The "Daily Prophet," the most widely circulated newspaper in the British wizarding world, had a striking front-page story.
A massive, moving black-and-white photograph dominated half the page.
On the left stood a towering, fearsome bear-like goblin, flanked by several other goblins peering out from behind him.
On the ground, two defeated murloc lay motionless.
On the right side of the photograph, Mr. Weasley led a group of wizards, with Ted and his friends standing just behind him.
The photo's source?
None other than the same photographer who once took pictures of Gilderoy Lockhart.
Instead of fleeing during the chaos, he had hidden away, snapping shots and gathering material.
Say what you will, but the man was dedicated to his craft.
His angle and composition were impeccable.
A shame, really, that the photo was in black and white.
If it had been in color, it might have been worthy of an award.
But alas, it was the 1990s, and wizarding media still relied on black-and-white photography.
One might say the magical world was a bit behind the times.
The entire emergency edition of the newspaper covered the morning's shocking events: a monstrous attack on both Knockturn Alley and Diagon Alley.
Reports suggested the creatures had emerged from Knockturn Alley, likely a result of a dark wizard smuggling dangerous magical beasts.
The Aurors were already tracking the culprit.
The rampaging creatures had all been subdued, but the damage was significant.
Seven casualties were reported—four fatalities, including a goblin, and three others injured.
The most severely wounded had suffered two broken legs and had barely escaped death.
Another had sustained a head injury but, with magical treatment, was completely fine within ten minutes of reaching St. Mungo's.
Beyond the human toll, two of Britain's busiest magical shopping streets had suffered considerable damage.
Many shop owners counted their losses.
The biggest hit was sustained by Borgin and Burkes, where a monster had set the shop ablaze.
Luckily, the store's magical protections had mitigated the worst of it, but the place was left blackened and smoke-filled.
This was no minor event.
Sure, wizards died now and then from magical accidents—like spells backfiring or potions going awry—but an attack of this magnitude?
Three wizards and a goblin dead in one morning?
It was a shock to the entire magical community.
In fact, this represented one ten-thousandth of the entire wizarding population of Britain!
Within hours, the newspapers were ablaze with reactions.
Outrage poured in from every corner of society.
Many accused the Ministry of Magic of negligence, claiming it was failing the very people it was meant to protect.
Radical pure-blood families demanded tighter regulations on foreign visitors.
Others called for a crackdown on Knockturn Alley's dark trade, while some voices insisted the culprit must be found and severely punished.
Amid the uproar, a small faction of voices praised Mr. Weasley and his team for their swift action.
Normally, the magical world remained relatively calm.
Ted's little Arcane Exchange—where people gathered daily to chat, sip tea, and share gossip—barely attracted twenty or thirty people.
But this?
This was a spectacle like no other!
The whole situation had exploded like a cauldron full of volatile potion ingredients.
Since Voldemort's defeat, Diagon Alley had gone untouched for over a decade.
Now, out of nowhere, a horde of monsters had stormed through its streets?!
Ted read the entire article, from the Ministry's official statements to the passionate opinions of wizards who had been interviewed.
His name was mentioned just once, lumped in with the others in a brief commendation.
There was only a single sentence about how Ted's "enhanced freezing spell worked remarkably well."
And that was that.
No further attention.
No unnecessary spotlight.
Exactly how Ted wanted it.
That afternoon, he escorted Hermione home, and Jerry also left for his own house.
School was about to begin, and Ted's usual wizarding hangout was set to temporarily close for the last few days of the holiday—not that it mattered much.
After this disaster, Diagon Alley was practically deserted.
The Leaky Cauldron, too, was eerily quiet.
Who would be in the mood for a drink after a morning like that?
But Old Tom, the barkeep, was unfazed.
He'd seen enough over the years to know that business would return soon enough.
Back in his room, Ted collapsed onto his bed with a sigh.
"Nice work, Parker," he praised his Psicrystal.
If not for Parker's support, his freezing spell might not have been enough to stop the bear-like goblin.
"My pleasure~" Parker chirped, hopping up and down excitedly on the table.
