When flocks of Owls flew in from outside the Great Hall, the Young Wizards of Hogwarts knew that today's Daily Prophet had been delivered.
Several Professors at the Staff Table also shifted their gazes toward the Owls flying into the Great Hall.
With those Pure-blood families involved, the Ministry of Magic and The Daily Prophet would certainly react to the comments made by The Ravenclaws during lunch yesterday; things the students could think of, they naturally could too.
So they were actually waiting for today's Daily Prophet, regardless of whether it was Lynn, Hermione, or the Young Wizards of Ravenclaw.
They were still students, and as their Professors, they had an obligation to protect them, didn't they?
Whether physically or in terms of public opinion, as Professors, they bore a corresponding responsibility.
Reaching out to steadily catch The Daily Prophet dropped by the Owls, Hermione, Maranhao, Marietta, and Penelope opened their copies almost in unison.
Lynn tilted her head slightly to look at The Daily Prophet in Hermione's hand, which featured a striking headline: "Unstable Elements? A New Crisis in the Wizarding World!"
"Tsk," Maranhao clicked her tongue, "This writing style... it doesn't feel like Rita Skeeter's usual flair."
"Because her article is further back; this first page should belong to the Ministry of Magic."
A bone-chillingly cold voice spoke; clearly, Penelope had already found the article written by Rita Skeeter.
To be honest, it was quite easy to find, because besides this first page, the rest of the paper was entirely dedicated to Rita Skeeter.
Hearing this, Hermione flipped back a page, and the headline there was a line of large text: "What Exactly Caused the Smartest Among Them to Make the Most Unwise Decisions?"
Lynn blinked at the title and began to quickly scan the contents of the entire report.
In the report, Rita Skeeter briefly described the support and protection Lynn and Hermione received within Ravenclaw House.
At the same time, she raised questions and speculations as to why the two of them were able to receive the full assistance of The Ravenclaws.
"We have to wonder how these two girls—these young, beautiful girls from the Muggle world—managed to conquer the house of Ravenclaw."
It was a clever method of guidance; while seemingly describing her and Hermione's situation, it was actually deliberately steering the readers' thoughts.
Lynn quickly analyzed the situation while mentally marking a small red 'X' over Rita Skeeter.
Slandering girls by implying improper means was a common tactic used by the media, and Lynn was well aware of this.
She didn't care about Rita Skeeter's slanders against herself, but she could not tolerate such slanders being made against Hermione.
Hermione was equally furious; she shook her head with a mirthless laugh, marveling at how she had truly underestimated the level of Rita Skeeter's shamelessness.
However, it was clear that this report wasn't the most excessive part, because upon seeing the subsequent coverage, Marietta could no longer help but slam the newspaper onto the table.
Look at what that woman wrote! How did she dare! Didn't she go to school at Hogwarts too?
Headmaster Dumbledore was probably her Professor back then!
"The Powerful Strength and Ambition of Two Young Witches: Why is Dumbledore Sharing Everything So Freely?"
Seeing Marietta's reaction, Maranhao and Penelope stopped reading the first two reports and flipped directly to the final third report; immediately, both of their expressions darkened significantly.
"What did she write now?"
Seeing the three older girls' faces so dark they looked ready to summon a thunderstorm, Hermione immediately prepared to flip the page to the last report, but Maranhao held her hand down.
"Hermione, maybe don't look. Don't let it dirty your and Lynn's eyes."
Listening to Maranhao's words and noticing Marietta glancing toward the Staff Table from time to time, Lynn instantly deduced the most likely conclusion.
"Rita Skeeter is slandering Hermione and me by claiming we have inappropriate relationships with the Professors?"
Speaking this guess in a completely flat tone, Hermione turned to look at her in disbelief.
"No way, I mean," Hermione was now somewhat incoherent with shock, "she graduated from Hogwarts too; how could she slander the Professors of Hogwarts like this?!"
"Truly nothing can be hidden from you, Lynn."
Penelope reached out to ruffle Lynn's hair while taking The Daily Prophet from in front of Hermione.
"But she didn't slander you with the Professors; she slandered you with Headmaster Dumbledore."
"Alright, now that you both know, just keep eating breakfast. Don't read the specific report; it'll only ruin your mood."
Penelope casually tossed the two newspapers onto the long table, trying her best not to show the burning rage in her heart.
"I'm not reading it either. It's complete nonsense, worse than gossip rags."
Having said that, she waved her wand, and the two newspapers on the table instantly burst into flames; Maranhao and Marietta also didn't hesitate to throw their Daily Prophets into the fire.
Any hint of hesitation would be an act of self-harm; reading such trash would only make them sick with anger.
The same thing wasn't just happening among them; at the Ravenclaw Table, the Gryffindor Table, and the Hufflepuff Table, hundreds of Young Wizards were cursing in unison.
Lynn even saw Harry and Ron so angry they forgot magic and used their bare strength to tear The Daily Prophet to shreds.
By the end, because the paper was too thick, both of their faces were flushed red from the effort.
Even the Young Wizards of Slytherin found these three reports hard to believe.
The first report—the theory about Headmaster Dumbledore's ambition that the Ministry of Magic often secretly promoted—wasn't surprising, and Headmaster Dumbledore didn't care at all, so it was nothing.
But starting from the second report, what was Rita Skeeter writing?
Had she gone mad?!
Slandering Lynn and Granger was fine, but did she really have to drag in the entire Ravenclaw House or even Headmaster Dumbledore?
And with that kind of slander! Merlin's beard, Headmaster Dumbledore isn't dead yet; he's still alive and well!
She really isn't afraid of making Headmaster Dumbledore lose his temper and turn on her, is she?
Even if she wasn't afraid, they were; the Pure-blood families behind them were.
They had told Rita Skeeter to slander and attack those two Young Wizards, Lynn and Granger.
But that was limited to those two Young Wizards from the Muggle world with no background.
Why did she take it upon herself to provoke all of Ravenclaw and Headmaster Dumbledore?
Did she think their Pure-blood families weren't dying fast enough?
In the eyes of The Ravenclaws and Headmaster Dumbledore, could these reports have been written by her alone?
In their eyes, these reports were written by her because they, the Pure-blood families, had ordered it!
In the end, the bill would be settled on their heads!
The Little Snakes of Slytherin were now completely panicked; the schadenfreude they felt yesterday while waiting for a good show had vanished entirely.
Everyone looked up cautiously at the exceptionally low atmosphere in the Great Hall, and at The Ravenclaws, who were the most somber among the three houses.
When they won't completely enrage the other party, some people feel schadenfreude about provoking them.
But under conditions that will completely infuriate the other party, people become afraid; this is an unavoidable part of human nature.
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