Chapter 104 – New Report from Rita Skeeter
It was early Thursday morning when Alexander Smith got out of bed in the dormitory.
As usual, an owl swooped into the room and delivered a copy of the Daily Prophet. Alexander flipped through the dull advertisements, uninterested, until he reached his favorite section—the gossip column.
He had to admit, as much as he disliked Rita Skeeter's methods, her articles were undeniably entertaining. They stripped away the polished facades of many so-called respectable figures and laid bare their true selves.
After all, most people in the wizarding world could only dream of being gossiped about by Rita Skeeter. It was a privilege reserved for the famous—like Harry Potter.
Sure enough, plastered on the front page was a candid photo of Harry, clearly taken without his knowledge.
---
Harry Potter's Troubled Childhood
By Rita Skeeter
Harry Potter—the boy who defeated the Dark Lord. One would imagine that such a heroic child would be cherished like royalty.
After the fall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, countless wealthy wizarding families offered to adopt the boy and give him a better life. But to everyone's shock, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore insisted on sending the newly orphaned child to a Muggle family—his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley.
Dumbledore claimed that living with blood relatives would provide protection. But if family ties were the standard, even the Malfoys—despite their shady post-war excuses involving the Imperius Curse—could be considered distant kin.
Dumbledore's justification seems increasingly weak.
And now for a shocking revelation...
Dudley Dursley, Harry Potter's Muggle cousin, is actually a wizard!
The Sorting Hat announced it with great alarm upon his arrival at Hogwarts. It even hinted at his dangerous disposition, calling out his "Azkaban-like tendencies." The Sorting Hat never lies.
So why, then, would Dumbledore place our young savior in such a household? Was he afraid Harry might grow too powerful to control?
"Harry Potter possesses terrifying magical power. Even Peeves avoids him. He knocked down Professor Quirrell—twice! I'd wager Dumbledore fears Harry's potential," revealed first-year student Draco Malfoy.
"When Harry visited Diagon Alley, it was Hagrid—Dumbledore's most loyal follower—who took him shopping," said a bald wizard at the Leaky Cauldron who wished to remain anonymous.
"That lucky Weasley gets to share a carriage, a dorm, and even a House with Potter," added another unnamed student. "The Weasleys have always been Dumbledore's supporters. Arthur Weasley even joined his secret group."
After Harry defeated Quirrell the second time, Dumbledore—who hadn't taught in decades—suddenly returned to classroom instruction. Strange, isn't it?
There's growing evidence that Dumbledore deliberately stifled Harry's upbringing. He placed him with an abusive Muggle family, possibly to limit his growth.
And what effect has that had? Our Boy-Who-Lived has now attacked professors twice—openly—in class!
Stay tuned for next week's exclusive: Harry Potter at Hogwarts – Strange Orientations.
---
Alexander chuckled while reading, his fingers brushing the edge of the parchment. "What a pity. Jerry's too dangerous to bring to Hogwarts. Besides, it's not yet time to hunt Tom." A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.
He glanced over at Harry, who had just woken up. Alexander couldn't help but wonder how he would react to the article.
Despite the absurd accusations, Rita Skeeter had touched on some uncomfortable truths. Dumbledore didn't orchestrate the Weasleys' friendship with Harry, but he clearly had his own plans—most likely for protection, but still manipulative in nature.
Later that morning, Harry noticed something odd. In the hallways, students kept glancing at him, then quickly looking away. Whispers followed him wherever he went.
It wasn't until breakfast in the Great Hall that he understood why.
The Daily Prophet had found its way into Hogwarts, and Anthony had passed along his copy.
"Who even is Rita Skeeter? How is this allowed in the paper?" Harry muttered, brows furrowed in disbelief. Still, as much as it stung, a part of him felt strangely validated. His childhood had been awful, and for once, someone had said it aloud—albeit dramatically.
But the stuff about Ron? That was nonsense. Ron was an open book. There was no grand plot there.
Then, from the Slytherin table, came a familiar sneer.
"Hey, Potter! Feeling alright? You're not gonna hex us out of nowhere, are you?" Draco Malfoy called, loud and mocking.
"Damn, Potter! Now you see who your real friends are!"
"Oh, Weasley! I guess Daddy Weasley told you to stick close to Potter?" Draco goaded, then turned his jabs on Ron.
Harry's jaw clenched. "Shut it, Malfoy. Ron—are you alright?"
Defending Ron was second nature now. At Harry's words, Malfoy's smug face reddened. He muttered something, then stood up and left the table. Crabbe and Goyle hastily grabbed a few slices of toast and followed.
Harry didn't dwell on it. But from the corner of his eye, he saw the Weasley twins leaving the table too—quietly, and without their usual energy.
"Harry, I—do you think I... I mean, you don't believe what she said, right?" Ron asked nervously.
"I believe you," Harry said firmly. "The truth's in the details, and those don't lie."
Alexander, meanwhile, looked completely unbothered. He rolled his eyes. "You two really are inseparable, aren't you?"
He smirked. Honestly, if one of them were a girl, Ginny and Hermione wouldn't stand a chance.
But no—Harry, for all his strength, wasn't as forward as his father. He still had a long way to go in understanding feelings.
Even now, Harry seemed blind to the girls around him. Hermione was too assertive, not the type Harry would notice romantically. Ginny was Ron's sister, and that made her invisible to him—at least for now.
Ironically, if Ron had been a girl, Harry might've still overlooked him—just like he was overlooking Ginny. It was only after Hermione pushed Ginny to be bolder, to date others, to flirt in front of Harry, that Harry began to realize she was no longer just Ron's kid sister.
Alexander sighed as he followed his Ravenclaw classmates to the greenhouse for their final Herbology class of the week.
He glanced toward the Slytherin group, curious if Draco was okay. Or had the Weasley twins already pranked him?
"Merlin bless the poor little dragon," Alexander murmured, resisting the urge to use Phoenix Vision. Good things, after all, were worth saving for later.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you like the story please give it some power stones and reviews. And if you want to read 30+ advance chapters or just want to support me please join my patreon at [email protected]/Translatingfanfics