"And Anzu, that fire spell of yours certainly made an impression. Water and fire are ruthless, after all. Hopefully, Mr. Borgin and Mr. Burke will be more careful in the future."
Anzu, his raven companion, fluffed his feathers smugly.
Ted quickly distracted him with some beef jerky, lest he try to peck at Parker's sparkling crystal form.
Ravens, after all, had a keen eye for shiny things.
Now, time to inspect his latest rewards.
Ted pulled out two newly acquired magic cards.
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[Foresight (Blue)]
- Spell Card
- After activation, psychic energy surges, granting heightened awareness for ten minutes. Increases the likelihood of detecting sneak attacks and unexpected dangers.
- Cooldown: 6 hours.
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"Interesting…" Ted mused.
A psionic-based card?
Those were rare!
Curious, he activated it. He then picked up an apple, closed his eyes, and tossed it above his head. As the apple plummeted, he instinctively shifted, catching it in one swift motion without looking.
A grin spread across his face. "Now this is useful."
Not only was the card effective, but it gave him an idea. If he could replicate its effects without relying on the card itself, he might just develop his own psychic abilities.
And if that happened… there would be no need for cooldowns at all.
Second Card:
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[Celebrity (Green)]
- Spell Card
- Use: +2 Charisma for 30 minutes.
- Cooldown: 12 hours.
- Remarks: I get attention everywhere I go, and life under the spotlight isn't always easy~
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"Could it be that I was a celebrity just because I made it into the newspaper?" Ted chuckled to himself.
Actually, he was underestimating the situation.
In his old world, newspapers were dying out, overshadowed by the internet and television.
Hardly anyone paid attention to them anymore.
But here?
The wizarding world still relied almost entirely on print media.
The Daily Prophet wasn't just a newspaper; it was the newspaper.
Practically every wizarding household in Britain had a subscription.
Since there was no competition, the paper had an enormous reach.
Wizards were scattered across the country, and with no internet or television, the Daily Prophet was the primary source of news.
So, whether he liked it or not, about 80 to 90% of British wizards now knew Ted's name.
Not that most would remember him forever, but still—it was something.
A few days after the "Monster Siege," Diagon Alley was still under martial law.
Ted saw groups of wizards patrolling the streets, their expressions grim and their hands hovering near their wands.
Aurors and Hit Wizards from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had been deployed in force, determined to maintain order after the attack.
Hit Wizards were like magical law enforcement officers, handling rogue wizards and minor magical crimes.
Aurors, on the other hand, were elite—more like specialized combat-trained investigators, skilled in dueling, tracking, and defensive magic.
Most of them were at least level 7 to 9, while the best among them reached level 11 or 12—true elite-tier wizards
The Ministry had been humiliated by the attack, and now they were out in full force, making arrests left and right.
Knockturn Alley had been hit particularly hard.
Many of the shadier wizards who lurked there had been rounded up on various charges—though most would probably only serve short sentences in Azkaban.
Ted, however, saw an opportunity.
Under the cover of night, he sent Parker to discreetly place enchanted markers around Borgin and Burkes, drawing extra Ministry scrutiny to the infamous shop.
The next morning, the store was shut down for "investigation purposes."
Ted smirked.
Of course, they'd reopen eventually.
They had powerful connections, after all.
But for now?
A little chaos wouldn't hurt.
"Feels good," he muttered, satisfied with his handiwork.
But he had more pressing matters to deal with.
School was about to start, and he needed to prepare.
His basement hideout had to be cleaned up—after all, he wouldn't be back for months.
Old potion ingredients, failed alchemy experiments, and magical waste needed to be disposed of properly.
Otherwise, he might return to find some unwanted magical creatures had moved in.
Boggarts, ghouls, mischievous spirits—wizarding homes tended to attract strange things.
Magic had a way of warping the environment, creating oddities like animated objects or self-replicating dust bunnies (which could actually be dangerous if left unchecked).
If Ted didn't handle it, his basement might turn into a low-level dungeon before Christmas break.