0499 Big News

0499 Big News

Rita's eyes darted nervously around the room, her gaze finally settling on Bryan's blank face. She tried to mask her growing unease with a smile that was meant to be curious but came across as forced and slightly agitated. The corners of her mouth twitched involuntarily, showing her inner turmoil.

"Oh, you've brought me some big news, have you?" she said, her voice quavering slightly despite her best efforts to maintain her usual breezy tone.

The tingling sensation that had begun at her scalp was now spreading down her neck, and she could feel her heart pounding against her ribs like a caged animal seeking escape.

After a series of events, Bryan Watson's reputation had become surprisingly good. He was now hailed as a hero by the vast majority of the Wizarding community. His timely intervention during the chaotic night of the Quidditch World Cup final had potentially saved multiple Wizarding nations around the globe from destruction. The wizarding world was overflowing with gratitude, singing praises of Watson's bravery and prowess.

However, as is often the case with sudden fame and adoration, there were also dissenting voices amidst the chorus of approvals. These voices, though fewer in number, were no less passionate in their skepticism and criticism.

Rita, being a well-informed reporter with her finger on the pulse of the Wizarding world's gossip, had heard many of these unfavorable opinions. Some of them, she had to admit, weren't entirely without merit.

She glanced at Watson probingly, her magnified eyes searching for any crack in his composed face. But the man before her remained as calm as a statue, his piercing gaze focused upon her with an intensity that made her want to squirm in her seat.

Left with no other choice, Rita reached out with fingers that trembled slightly, picking up the parchment that lay on the table between them. Her plump fingers deftly unfolded the letter and she adjusted her bejeweled spectacles, pushing them further up her nose and leaned in closer to scrutinize the unusually long document.

As her eyes skimmed over the parchment, familiar names began to jump out at her. These weren't just any names – they were the names of some of the most powerful and influential figures in the wizarding world. Ministers, department heads, prominent purebloods, and even a few names she recognized from international magical communities.

"Oh, Merlin's beard!" The exclamation burst from her lips before she could stop it.

Rita, who had been lazing in her chair with an air of casual indifference, suddenly sat upright. With her thick finger, she traced a path from the top of the parchment to the bottom, her crimson-painted lips moving silently as she mouthed the names and the damning information listed beside them.

The details were staggering. Bribes accepted, laws circumvented, dark artifacts smuggled, and galleons upon galleons of ill-gotten gains carefully catalogued. It was a laundry list of corruption that reached to the very highest echelons of British Ministry. Rita's mind whirled as she tried to process the horror of what she was reading.

Bryan observed Rita's reaction with great interest. To be honest, he was somewhat surprised by what he saw. He had expected Rita Skeeter, as the notorious gossip-monger and scandal-breaker, to tremble with excitement upon seeing this list.

But as the minutes ticked by, marked by the steady ticking of the old clock on the wall, Rita's eyebrows arched higher and higher, her lips were pressed together so tightly that they almost disappeared, leaving only a thin line of color and her hands began to shake visibly. But according to Bryan's judgment this wasn't necessarily due to excitement.

The cheap bronze candlestick on the table, its surface dulled by years of use and neglect, supported several stubby candles. They emitted a dim, yellowish light that cast long shadows across the room. Occasionally, bright sparks would leap from the steady flames, dancing in the air for a brief moment before vanishing into nothingness.

Rita's gaze darted back and forth across the names on the parchment, her eyes moving with the rapidity of a Seeker tracking a particularly elusive Snitch. She read each line with painstaking care, as if trying to engrave the information permanently into her brain.

It wasn't until Bryan had leisurely finished two full glasses of sherry that she finally lowered the parchment from her eyes. Her face, usually covered with a thick layer of powder had now truly turned pale.

"I can't believe it, Watson," Rita finally spoke.

The exaggerated, almost theatrical tone that was her trademark had vanished entirely. What remained was a voice that seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of her throat, raw but less nauseating.

Rita's fingers clutched at a corner of the parchment so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.

"This thing," she continued, her words emerging through gritted teeth, "could bring down the entire Ministry of Magic!"

