Chapter 186 Ripple Effect
As Christmas approached, the festive atmosphere in the castle grew stronger day by day.
Perhaps it was because the Sirius Black incident had been perfectly resolved, or perhaps it was because the Dementors that had been stationed outside the castle had finally left; whatever the reason, this year the Christmas spirit at Hogwarts was particularly intense, and people wore a blissful smile on their faces.
In the Great Hall, Hagrid had selected 12 enormous Christmas trees, and Professor Flitwick used magic to hang small candles and sparkling stars on them.
The stars twinkled, changing from silver to gold occasionally, and looked extraordinarily splendid.
Throughout the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up. Thick garlands of holly and mistletoe sprawled along the corridors, mysterious lights shimmered from within each suit of armor. A potent and delightful aroma of cooking pervaded the halls.
Unfortunately, Evan, Harry, and Hermione couldn't go see it in person.
Madam Pomfrey insisted that the three should not leave; they stayed in the infirmary and heard from the people who came to visit them about the great changes in the castle.
Apart from Snape, everyone else who stayed at Hogwarts had visited them, and Lupin and Hagrid came almost every day.
Even Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were there and brought them the latest news about Ron. Ron was recovering very well and should be able to return to Hogwarts after the Christmas break.
The only regret was that there had been no signs of Sirius Black.
Nevertheless, news about him never ceased. In fact, it was as if they rained from the heavens.
At the start of the Christmas holidays, people kept criticizing the Ministry of Magic for the Sirius Black and the Werewolf case, accusing Dumbledore of hiring a werewolf as a teacher at the school. The howls of Slytherin students' parents rushed towards Hogwarts, and the whole castle resonated with loud echoes.
By the third day of the holidays, the situation began to change.
There was still an endless stream of owls arriving. However, this time they weren't Howlers; instead, they were all readers' letters. The owls flew into the room one after another and landed on the three: Evan, Harry, and Hermione. There were so many letters that the room was filling up.
Madam Pomfrey had to use the Repelling Charm to prevent more owls from entering.
The main reason for this phenomenon was a statement from the Ministry of Magic. Shortly after leaving the school hospital, Fudge issued this brief statement.
From the announcement, people learned that the Ministry of Magic had finally captured Sirius Black.
However, the outcome was completely different from what they had initially thought. Black was innocent, and the culprit turned out to be a man named Peter Pettigrew.
The news, like casting a massive stone into tranquil waters, instantly set the entire magical world abuzz, arousing everyone's interest.
The identity of Peter Pettigrew, the truth behind the event, how Peter was arrested at Hogwarts, and so forth, became the hottest topics of those days, sparking extensive discussion in the magical community.
After a brief shock, people began to delve into the details of the incident.
Yet, the Ministry of Magic's statement was too succinct, and even the usually all-knowing "The Prophet" had little to offer on the matter.
This significant event that caught everyone by surprise was so sudden.
Peter Pettigrew had managed to replace Black, becoming the most wicked dark wizard under Voldemort's command. However, people were astonished to discover that no one precisely knew what he had done, what scheme he had plotted, and how he was ultimately caught.
All of these were mysteries. Just hours after the Ministry of Magic's announcement, rumors spread throughout the Magical World, and gossip was rampant.
The names of the Dark Lord, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Harry Potter, and Evan Mason were on everyone's lips. If you strolled through Diagon Alley, you could hear everyone discussing them.
Some claimed that this was related to the truth behind Voldemort's past failure; others said they had seen the pale face of Lucius Malfoy exiting Fudge's office... After a brief lull, there was a strong resurgence.
Just when wizards could not wait, and were ready to spontaneously gather and demand that the Ministry of Magic publicly unveil the truth about the incident, the latest edition of Hogwarts' magical newspaper was released.
The wizards who subscribed to the paper were delighted to find that the shadowy campus tabloids had in-depth reports on the current hottest topics in the magical world.
Furthermore, they were all first-hand news!
The whole story unfolded, the unknown truth between Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, the process of Peter Pettigrew's arrest after being captured by Evan Mason, and so on. Everything was exclusive reporting.
One, ten, 100 copies sold, and the sales of "Hogwarts Magic" skyrocketed. Orders for more poured in like snowflakes, and people were eager to learn the truth of the matter. Although Evan and Lupin were fully prepared, they still printed over 10,000 copies.
With this news and subsequent reports, the circulation of "Hogwarts Magic" suddenly surpassed that of "The Prophet," becoming the best-selling newspaper in the magical industry.
In these circumstances, Mr. Barnabas Cuffe, the editor-in-chief of "The Prophet," who was already declining, had penned dozens of letters to Evan, requesting the right to reprint these reports.
Drawing from the pleasant history of cooperation and the substantial sum of Galleons offered by the other party, Evan agreed to allow the "Daily Prophet" to reprint those reports.
However, it had to be a day after the Hogwarts Wizard.
One day seemed insignificant, yet it proved ample.
Due to the plethora of information to report regarding Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, Evan withheld from divulging everything to the masses at once. The wizards, still eager for more details about the incident, were unwilling to wait even a second, let alone an entire day.
The Hogwarts Magic newspaper continued to soar in sales, and those purchasing it discovered that its other contents, unrelated to Black and Pettigrew, were genuinely engaging. The perspectives provided were truly distinctive, and nearly all the reports were exclusive.
The newspaper enlisted ghosts as special correspondents, granting them exclusive access to insights no one else possessed. This piqued people's interest in the newspaper.
Over a few days, throughout the magical world, particularly in London, with the ongoing circulation of Hogwarts Magic, its sales increase stabilized to some extent, enabling it to compete with the "Daily Prophet" and gradually become one of the leading newspapers.
Nevertheless, in other European countries and remote areas, the "Daily Prophet" continued to disseminate the truth of the incident through its channeling advantages.
With Evan's reports and under the pressure of public opinion, and even though the Wizengamot had yet to reach a final judgment, Sirius Black was no longer a fugitive but a respected hero.
Black became the most renowned war hero after the Second Wizarding War.
Driven by his convictions to combat the darkest forces, he endured twelve full years in Azkaban, completely unseen and unheard. To safeguard the friendship and the only orphan of his friends, he chose to withstand the world's disapproving looks and confront the evil dark wizard alone.
Black's tales and feats were lauded by all and spread rapidly.
In an era lacking heroes, he stood as the ultimate warrior against evil, a worthy Gryffindor.