CHAPTER 8:

RITA'S VENTURE

Rita Skeeter had to admit to some small trepidation. She was, technically, going above and beyond the call of duty for a story. She usually didn't go abroad, for example, and certainly not as far afield as Japan. And she also knew, having witnessed Miya Asama's utter humiliation of James Potter, that she was treading on dangerous ground.

But fortune favoured the bold. Not that she was a Gryffindor, the embodiment of such a phrase, but still, she could emulate such a thing. And she had a brilliant idea for a story, one to further deflate the ego of James Potter, would-be Leader of the Light. As much as Rita had a low opinion of Dumbledore, at least the half-senile old fart had an actual ability to be a leader.

Anyway, the story would require her to do something she admittedly rarely did. Namely, telling mostly the truth, with little embellishment or salacious inference.

Now, there were many reasons for that. Firstly, Rita wanted dearly to stick it sideways to James and Charles Potter. After all, puncturing the overinflated reputations of the so-called great and good was what she loved doing. Secondly, Rita, for all her love of libel, had an excellent instinct for self-preservation. She knew that Miya Asama, if she took umbrage to the article in a big way, would hunt her down. She had actually watched the confrontation between James and Miya on the path leading from Hogwarts in her beetle Animagus form, hoping to get a good story. The motto of Hogwarts translated from Latin as Never tickle a sleeping dragon, and Miya Asama was most definitely a dragon in human form. That mask thing was merely a minor thing, compared to seeing Miya Asama uncloaked.

Once Harry Lupin had been announced as one of the surplus Champions, Rita did her research. She knew a little about the Sekirei, about MBI becoming Wagtail Industries, and Harry's role in that, as it was fairly big news in Magical Japan. But she did more, and found out more about the past of Harry's adoptive mother and the wife of Remus Lupin, as well as the particulars of the Sekirei.

Rita knew quite a bit about Muggles. She knew how fearsome their military technology. So to learn through her sources in Japan's Ministry of Magic that Miya had wiped out a good portion of a fleet of ships merely from the shockwave of her sword swings was a humbling experience.

And there were the other Sekirei in Shin Teito, with the most infamous being Karasuba of the Discipline Squad. While nowhere near as powerful as Miya, Karasuba had far less inhibitions when it came to violence, barely kept on a leash by Wagtail Industries.

A third reason for her coming here was, in the end, to satisfy her own personal curiosity about the matter.

Which was why, when she approached Maison Izumo, having managed to get the address from her contacts in the Japanese Ministry, she did so with trepidation. She even called ahead to let Miya know she was coming. The house was nice, but Rita knew that there was heavy warding on it. It had also been renovated and expanded.

"Are we going to be all right, Rita?" Bozo, her usual cameraman, asked, his nervousness apparent in his tone.

"Just do as I say, and try not to annoy them," Rita said. "You saw how the Asama woman was able to project that aura and illusion."

"How could I forget? It's like that story you did about guard duty at Azkaban. I don't know what's worse, a Dementor or that woman's mask thing."

"I'd say a Dementor. At least you can reason with Miya Asama." They reached the entrance to the property, where a blonde-haired woman with a rather impressive bust and a haughty demeanour stood waiting. So too did a tall, dark-haired woman with a rather figure-hugging Chinese dress.

"Art thou Rita Skeeter?" the blonde woman asked.

Rita blinked. She had the translation charm on her for Japanese, and yet, she was hearing what sounded like very old-fashioned English. Maybe it was archaic Japanese or something. "I am. This is my cameraman, Bozo. And you are…?"

"Number 09, Tsukiumi," the woman declared haughtily.

"Number 03, Kazehana. Don't mind Tsukiumi, she's a little bombastic," the other woman said, indicating an irritated Tsukiumi. "We're just making sure nobody tries anything. We're worried about threats from Britain. Incidentally…" She gestured, as did Tsukiumi, and blasts of air and water sped towards Rita and Bozo, before circling around them and speeding on behind them.

"What was that for?!" Rita demanded.

"Just in case you had someone in an Invisibility Cloak behind you," Kazehana said. "Our control over our respective elements, wind and water, make us ideal for detecting any hidden would-be intruders. I'm sorry, but we had to."

Rita nodded. "Very well. Are you also part of Harry Potter's Sekirei?"

"Nay! I am Minato Sahashi's true wife, while this inebriated harlot is another Sekirei Winged to Minato," Tsukiumi declared haughtily.

