CHAPTER 1: A SORTING TO REMEMBER
BY GEOFF [NICKXERO]
UPDATE: For whatever reason, FFN had my .doc file be all one big paragraph. So I edited it in Notepad to make it readable. :)
Harry was bored. Very bored. It was his fifth year at Hogwarts and he was glad to be back (summer with the Dursleys was never fun, after all). But sitting through the Sorting Ceremony for the fourth time seemed a bit…redundant, to say the least. It didn't help matters that he was extremely hungry and just wanted the feast to begin.
Harry yawned as "Paul, Marie" was sorted into Hufflepuff. He then began to fidget with his utensils, twirling his fork on the table. Hermione hissed at him to stop, producing a loud guffaw from Ron.
Professor McGonagall glared at him as she called out "Anderson, Vera" to be sorted.
Hermione returned her attention to the front of the Great Hall, not before giving both boys a withering stare. It seemed Hermione had developed the stare over the summer, as neither ever remembered her striking such fear in either of them before. Ron nudged Harry and whispered, "It's going to be a long year if she keeps up that stare," he joked (or was he?).
Harry chuckled silently. "I wonder how many first years are left. I'm starving!" he whispered.
Ron nodded in agreement. "And I want to hear Dumbledore's announcements. They better be having quidditch this year. I mean, the Cup was fun but I don't think I can go another year without—" but Ron stopped mid-sentence, as he caught McGonagall's voice boom the final first year's name:
"And finally, Skeeter, Anita," McGonagall called.
Ron, Harry, and Hermione all looked at each other, a mixture of fear, confusion, and anger painting their features.
It seemed they weren't the only ones who noticed "Skeeter, Anita" being called through the Great Hall more than they would have most any other first year being sorted. There was a great murmur of whispers flood the Hall.
"Is that that reporter's daughter from last year?"
"I remember that Skeeter lady!"
"I wonder if she's a snoop like her mom…"
There were all sorts of snippets of whispered conversations Harry caught. But he was too busy looking the girl over to really care to hear much past snippets. The girl was on the taller side and extremely skinny. She had extremely rigid brown curls, as if she had to work very hard to keep them curly, and was wearing bejeweled spectacles, not unlike Rita Skeeter. It had to be her daughter, then. No normal mother would have their child wear such terrible glasses and put her hair in such rigid curls. But the idea of Rita Skeeter having a husband, and reproducing at that, gave Harry a very sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.
The young Skeeter situated herself on the stool and McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head. It took a few minutes for him to come back with "GRYFFINDOR!"
This cut through all three friends like a knife. How could a Skeeter be in the same house as they were! Hermione seemed especially peeved with the idea. But she got even more angry when Anita sat herself down right next to her.
Hermione looked like a werewolf had sat next to her, moving her chair as far over as she could get before being on top of Seamus.
"Anita Skeeter," she said professionally, nodding toward Harry in introduction. "You must be Harry Potter," she said, giving Harry a piercing stare. She had small, blue slits for eyes.
Harry nodded. "Skeeter, eh? Are you related to—"
"Rita Skeeter, star reporter for the Daily Prophet? Yes, I'm her daughter."
"I see," Harry said, trying to mask the fact that he now hated this girl.
Anita smiled. She looked around at the others sitting around her. She frowned at Ron and Hermione, as if knowing them by their faces. "Are you too Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger?"
Ron and Hermione nodded, giving Anita evil stares.
"Mother has told me a great deal about you two," she said, her blue slits for eyes now adding an evil aspect to them.
"That's not surprising," Hermione said icily, "considering your mother can't keep her mouth shut about much, can she?"
Anita shrugged, pretending not to notice Hermione's tone. Many Gryffindors were now eyeing the pair with surprised looks. Hermione was never usually so cold. At least not to anyone not in Slytherin. "Sign of a good reporter. Not selective in giving out information."
Hermione mumbled something under her breath. Harry only noticed a few key words: ladybug, evil Skeeter women, and unscrupulous. Harry chuckled silently.
Anita didn't seem to notice, or care, about what Hermione was mumbling. Or the evil glare that looked as if it could have a Medusa effect on someone. She smiled at Harry. "You know, Harry, I've been thinking about making a Hogwarts newspaper. You know, a voice for the students. I wrote to Dumbledore over the summer and he liked the idea. I'd love if you would agree to be my first story. I'm sure it would be great for sales."
Harry couldn't believe this girl. She was like a mini version of her terrible mother. "I'll have to think about it," he said through gritted teeth.
"Please do," Anita said with a sweet smile that didn't seem t suit her.
