Hogwarts: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me From Studying

Chapter 339: Chapter 44: Umbridge’s Dark Side

[How did the sweet Dolores Umbridge become a high-ranking official at the Ministry of Magic? What secrets lie behind her success?

Special correspondent for Prophet Daily, Rita Skeeter reports for you.

Dolores Jane Umbridge is a senior deputy minister at the Ministry of Magic and a member of the Wizengamot tribunal, achieving great success at a young age. However, her colleague Ms. G said, ”Oh, come on, she’s a wicked lunatic!”

Why does Ms. G have such an assessment? Out of curiosity and journalistic duty, Rita Skeeter interviewed dozens of Ms. Umbridge’s acquaintances and is finally able to reveal to readers the dark side of this lady...]

Rita Skeeter uses seemingly objective writing to strip Umbridge’s secrets bare.

This woman, who always claimed to be pure-blooded and even from the pure-blood Selwyn Clan, actually has a weak and incompetent janitor father, a frivolous and slovenly Muggle mother, and a ”Dud” brother without a name—the latter two have been driven out of the family.

Then, several ”neighbors” under pseudonyms came forward, narrating how Umbridge was domineering and selfish since childhood, bullied her brother, despised and reprimanded her mother, eventually forcing the family to split up.

[”I still remember that boy, a gentle and quiet child, often carrying scars, with his head down not daring to speak, like a frightened little hamster.”

Mr. Nogla, whose teeth were about to fall out, said, ”Although Agatha was very distressed when she took her son and left them, I believe it was actually a fortunate event for the mother and son.”

Subsequently, Umbridge enrolled and entered Slytherin College, forming close ties with classmates who later became Death Eaters.

During school, they did extremely excessive things to students from Muggle families, which receded only after warnings from the school.

Accompanying interview content—

[”She was simply a nightmare; even making eye contact with her made me tremble with fear.”

Mel said while trembling. Thinking back to the time at school, she still harbors hatred and fear, her beautiful eyes full of tears.

But Miss Umbridge’s misdeeds only received minimal punishment, sheltered by some wicked friends, enabling her to graduate successfully with excellent grades and enter the Ministry of Magic for an internship.

Here, she found a domain more suited to her play...]

Next, Skeeter uses lengthy content to report what she thinks is the truly important part: how Umbridge spared no efforts to curry favor with superiors, oppressed subordinates, quickly elevating her status in the Ministry of Magic, but all her commendable achievements were occupying others’ merits.

The accompanying picture is a seemingly ambiguous photo of Umbridge with a foreign Minister of Magic, and a smilingly sycophantic Umbridge wearing a pink cardigan sweater facing Minister Fudge.

Vid looked at the woman showing a bright fake smile in the black-and-white photo, involuntarily feeling a bit sympathetic.

No one knows how Umbridge offended Rita Skeeter on the ship, but this journalist seems to be firing on all cylinders in revenge.

Vid could even be sure that besides the descriptive and inflammatory words, at least eighty percent of the events mentioned in Rita’s article are believable.

After reading the newspaper, Ferdinand was silent for a while before saying to his son:

”Vid, I know you now have some fame, and your name often appears in the newspapers...”

”Mm-hmm-” Fiona nodded repeatedly and proudly stated, ”A rising star in Alchemy!”

—The media sometimes calls Vid this.

Ferdinand chuckled a bit and then said solemnly, ”But Vid, remember, no matter how flattering those journalists’ words may sound, don’t believe them, and never say everything out there.”

Fiona first retorted, ”Vid won’t!”

Then she blinked, strangely asked, ”But isn’t this different? This Ms. Umbridge is full of dark materials, if our Vid is written in the newspaper, the biggest readers’ question would definitely be—why such a perfect child belongs to someone else?”

”Fiona, words are always easily misunderstood or distorted. Besides, would you like to see Vid being critiqued by people he doesn’t even know? He might be subject to jealousy and slander, and might also attract unnecessary trouble.”

Fiona shook her head vigorously.

Ferdinand looked at Vid and said, ”I know you’ve never been ostentatious, but in the future, focus more on yourself, and don’t be distracted by the clamor outside.”

”Got it, Dad.” Vid nodded.

He lowered his head, looked at Skeeter’s name on the newspaper, and after a moment, folded it and put it away.

...

Skeeter transformed into a beetle, crouching on the rooftop, watching Umbridge aggressively leading a group into the Prophet Daily’s headquarters.

Soon, any of her journalist colleagues fled the building, holding their heads with a face full of fury but not daring to express it.

Umbridge naturally couldn’t find Skeeter, turning to vent her anger at the Prophet Daily, announcing stricter regulation on the press with harsher laws.

The newspaper manager, nodding while grinning, ambiguously placated Umbridge—

”Uh... journalists can decide what they want to report...”

”If you think Ms. Skeeter is spouting nonsense, feel free to point it out, and we’ll change it... specifically, which part is false...”

”Ah, this... if reporting the truth, it shouldn’t count as slander... unless you think... hahaha...”

The editor laughed artificially, sweating humbly as he angered Umbridge to the point of turning pale.

As he spoke, the newspaper staff were working overtime crazily, because too many temporary buyers wanted the newspaper, they were working overtime printing.

The editor gestured for them to hurry, while grinning.

Two owls suddenly flew in through the window, throwing a red Howler letter at Umbridge’s head, and a loud roaring voice exploded immediately—

”You hideous and vile woman! Your behavior is simply heinous! I am disgusted to breathe the same air as you...”

Umbridge shrieked, a spell hit the Howler, but it suddenly exploded, spraying a large mass of smelly water onto Umbridge.

Umbridge screamed as she jumped up.

Skeeter, crouching on the roof, laughed ”ha ha ha,” her forelimbs couldn’t resist clapping hard.

Suddenly, she felt darkness overhead, as a large flock of owls carrying various letters about to explode swooped in.

”Bang bang bang—”

Several Howler letters emitted a roaring voice, causing the glass of the press to tremble in a mournful moan.

Rita Skeeter jumped to the ground and transformed back, grabbed a camera, swiftly taking a precious photo.

In the photo, Umbridge looked up, her face full of sheer terror as she watched countless Howler letters rushing towards her.