Cattermole also stopped talking, not continuing. The reason he stopped was the same as Amos - because the speculation was too sensational, and they would find it absurd just thinking about it.
Mr. Weasley also guessed what his two colleagues were thinking. His first reaction was also that it was impossible, but then he remembered the incident that befell his eldest son Bill and his second son Charlie on that unfortunate night in their fifth year.
At just sixteen, Bryan Watson single-handedly repelled an unknown powerful dark wizard and even blocked the Disarming Charm cast in anger by Dumbledore. After so many years, I'm afraid no one can figure out the extent of his magic power.
At the sound of applause, Fudge reluctantly stepped down from the stage and handed it over to Barty Crouch.
"As Minister Fudge said -" Mr. Crouch said coldly. "We had previously contacted Hogwarts and obtained the support of the Head of Student Safety Office. We deployed a large number of Aurors in the possible directions the werewolves might flee, and ultimately forced them out of the Forbidden Forest. And Mr. Bryan Watson, who possesses extraordinary power, stopped them from taking the residents of Hogsmeade Village hostage and before they could escape the Forbidden Forest, he completely wiped them out."
Bryan smiled and politely bowed to the reporters below, who looked at him with awe.
Amidst the enduring applause, a reporter shouted,
"Say a few words, Mr. Watson!"
To be honest, the reporters who could participate in such a major press conference were industry elites. Whether it was Minister Cornelius Fudge or the words of the Director of the International Magical Cooperation, they were just boring official language in their ears. It wouldn't arouse the interest of the public. People were only curious about new faces.
The shout of the reporter just now received the enthusiastic response of most of his colleagues. Barty Crouch, who was already impatient, saw this and turned and left without even saying a word to Cornelius Fudge. He just glanced coldly at Bryan before leaving.
"Well, I think I should introduce myself first -"
Although it was his first time facing such a scene, Bryan showed no signs of discomfort. Under Fudge's superfluous, encouraging gaze, he smiled and gracefully walked to the center of the stage, pointed his wand at his throat, and immediately, his crisp voice filled the entire Ministry hall.
"My name is Bryan Amos Watson, and like everyone here, I graduated from the greatest magical school in the world, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After leaving that school, in order to further improve myself on the path of magic, I have been traveling to various countries, following in the footsteps of the ancient wizards who left their mark on the history of magic. Until early last year, I was invited back to that school, tasked by the Ministry and the Board of Governors to investigate the truth behind the rumored Chamber of Secrets, and by chance, became a professor—"
Before today, Bryan Watson had never entered the public eye, so one can imagine the shock it brought to the Wizarding world when a relatively unknown young wizard single-handedly wiped out an entire werewolf pack in an era of peace.
"Mr. Watson!"
After Bryan's brief self-introduction, a graceful woman with wine-red curly hair, wearing a press badge from the influential French newspaper "The Gargoyle's Roar," raised her hand with reverence and said, "Minister Fudge has just announced to the Wizarding world that you will be awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, and the British Ministry of Magic will hire you as a senior advisor. Does this mean you will be leaving Hogwarts to pursue a career in politics?"
"I don't think so--" Bryan answered without hesitation, smiling lightly. "While serving the residents of the wizarding world as a Ministry official is a very noble job, I would prefer to stay at Hogwarts. I enjoy being with the children, nurturing their skills and minds, and helping them grow into qualified adult wizards. That's what I find more meaningful."
Bryan's response was met with warm applause, and some high-ranking officials at the Ministry breathed a sigh of relief.
If Bryan Watson, with the prestige of exterminating werewolves, attempted to join the Ministry, they would likely have no choice but to accept him with the support of the public opinion. And they couldn't just offer a powerful wizard like him any ordinary position; At that time, someone would surely have to step down.
Today, Bryan got a taste of how difficult it is to deal with the reporters, who Minister Fudge feared like a tiger, The question posed by "The Gargoyle's Roar" reporter was just a test. After that, a barrage of tricky questions followed.
Some asked if Bryan had already been designated as the next headmaster of Hogwarts, others inquired who had more magical power between him and Dumbledore, and there were questions about whether Bryan, as a wizard of Muggle origin, would advocate for the rights of half-blood wizards.
Even a reporter from the American "New York Pixie Post" across the Atlantic asked Bryan what he thought about the imprisonment of Gilderoy Lockhart, the famous bestselling author in the European wizarding world, who had co-taught Defense Against the Dark Arts with him last year.
What else could he say? Go to Azkaban and see for yourself.
Overall, the atmosphere of the press conference was quite friendly. After all, the Ministry and Bryan Watson had eliminated a notoriously evil werewolf gang, and no one wanted to spoil the mood at this celebratory moment.
