In reality, the intense political battle with the Board of Governors had actually concluded two days ago.
The reason for the additional two-day delay before making any public announcement was that Bryan had made a trip to Paris.
When Rita Skeeter's knock sounded on his office door late that evening, Bryan was seated at his large desk, carefully reviewing a thick summary of unexpected incidents and minor crises that had occurred at Hogwarts during his absence from the castle.
Most of the issues documented were ones he had anticipated might arise during such a period like a few student disputes, some supply shortages, minor disciplinary problems.
But the matter of Harry and his friends recklessly tracking Severus into the Forbidden Forest without permission, and consequently receiving severe punishment that required them to spend every evening collecting Potions class materials in the dark forest, brought a wry expression to Bryan's face.
The corners of his mouth twitched with a mixture of exasperation and amusement. Those boys never could stay out of trouble.
"Come in—" Bryan called out, his voice carried through the door outside.
He tucked the detailed materials that Filch had compiled into his desk drawer with a soft slide, composed his expression back to neutrality, and straightened in his chair.
"You wait here in the corridor; I'll go talk to him first—" came Rita's whispered instruction outside the door to her photographer, her voice was muffled but perceptible.
A moment later, the door swung open with a creak of hinges, and Rita Skeeter's heavily made-up face with her signature jeweled glasses and stiff blonde curls appeared in Bryan's line of sight.
"Ah, Bryan, it's been absolutely ages! Far too long!" Rita exclaimed the moment she crossed the threshold, her voice was bright with enthusiasm. "Have your negotiations with the Board of Governors finally concluded? Do tell me everything!"
The moment she entered the office, Rita's heavily powdered face lit up with exaggerated delight, her red lips stretched into a wide smile. She crossed toward Bryan with light, eager steps that made her high heels click on the floor.
As she drew near to where Bryan stood beside his desk, she seemed genuinely inclined to embrace him in greeting—they had 'worked' together before, after all.
But catching sight of the subtle dignity and authority concealed beneath his calm, pleasant smile, seeing the warning in those distinctive purple eyes, Rita slightly reined in her exaggerated expression and instead grasped Bryan's extended hand, shaking it vigorously with both of hers.
"Good evening, Rita," Bryan said with a polite nod, smiling cordially as he smoothly extracted his hand from her enthusiastic grip before she could hold it too long.
"Your intelligence network is considerably more extensive than I'd previously imagined," he continued, gesturing toward the seating area by the fireplace. "I take it you're already somewhat informed of the situation here? You seem to know quite a bit."
"I came immediately upon receiving your letter!" Rita announced proudly, settling herself onto the sofa where Bryan had directed her.
She patted her curls with satisfaction as she spoke with visible excitement.
"Oh, it's hardly impressive intelligence gathering on my part—the whole affair has become quite the sensation in certain circles. Many people throughout the Ministry and beyond know exactly how the Board of Governors, acting at the Ministry's not-so-subtle behest, has been treating Hogwarts. Everyone at the Daily Prophet offices knows you've been in closed-door negotiations for days! It's all anyone talks about."
When Bryan turned back around after preparing tea at the small side table—pouring from a silver pot into cups, he found Rita's heavily made-up face absolutely burning with anticipation.
She had already extracted parchment and her notorious self-writing Quick-Quotes Quill from her bag, the magical quill was hovering eagerly in the air, seeming ready to record whatever statements he might make.
"That's quite accurate," Bryan said calmly, setting the steaming cup of tea before Rita on the low table, then taking a seat in the armchair across from her. He crossed one leg over the other and looked at her steadily.
"And at present, I can inform you that negotiations have formally and completely broken down. There will be no compromise."
Rita's Quick-Quotes Quill trembled with visible excitement at this bombshell announcement, it was vibrating in midair. A single sentence from Bryan Watson was more than enough for it to spin out an entire sensational article that would sell thousands of copies.
"So, you and Dumbledore still absolutely refuse to allow Umbridge into Hogwarts?" Rita asked with her typical sharpness and directness, leaning forward. "Even though such a stance might completely enrage both the Ministry and the Board of Governors to the point where Hogwarts could no longer continue operating? You're willing to risk the school's closure?"
"Allowing a professor who demonstrably lacks professional qualifications and competence to enter Hogwarts and teach young minds would be equally irresponsible to our students," Bryan replied.
He glanced at the parchment spread in front of Rita, where the quill's sharp nib had already scratched out in its writing:
When asked about the severe consequences that breaking with the Board of Governors and the Ministry might bring to the institution, Bryan Watson stated coldly that to defend his authority from encroachment, he would not hesitate to close Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—a thousand-year-old institution of learning and send all students currently enrolled home to their families indefinitely.
"Rita—" Bryan spoke with calm, though his tone had an edge of warning.
"I didn't invite you here to have you fabricate self-serving stories about me or put words in my mouth."
Rita's confident smile froze on her powdered face; her expression became somewhat stiff and unnatural.
Under Bryan's steady, piercing gaze, she reluctantly directed her quill with a small wave of her hand to strike through the provocative words on the page.
"Oh, you understand how these things work, Bryan—" Rita said somewhat defensively, lifting her chin.
