Morning sunlight streamed through the tall arched windows, spilling into the Great Hall of Hogwarts and gilding the four long tables with a warm golden edge.
The magical sky on the ceiling was as blue as if it had been washed clean, with a few white clouds drifting lazily by.
However, this moment of tranquility was completely shattered by the rustling of wings.
The owl army arrived as scheduled, circling and dropping letters and newspapers to their respective owners.
A dusty Scops owl dropped a rolled-up copy of The Daily Prophet beside the dinner plate in front of Hermione.
Hermione habitually unfurled the newspaper, ready to see what stupid new Educational Decree the Ministry of Magic had issued.
However, the moment her gaze hit the front page, the composure on her face instantly froze.
The front-page headline, in a near-menacing bold black font, occupied the entire page.
"Granger's Monster: How a mudblood Controls Dangerous Creatures and Threatens Pure-blood scions!"
The photo was enchanted and moving.
In the image, after the battle at the Department of Mysteries, Lia was in her Cat-girl form, covered in blood.
At her feet lay the Death Eater she had killed in an instant.
The photo's tones had been deliberately adjusted; Lia's fair skin appeared excessively pale, making her look like a demon crawling out of hell.
Hermione gave a cold, angry laugh.
Her eyes swept rapidly over the article's content.
"...Hermione Granger, a so-called 'top student' from a Muggle family, has ambitions far beyond imagination. According to reliable sources, she has used unknown dark means to control an extremely dangerous and highly aggressive unidentified magical creature. In the recent conflict at the Ministry of Magic, this 'pet' brutally murdered a Wizard in public..."
"...This creature, referred to by Miss Granger as 'Lia', is protean in form and emotionally unstable. According to witnesses, it has displayed dark powers identical to those of You-Know-Who. We have reason to suspect that Miss Granger is attempting to use this out-of-control beast as a tool for her upward grab for power..."
"...That a mudblood could lay hands on such a powerful dark creature is undoubtedly a blatant provocation and threat to all pure-blood families! Even more concerning is that this monster is inseparable from Miss Granger and is currently roaming freely within Hogwarts Castle. Our children, those pure and noble Pure-blood scions, are sharing a room with a murderous beast that could go on a rampage at any moment!"
Between the lines of the article, it was filled with malicious incitement and twisted accusations.
It depicted Hermione as a calculating and ambitious schemer and described Lia as a bloodthirsty, insane 'monster' that could bring disaster to the entire wizarding world at any time.
Harry and Ron leaned in as well, their expressions turning as grim as Hermione's after seeing the newspaper's content.
"This... this is absolute nonsense!" Ron's face turned red with rage. "Draco's father! It must be him!"
"How dare they..." Harry's voice was thick with suppressed anger.
The murmurs from the surroundings surged in like a tide.
"Look, it's her... that Granger girl."
"My god, is what the paper says true? She's keeping a monster?"
"Terrifying. My mom told me to stay away from her..."
At the Slytherin table, Draco Malfoy was holding up a copy of The Daily Prophet, loudly reading the most malicious passages to Crabbe and Goyle beside him, letting out bursts of harsh laughter every now and then.
Their gazes shot toward Hermione one by one.
Hermione's hand gripped the newspaper, the paper deforming under her squeeze.
Her anger almost materialized into physical magic, causing the milk cup in front of her to vibrate slightly.
However, what truly chilled her to the bone was the short paragraph at the end of the article.
"...It is worth mentioning that this ambitious Miss Granger's parents are ordinary Muggle dentists. Their clinic is located at..."
Below, the detailed address of her parents' dental clinic was printed clearly.
This wasn't an insinuation.
This was a naked, blatant death threat.
Lucius Malfoy didn't just want to destroy her reputation with public opinion; he wanted to bring the war to her family, using her most cherished loved ones to force her into submission.
"Hermione..." Harry looked at her with concern.
Hermione stood up abruptly, grabbed the newspaper, and turned to leave.
Lia followed behind her. As she stepped out of the Great Hall's doors, she gave her wrist a casual flick.
Amidst the cries of the Slytherin students, the Slytherin table flipped completely upside down.
Hermione didn't return to the dormitory; instead, she headed straight for the library.
With a "thud," she slammed the filthy newspaper onto a table, her chest heaving violently.
Rage coursed through her veins like lava.
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