Harry looked up at the front and saw that McGonagall was moving the stool away. The Sorting was over. She took her place next to Dumbledore, who got up and cleared his throat.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts, everyone!" he said exuberantly. Harry was glad to see he was looking better. He really was worried after seeing him late last year look so…well, his age.
"As always, the forest by Hogwarts is forbidden to all students unless accompanied by Care of Magical Creatures professor, Rubeus Hagrid," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling slightly at Harry.
Hagrid was beaming at the mention. Harry smiled at both men.
"This year also marks the return of the quidditch season, after a one year hiatus," he continued to rapturous applause from all four house tables. He let them get their energy out for a good minute before hushing everyone. "Yes, yes, I know very exciting. And one more thing before the feast, a Gryffindor first year, Anita Skeeter, has expressed interest in a Hogwarts student newspaper. She wrote to me regarding the idea over the summer and I feel it's a good one. If anyone is interested in being on the staff, please be sure to see her."
Anita looked quite pleased with herself as she looked around importantly. Everyone else wasn't quite as pleased. Why should a first year run the paper, even it was her idea? seemed to be etched on everyone's face; even if her mother was a Daily Prophet reporter.
"Alright then, the feast shall begin!" Dumbledore said happily.
And immediately a plethora of succulent food appeared on all the tables. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all filled their plates quickly. Anita, instead, was reaching for something in her cloak.
She took out a piece of parchment and a green quill. She bit on the end of the quill and set the parchment beside her on the table, where no one was sitting. She put two sets of salt and paper shakers on either side to keep the parchment open and placed the green quill upright on the parchment.
"Anita Skeeter, testing."
The quill rushed madly across the paper. Harry could see the paper read: "The beautiful, vibrant, and intelligent Anita Skeeter, testing."
Anita smiled. "Harry, can I get a few words, please?"
Harry blanched. *N-not that quill again!* he thought to himself, thoughts of everyone laughing at him, specifically Draco Malfoy, when Rita reported that Harry frequently cries about his parents when that quill took words out of his mouth. He glared at it. "No, I'm afraid not," he said, filling his mouth with mashed potatoes.
Anita looked ready to argue, but she shut her mouth before saying anything. She smiled, something she seemed to like to do around Harry. "Well then, maybe some other time," and she got up and walked to the staff table.
As she walked by everyone, they all stared at her, whispering to each other. This didn't seem to phase her, though. She walked right up to Dumbledore and stood over his plate and said something to him. Dumbledore seemed confused, looking the girl over. He shrugged and answered her. Anita turned around, looking pleased. She walked right down the center of the Great Hall, in between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, and out the door.
"What was that about?" Ron asked.
"I don't know, but I don't like the feeling that girl gives me," Harry said.
"Of course you don't," Hermione said, strangely calmly. "She's the spawn of that evil Skeeter woman. She's probably going to the library to research how she can become an Animagus. Maybe she'll turn into a cockroach, which would definitely suit her I'm sure."
Harry ignored Hermione's comments not because he didn't like what she was saying but because he was formulating his own reasons for her departure. It really did worry him. If Anita really was anything like her mother, then she would be sure to unearth something about Harry, whether it be a stretch of the truth that terrible quill made up, or something…else, he couldn't even think of anything at the moment but he knew there had to be something he wouldn't want anyone, specifically the Slytherins, to know.
He knew he'd find out eventually what she was up to. A Skeeter would never be able to leave him alone, of course.
Harry shook himself slightly. He was hungry and didn't want to think about Anita any more. He began wolfing down Yorkshire pudding at an alarming rate.
"Never eaten before, Harry?" Ron asked, amused.
Harry swallowed the mass of pudding. "Anita left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm going to try and get it out now."
Ron laughed. "Good point."
Hermione, who hadn't been as amused at Harry's table manners as Ron, decided not to comment on the pudding. "I'm surprised that she wasn't sorted into Slytherin. Seems more suitable," she said.
Ron smiled. "Hey she might not be all bad," he said. It was obvious he was just trying to keep Hermione calm. She was a tad scary when it came to anything about Rita Skeeter.
Harry sure hoped Ron's comment could be true, though none of them, not even Ron, really thought it could be.
~~~~~~~~~~A/N: Okay that was Chapter 1. I hope you all enjoyed it, if even just a little. It was fun to write! Expect an update in a few days. This took me two days to write, so Chapter 2 should come even quicker because a lot of that time was spent thinking up a name for Anita!
Thanks for reading and be sure to review! It'll make my day.