Early the next morning.
The Daily Prophet published three articles at once.
Umbridge's "The Courage of Education" took the lead spot in the education section.
Rita's "The Wizards Who Fear Refrigerators" took the lead spot in the opinion section.
After receiving that day's newspaper, Ogden remained silent for a long time.
He sat before the arched window at the end of the Wizengamot corridor, folded the newspaper, and laid it on his knees.
Selwyn stood behind him.
"They reacted faster than I expected."
Ogden nodded.
"Leave Umbridge's piece alone. Official boilerplate. Nobody reads it."
He tapped Rita's article with a finger.
"This is the problem."
Selwyn bent down and read Rita's article again.
"She's shifting the terms."
"Of course."
Ogden's voice was calm.
"She's recast opposition to defining magic through a Muggle framework as opposition to Muggle knowledge itself. She's reduced our position to ignorance and fear."
He stood up.
"We must respond."
"From what angle?"
Ogden took two steps.
"We don't take her bait. We don't discuss refrigerators. We don't discuss who does or doesn't understand Muggles."
He turned around.
"We address just one question-whether explaining magic through refrigerators and understanding magic through magic are the same thing."
Selwyn thought for a moment.
"What about the title?"
Ogden looked out the window.
"'What we oppose is not refrigerators, but replacing magic with refrigerators.'"
Selwyn returned to his office and spread out a sheet of parchment.
He wrote quickly.
"Ms. Skeeter's article has confirmed my concerns-supporters have already equated a lack of Muggle knowledge with ignorance and backwardness. This is precisely the first symptom of Muggle knowledge invading the wizarding world: cultural inferiority."
He dipped his quill in ink.
"Our ancestors had already mastered the Floo Network when Muggles were still striking stones to make fire. This pride is not