What's Wrong with Repaying a Kindness? / Gradually Building Tensions Before the Battle

Having witnessed Hermione's fierce defense of her husband the entire time, Harry couldn't be happier now.

Look at the Death Eater and the Order of the Phoenix— with their current pathetic roster, how can they possibly compete with themselves?

After undergoing comprehensive training in the alternate dimension, especially after repeatedly beating up Bellatrix Lestrange and the others, Hermione's strength has undergone a qualitative leap, and she can now even rival Sirius!

But looking at the other two clubs, they're still relying on the same old faces to maintain their facade; they're practically bankrupt.

Pshaw, a bunch of guys with no future~

"But what if it's not a baseless accusation?" Moody suddenly asked quietly from the side. "Little girl, I know you, like Granger, have mastered Apparition that ignores limitations, right... With that ability, it should be very easy for Granger to sneak into Fudge's house without anyone noticing."

"But..."

"Besides, even without that ability, he could still do something similar." Before Hermione could object, Moody continued, "Lucius Malfoy died the same way, first mysteriously disappearing from his home, and then never heard from again. It seems that someone impersonated him when he left home."

"Ah...I see. It seems Mr. Moody went to Lupin to try and get information out of him again." Ripper. "But...being impersonated when leaving home doesn't seem to be something that only happened to Lucius Malfoy. Didn't you experience it yourself? So, who was it that knocked you out and left you at home?"

"You don't need to use this to mock me," Moody scoffed. "Barty Crouch Jr. Crouch Jr. is certainly a suspect, but that doesn't mean your suspicion is off the table! Besides, your motive and chances of success are clearly higher than his. He would at least need to plan a kidnapping, but you... only need a single thought!"

"Mr. Moody, explain yourself! What motive could Harry possibly have?" Hermione retorted angrily. "Wasn't our feud with Fudge over a long time ago?!"

"Yes, you've emptied Fudge's pockets, so he has no reason to exist!" Kingsley Shacklebolt sneered. "Besides, who in Britain doesn't know Harry Granger's vengeful nature these days? The grudge between you and Fudge runs so deep, it can't be wiped out by a mere sum of money!"

"You're talking nonsense!!" Hermione screamed in anger.

"Alright, don't bother arguing with mad dogs." Harry waved his hand gently, signaling Hermione to calm down. "I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let you off the hook for now. Let's go."

To simply give in like this was certainly not in Harry's nature, but he was eager to get back and think about Fudge's murder, and he really couldn't be bothered with those brainless people from the Order of the Phoenix.

"Damn it... You're not getting away! You must have killed Fudge and the others! Just you wait, I'll find the evidence sooner or later..."

Kingsley Shacklebolt was probably really furious; even after Harry was long gone, his cursing never stopped.

"Arthur ... I think you should go back first. I'll take Kingsley Shacklebolt to the Hog's Head Inn for a bit," Moody suggested helplessly. "You know, he's been in a bad mood lately because of his nephew."

"Well... alright." Arthur nodded upon seeing this. To be honest, given Kingsley Shacklebolt's current obsessive nature, he really didn't want to travel with him.

So Arthur said goodbye and went home alone.

"Alright, everyone's gone, you don't need to keep pretending anymore, right?" Moody finally spoke up and stopped Kingsley Shacklebolt's performance when only the two of them were left.

The latter immediately suppressed all his rage... He had been faking it all along!

"I really don't understand why you have to act so impulsive?" Recalling Kingsley Shacklebolt's behavior just now, Moody felt like he didn't even recognize him anymore.

"I have to do this, because Harry Potter has always seen me as a thorn in his side!" Kingsley Shacklebolt said coldly. "If I don't play the fool and act like I've completely lost my mind because of my nephew, he might come up with some other insidious scheme to frame me. Besides, only by keeping up this act can we continue to relentlessly pursue him!"

"Are you talking about Fudge?" Moody frowned. "Kingsley Shacklebolt, actually I don't think it was that kid who did it. Fudge and his family, maybe it really was Barty Crouch Jr. Crouch Jr..."

"That's completely unimportant!" Kingsley Shacklebolt interrupted Moody grimly. "Who killed Fudge's family is completely irrelevant!"