"Tsukiumi has got a bad case of 'I reject your reality and substitute my own'," Kazehana sighed. "Go on in, Miya's expecting you…"


Rita found her targets seated in a living room, seated at a low table. Namely Harry and Miya, though Remus Lupin and two of the Sekirei Harry had brought to Hogwarts were conspicuous by their absence. Only the orange-haired one and the light brown-haired one were present. That being said, Rita was sure that the purple-haired woman was Sirius Black's relative, Nymphadora Tonks, who had a silver-haired young man with somewhat effeminate features next to her.

"Greetings, Miss Skeeter," Miya said with a smile. "I must confess, I'm surprised you came all the way to Japan for an interview."

"When the story is right, there are many things I will do," Rita said with her own, somewhat tight smile. "Where is your husband, and the other two Sekirei of Harry's?"

"Remus is playing with Kusano in the garden," Miya said. "Kusano's power is over plants, and she loves gardening and making flowers grow. And Haihane has obligations at Wagtail Industries. She is a member of the Discipline Squad, you see. Though I have to ask, why come all the way out here?"

"My reason is fairly simple, Mrs Asama, or should that be Mrs Lupin?"

"Remus is kind enough to allow me to retain my first husband's name, in honour of his memory," Miya said.

"Very well, Mrs Asama. To answer your question, I came here to find out more about how you and Harry grew up together, how you met, etcetera. James Potter, while considered a political powerhouse in the British Wizengamot, has been lately stirring up not inconsiderable discontent. He is acting more and more in his own self-interest, and will not hear a bad word against him. Until recently, he had been leaning on The Daily Prophet, as well as myself. I am technically a freelance journalist, though most of my work is for the Prophet. I intend to air as much of his dirty laundry as possible. And this Tri-Wizard Tournament gives me a chance to do so. Given the circumstances behind your husband's exile from Britain, I would think you would welcome the chance to even the score in the press."

Miya's lips pressed together thinly. "You wish for my son to bare his old scars to the world to sell your newspaper?"

"I am being honest about my intentions, for once. None of us in this room has any love lost for James Potter or for Sirius Black. And given your confrontations with Potter, you have roused a fairly powerful enemy. I believe the Muggles have a saying, that the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Matsu grinned maliciously, her glasses reflecting some unknown light that made her seem more intimidating. "Information warfare, huh? I can get behind that. What do you reckon, Harry?"

Harry, after a moment, nodded. "My parents and I have already discussed what would happen if you decided to approach me. You're being rather honest, Miss Skeeter."

Rita looked at Miya pointedly. "I do not wish to get on the bad side of the most powerful of the Sekirei."

Miya giggled demurely. "I don't know what you mean," she said, even though it was clear that her act wasn't fooling anybody, least of all Miya herself. "I'm just an ordinary parent and landlady of an inn…"


The interview was, in the end, somewhat hard for Harry, as he confessed things long-since buried. But like Matsu said, this was information warfare. He even showed Rita Pensieve memories. While not good enough for, say, a trial in the Wizengamot, as some memories could be altered by an advanced Occlumens, they were good enough for Rita. Harry noticed that she looked particularly disgusted at how James had railed at Harry before discarding him with the Dursleys. And she didn't use her Quick-Quotes Quill either.

They then had a family photo in the garden, along with Remus and Kusano, the latter perched on Harry's shoulders smiling. It was a calculated move by Harry and Miya, one which Rita was happy to go along with. Show Harry and his family to be one big happy family.

As they finished up, Rita looked at Harry shrewdly. "Incidentally, did you know that Bagman has a bet on your brother?"

"A bet?" Tonks asked. "Is he still wasting money on gambling? I heard he was in deep debt with the Goblins, amongst other people."

"In a pretty bad way too. Word on the grapevine is that he used Leprechaun gold to pay off some wizards he owed debts to at the Quidditch World Cup. I kept a close eye on him the day of the Weighing of the Wands, and he was confronted by two of Arthur Weasley's children, twin brothers, who he had made a bet with at the World Cup. Bagman is seeing Charles in the Tournament as an opportunity to clear some of his debt if not all of it."

"Do you think he might try to sabotage Harry?" Homura asked.

"Normally, I would say no…except one of his biggest human creditors is the current Head of the Most Ancient and Noble Family of Black," Rita said. "Even if that wasn't the case, he'd try to give Charles hints. And then, there's the fact that he had passed along information to Augustus Rookwood during the previous war against You Know Who."

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Rookwood was an Unspeakable working undercover for Voldemort," Remus said. "I heard about what Bagman did. Bagman was an idiot, not a traitor. Those Bludgers to the head didn't help his IQ any, though. But if Bagman got an incentive to have his debt cleared by Sirius…"

"Oh believe me, Bagman would be willing to do many things to wipe out his debt, even things I should not say in front of this adorable little girl," Rita said, looking at Kusano. "Remember, even the Goblin loan officers of Gringotts get rather vicious to those in arrears, and loan sharks even more so."

