I Know Your Secret
Secrets of the News
It was six days later that Harry found himself with Hermione walking outside in the fresh air trying to keep her from the library as that just wasn't cool. Knowledge was awesome and everything but too much studying meant Hermione got cranky.
"Hermione…" Harry sighed, exasperated. "Let's have a few hours break at least. You know I know plenty of stuff to be getting on with for the tournament, and I have another eight and half weeks until the first task. It's not just going to pop out at me. I'll know even more spells by then, and I have my spies looking out for the task in the meantime."
She glared at him. "The only reason I let you keep those daft elves is because Dobby is paid, and Winky would end up killing herself!" she said in disapproval.
Harry laughed rolling his eyes. "If they're happy then what does it matter? To an alien race from another planet there might be an alien-Hermione thinking the same about humans."
She pout glared at him in semi-annoyance. "Do you have to give me an illogical answer to everything that somehow makes a crazy kind of sense?"
"Yes, yes I do," he agreed smirking as he dropped to his butt on the grass leaning up against a tree at the edge of the forest looking out over the lake with her sitting next to him. "So, what do I do about Fleur? This isn't like when you found out," he said sighing tiredly. "She can smell the difference because of you know… being veela, and she still likes me. In fact, I think she likes me because of my secret."
Hermione shrugged in thought. "Well, we can't all have time turners to interfere with things… and yes, yes, I know it was totally irresponsible for me to accept one, and more so for the headmaster to let me have one. Then I fell into Dumbledore's crazy scheme by not telling you, then crazy stuff happened and Lupin got fired. At least we saved Sirius, and it was easy stunning Ron before that idiot Sirius said anything about your secret."
Harry couldn't help but laugh. "Yes… Sirius… poor, poor, foolish Sirius," he said laughing and shaking his head. "It's just lucky that the map is confused about what my name is. That question mark baffled the twins, but amuses the heck out of me, but at least they gave it to me last year. When I release my… 'secret' it says my name. It's quite interesting, and I'm lucky I have it now. The twins may not act very smart, but I know they would have figured things out eventually."
"I guess," she replied rolling her eyes. "But you're not supposed to find it interesting," she retorted with a sigh. "You're supposed to be thankful that it didn't say your real name, which by the way I still want to know!"
He stuck his tongue out at her looking smug. "Nope, you have to guess and be hopeful that you get it right."
She sighed in annoyance. It had been bugging her ever since she found out his secret and he just wouldn't tell her yet. "So, do you think Ronald is ever going to get the message to leave us alone?"
He shrugged thoughtfully. "Eventually-when my schemes come to fruition and I show my disfaith in the old man. I just need something. I don't know what. But some kind of catalyst. Some way to begin this!"
"Well let's hope that opportunity hurries up," she replied shaking her head. "Ronald is really starting to get on my last nerve and I will hex the git into oblivion if he doesn't stop speaking about you the way he does. Then the way he talks about Fleur just because she likes you just makes me want to smack him!"
Harry shrugged with a smile. "That's not really my problem," he replied with a sigh. "He'll be the one getting his the crap beaten out of him, not me!"
"Well you would think that," she replied with a small grin. "Ron works for Dumbledore because he thinks the old man will give him an easy ride, or maybe he's into old men-!"
"Hermione!" Harry reprimanded with a cheeky grin. "I never knew you had such a filthy sense of humour!"
"Shut up!" she replied, pouting. "With the way some people talk about that old man I wouldn't be surprised! Anyway, we'll be better off without Ronald, so bring on the revolution. He's always whining about how great his brothers Bill and Charlie have done for themselves, and now Percy's got himself a career, and then he tries to sponge off your success, and ride on Dumbledore's robe tails.
"Then he moans about the twins disappointing their mum because they want to do what they want to do, and that they'll probably be the most successful drives him crazy. Then he complains about how Ginny can perform spells he has never even heard of before like they're toys, and that she hangs out with Luna who though I hate to admit it is very clever, which he hates and calls her names, but it angers him more that she doesn't react but looks amused at his lack of wit.
"I told him a couple of days ago that if he stopped complaining and actually got up and worked hard, he might be good at something too, but he just spent a whole hour complaining about me and you, Fred, George, Ginny, and a whole lot of other students that he felt hard done by, even Greengrass, Davis, and for some reason, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, and Terry Boot…"
Harry couldn't help but laugh rolling his eyes. "If Ron just shut up and listened to himself, maybe he would get a clue. None of his brothers had succeeded by slacking off. But it's pointless trying to tell him that when Dumbledore has his hand up his arse making all of his choices," he said and grinned as Hermione snorted out a laugh. "I guess he's going to be a sofa bum when he leaves Hogwarts. What did he hope to do, ride on MY stupid fame to success? If he did, then he is stupider than I thought! Loser!"
