Vid took the parchment, and before he could look closely, he saw Rita Skeeter enthusiastically leaning in a bit closer, asking eagerly:
"By the way, do you know who Harry Potter is close to? Preferably girls... but rivals would do too!"
Vid slowly lifted his head, looking at her with a peculiar gaze, "What do you intend to do?"
"I'll temporarily give up interviewing you, but I can't just publish photos of the Champions in the paper, can I? What's interesting about that kind of news!"
Rita Skeeter tapped her arm with her fingers, painted with bright red nail polish, eyes burning, "The topic of the 'Star of Salvation' brings huge attention!"
Vid's expression turned displeased, squinting slightly, "Rita, you know Harry is my friend, right?"
"Is that so? Well, let's pretend he is."
Rita Skeeter glanced around, then said in a compromising tone:
"On your account, I'll write him a bit cuter... How about portraying a young Savior who cries late at night missing his parents, yet risks his life to compete for the honor of the British Magic World?"
She waved her arms, her golden curls trembling with her movement, speaking in a cajoling tone, "Imagine, when my article comes out, he'll become every mother's sweetheart in the Magic World, they'll adore him!"
"Not everyone likes being put under the spotlight, Rita."
Vid said seriously, "Relying on your Quill and the title of a reporter to dig into the old wounds of a minor who has made great sacrifices for the world, such behavior is utterly unethical."
"Ethics? Ethics are shackles, I have no such thing."
Rita's eyes darted, stubbornly saying, "Listen, Vid, I appreciate you saving me, so for you, I can compromise. I can help with any information you need, but you can't interfere with my work!"
The muscles on the female reporter's face tightened, unhappily saying, "I am a reporter, I need sensational news!"
"Moreover, the public has the right to know! Do you know how much people look forward to seeing Harry Potter's name in the paper? The public has the right to understand how their hero grew up, they care about the 'Boy Who Lived'!"
"I am helping him, you understand, Vid! Moderate exposure does him no harm! I'll make him the most adored figure in the Magic World, which would help in his competition too..."
Vid reached out to interrupt her endless talking—
"Our names on the Champion list are enough! People don't need to speculate through your fabrications whether a kid cries at night, or if he's dating a beauty, or any one-sided assessments from his rivals."
His voice remained calm, but the room seemed to drop several degrees:
"I understand Harry, he's not that interested in fame, and doesn't want others prying into his privacy. Your actions would make him at a loss."
"Besides, is overexposure a good thing? His every move would be scrutinized and criticized, some would resent him for no reason, some would harass him, others would sanctimoniously manipulate him under the guise of caring—just like you intend to do now."
"So don't argue about how beneficial your articles are, Rita. You know well that your articles only mess up other people's lives!"
In the room, a silence fell, Rita Skeeter pursed her lips tightly, her face slightly pale, looking at Vid, her expression seemed somewhat hurt.
"This is... my way of living... Vid Gray." Rita gritted her teeth, speaking in a sharp voice, "Even Dumbledore wouldn't... wouldn't..."
Vid's tone softened a bit.
"Not everyone carries the grace of Professor Dumbledore, if you continue to trample others' dignity, one day you will be bitten back."
Pausing for a moment, he added, "The reason I'm telling you this is because I still regard you as a friend, and I don't want to see you ruin yourself with such foolish actions."
"Think about it, Rita."
Vid patted the parchment beside him, "Aren't these materials you gave me the best proof?"
"The world is far more dangerous than we see, your merciless writings will only invite trouble, and by then, regret will be too late."
Vid emphasized the word "trouble."
Rita looked at Vid, while Vid gazed calmly at her. After a moment of staring at each other, it was Rita Skeeter who first averted her gaze.
"Humph, talking so nicely, you just want me to leave Harry Potter alone, don't you?"
She took a deep breath, saying, "Fine, the interview is canceled. But you shouldn't have any objections if I write about others, right?"
"Respect the facts, don't slander others, is it so hard?"
Vid said helplessly, "Your profession is called the uncrowned king because it can easily sway public opinion about a matter or a person, but distorting facts destroys this honor and power, doesn't it amount to losing a lot for a little?"
"Thanks for the concern, but I have my way of doing things."
Rita Skeeter swiftly grabbed her purse, sneered, and turned to walk out of the classroom, saying as she went:
"Now I believe you truly are friends with Harry Potter!"
"But even if I give up, won't other reporters target him? When others manipulate the narrative, you'll realize I'm already the friendliest reporter there is!"
She clacked her high heels to the door, and before leaving, turned and pointed at Vid, loudly saying, "Don't forget you still owe me an exclusive interview!"
"Bang!"
The classroom door was slammed shut, like venting intense dissatisfaction, but only Rita Skeeter herself knew how jealous she was at this moment.
She envied the light surrounding Vid, bright as a blazing torch when protecting a friend;
She also envied the oblivious Harry, protected without knowing, friendship to Rita was almost a non-existent luxury.
Rita took a deep breath, swallowing down the bitterness in her throat, and turning her head, her emotions flew away instantly out of fear.
Dumbledore and Flitwick were both at the door, watching her indifferently.
"Oh, Dumbledore." Rita Skeeter hurriedly squeezed out a smile, "So glad to see you again... Can I have a word with you?"
"Ah... considering you used to portray me as an ossified old lunatic, I think it might not be possible." Dumbledore said with a smiling squint, "Dinner is ready, why not have some?"
"Alright... of course, I was just about to head over."
Rita Skeeter grabbed her small bag, quickly left as if she were escaping.