Viktor smiled and advanced on Rita who's smile faded. "Don't do anything foolish Mr. Krum, I could ruin your life with one article!" she said as the quill scribbled away. Viktor's face darkened as he whipped out his wand and in the next second Rita's quill burst into flames. She screamed and put the fire out but her quill couldn't be helped. It was now a pile of ashes. Rita smiled at Viktor coldly and said "You'll wish you hadn't done that. Rita Skeeter isn't afraid of anyone, or anything. I have nothing to hide but I know you do Mr. Krum" she said before turning and marching back into the Great Hall. "Don't be so sure of that" Viktor said in a low voice before leaving the castle, and going to bed.
The scowl on his face was permanent the next day. Nikolai told Bernadette he couldn't meet her for breakfast, and Vlad did the same with Valentine so they could cheer Viktor up, with Aleksandr. "Viktor! Hurry up you vill go vith us vether you like it or not!" Nikolai said as he grabbed Viktor and pulled him out. They grabbed their brooms and flew onto the quidditch pitch. "You do your best thinking on the pitch!" Vlad said. "That is true" Nikolai said. Aleksandr released the Snitch. They were just going to see who could catch the Snitch the fastest. They flew around dodging each other, and diving down after the Snitch. Vlad had charmed the Snitch to go faster than usual. Viktor suddenly stopped midair and Nikolai flew into him and they both slid off their brooms, but Viktor's hand shot out and grabbed his broom before falling. Nikolai wasn't so lucky and hit the ground with a thud. The three of them flew to the ground and jumped off their brooms and crouched by Nikolai. He moaned in pain, his nose was broken, and he couldn't move his right arm because he fell on it. "Episkey" Viktor said as he pointed his wand at Niko's nose. Nikolai touched his nose with his good hand and looked relieved. Alek and Vlad helped him up, and they hurried him to the hospital wing.
After Madam Pomfrey had looked at Nikolai's arm she announced that he broke only three bones in his arm. She mended his arm in a jiffy, and soon they were heading back downstairs. "I think I know how to get this Skeeter voman back!" Viktor said. "How?" asked Aleksandr. "I von't tell you anything until I am sure my hunch is correct" Viktor said. "Vhat hunch?" asked Vlad. "You vill see" Viktor said as he went off to the library. The library on the ship only had books on Dark Magic. He pulled out a book on dark wizards, and flipped through until he found the section on Sirius Black. Viktor spent the next half an hour reading about Sirius Black, until he got to the section that he needed. He smiled and looked through the library for a book on Rita Skeeter, but all he found were newspaper articles published by Rita.
Viktor read through every single article and noticed a pattern. He fell asleep with his head in his hands around 2:30 in the morning. He woke up and looked startled to see Madam Pince's face just inches away from his. She did not look pleased. "Sorry! Sorry!" Viktor said as he got up. Madam Pince reluctantly allowed him to borrow a couple of the articles. He then went down to the ship, and set them down on his table. Rita Skeeter had written about his Uncle Ivan, a fact that he had never thought important enough to mention to his family. Viktor knew that his Uncle Ivan was a very proud, and private man, and therefore would never tell Rita that he had slept with his brother's wife, Tatiana, when he was in the running for the position of the Bulgarian Minister of Magic. It made sense, after that article came out, nobody wanted to elect him anymore, so he lost the chance of being Minister. Viktor shook his head as he smirked slightly. It was just like his Uncle to do something like that. He was a disgusting person. So this led Viktor to wonder how Rita had found out. Ivan wouldn't even tell his closest friends about what he had done, so how had Skeeter gotten hold of such a juicy piece of gossip? She was a sneaky woman, Viktor had deduced that much.