"But for us, and for the entire Ministry of Magic, they had to have been brutally murdered by Harry Potter!!"

"This... sigh~" Hearing Kingsley Shacklebolt's words, Moody could only sigh helplessly.

Kingsley Shacklebolt's actions were clearly baseless accusations without any evidence, which Moody naturally found utterly despicable.

But he also knew that this frame-up was entirely advantageous to both the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore...

Chapter 823 What's wrong with repaying kindness?

"Barty Crouch Jr. Crouch... he's really ruthless!"

From Harry's perspective, the only person who could have killed Fudge and his family was Death Eater were out on the streets.

Of course, it's also possible that the Order of the Order of the Phoenix did it themselves and deliberately framed Harry, but that's highly unlikely... unless they've given up entirely and don't even want to fight Voldemort anymore, and are only focused on killing Harry.

Don't forget, Harry himself runs Detective Society. Everyone in the Order of the Phoenix, from Albus Dumbledore down, knows just how strong his investigative abilities are.

If they really dare to frame Harry for their crimes, and Harry investigates seriously, he will definitely be able to find out the truth in the end!

So, under what circumstances would the Order of the Phoenix have the most confidence to frame Harry?

Of course, it's precisely because they themselves didn't do it that they can cling to Harry based solely on subjective assumptions.

Harry understood the Order of the Order of the Phoenix's actions; if he were Albus Dumbledore, he would have done the same thing to frame someone.

The Order of the Phoenix wants to deal with Harry, but they can't directly attack Harry and those around him, because Harry's faction is now quite well-known. If they were to attack them without provocation, wouldn't they be condemned by the entire Britain and even Europe Wizarding World?

Moreover, Albus Dumbledore knows Harry well and knows that if they dare to touch the people around Harry will kill all those bastards, even if it means risking his own life to fight Voldemort!

That's why Harry couldn't help but exclaim... Barty Crouch Jr. Crouch Jr. was truly a formidable figure.

He fully understood the current situation and knew that all Albus Dumbledore could do was damage Harry's reputation. That's why he secretly murdered Fudge and his family, all to create an opportunity for the Order of the Phoenix to frame Harry!

"But I don't understand... couldn't that headmaster have waited a little longer?" Sirius was the first to be indignant after hearing the news. "He knows our battle with Voldemort is imminent, yet he insists on pulling these dirty tricks at this crucial moment?!"

"I think it might be because...he thinks we'll win," Corvus said calmly. "Once we defeat Voldemort head-on in the upcoming battle, the spiritual leader of the entire Britain Wizarding World might be completely replaced by Harry! If the Order of the Phoenix tries to smear Harry at that point, they will inevitably be the first to face the condemnation of all Britain wizards. So, if they want to frame someone, they can only do it now. While establishing the narrative that Harry is a criminal, they might also distract us and delay our preparations!"

"But how would the Order of the Phoenix know..."

"They'll find out," Corvus shook his head. "On the surface, we are indeed the weakest of the three. In the eyes of most people, Harry is a step below that headmaster and Voldemort, and we don't have the numbers of the other two. But... that headmaster has his own sources of information and can find out our true strength!"

There are some things that even Harry wouldn't say openly in front of his own people, but as a France, Corvus wouldn't give anyone face at such a crucial moment.

"You mean... impossible!" Sirius was the first to object, sensing the implication. "I don't believe it! That guy... how could he possibly betray Harry?!"

"But the facts are undeniable. If he hadn't leaked the information, how could the Order of the Order of the Phoenix have known... that Harry and the others had mastered unlimited Apparition?!" Corvus argued earnestly. "Furthermore, his intention might not have been to betray them; perhaps he simply wanted to warn the Order of the Phoenix so they wouldn't bother Harry again. Of course, it's also possible that he was mindful of past relationships and didn't want to hide Harry's information from them...but in any case, there's no doubt that our intelligence was leaked from him!"

"This... damn it! I'm going to find him..."

"Stop right there!" Harry immediately called out to Sirius, who was about to slam the door and leave. "Forget it, there's no need to question him about this."

"Why?" Sirius, staring wide-eyed in confusion.

"He has his own reasons, and besides, you're all friends. There's really no need to make things too awkward over something like this," Harry said softly.

