8 Chapter 8 Daily Prophet

... Hogwarts...

Harry attended his classes. He mostly sat with Ron and Neville. Students are unaware about the little incident which happened in the morning. After they finished the transfiguration class with Ravenclaw students. They were about to go to their next class for charms with the Hufflepuff students.

"Hey mate, when did you started to get up early in the morning? You didn't even wake me up," Ron complained to Harry about his new patterns of behaviour. Neville listened to his red head friend.

"My habits changed after I was sent to Azkaban. And when I was in the hospital they used to give me the breakfast early in the morning. It may have become my habit, Ron. You don't like when someone tries to wake you up. So I didn't disturb you," Harry said to Ron while collecting his book.

"I hope Hermoine should be here at this time. Even though she irritates me a lot. At least she can lecture you on helping others," Ron said to Harry. He started to miss her friend Hermoine. No one is helping him in doing homeworks now a days.

" You remembered Hermoine just now because of your unfinished homework. As soon as I came back I knew there is no one who can help us in the brain department. So I started reading more frequently. Maybe in few days she will be back," Harry said to Ron. After hearing it from his friend he just relaxed a little.

"Are you sure she will be back in few days," Neville asked to Harry about Hermoine.

"Call it a hunch of mine. And Ron go and visit Ginny at the hospital wing when you have a free time. She is admitted because of her poor health," Harry said to Ron. He cannot tell him everything.

"She is admitted in the hospital wing. Did Percy or twins know about it?" Ron asked Harry with a worried expression.

"Only twins know about it. They bunked the class to stay with her. I didn't have time to inform about her to Percy. You can inform him," Harry said to Ron. After they reached the corridor.

" I will inform Percy and then I will go to meet my sister. I might be late for charms class," Ron said and left Harry and Neville at the corridor.

Neville and Harry went to attend the charms class. Ron came back before the class is about to start. Prof. Flitwick started his class.

...Ministry of magic....

Minister for magic Cornelius Fudge met with an auror who came with a good news for him.

" Minister Fudge, a good news for you," Auror said to Fudge. The minister looked up to the man, whom he appointed to report immediately at any incident in the Hogwarts.

"Tell me what kind of information you found in Hogwarts. Last time I was in hurry and it brought me a lot of trouble. I am expecting to hear a good news from you which can end my trouble," Fudge said to Auror. The auror became serious.

"The incident which was happening in the Hogwarts is indeed done by a Basilisk. When I was patrolling in the corridor of Hogwarts this morning. I saw Dumbledore talking with Harry Potter in a girl's bathroom," Auror said to Fudge. But the minister interrupted him.

"What he was doing with Harry Potter alone?" Fudge questioned him. He wanted to know the full story and he cannot jump in the conclusion like last time.

"Harry was with the Weasley twins and girl. I heard their conversation from a distance but I understood some main points from their talk with Dumbledore. The most important one is about Harry potter. He has slain the Basilisk alone. And the Basilisk is controlled by a cursed diary which can possess any student. The diary was enchanted with a very dark magic but it was also destroyed by Harry potter. And at last he closed the chamber of secrets. It's entrance is in that bathroom," Auror explained to minister Fudge. After hearing all the details the minister was little happy.

"Did you know whose diary it was? And what happened to the corpse of Basilisk," Fudge asked him. If he can get his hands on the Basilisk's corpse he will be filthy rich.

"The diary belonged to a boy named 'Tom marvolo riddle'. From their talks I can tell he was in Hogwarts as a student nearly fifty years ago. Same things happened at that time like the recent incidents. A student died too and now she is roaming as a ghost in the Hogwarts. And the corpse of Basilisk has been claimed by Harry Potter. He summoned his house elves and told them to sell it through a goblin," The auror answered Fudge.

After hearing it, Fudge was thinking about few things. He cannot claim the basilisk corpse now. If a goblin is involved then they probably have sold it by now. Or they might have sold it to their own kind. He cannot mess with a goblin when he is involved in the selling procedure and he is getting paid for it.