"Then we'll deal with it when the time comes," Harry said. "Thanks for the warning, Miss Skeeter."

"You're welcome," Rita said with a smile. Not quite a sincere one, but it was an acknowledgement of an alliance. Even if the deal was a somewhat Mephistophelean one, and perhaps only a temporary alliance. Hopefully one that wouldn't backfire on them…


"…And that is what I want you to do," Sirius said. Inwardly, he was grinning. While this plan wasn't exactly foolproof, it also had the least risk of getting caught.

The reason for that was that Magical Britain had various underclasses that were beneath notice for various reasons. Two of the most egregious examples were Squibs and House Elves. And the latter were more useful than one thought…if they were obedient. Kreacher wasn't, and he had sent the ornery little fucker to the Unspeakables to be vivisected. He did investigate that damned locket the crotchety old House Elf was obsessed with, though, and had it sent to the Goblins to be dealt with. Apparently it had some dark magic called a Horcrux or something, a soul fragment. Good riddance, he thought.

Of course, with his finances, he could always get another House Elf. He'd bought one after killing off Kreacher, and he had managed to buy another off that dried-up old turd in a suit, Barty Crouch Senior, after that debacle at the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Winky had stolen Charles' wand for some reason, the very wand used to cast the Dark Mark during the riot. Sirius didn't believe for one moment that either Charles or Winky cast the Dark Mark, though he had to wonder who did, and why Crouch seemed so eager to dismiss her. Sirius, who had been there at the time, offered to buy her at a knockdown price, and he was surprised at how swiftly the bureaucratic bastard did. Probably to salvage his reputation, like Julius Caesar did, divorcing his wife because of suspicions she had had an affair, and the wife of Caesar must be above suspicion, after all.

Winky was a timid little thing, worried that, at any moment, Sirius would give her clothes and dismiss her. Which made securing her absolute loyalty to him easy. He also pointed out the wall with the House Elf heads stuck on them in 12 Grimmauld Place.

Winky nodded timidly. "Winky be doing this. Winky be hearing rumours from Hogwarts Elves about hidden room, the Come and Go Room. Maybe Winky can take Harry Lupin there."

"Excellent. Remember, knock him out when nobody else is around, take him to this Come and Go Room, and give him the Draught of Living Death to drink," Sirius said. "As much as I want him to feel the pressure of his oncoming demise, I don't want to give him the chance to escape."

Winky nodded again, not looking at all happy to be party to what was probably going to end in indirect murder. But Sirius didn't care. Nobody would suspect a House Elf of helping in such a way. This way, all that would happen would be Harry disappearing, probably never to be found ever again…and then, when he couldn't complete the First Task, his magic, and with it, his life would be torn away from him. And if he was correct, it would bring the Sekirei down with them, and he could sell the bodies to his contacts in the Unspeakables. Remus and that Sekirei slattern of his would survive…though maybe in their grief, they would commit suicide. That would be ideal.

Sirius was also a master Occlumens, and for all his hotheadedness, so too was James. Nobody could force them to being questioned by the DMLE either. Too many connections, and too much money and favours had been spread around.

Soon, the werewolf's bastard and his little harem would die. And a chapter could finally be closed on that sordid saga…

CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:

Oh dear. Sirius' plot has been exposed in full. Can Harry survive?

Now, some might think I made Rita somewhat OOC, but I think this isn't too bad a departure for her. She's opportunistic, and will tell the truth more or less unvarnished if it means a good story, and one that can hurt her enemies.

Incidentally, this lot of updates will finish with Chapter 9. After that, it'll be a while before I do anymore updates.

Review-answering time! A couple of reviewers commented on how the Wizengamot didn't use Veritaserum or Pensieves. This is implied in canon, and JK Rowling herself pointed out that Veritaserum is not admissible evidence, as some wizards can resist its effects. As for the Pensieve, well, I'm sure that skilled Occlumens could change memories, as many people claim this is what Snape did with his memory in Book 5.

A couple of reviewers also commented on that, if Sirius is an aficionado of internet porn, Matsu has an in. That was wholly unintentional, meant to be a throwaway gag, but that gives me an idea, so, thanks.

Tenzo51: In my mind, he gets a moderate boost in power and control in general, but the benefits are mostly for his Sekirei.

Death Crawler: Crap, I haven't made it explicit, but James and Sirius managed to force Remus to go on the run, claiming him to be a Death Eater spy, and forced Lily to have another dose of Amortentia. Sorry, I'll have it in another chapter.

No numbered annotations this time.