"Precisely because he's a friend, I have to go and get to the bottom of this! How could he... do he do this to James?" Sirius roared in dissatisfaction. "I understand now, James was right not to hire him as the Secret Keeper back then, he..."

"That's because my father was narrow-minded and always worried about his Werewolf identity, which is completely different from the current situation!" Harry retorted in a deep voice. "The person he's informing now is Albus Dumbledore, the Hogwarts Headmaster who allowed him to attend school, Whomping Willow for him, and has been helping him hide his identity all along... He's just repaying a debt of gratitude, what's wrong with that?!"

"But..."

"Besides... ever since his magic began to return, he's been training relentlessly, hoping to join the fight against Voldemort! Godfather, how is he supposed to face you if you go to him with these thoughts now? We didn't take him with us when we went to Albania or searched for Regulus's remains. If we exclude him this time as well, do you know how devastating that will be for him?!"

Sirius was speechless after hearing this. Harry finally sighed and shook his head, "Let's leave it at that. Don't mention it again! Let's not bother him. Right now, he's the one suffering the most..."

And so, Harry quelled a potential internal unrest just as it was beginning to escalate.

He didn't let anyone talk to Lupin about these things, but he also secretly told Tonks to keep Lupin company and try not to let him overthink things.

He knew that Lupin must be going through a lot of pain right now, and that pain would only intensify if he saw Harry's side or if the Order of the Phoenix came knocking on his door again!

But there's nothing we can do; he's Remus Lupin, the one with the most unique experiences.

He's different from Sirius, who was James's best friend before Harry even entered school and later became Harry's godfather; he would always side with Harry no matter what.

But Lupin had received far too much kindness from Albus Dumbledore.

Kindness is something that cannot be measured or compared, so even though Harry helped Lupin cure his Feral Wolf Syndrome, Lupin would not turn against Albus Dumbledore because of it.

In situations like this, remaining neutral is usually the best option, but he is Lupin, and he has no choice but to suffer alone in the middle.

He wanted to help Harry, so he worked hard to keep the Odd Jobs Shop in good order and was now ready to fight Voldemort... but he couldn't refuse the request from his former headmaster.

So Harry decided to let it go. If he didn't let Lupin pass on these harmless messages to the Order of the Phoenix, he might be completely overwhelmed by guilt...

And as Harry told Sirius, repaying kindness is not a mistake.

Conversely, those who take advantage of a small favor but expect tenfold repayment...

Hehe~

Chapter 824 Gradual Progress, Undercurrents Before the Battle

In June, as the semester draws to a close, the final match of the Triwizard Tournament is fast approaching.

As Harry had expected, there had been a growing number of voices in the Britain Wizarding World recently, all pointing to Harry.

Although Harry now controls both the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler, there are still some smaller tabloids and radio channels he can utilize.

Furthermore, based on intelligence gathered by Greengrass from Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, Mundungus Fletcher of the Order of the Phoenix even employed his thieving skills, distributing tip-off flyers door-to-door...

In short, the news that 'Harry Granger murdered three Fudge' has begun to spread.

However, Harry ignored these framing attempts and instead ordered his newspapers and magazines to extensively report on the Fudge family's murder. He also accused the Auror of incompetence, saying that it had been more than half a month since the incident and they had only just thought to investigate.

Meanwhile, the news report also clearly stated that Harry's Detective Society could investigate the case, but only if... the Britain Ministry of Magic issued a written commission for the case, and during the investigation, all Auror of the Ministry of Magic must unconditionally cooperate with the Detective Society's work!

After turning the tables on them, Albus Dumbledore's side immediately quieted down. Perhaps he was afraid that Harry's investigation was just a pretense, and that his real purpose was to investigate their malicious framing.

However, while the Order of the Phoenix has temporarily quieted down, someone else is still running rampant... Before the turmoil surrounding Fudge's family of three had subsided, Akinbad died shortly afterward.

Both disappeared and were presumed dead, and both had a grudge against Harry...

The death of the former vice president sparked a new wave of rumors, naturally pointing the finger at Harry. The International Confederation of Wizards even issued a passionate statement of condemnation through their own channels.

Ironically, they never dared to send anyone to confront Harry directly... just like during the Dragon incident.