Hermione slid a little closer to Harry and placed her head on his shoulder with a sigh before he put his arm around her shoulder and she snuggled up to him.
"You take that picture Colin and I will shove that camera up your arse!" Harry said suddenly as he looked up at the mousy-haired boy as he was holding his camera at the ready as he peaked around some bushes. Hermione looked up blushing as she saw him looking sheepish and uncertain. "You know my no photo rule unless I say its okay. So what could be so good that you would risk my wrath?"
Colin just shifted uncomfortably. "Well, umm… Rita Skeeter said if I could get some good shots that the Prophet would buy them off me, and my name would be in the paper, and that it would be good for getting a job at the paper when I leave school."
"I see," he replied thoughtfully. "Then how about I do a deal with you instead? After all, my pull hold much more weight!" he suggested while looking around to make sure the cost was clear. "I don't trust that bitch, and she has no integrity," he said in thought. "I'll let you take a few photos, but first you must place some tracking charms on her, and find out how she manages to find out 'things' while not being there. After all you want to be a journalist. Do this for me, and… did you know Hogwarts had started its own school paper in the sixties. It used to send it out to all the parents too, but during the mid-eighties the schools outside budget got cut and that with a few other extra curriculum classes got cut. I'll get Dumbledore to restart it, as long as you print her secret! And that has more power and weight over that rag of a paper!"
Colin's eyes had widened impossibly as he nodded his head in agreement. "O-okay…" he readily agreed. Therefore, Harry stood and let him take a few pictures before he rushed off to get underway with his first assignment for the new school newspaper.
"The school can't afford to restart the newspaper club," Hermione said as he re-joined her back on the grass.
He just shrugged with a grin. "Although, because of Dumbledore, I can't offer to sponsor it with my money… I can sponsor it with Sirius' money, so help me come up with a sponsor name so I can mess with the old man."
She sighed with a shrug. "Do you have to continue messing with him? I'm starting to feel sorry for the old guy as you rip apart all of his scheming," she said with a pitying shake of her head. "He won't even ask you who this sponsor is because he is so trusting that those he trusts trust him so much that he trusts them. In other words he's stupid and way too trusting, and I think that made sense, which it shouldn't have, but I guess you've been rubbing off on me."
Harry just grinned as he hopped up to his feet. "Yeah, well, that's his problem. This is the opportunity we were waiting for. I'm going to go and see him about it. It's about time I visited or he'll get annoying and send an invite," he said rolling his eyes and heading off back to the castle after helping her to her feet and they split ways once back at the school.
It took Harry no time to reach the stone gargoyle leading to the heads office and was happy that McGonagall was just leaving as he got there. She gave him a smile as he greeted her and hurried in without word. He then rushed up the moving staircase and barged into the old man's office knowing he already knew he was there because of the spying paintings and that little orb thing that was like caller ID.
"Hey there Professor," Harry greeted brightly. "I just couldn't hold this off any longer… I was wondering whether…" he paused in surprise as he saw Minister Fudge and that Bagman guy in the office having paused talking to the amused old man at Harry's rude entrance.
"Mr. Potter," Fudge greeted him first, obviously surprised. "What brings you here?" he asked in curiosity.
"Oh, well nothing much," he said chuckling 'nervously'. "I had a wicked cool idea after I met that weird Skeeter woman last week. We could restart the school newspaper since I found out we still have all of the equipment. It will be fun, don't you think Mr. Fudge?"
Dumbledore's sad sigh got their attention, and Harry expected it. "I would love nothing more, but unfortunately we just don't have the funds available."
"Oh, well, I have that sorted…" he said smilingly. "You see, I contacted this… well they're a really new company, and they give out charitable funding, and said they would be happy to help fund it. We can make do with all of the old equipment for now, and save up if we have to, to buy some new stuff."
"And what is the name of this company Mr. Potter?" the old man asked as his curiosity has been piqued, but Harry knew he wouldn't look into it, and the way Harry put things Dumbledore would believe that Harry and Hermione had been looking into this for the week.
"Oh… umm…" he began nervously as he forgot to get a good name in his rush. His eyes did a quick scan of the office when they landed on a huge book of fairytales, and… it was kind of ironic in a weird kind of way. "Oh… it's called Fairytale!" he said smilingly.
"Well, if they're so willing," Fudge was quick to stop Dumbledore's rejection. "I don't see why the ministry can't help out a little and cut you a grant for some new equipment. I think it's about time we make some new journalists who don't go around spreading nasty lies."
"Well, of course," Dumbledore agreed, no doubt knowing Fudge's kindness has ulterior motives, but neither of them realised the real threat in the room. "Well, Harry. I'm glad you're looking at other possible avenue for your future. I suppose Miss. Granger will assist your new position as head of the Hogwarts newspaper while you have the tasks?"
