\u201cMr. Krum, may I have a moment of your time, please?\u201d<\/p>\n
Viktor turned and looked at the weak, soft man who looked like someone who spent too much time practicing confidence in the mirror. \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m from the Daily Prophet. Would you please comment on the recent developments regarding Mr. Weasley\u2019s accusations?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can give you a short version or a long version. How much time do you have?\u201d, Viktor smiled acridly.<\/p>\n
The man relaxed somewhat. \u201cI would appreciate a proper comment, if you can spare the time\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cSure, why not. There\u2019s a Ministry mess hall nearby\u201d, Viktor pointed the way.<\/p>\n
Viktor looked at the man across the table as they got seated. \u201cSo, the short version is that Ron Weasley is an attention seeking immature twat who lied about his former friends for his five minutes of fame. I read that article of yours. You got the names printed right, but that\u2019s the only correct thing in there. Haven\u2019t you had enough of that? The first time I met Harry, you were writing all sorts of nonsense about him seeking attention by enrolling himself in the Triwizard Tournament and being in love with Hermione Granger. As it turned out, he was enrolled by an undercover Death Eater in order to serve as human sacrifice in a ritual to raise Lord Voldemort from the dead, his life was in constant danger while he was slandered and laughed at, and I found out that Hermione was more like his sister than girlfriend. Interestingly, the same Ron Weasley then also turned on Harry, joining those who mocked him, when Harry needed him the most. Apparently, the more things change the more they stay the same\u201d, he looked at the reporter with an icy glare, as the man tried for an uncomfortable smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe understand that, in fact. We have been getting lots of angry feedback from our readers, very much in line with what you are suggesting. The reason I came to you is because I want to hear the correct version, from someone who knows the facts, and since you actually live with everybody Mr. Weasley slandered, you are ideally positioned to authoritatively refute his statements\u201d, the man slightly recovered from his embarrassment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is true; I do live with them. Maybe it would have been a good idea for you to have come to me before printing that rubbish\u201d, he pointed out. \u201cHowever, better late than never, I guess. So, what do you want to know?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are they actually like in person? I understand that you might not want to share personal details about the people you live with, but we would appreciate whatever you could give us\u201d, the reporter pleaded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got to know Harry somewhat at the Triwizard Tournament, and I was shocked at how different he was in person from how your newspaper described him. He looked like someone who just tried to survive, and, if possible, save other people along the way. I saw him flying against that Hungarian Horntail. I wish those who slandered him tried to pull off that death dive. Honestly, I would have probably died if I attempted it. I almost died last Sunday when we had our private match in the back country. We both got carried away and would have probably slammed into the ground at hundred miles an hour, with nobody around to patch us up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did he do?\u201d the reporter looked genuinely curious.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe used a spell to burn our speed off. At a hundred miles per hour dive. Both hands on the broom. Not being able to breathe due to air speed. No wand.\u201d Viktor looked pointedly at the man.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo wand? But\u2026\u201d the reporter was confused. \u201cThat can\u2019t be\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, it can\u201d, Viktor nodded. \u201cI was as shocked as you seem to be, and asked him about it when we apparated back home. He said his wife has been teaching him how to do wandless magic and he no longer needs a wand for most of it. And yes, I realise. When Voldemort, Dumbledore or Grindelwald were disarmed, they were prisoners, not wizards. They could do some wandless magic, but nothing of this magnitude. Lyra killed all the Dementors without a wand. Harry stopped our fatal descent wandlessly while not being able to breathe and almost at the impact point of a miscalculated Wronski feint. I don\u2019t know if you can even comprehend what it feels like to even fly on a broom at that speed. Probably only five Seekers in the world can do it without passing out from the sheer physical strain, slamming into the ground like a meteor and turning into a pink mist\u201d, he looked at the man, making sure he understood the implications. \u201cHarry did wandless magic, and he made it look easy. He didn\u2019t even think it was anything special. After all, Lyra does it all the time when painting my wife\u2019s nails\u201d, he grinned. \u201cWhy am I telling you this? Harry is routinely accused of seeking attention, usually by habitual attention-seekers. He\u2019s just a normal, private guy who loves his family and happens to do extremely impressive stuff when a situation requires it. Things like outflying a bad tempered dragon, dismantling Voldemort\u2019s horcruxes, uniting all three Deathly Hallows, saving people by going willingly to die in a dark forest, coming back from the dead, killing Voldemort in a duel, or saving that stupid Ron Weasley\u2019s life when he ingested poisoned whiskey. Selling out your friend for attention by telling outright lies, after all that, is a truly disgusting thing to do and I hold that man in utmost contempt\u201d, he finished.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you. But what can you tell us about the accusations that his wife is secretly a Death Eater?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLyra became a Death Eater to buy her parents another year of life after they fell from Voldemort\u2019s favour. She was a perfectly innocent girl who happened to be born into a family that foolishly sided with Voldemort, but when they changed their minds later, seeing what Voldemort is actually like and where all that is leading to, it was already too late. She fought for three years to save them, and succeeded. I wouldn\u2019t have lasted three weeks there, and I\u2019m not actually known to be a wimp\u201d, Viktor looked at the reporter with eyes that could bend steel beams. \u201cLyra is one of the most wonderful people I have ever met, and if anyone has anything bad to say about her, I will personally challenge them to a duel to defend her honour and by Merlin\u2019s beard I swear it won\u2019t end well for them\u201d, he glared.<\/p>\n
The reporter gulped. \u201cMr. Krum, I thank you for your time. I will make sure your words get printed without distortion or omission\u201d, he nodded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cMr. Krum, may I have a moment of your time, please?\u201d Viktor turned and looked at the weak, soft man who looked like someone who spent too much time practicing confidence in the mirror. \u201cYes?\u201d \u201cI\u2019m from the Daily Prophet. … Continue reading