Just as Severus expected-
By lunchtime, the supplementary magazine of The Quibbler had already begun making waves in the Wizarding World.
Letters from witches snowballed into the Lovegood's household, and for those who had been closely following the potion-poisoning case, the content of this novel was nothing short of shocking!
At the same time, among the Aurors at the Ministry of Magic, someone had also stumbled upon this highly questionable novel.
"Mr. Shacklebolt? Mr. Shacklebolt! Here's today's issue of The Quibbler you asked me to fetch this morning. Coincidentally, they also included a magazine with the paper."
In the Auror Office, a subordinate handed over what Kingsley had requested earlier that morning.
Hearing that, in addition to the usual newspaper, today's The Quibbler had unexpectedly included an extra magazine, Kingsley's face showed no surprise.
"Thank you." After expressing his gratitude, he insisted on pressing the five Knuts for the newspaper subscription into his subordinate's hand.
To most wizards, this newspaper, which is filled with gossip and lacked authority, was hardly worth their time.
The front page of the newspaper exaggerated the Aurors' pursuit of Severus, but Kingsley, as the person involved, of course knew most of it was pure fabrication.
After skimming through the paper, he turned his attention to the magazine.
'This was clearly the reason Snape had visited the Lovegoods yesterday!'
He glanced at the magazine's title, 'Blood Love: The Vampire and The Muggle?'
'The name made it sound more like a work of fiction.'
Flipping open the cover, he began reading earnestly from the first chapter.
To be honest, the layout and printing of the novel were quite crude, and it can be seen that the person who produced it rushed the publication.
The entire book was roughly 120,000 words long. After being publicly criticized by Scrimgeour, Kingsley had found himself with ample free time. He spent the entire afternoon in his office reading until he finished the novel!
As he closed the final page, he finally understood why Severus distrusted the Ministry, and why he had fled with the others!
Kingsley stood up from his chair with such a sudden movement that everyone else in the office looked up at him.
However, he did not pay attention to their stares. Clutching the magazine, he strode out of the office and headed straight for Scrimgeour's private quarters!
He knocked forcefully, and soon an Auror opened the door from inside the office. The dozen or so Aurors who were in a meeting inside all turned to look at him.
Scrimgeour's face was as dark as an enraged lion's as he glared at Kingsley.
"This had better be important, Shacklebolt!"
Kingsley raised the novel in his hand.
"You need to see this! We've been wrong from the very beginning! There was never any potion-poisoning case! That Muggle willingly drank the Draught of Living Death! The truth is all here! All of it!"
Hearing this, Scrimgeour's expression didn't soften. He merely gestured to an Auror beside him.
"Bring me whatever he's holding. Let's see what's written in there that's got him so worked up!"
The Auror obediently took the novel from Kingsley and handed it to Scrimgeour.
Scrimgeour flipped through it quickly. After realizing the beginning was just some nonsense about vampires, he skipped straight to the parts involving the Muggle.
In less than twenty minutes, he had finished reading the relevant sections.
At first, Scrimgeour said nothing. Instead, he inspected the magazine's crude cover again before finally speaking.
"Shacklebolt, care to tell me where you found this book?"
"It's the supplementary magazine of The Quibbler, sir! Every subscriber of the paper received it today!" Kingsley said gravely.
"The Quibbler!" Scrimgeour raised his voice sharply at this point, "I remember that newspaper, and I think everyone sitting here should too!"
He furrowed his brow, his expression dark and terrifying, his gaze fixed on Kingsley like a predator eyeing its prey.
"The articles they've published in the past are, I'm sure, unforgettable to everyone here, and I can refresh your memories right now!"
"They boldly claimed that Crumple-Horned Snorkacks… a creature widely regarded as fictional, actually exist! They insisted that Babbitty Rabbitty from The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a children's fairy tale, is still alive! They mocked the Ministry's Aurors as nothing more than wand-wielding, robe-wearing swine! They firmly believe a wizard once flew to the moon on a broomstick!"
The office was eerily quiet, and Scrimgeour suddenly hurled the book at Kingsley!
"And now you come to me with this… this absurd fairy-tale love story cobbled together by a bunch of lunatics from a newspaper that spews nothing but nonsense! Wasting a full half-hour of my time, claiming it holds the truth of the case!"
"Are you insane, or am I, Shacklebolt?!"
Kingsley stood pale-faced at the door, letting the book hit him before it clattered to the floor.
Even after such treatment, he refused to avert his gaze from Scrimgeour's, and replied firmly.
"Sir, we can't dismiss this book based solely on The Quibbler's past publications! According to the evidence we obtained from Muggle police, whether it is the emotional state of the Muggle victim during that period or the garlic found in her room, it align perfectly with the details in this story!"
"Wasn't that information already made public by the media?" Scrimgeour roared, "That madhouse of a newspaper obviously just pieced this book together from the details we released!"
"But there are some details that weren't made public! The estate's servants reported hearing a motorcycle starting at night, and that they once hired a completely clueless repairman! Only the Aurors involved in the case knew about these things… But the book explains them all logically!"
"Then you should go interrogate those lunatics and find out which loose-lipped Auror leaked the information! Not come here to obstruct my investigation!" Scrimgeour's patience had reached its limit, "Besides, even if we accept this book's version of events as the truth, how do you explain Snape's involvement? Why would that vile, merciless bastard meddle in this affair? Why don't you ask those lunatics to spin a story about that too?!"
"Close the door! Get him out of here!"
An Auror stood up, half-persuading, half-pushing Kingsley toward the exit.
Before being shoved out, Kingsley turned back to Scrimgeour one last time.
"I'll find others! There will be people who believe this! There will be!"
Bang!
The only response he received was the sound of the door slamming shut.