Rita's eyes widened in alarm, and she opened her mouth to protest, but Bryan held up a hand to silence her. "Don't get excited, listen to me," he said firmly. "This matter is of great importance, and it's entirely predictable that Fudge will personally negotiate with you, trying his utmost to persuade you not to publish this information. You can follow his instructions and agree not to publish the contents of the parchment."

Bryan spread his hands in a gesture of nonchalance, indicating he had finished speaking.

Rita stared at him, her mouth hanging open in surprise. "Just like that?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"Of course," Bryan replied smoothly, "you can also negotiate terms with Fudge. Perhaps secure some privileges for yourself, or a generous number of galleons. You're a very experienced person, Rita, with an excellent sense of how far you can push things. I'm sure you know exactly where the limit lies." He paused, his expression growing serious. "There is, however, one thing I must remind you: Fudge will almost certainly ask if I gave you this list. When that happens, you must unwaveringly maintain your story. If he presses you on where you obtained this information..."

Bryan's lips curved into a small smile. "Well, you're exceptionally skilled at crafting convincing narratives, Rita. I have every confidence that you can provide our esteemed Minister of Magic with an answer that will satisfy his curiosity without revealing the truth."

Rita slowly closed her mouth, her green eyes sparkling with a mixture of wariness and understanding. She had already begun to sense that Bryan Watson's intentions were more complex than they initially appeared. It seemed unlikely that he truly meant to use this list to bring down the Ministry, nor did he appear to want to back her into a corner from which there was no escape. Of course, she realized, he was indeed using her – but for some other, as yet unspeakable purpose.

Before she could voice any of the questions swirling in her mind, Bryan spoke again. This time, his voice carried the unmistakable weight of authority, reminding Rita forcefully of exactly who she was dealing with. "Control your curiosity, Rita," he said, his tone brooking no argument.

Rita's breath caught in her throat, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she struggled to process everything she had heard. After a moment, she managed to speak, her voice wavering slightly. "You're asking for my help, aren't you, Watson? But why... why should I help you?"

Bryan's response was calm and leisurely. "Isn't this arrangement beneficial for you as well?" he asked rhetorically. "As long as you don't insist on publishing the list and make some kind of promise to Fudge – the specifics of which I'll leave to your will – I don't believe he'll take any drastic action against you. And you'll indeed be holding onto a significant weakness of the Ministry of Magic. If something troublesome were to happen to you in the future, you might find this information to be a rather effective... insurance policy, shall we say?"

Rita raised her eyebrows, momentarily rendered speechless by Watson's words.

"Well then, that's it—" Bryan's voice cut through her whirling thoughts, startling her back to the present moment. He didn't wait for Rita to give a clear response, seemingly content with her silent contemplation. With a casual air that opposed the seriousness of their conversation, he picked up his glass with some drink left and drained it in one gulp, letting out a contented sigh. "Good night, Ms. Rita Skeeter—"

Before Rita could voice a response, Bryan had already risen from his chair. He covered the short distance to the door in two long strides. His hand was on the doorknob, ready to turn it and step out into the corridor of the Leaky Cauldron.

The abruptness of his departure jolted Rita into action. Just as Bryan was about to step through the crack of the now-open door, she found her voice.

"Wait, Watson!" The words burst from her lips with urgency.

Bryan paused, his hand still on the doorknob, and turned slightly to face her.

Rita stared at him, her gaze wary and searching. After hesitating for a moment, she said dryly. "You surprise me too, Watson, with your power, your influence... no matter what you want to do, Fudge can't truly stop you. He wouldn't dare."

She paused, moistening her lips nervously before continuing. "But you're going to such lengths—I mean, this list..." Her eyes flicked to the parchment still lying on the table, its contents now burned into her memory. "It certainly wasn't easy to obtain, was it? The risk, the time it must have taken..."

She left the question unspoken, but it hung in the air between them: Why? Why go through all this trouble when he could simply act directly?

A soft chuckle escaped Bryan's lips, barely audible in the quiet room. He turned his head, preparing to leave, but his voice carried clearly over his shoulder, penetrating the heavy wooden door panel to reach Rita's ears.

"I'm not the Dark Lord, Rita—"

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