Harry couldn't be bothered with such clowns, but these two murders reminded him of someone he didn't care about.

So he took some time to go to the newspaper office and found Ludo Bagman, who had already started working for the sports channel.

Harry gave Ludo a protective bracer and carefully instructed him not to go out alone for a while.

Now, all those who have died are people who had a grudge against Harry. Although Ludo was pardoned by Harry and given a job, as Kingsley Shacklebolt Shacklebolt said... to outsiders, 'Harry Potter' is a vengeful villain, so what difference does killing one Ludo Bagman make?

In short, regardless of whether the other party intends to make a move, we should at least be on guard. Ludo is working for Harry now, after all; we can't let him actually get killed because of this.

After leaving the newspaper office, Harry stopped by the magazine office to see Rita Skeeter and mentioned a task that required her assistance.

"I know this could be quite risky, because you might not think I'm absolutely certain of winning." Seeing the hesitant look on the female reporter's face, Harry said understandingly, "If you feel uncomfortable with this, just pretend I didn't mention it."

"I... can do it." Rita Skeeter hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing with pursed lips. "Anyway, I just need to transform into Beetle, hide on the sidelines, and watch the whole battle unfold, right?"

"Yes, I need you to record the entire battle's flow and panoramic view, and after the battle, I also need to extract this memory." Harry earnestly assured him, "Of course, I will also do everything in my power to ensure your safety during the battle."

"I understand." Rita Skeeter nodded gently. "I'll be there for you whenever you need me."

The task Harry assigned her was undoubtedly extremely difficult, at least for her.

After all... not everyone has the courage to confront the Dark Lord directly.

But she ultimately decided to take the risk, because Harry might not be much worse than Voldemort now... and if this really happened, Rita Skeeter would surely become a legendary figure in the wizarding journalism industry, possessing a status and authority that no one could shake!

Fortune favors the bold... Rita Skeeter decides to take a huge gamble!

"Uh... Mr. Granger, there seems to be some other news in the other publications lately." Rita Skeeter suddenly called out to Harry as he was about to leave, "It's some rumors about Lucius Malfoy ... Should we issue a similar statement?"

"No need, let them say what they want." Harry shook his head and then left the magazine office.

Rita's so-called 'rumor' refers to the fact that Lucius Malfoy was also murdered in the same way. This rumor has been circulating recently, and its purpose is naturally aimed at Harry.

But Harry didn't need to clarify anything, because once he caught Barty Crouch Jr. Crouch. and confirmed that he was the murderer of Fudge and the others, Lucius Malfoy's case could naturally be attributed directly to this Death Eater.

Besides, most people just whisper about these kinds of rumors. Harry's reputation is at its peak right now. Even if some people have reservations about his actions, would they dare to jump out and confront him directly?

Only Draco Malfoy, that stubborn fool, had the impulsive idea to come looking for Harry to avenge his father, but before he could even meet Harry, he was beaten back by the Weasley Brothers, who happened to run into him.

"Whether it's a false accusation or not, let's put that aside for now; I just don't like this kid!"

"Exactly, his father wasn't a good person to begin with, he deserved to die."

Hearing the Weasley Brothers' righteous words, Harry could only think... You guys really are harboring a criminal this time!

However... it's truly impressive that Barty Crouch Jr. Crouch. could replicate Harry's kidnapping methods to this extent.

Unfortunately, Harry can't focus all his efforts on dealing with him right now, because at the end of the term, besides preparing for the battle against Voldemort, Harry has another important matter to attend to.

Final exams.

As a champion of the Triwizard Tournament, Hermione is not supposed to take the school's final exams, but this year she has signed up for ten O.W.L. Examinations, excluding Muggle Studies and Divination, and all of them will be held before the tournament begins!

This is definitely a pretty tough challenge, and Harry has been helping her with her studies lately.

As for Harry himself, he also has quite a few exams to take, at least the NEWT certificates for Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, and the History of Magic, which he absolutely must obtain.

In particular, the History of Magic been largely completed, with Professor Binns and others proofreading it. Harry also plans to use his reputation after defeating Voldemort to promote the new history book.

As one of the listed editors of the textbook, it would be necessary for him to obtain a professional certificate.