"The paper is under extremely strict Ministry control at the moment, with Ministry-approved editors reviewing everything. If I don't write it in a way that aligns with their narrative, you can forget about the general public learning anything truthful about Hogwarts' current troubles. They'll suppress it completely."
"You needn't concern yourself with that particular problem," Bryan replied. "If I lacked the means to ensure your article reaches print exactly as written and gets proper distribution, I wouldn't have summoned you here in the first place."
"Well, in that case—" Rita Skeeter's expression transformed immediately.
She seemed to have been waiting for precisely this assurance, for confirmation that he could protect her. Her quill struck through all the previously written inflammatory text with vigorous strokes, and an exaggerated but genuine smile spread across her face.
"Then I can speak and write completely 'freely' without worrying! Oh, how refreshing! Where shall we begin this interview? Ah yes—" She composed herself professionally.
"Regarding Cornelius Fudge dispatching his 'capable' assistant Dolores Umbridge to station herself at Hogwarts as a supposed professor, what are your personal views on this matter?"
"It is, without question, a profoundly lamentable affair—one that brings shame to our entire government," Bryan spoke with calm but unmistakable authority.
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a sacred place, Rita. Not just a school, but a sanctuary of learning. It bears the tremendous responsibility of providing the magical community with an endless supply of exceptional talent generation after generation. This is the very foundation upon which our magical world continues to prosper and thrive, the bedrock of our society's future.
Yet certain high-ranking Ministry officials, driven purely by their insatiable hunger for political power and concealing their true motivations behind flimsy, transparent pretexts about 'educational standards,' have deliberately and brazenly brought the destructive flames of political conflict to our sacred school. They've weaponized children's education for political gain.
This behavior is undoubtedly despicable and shameful. On behalf of all Hogwarts staff and faculty, on behalf of the students who deserve better, I strongly condemn it in the harshest possible terms.
Hogwarts calls upon certain Ministry officials to immediately cease their wrongful actions, to end their authoritarianism and their abuse of power, and to focus their energies instead on building a harmonious and peaceful magical world that serves all witches and wizards."
"Oh, 'flames of political conflict'—what an absolutely marvelous turn of phrase!" Rita Skeeter's face split into an excited, almost predatory grin as her quill scratched away furiously.
"The readers will love that! But rumor has it and this comes from Ministry sources—that the Ministry's action aims specifically to salvage Hogwarts' allegedly declining teaching standards. What's your response to that accusation, Bryan?"
"That is precisely the flimsy pretext I just mentioned," Bryan replied coldly.
"There exists no credible evidence of any kind suggesting that Hogwarts' educational quality has seriously deteriorated in any measurable way.
Recently, Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, arrived at Hogwarts with a formal letter of recommendation from the Board of Governors, forcefully demanding employment as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Yet she proved completely unable to defeat three underage students in a basic demonstration of magical competence. Three fifth-years bested her easily.
This incident demonstrates two things quite clearly, Rita. First, Dolores Umbridge's personal magical ability has not reached anywhere near the standard required to teach young witches and wizards. She's unqualified by any objective measure.
Second, and more importantly, Hogwarts' teaching quality has not declined—quite the contrary, the school's educational standards continue to rise steadily and have reached their highest point this century. Our students are better trained than ever before."
Bryan's account was already sufficiently compelling and incisive that Rita needed to add absolutely no embellishment whatsoever to the parchment. The quill recorded it exactly as spoken, the words were powerful enough on their own.
She asked with keen interest, her eyes were gleaming behind her jeweled spectacles:
"But aren't you concerned about the consequences, Bryan? The current situation is that the Hogwarts Board of Governors firmly supports the Ministry's resolution—they've made that abundantly clear.
If you and Dumbledore continue to refuse the Ministry's appointed representative, you both face the very real possibility of being suddenly dismissed by the Board of Governors. In that scenario, the outcome would be identical—Umbridge gets in anyway, just without you there to oppose her.
Ah, unless, of course—" Rita's smile turned sly, "—you plan to use your extraordinary, legendary magical powers to physically compel the Ministry to abandon their intentions?"
"In fact, the Board of Governors has lost that authority over Hogwarts," Bryan stated calmly, as if announcing something as ordinary as the weather.
The simple statement left Rita Skeeter stammering in complete astonishment, her professional composure was cracking. Her mouth fell open in shock.
"Oh, lost... Wait, what? If I understand correctly—and please clarify if I don't, you mean that Hogwarts has decided to no longer accept the Board's governance at all?"
Bryan rose slowly from his armchair. He placed his gaze steadily and intensely upon Rita Skeeter, and the resolute voice that echoed through the quiet office left even the experienced, cynical Rita momentarily speechless with shock.
"That is precisely what I mean, Rita. Exactly that.
I now speak formally and officially on behalf of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to notify the Board of Governors and the entire British magical community of a historic decision:
Given that the majority of Board members, in their pursuit of political support from the Ministry and despite Hogwarts having committed no violation of any agreement, have voluntarily severed financial support to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, thereby plunging the school into a severe operational crisis that threatened our ability to educate—
Therefore, effective from the date of this announcement, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will no longer submit to the governance of the Board of Governors."
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