But there were exceptions.
"Mr. Watson, I am Rita Skeeter from the Daily Prophet--"
It was a female reporter from the Daily Prophet, known for stirring up trouble and her venomous writing style. She had her hair done in an elaborate, stiff, and oddly shaped curl, which, paired with her large chin, looked particularly awkward. She wore jewel-encrusted glasses, her chubby fingers clutching a crocodile-skin handbag, her nails two inches long and painted bright red. At that moment, her hand was raised high, and a green quick-quotes quill was scribbling rapidly on the parchment on her lap.
"Oh, dear, I knew she'd be here—"
Fudge's face immediately tensed up, and his nervous muttering accurately reached Bryan's ears.
It seemed this was Rita Skeeter, the Daily Prophet journalist notorious for her slanderous and vicious words.
Rita Skeeter was well-known in the industry. When she raised her hand to ask a question, the noisy reporters around her suddenly quieted down, looking at Rita with interest as she grinned, revealing three large gold teeth, as if they were all anticipating something.
"Ms. Skeeter, you may state your question--" Bryan said gently.
"Oh, Mr. Watson, there is no doubt that you have achieved remarkable accomplishments, truly astonishing. I can't imagine how a relatively unknown wizard so young could single-handedly judge nearly a hundred vicious werewolves in a direct confrontation--" Rita Skeeter smiled, her lips moving quickly, but her eyes behind the glamorous frames flashed a sharp light.
"Yes, I'm puzzled by this, so my lovely colleagues, who are persistent in their pursuit of the truth, and I visited some of the Hogsmeade villagers who witnessed that scene that night. Oh, there are some strange rumors circulating there, of course, it could also be that those villagers couldn't comprehend your powerful magic—"
Bryan patiently maintained a listening posture, "What kind of strange rumors are you referring to?"
Rita Skeeter's mouth curled into a cunning smile. She stood up from her chair, allowing the cameras to capture her more clearly. "This is a terrible accusation, but, Mr. Watson, it seems that some people believe that the powerful fire magic you used that night... was Fiendfyre?"
When the name 'Fiendfyre' was mentioned in the Ministry's atrium, a chill seemed to sweep over the heads of the murmuring reporters, causing them all to shrink their necks.
In Britain, the public might not be so familiar with Fiendfyre, after all, it's a powerful spell that only a few wizards can control and master. However, reporters from France and Germany would not forget the devastation it caused to some cities in their countries when a certain wizard was active.
Although not as infamous as the Unforgivable Curses, Fiendfyre is also on the list of spells absolutely forbidden by the Ministries of Magic in various countries. Of course, using extreme measures against werewolves isn't entirely unreasonable, so many reporters, despite having some information, still haven't brought this up.
But still, it's a disgraceful matter, isn't it?
For both Bryan Watson and the Ministry, it's the same. Rita Skeeter, keen on uncovering scandals, cunningly saw through this and threw out the question.
Fudge was sweating profusely, and Amelia also frowned.
On the other hand, Rufus Scrimgeour, who was also attending the press conference, had a glint of satisfaction in his lion-like yellow eyes. He didn't like Bryan Watson, not just because he overshadowed Auror's fame, but because, as someone who had been fighting evil criminals for years, he sensed a scent of crime on Bryan.
Rufus Scrimgeour, who had spent half his life dealing with dark wizards, knew very well that a wizard so adept at using Fiendfyre couldn't be without flaws, but his superiors in the department collectively fell silent, choosing to turn a blind eye.
Everyone stretched their necks, waiting for Bryan to give a reasonable explanation. People speculated on what explanation Bryan could give—either deny it outright or present a special permit from the Ministry of Magic. Of course, this would embarrass both himself and the British Ministry of Magic, and that was exactly what Rita Skeeter intended.
Looking at the faces staring at him eagerly, Bryan smiled slightly.
"Before I answer that question, I'd like to ask everyone—"
Bryan looked around, calmly asking, "Why is Fiendfyre considered an illegal spell in various countries?"
The abrupt question left everyone bewildered, even Rita Skeeter, who posed the question, couldn't see through Bryan's intentions at first. However, she quickly reacted and pressed on, "Sir, I thought we were discussing whether the magic used to kill Greyback was Fiendfyre, not the academic question of why Fiendfyre is banned in many countries."
Bryan Watson wanted to muddy the waters and brush off the question.
Rita Skeeter, confident that she had seen through Bryan Watson's thoughts, ignored Fudge's angry glare and showed a delighted expression.
"The reason why Fiendfyre is considered dark magic and banned by various countries can be summed up in three points."
Glancing at Rita Skeeter, who seemed determined to pin him down with this question, Bryan explained calmly.
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