"Ms. Skeeter, welcome to Malfoy Manor."
Lucius Malfoy extended his hand to greet Rita Skeeter, who stood opposite him.
He never expected that a reporter known for slanderous reports could be so resourceful. The corners of Lucius' mouth curled up as he recalled what Rita Skeeter had said before.
"You are too polite, Mr. Malfoy." Rita stretched out her hand and shook his politely. She then looked at the wizard behind Lucius and asked doubtfully, "Who is this?"
Kane Parkinson, wearing an emerald green wizard robe adorned with the Parkinson family crest in light golden threads, had a slightly furrowed brow and a look of doubt on his face. He wondered why Lucius had involved Rita Skeeter.
Kane's thoughts flashed quickly, but he maintained a polite smile and extended his hand, "Hello, I am Kane Parkinson."
Lucius introduced the two to each other before leading them back to the sofas in the living room.
"Dobby!" Lucius called out, and a house elf wrapped in rags appeared before him.
"Dobby, prepare dinner. I'm going to have dinner with Ms. Skeeter and Mr. Parkinson later."
"Okay, Master," Dobby nodded vigorously and replied loudly before disappearing.
Lucius turned to Rita Skeeter, "Ms. Skeeter, did you bring what we discussed?"
"I did bring it," Rita nodded affirmatively, but hesitated when she glanced at Kane. "But... are you sure you want to take it out now?"
"Of course," Lucius nodded, "Kane is not an outsider, and we need the Parkinson family's help for our subsequent plans."
Hearing this, Rita hesitated but still reached into her space extension bag and took out a dark green notebook. Kane, curious about what had made Lucius change his attitude towards hybrids, watched closely.
Seeing Kane's curiosity, Lucius smiled and explained, "Kane, Ms. Skeeter was also persecuted by Lockhart, so she wants to join us."
Kane nodded slightly, understanding Lucius' point. Rita Skeeter quickly added, "Yes, in the past few days, Lockhart's fans have been sending me cursing letters, including many howlers. Someone even dumped excrement at my doorstep. This Lockhart has become too arrogant."
Kane smiled but said nothing, turning to see what Lucius would say next. As expected, Lucius continued, "Kane, our subsequent plans require Ms. Skeeter's involvement. She brings us a precious gift: a book on meditation studied by Gilderoy Lockhart."
Kane's breath quickened, "Are you sure, Lucius?"
Lucius nodded and extended his hand toward Rita Skeeter. Rita opened the dark green notebook, revealing some information about meditation written inside. Kane examined the handwriting, noting it was typical quill pen script. He asked thoughtfully, "Lucius, can you be sure of its authenticity? And how did Ms. Skeeter obtain it? Lockhart is at Hogwarts."
Lucius looked at Rita Skeeter, who understood and smiled, "Mr. Kane, I can assure you the meditation method is genuine because I personally sneaked into Lockhart's office and copied it on the day he proved his research results on the Quidditch pitch."
Kane raised an eyebrow, "Ms. Skeeter, with all due respect, even on that day, Hogwarts' defenses would still be strong. How did you evade them and successfully copy his research?"
Kane, as a member of the school board, found the situation suspicious. Rita Skeeter was known more for her skill in distorting facts than for any exceptional magical abilities.
Seeing Kane's skepticism, Lucius smiled, "Kane, let me reintroduce you to Ms. Rita Skeeter's other identity. She's an Animagus."
As if on cue, Rita transformed in front of Kane, disappearing and reappearing as a small beetle. Kane's expression changed to one of realization and envy. Animagus forms were rare, and a beetle was the perfect form for gathering intelligence unnoticed.
Returning to her human form, Rita explained, "Mr. Kane, my Animagus form allowed me to sneak into Lockhart's office undetected. Once inside, I found his meditation research records on his desk. Concerned about triggering any magical traps, I only copied the records he had left out."
Kane, now understanding, nodded, "Impressive, Ms. Skeeter. This explains a lot."
Rita continued, "Though the records are not complete, they provide enough information about the meditation method. We can glean a lot from what I copied, including an almost complete meditation technique."
Lucius interjected, "Kane, with this information, we can develop our own meditation methods and enhance our standing. Lockhart's arrogance will be his downfall."
Kane, seeing the potential, smiled, "Lucius, Ms. Skeeter, this is indeed valuable. Let's proceed with our plans."
The three continued their discussion, laying the groundwork for a new power dynamic in the wizarding world, with the knowledge of the Meditation Method as their foundation.
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