Harry gulped. He hadn't thought that Dumbledore would put him in charge, but who else would have been the papers 'editor' when it was supposedly his idea. "Yes, of course professor. That's what best friends are for. Plus, I'm sure she'll want her own column reviewing classes or something, maybe spell book reviews or something; any chance to… well, this is Hermione," he stopped before he called her a nag, and though she was sometimes, they didn't need to know that.
"A brilliant idea," Fudge agreed. "Be sure to send out some copies to myself and some more for the Ministry to leave in the auditorium. I'm sure the staff in the ministry will enjoy something a little different for a change in pace."
"Will do Mr. Fudge," he agreed happily with a nod.
"Don't forget the sports column," Bagman piped in with his two Knuts. Harry nodded quickly as he gave them a farewell greeting and quickly fled the office. It semi-backfired on him as he didn't think of himself becoming the editor, but he could work this. It just meant that he could make easier derailments of Rita Skeeter's lies when she finally tried to test the waters against him.
"So what are we going to call it?" Hermione asked as she and Harry entered the dusty unused 'offices' of the old school newspaper and turned on the lights.
"Don't know yet," he replied smiling as he looked around. There were two floors. The bottom was huge and open plan with around thirty desks (and space for a lot more) with typewriters and loads of unused parchment, ink, quills, chairs, and all sorts of things littering the place. The second floor was a balcony that circled the bottom floor with small staircases either side of the main double doors and a huge wider one straight ahead. The floorboards were wooden and dusty but would look great when cleaned and polished.
Going upstairs they found several large offices, a huge conference room, and a door leading to a huge printing press room, which to their luck had tons of rolls of paper that had been preserved with charms. It also housed its own owlary, but it had been closed so birds didn't wander in by mistake, and they would be able to put that to good use.
Harry found the largest office in front of the wide stairs on the second floor. It was the Chief Editors office, and looked out over both the Dark Lake and the quidditch pitch as it was a rounded office with a great view and veranda. It also had a typewriter and a beautiful oak desk with leather office chair on wheels, two seats in front of his desk, and a black leather couch up against the wall, and a door leading to a bathroom, and several bookshelves lining some of the walls full of dusty books. All the offices had glass windows looking into the building, but with wooden blinds to get privacy when needed.
Hermione took a liking to the office next door as it only looked out over the lake. She came out of it after a moment looking pleased as she found Harry behind his desk after having used some cleaning charms to get rid of the dust and dirt. He annoyed her sometimes with the domestic spells he only learnt to be super lazy, and even more that he must have used them so much that he got very good at them while she struggled with them.
"This place is incredible," Hermione said instead of complaining as she was still in awe and she could just get him to clear the dust for her. "But… I wonder whether we could use computers instead of typewriters," she said in thought as she took one of the two seats in front of Harry. "It would save us a lot of time," she said with a small smile of thought.
"As long as they don't leave Hogwarts, and aren't connected to the net, I don't see a problem," he agreed brightening her day. "But when we've won; we can rewrite those stupid laws. Anyway. I think I have a name…" he suddenly said in thought. "The Hogwarts Frontier," he suggested with a thoughtful frown.
Hermione thought about it for a moment before nodding slowly. "It's different to anything out there that I know of, either muggle or magic," she said with a nod.
"We need a sports writer, and some photographers," he replied thoughtfully. "And a food critic, and everyday gossip column, and normal news reporters. Plus, we'll need our own post owl squad to deliver."
Hermione nodded in thought. "Well, I say if Lee Jordon can keep an unbiased opinion he'll be a perfect sports writer, and could even write about the tournament. We could make it so our paper has exclusive coverage to get people interested for future sales!" she said thoughtfully. "But I say we get this place cleaned up first, and then hold interviews for positions."
"You're right," Harry agreed with a nod. "Dobby! Winky!" he said to her annoyance; they appeared wearing little uniforms. "Hey guys," he said before they could start anything weird. "I need you to get some cleaning elves and fix this place up to high standards, and try to save as much of the equipment in here as you can, and fix anything that can be fixed to a high standard. Okay!"
"Yes, Harry Potter, sir!" they both squeaked out in happiness before disappearing again.
"We'll hold interviews next week," Harry said after a few moments in which they heard house helves entering. "In the meantime I say we get in the computers, and network them. Do you know how to do all of that?"
Hermione shrugged sheepishly. "I can get them working fine with some help and instructions."
"Okay," Harry said not realizing Hermione had been that much of a nerd, but smiled in appreciation anyway. "We'll need printers too. And to be able to hook the computers up similarly to how the typewriters are hooked up to the press…"
"Shouldn't be a problem," she replied with a wide smile as she was in her element even if she was bending a few laws; they were silly laws anyway.
