Rumors

Gossip. On the southern street of Diagon Alley, at the offices of Defence Guide, Editor-in-Chief Remus Lupin frowned as he stared at the parchment in his hands, carefully reviewing next month's magazine drafts.

"Sirius, are we really going to do this?"

Lupin set down the column explaining the Triwizard Tournament and looked up at Sirius, who was lounging across from him with his feet up, reading the Daily Prophet.

"Why not?" Sirius asked. "We're telling the truth."

"Dumbledore definitely won't be happy. You know this will leave an indelible stain on the Triwizard Tournament." Lupin knew perfectly well what kind of uproar Karkaroff being a Death Eater would cause in Britain if the news got out.

"A stain? This competition has been covered in stains for ages." Sirius sneered. "Ever since the Triwizard Tournament gained a fourth Champion, and ever since Karkaroff was driven off the judges' stand by the audience, does the whole Tournament still need to worry about what people will say?"

Lupin fell silent, because it was the truth, and the truth could sometimes be crueler than lies.

"Dumbledore invited Mad-Eye to teach at the school. I suspect it was to guard against Karkaroff." Sirius made no effort to hide his disgust for Karkaroff—or rather, he hated all Death Eaters. "We all know Karkaroff is particularly good at putting on an act. He successfully convinced the Ministry of Magic to release him back then, and later somehow became Durmstrang's headmaster. Don't you think that bastard is suspicious?"

"So, you intend to focus everyone's attention on Karkaroff and keep him from doing anything in private—" Lupin had not finished when Sirius cut him off.

"That's only one reason." Sirius tossed aside the Daily Prophet and said to his old friend, "This is Defence Guide's chance to take off."