Chapter 241 "Flying Scale"

Rita Skeeter's penchant for sensationalism and rumor-mongering is widely acknowledged among the wizarding elite. Secretly backed by certain factions within the Ministry of Magic, she enjoys carte blanche to manipulate public opinion and silence political adversaries.

However, what remains largely unknown is Rita's unparalleled talent for gathering intelligence.

She is, in fact, an unregistered Animagus—an exceedingly rare and inconspicuous insect-like form, that of a diminutive beetle. This unique ability affords her unrestricted access and the ability to eavesdrop on the most confidential conversations.

Combining both her abilities to gather any information, no matter how tightly guarded they're, with her transfiguring ability to turn into an insect, Rita could easily breach and collect every single information she deems worthy of a headline.

But to be honest, even a small problem could turn into a headline, considering her ability to spice her writings by exaggerating a few stories on her own.

But Rita harbors a darker secret.

She possesses formidable mastery over memory magic, far surpassing even the famed Gilderoy Lockhart. Proficient in extracting, obscuring, and manipulating memories, she can erase recollections of encounters, thwart attempts to unveil her disguises, and evade detection.

This proficiency has enabled her to navigate precarious situations and evade consequences, ensuring her impunity in her pursuits. Notably, her techniques differ from conventional Legilimency, offering her an unparalleled advantage in her clandestine endeavors.

Which is why, most of the people she interviewed with ended up almost in a suspicious state that confirms her own story.

Mastering such advanced memory magic requires years of dedicated practice and innate talent in spiritual magic.

Rita employs orthodox memory magic, reliant on wands and incantations like Obliviate, Memory Charm, and Confundus Charm.

To safeguard her illicit secrets from prying minds and potential legal repercussions, she diligently practices Occlumency.

This mental discipline shields her thoughts from intrusion by Legilimens, knowing full well the numerous individuals keen on exploiting her, be it rivals, high-profile figures slighted by her writings, or those coveting her extensive intelligence network.

One such figure is Skyler Malfoy.

When apprehended by Skyler, Rita experiences a fleeting moment of panic but remains largely composed. She acknowledges the multitude desiring her capture but believes few harbor intentions of harming her.

Remarkably, she cannot recall any prior instance of defaming Skyler in her articles; in fact, she often portrayed him in a positive light. Thus, the motive behind Skyler's arrest can only be attributed to one factor: profit.

For Rita, her intelligence database is her lifeline, her most potent asset in navigating the cutthroat media landscape. Surrendering it is simply not an option.

The moment she was apprehended, she already formulated various contingency plans and dialogues in her mind. However, relinquishing the entirety of her database is out of the question.

At most, she might consider parting with selectively curated information. In her estimation, this compromise represents the optimal outcome, one Skyler would likely find agreeable, given his youth and relative inexperience.

From Rita's perspective, Skyler's interest likely lies in information relevant to him, such as confidential details concerning the Malfoy family or insider knowledge about the Ministry of Magic.

Trivialities like the latest Weird Sisters concert venue or Madam Celestina Warbeck's romantic entanglements would likely hold no appeal to him.

Yet, even if Skyler's demands were limited to such matters, Rita couldn't consent. Her situation is dire—captured and exposed as an unregistered Animagus, a grave offense that could earn her a lengthy sentence in Azkaban if reported. This is a risk she simply cannot afford to take.

Exposing some information to resolve the situation seemed like a mutually beneficial outcome that Rita could entertain. As for the notion of Skyler resorting to violence against her, Rita found it implausible.

There was no animosity between them, and there were even prospects for collaboration. Just hours earlier, she had struck a deal with Skyler's younger brother, Draco Malfoy, to provide scandalous material about Harry Potter, Rita's longtime target. At the same time, she would craft and sensationalize the narrative in an article to discredit Potter.

The idea of falling victim to Legilimency and having her most precious memories extracted seemed preposterous to Rita.

How old was Skyler anyway? Even if he were a prodigy, mastering Transfiguration, Charms, and Alchemy at such a level and still having the capacity to delve into Legilimency was highly unlikely. Legilimency was an incredibly advanced skill.

"I believe you've met my brother, so I will cut to the chase right away. Work together with me. I am not entertaining the idea of you working under me, but we'll work in equal standings. I want you to share your information with me, and I'll assure you of your safety," Skyler declared with a slight smile on his face.

Rita was trying her best to try and read what was going on with Skyler's head, but she just couldn't penetrate his defenses. Skyler only looked at her and then showed more of his smile, showing the difference in power between them no matter how experienced she was.

Even in the improbable event that Skyler possessed some proficiency in Legilimency (which Rita deemed highly doubtful), she remained confident in her own Occlumency abilities. Rita was convinced that there were no more than five telepaths in all of Great Britain who could breach her mental defenses.

Rita found herself taken aback by the request from the seemingly harmless young boy in front of her. Skyler's proposition left her utterly perplexed.

While he did agree that she needed not surrender her intelligence database, Skyler went a step further and demanded Rita never fathomed – he wanted her to relinquish the entire intelligence network she had spent decades meticulously constructing!

To compound matters, he insisted she become his subordinate within a clandestine organization known as the Serpentis Vigil Club, tasked with overseeing intelligence-gathering operations.

Rita realized her error from the outset – Skyler's desire and ambition extended far beyond the mere information she possessed; he coveted her as an individual!

Just as she prepared to rebuff his audacious request, Rita sensed a familiar and unwelcome intrusion into her mind – Legilimency!

Skyler was indeed proficient in Legilimency!

 

Frantically, Rita deployed Occlumency to erect a mental barrier against the unseen assault on her thoughts.

And she succeeded.

She keenly felt the force of the opponent's Legilimency crashing against the formidable mental defenses she had erected.

She endured the powerful shockwave and the reverberations from her mental barrier, but she held fast to her consciousness.

Though she experienced a wave of nausea and an overwhelming urge to retch, she knew the impact would leave the intruder even more discomforted than herself. After a brief moment, the corners of her lips curled upward ever so slightly, signaling her awareness that the mental intrusion was gradually retreating.

Just as she began to exhale a sigh of relief, her vigilance waned, and her mental defenses relaxed to their lowest ebb. Suddenly, a blinding crimson light assaulted her eyes, and then darkness enveloped her.

In the haze of unconsciousness, she remained oblivious to the methods Skyler employed. All she could recall was the sight of a pair of piercing red lights piercing through the darkness—snake-like eyes.

When she regained consciousness, she found herself surrendered completely to Skyler, body and soul. It felt natural, as though serving Skyler was her destined purpose, the very essence of her existence.

She now pledged her unwavering allegiance to her esteemed master!

This scene aligns with the depiction in the preceding image, where Skyler sat upon the True Dragon Throne.

Indeed, Skyler wielded his "absolute dominance" to alter her thoughts, memories, and even her very essence.

Capturing Rita proved no easy feat. Her formidable Occlumency skills presented a significant challenge. However, Skyler employed Legilimency to sap a portion of her mental strength, seizing the moment when her guard was down and her defenses weakened. In a fleeting instant, he utilized his "absolute dominance" to breach her mental fortifications and seize control.

Henceforth, Rita Skeeter, renowned special correspondent of the Daily Prophet, assumes a new clandestine identity—

Leader of the Serpentis Vigil Club's foreign intelligence unit and a devoted acolyte of Skyler Malfoy, codenamed "Flying Scale."