Viktor knew that his Uncle would only deny that he slept with Tatiana. He would be of no help to Viktor. Viktor knew that his Mother knew about the scandal, as did his Father. Mr. Krum was a bit more strict though, and wouldn't allow Viktor to talk about his Uncle in such a negative light, Mrs. Krum however, did not believe in hiding the truth from her son. Viktor decided that he was going to make a little trip to Sofia, Bulgaria. He pulled on black trousers, and a button up white shirt. He pulled on a nice, black pea coat, and tied a black scarf around his neck. He had to be presentable when he got home. He Apparated from Hogsmeade, to downtown Sofia. He didn't want to be recognized by anyone, so pulled the collar of his coat up and placed a black fedora on his head. He pulled the fedora down over his eyes and walked down the cobbled sidewalk down the street toward a large gated manor. It was beautiful, and elegant. Viktor walked right through the gates, and up the walkway and into the manor. He could smell his mother's delicious cooking wafting into the foyer. He followed the scent into the kitchen.
"Viktor!" Mrs. Krum said as she hugged her son tightly and showered kisses on him. "Mamma...vie ste mi neudobno..." Viktor said smiling. "And vhy am I embarrassing you?" said Mrs. Krum putting her hands on her hips. "This is my house! I cannot kiss my own son?" she said. Viktor only shook his head amused as he sat down at the counter. Mrs. Krum went back to chopping up peppers and said "So Vika vhat are you doing here? Do you not haff your task number two in couple of days?" "I do but I vanted to ask you something about Uncle Ivan" he replied. "Vell vhat is it?" Mrs. Krum replied as she sprinkled some pepper into the steaming pot on the stove. "I read in the library at Hogvarts that Uncle Ivan...slept vith Aunt Tatiana..." Viktor said blushing. He didn't feel comfortable discussing subjects such like sex with his mother. "Yes vhat about it?" Mrs. Krum said as she glanced toward her husband's study. "Is it true?" Viktor asked. "Yes of course it is...but ve don't talk about that here, your Uncle Ivan vould be furious, and it isn't good for the Krum name to bring these things up" she said. "Do you knows how Rita Skeeter found out about vhat happened? I mean she could not haff been in the room when they vere sleeping vith each other!" Viktor said, just sickened by the thought. "Ve don't know how it happened Vika, it just did! Now are you staying for dinner?" she demanded. "You are looking too thin! Don't those elves feed you anything at that school?" she asked as she looked him over. "I'm fine Mamma, and yes I vill stay for dinner" Viktor said.
Viktor soon learned why his mother was so pleased that he would stay for dinner. Mr. Krum, and Uncle Ivan would be at the Bulgarian Ministry until late that night so she could interrogate him about Hermione throughout dinner. Viktor's dread increased further when he learned that his Grandmother Ekaterina would be joining them, and his aunt Julia. "Mamma vhat is this!" he said when he saw the women sitting around the table. "Sit down Vika! Ve haff questions to ask you" Mrs. Krum said as she pushed him down into a chair and loaded his plate down with food. "Mamma I haff to go back to the castle" Viktor said. "Do not lie to me! You said you had nothing to do for tonight" Mrs. Krum said. "Now vhat is this Hermione like?" she asked. Viktor smiled as he said "She is beautiful. She is thin vith beautiful, big brown eyes. She has brown hair, and is very smart. She is kind, and has a big heart. Her parents are dentists, that is a Muggle tooth doctor. She likes vhite roses, and likes to go camping vith her parents. She has a vill of iron, and a strong conscience." "Are you active vith this girl? I hope you are using protection if you are!" Ekaterina said. "Baba!" said Viktor shocked as he blushed. "Ve are not doing those things! Hermione is not the kind of girl that is shameless! She is very shy, and self-conscious! Very modest, and she is not ready to do those things! Ve have only been seeing each other for three months!" Viktor said. "Vell thank goodness for that!" said Ekaterina. Julia opened her mouth to start her interrogation, but at that moment a tired looking Mr. Krum walked into the manor with Uncle Ivan. Viktor let out a relieved sigh making his Father look up.
Viktor and his family had some wine and talked for a couple hours more, before he insisted that he had to get back to the castle. He Disapparated and while he walked through the streets of Hogsmeade, and back up to castle, he thought of his conversation with his mother. Could it be possible that Rita had somehow been in the room with Uncle Ivan, and that is how she knew about what happened that night? Viktor was so deep in thought, that he didn't notice his surroundings until he was walking into his cabin. Viktor believed that his hunch could be correct. Now all he had to do was prove that he was right, then he could get his revenge on Rita.
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