"Okay nice work auror. Leak the news to Rita Skeeter about Harry Potter killing the Basilisk and destroying a cursed Diary which can possess any student. British magic government is in chaos after we put the boy in the Azkaban. So let her know that I am going to award him for his recent achievement. If Dumbledore didn't feel your presence then we can shock him later," Fudge said to Auror. He is very happy that he can find a way to redeem his image. His public image has gone down recently but if he can give an award to Harry then it will improve his image in front of the wizarding world. At least they will look at him as a strict and kind minister for magic.

"No, he didn't sense me. I was in my animagus form. Even Dumbledore has his limits. And sir, about my promotion," The auror asked him. He is working directly under Fudge's order in both legal or illegal ways, so he can get a promotion. He has seen Arthur Weasley who is working very hard but due to his relationship with Minister Fudge he never got promotion in his working period.

"You will get the promotion letter in a month. Don't worry you brought me a good news under the nose of Dumbledore. He will never reveal such details to the public," Fudge said to the auror. He despise Dumbledore for his fame and the direct shot for the position of minister for Magic. He never felt safe about his minister's position in the presence of Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Thank you Minister Fudge," The auror said and left his office. He has another job to complete for Fudge.

Cornelius Fudge is happy to secure his image. He is not very brave to implement any change in the wizarding world. He often worked in the favor of purebloods.

An auror from Azkaban came to Minister fudge's office after fifteen minutes.

"Minister Fudge we have a news regarding the previous Dark lord Gellert Grindelwald. He died in the prison in a natural way," The auror from Azkaban said to fudge. The minister smiled at the news.'Today is my lucky day' Fudge thought in his mind.

"That is a good news auror. I don't want to deal with a dark lord. No one wants to deal with a dark lord at this period of time,"Fudge said to the auror.

He dismissed him after he listened to the details of previous Dark lord's death. He knows the detail about his death should have been leaked by now.

....Daily prophet office...

Rita Skeeter is in her office. She received the news about Harry Potter slaying a basilisk inside the Hogwarts and other details from an auror who worked for Minister for magic. He mostly tell her any news when he wants to defame others but this time he wants to save himself from the recent mistake. So the auror told her to potray Harry as a hero. And this news is provided directly by minister of magic. He also told her to add a congratulations from minister for magic to Harry for him slaying the Basilisk. She has to portray him as a strict minister.

She got another news about Gellert grindelwald's death. She has two news which can be easily make her a successful journalist.

"I am going to be a very successful journalist and no one can lay a hand on me. Now I have two best news under my hands which can make my life more smoother," Rita Skeeter is saying to herself while writing the news.

She walked towards the office to submit her latest finding to the editor of chief Barnabas cuffe.

"I have a good news for you editor-in-chief," Rita Skeeter said to Mr. cuffe and showed him the written news. Which can make in the Daily prophet's front page.

The editor-in-chief cuffe read her news and he was impressed. He gave her a nod as his permission to print this news.

"Nice news Rita. I am impressed with your hard work. After you became our journalist we have got more subscriptions than we have expected. Our sales have also grown in recent months after you joined us," Barnabas cuffe said to Rita. He doesn't believe in ministry when he can manipulate them from behind. He knows their dark secrets.

"Thank you Editor-in-chief. I am just doing my job," Rita said to Cuffe. She wants to be a successful journalist in wizarding world.

"It will be in the front page of tomorrow's morning edition, Ms. Rita. I will give you more salary than what we are paying you now. Please continue the good work. Don't worry about the politicians in future we can defame them if they try anything funny against us. Magic government and their politicians career are depend on our paper," Cuffe said to Rita. He is very proud that no one in the British magic government can do anything to him. He has a lot of influence from his paper alone.

"I will remember it and use it fully while writing against them," Rita said to Cuffe. She understood one thing from this conversation that she can boldly write against anyone.

" Now you can leave I have to read other news from other journalists," Barnabas Cuffe said to Rita. She gives a nod and walk out from the Editor-in-chief's office.

This is the beginning for Rita Skeeter. She is a fearless journalist. With this new information about magic government and politicians fear of maintaining their image she can make herself a news terror in the wizarding world.