consciousness."
"And the reason he disguised himself as Professor Moody is because, as you all know, Professor Moody is a legendary Auror who has captured countless Dark Wizards. Barty hated him to the core and wanted to seize this opportunity to retaliate against him and tarnish his reputation."
He looked up, his gaze sweeping across the room.
"As for those Death Eaters shouting 'Long live the Dark Lord'—"
He paused, wearing an expression that practically said, surely you understand.
"That was not a sign of You-Know-Who's return. It was a terrorist attack planned by a group of Dark Wizards attempting to undermine the Ministry of Magic, using the funeral as an opportunity."
"They deliberately chose that occasion to create panic and make us believe that You-Know-Who had returned."
He sighed, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.
"Everyone, I know what you are thinking. You are wondering whether You-Know-Who has truly returned. Whether we are heading back into those dark times."
"I can tell you—no."
He straightened his back, his voice becoming firm and resonant.
"The Ministry of Magic has captured all of the Dark Wizards involved in the attack, and they are currently undergoing interrogation."
"The defenses of Azkaban have been fully upgraded, and heartbreaking incidents like the one involving Barty Crouch Sr. will never happen again."
"As for You-Know-Who—that name—I can responsibly tell you that there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest he has returned. Every rumor claiming otherwise has been fabricated by these Dark Wizards in an attempt to frighten you."
He paused, his tone becoming gentle once more.
"I know that the past decade has left everyone with far too much fear. I know that the mere mention of that name brings back painful memories."
"But!"
"Now is not that time. We have Dumbledore, we have the finest Aurors, and we have the full strength of the Ministry of Magic. We are fully capable of protecting everyone's safety."
"So, please, after you leave here, report the facts truthfully. Do not allow these malicious rumors to continue spreading."
He folded the parchment, tucked it away, and bowed slightly toward the audience.
"Thank you, everyone."
—
Perhaps Fudge truly did have a knack for hoodwinking people, or perhaps people simply didn't want to believe that Lord Voldemort had returned.
Either way, his explanation achieved considerable success.
The vast majority of people accepted the explanation Fudge gave.
Barty Crouch Sr. smuggling his son out of Azkaban to save him—that motive held up. A father's love for his son could indeed drive him to do something so insane.
Controlling his son with the Imperius Curse—that also made sense. The Imperius Curse does weaken after the caster dies, so it was logical that Barty would regain consciousness.
As for those Death Eaters—they were simply a group of Dark Wizards causing trouble at a funeral, with nothing to do with You-Know-Who.
Everything was Barty Crouch Sr.'s personal action.
Everything was Barty Crouch Jr.'s revenge plot.
Everything was a terrorist attack carried out by a dozen Dark Wizards.
Nothing to do with You-Know-Who.
Nothing to do with Lord Voldemort.
Nothing to do with that fearsome name.
Thus, the very next day, the front page of The Daily Prophet was replaced by a photograph of Fudge at the press conference, beneath the headline:
[Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge Issues Emergency Clarification: You-Know-Who Has Not Returned; Public Need Not Panic]
Rita Skeeter's follow-up article was pushed into a small corner of the paper.
...
The news of Barty Crouch Jr's escape from Azkaban also affected the students far away at Hogwarts.
When the latest newspapers were delivered on schedule by the Owls, the Great Hall filled with the rustling of turning pages. But the focus of the students' discussion was completely different from what the Ministry officials were worried about.
"Do you think You-Know-Who is really back?"
A Gryffindor first-year asked timidly.
The fifth-year sitting beside him rolled his eyes.
"Dumbledore's still here. What is there to be afraid of?"
He spoke with complete confidence. As long as Dumbledore remained at Hogwarts, Lord Voldemort was nothing to worry about.
"Exactly," a Ravenclaw girl chimed in. "Besides, even if he really has returned, don't we still have Professor Moody? He's spent his entire life hunting Dark Wizards."
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone around them fell silent at the same time.
Then—
"Speaking of Professor Moody..."
"Two Moodys fighting!"
"Yeah, yeah! That's the real story!"
The topic shifted instantly.
Indeed.
Compared to something as distant and intangible as the return of You-Know-Who, the students were far more interested in the gossip happening right before their eyes.
Two Moodys.
Locked in a fierce battle inside the Ministry of Magic's Great Hall.
One wielded Fiendfyre, the other cast the Killing Curse. They fought a world-shaking battle until, in the end, one was killed on the spot, and the corpse transformed back into Barty Crouch Jr.
The story was so thrilling that it completely overshadowed the matter of Lord Voldemort.
—After all, Dumbledore was still here, so what was there to be afraid of?
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