True to his word, Kingsley didn't give up.
Scrimgeour was a typical hardliner who only trusted the confessions he extracted from prisoners after capturing them with his own hands.
It was natural for him not to believe the story written in this book, but the Ministry of Magic couldn't possibly be entirely filled with people like him.
After leaving the Auror Office, Kingsley headed straight for the office of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on the same floor.
At the level of Department Head, of course, it wasn't something just any wizard could request on a whim.
But Kingsley himself cannot be considered an ordinary Auror. Ever since the ace elite among Aurors, Alastor Moody, retired and returned home, the Auror Office had been held up by Kingsley and Robards.
Though the two of them were still relatively young, they had managed to maintain the department's reputation for the time being. But it terms of actual capability, it could only be said that their potential was promising.
As one of the pillars of the Auror Office, it wasn't too difficult for Kingsley to request a meeting with the current Department Head.
The current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was also a wizard known for his hardline stance and his support of using violence to suppress violence.
However, compared to Scrimgeour, Kingsley believed this Department Head was more flexible, otherwise, there would not have been an ace Auror like Moody, who opposed the use of Dark Magic by law enforcement.
After knocking on the office door, a response came quickly from inside.
When Kingsley pushed the door open and entered, Barty Crouch Sr. wearily set down his quill, rubbed his temples, and looked up at the visitor.
"Ah, Kingsley. What brings you here?"
He addressed Kingsley familiarly by his first name, clearly holding this Auror who also came from a pure-blood family and was extremely outstanding in both ability and character.
"I've discovered something crucial about the potion-poisoning case and Snape's abduction of the Muggle, but Mr. Scrimgeour doesn't agree with my findings. So I wanted to ask for your opinion, Mr. Crouch."
Kingsley didn't waste time on small talk. He got straight to the point and handed over the novel in his hand.
Crouch looked surprised as he took the book. He didn't open it immediately but instead studied Kingsley for a few seconds, as if making some kind of assessment.
Then, as if coming to a conclusion, he said appeasingly, "I understand Rufus's words this morning might have been a bit harsh, but you shouldn't dismiss his professionalism as a seasoned Auror. His judgments in most cases are accurate."
"You know me, Mr. Crouch. I'm not someone who mixes personal feelings with work, nor would I hold a grudge over my superior's criticisms during an investigation." Kingsley looked at him sincerely, "Please, just read the book. That's all I ask."
Crouch opened the novel but only skimmed a few pages before losing patience.
"I have a lot of work to do. Perhaps you could summarize what exactly in this book made you think you'd found something?"
Suppressing his disappointment, Kingsley spoke with utmost seriousness.
"It explains why the poisoning case happened. The protagonist in the book is the same person as the victim in the case! If we continue to follow the story in the book, then the victim willingly drank the Draught of Living Death! It was a vampire trying to save her!"
Crouch continued to stare at him. After hearing this summary, there was no fluctuation in his eyes. He simply spread his hands slightly, "And then?"
Kingsley couldn't understand why Crouch was reacting so calmly!
'Doesn't the Ministry want the truth of this case to come to light as soon as possible?'
'Didn't any of them realize that if the events in the book were true, then what was happening now wasn't even a crime?'
He could only assume Crouch hadn't grasped the implications yet and pressed on, explaining desperately, "Then we can track down the person who wrote this book to verify the story's authenticity! If we can prove it's true, that means no crime was committed! No one was harmed! It was all a misunderstanding between Snape, the vampire, and the Ministry that led them to flee with the Muggle. We could rescind Snape's wanted status and issue a notice for them to return!"
Crouch tapped his fingers rhythmically against the desk, pondering Kingsley's words.
"No crime was committed... a misunderstanding with the Ministry... rescind the wanted notice, have them return..."
Finally, he looked up at Kingsley.
"Let's set aside for now whether the absurd story in this book is true or not. Even if it is, and we do exactly as you've suggested, what consequences do you think would follow?"
Kingsley couldn't comprehend the 'consequences' Crouch was referring to.
"Consequences? The consequence is, of course, that this incident is resolved, Snape is cleared of all charges, and the wizarding public is no longer frightened!"
"But the Ministry's reputation would suffer a blow." Crouch said calmly, "The public would accuse the Ministry of incompetence for allowing this to happen. The Aurors who conducted the investigation would become laughingstocks. Scrimgeour, myself, and the soon-to-retire Minister Bagnold would all be ridiculed."
Hearing his words, Kingsley's face flushed red.
His breathing grew ragged, an inexplicable fury rising in his chest, forcing him to blurt out what was truly on his mind!
"Do you know why Snape refused to trust the Ministry? It's precisely because he knew you cared more about your so-called reputation than justice!"
"And you think the Ministry should sacrifice its standing for their sake?"
Crouch had clearly lost patience with Kingsley. If not for the young man's distinguished family background and his own high regard for him, he wouldn't have entertained this conversation for so long.
"Enough, Shacklebolt. You're being unusually obtuse today. If there's nothing else, you may leave. I have work to attend to."
"What happens if the Ministry doesn't act now, and later, when Snape is captured, it's proven that everything in this novel is true?" Kingsley pressed stubbornly.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Crouch said sternly, "Take this ridiculous book and leave my office, Mr. Shacklebolt. I won't ask again!"
Kingsley numbly took back the novel and turned to leave the Department Head's office.
"You're right..."
He murmured as he walked down the corridor, unsure whether he was talking to himself or someone else.
"You're right... Snape..."
...
In stark contrast to the Ministry's dismissive attitude toward The Quibbler's supplementary magazine, the wizarding public across Britain was buzzing with excitement over the novel.
The explosive spread wasn't just because the latter half of the story shockingly aligned with the potion poisoning case… it was also due to Worple's exceptional writing.
To craft this vampire-centric novel, he had spent three whole years living alongside Sanguini, forging a deep friendship in the process.
Had Severus recalled details from his past life's memories of the films, he might have recognized that in the original work, Worple and Sanguini, whether or not they had accidentally encountered Patty or stolen the wrong potion, would have achieved fame and fortune with this very novel, originally titled Blood Brothers: My Life Among the Vampires!
In fact, by 1996, when Slughorn returned to Hogwarts and hosted his first Slug Club dinner, Worple would have been invited as a celebrated figure in wizarding society.
But now, with the added storyline involving Sanguini and Patty, this novel, which would be popular and sought after in the future, has set off an even bigger wave of popularity!
At noon that day, The Quibbler had distributed roughly 3,000 copies of the supplementary magazine.
By afternoon, reader responses began flooding in… so many owls descended upon the Lovegoods' home that their porch was nearly overwhelmed, with Luna happily scattering breadcrumbs among the flock.
By evening, witches and wizards who subscribed to The Quibbler were enthusiastically recommending the novel to friends and family.
And after another night, by the next morning, this extraordinary story had begun spreading like wildfire across British Wizarding World… an explosion of word-of-mouth fame!