It was a difficult affair even to get inside the Zonko's shop nowadays. People were all waving and smiling up at him. He could hardly get pass the door. Then he saw Hermione coming towards him with few quills with Ron.

"It's mad here." Muttered Harry.

They somehow pushed pass the crowd and reached a secluded corner.

"So many? For what?"

"Just a gift." Hermione said, putting it inside her bag.

"Oh yeah... I had to buy something for Ted. It's his birthday soon. Maybe I should give him a toy broom. Sirius gave one on my first birthday." Harry said.

"Don't spoil the kid Harry. Besides there is time." Hermione said.

"Well, you can buy it at George. We are dropping there anyway today." Ginny said.

"Yeah, great. But for now let's get out of here. " Ron said.

Hermione and Ginny buyed a few chocolate packets and went out of the shop. They were on there way to Three Broomsticks when they saw Luna standing there.

"Hey... You here? Come and join us for a drink." Ginny said.

"Hi everyone. Thank you but I am waiting for someone. I said I would meet them here." She said. She was dressed well today. No stupid accessories but plain dark blue dress... Like the ones Muggles wore to chruch. She looked pretty.

"Who?"

"Just Rolf Scamander and his grandpa, Newt Scamander. They wanted to meet Professor Slughorn." She said.

Hermione's eyes bulged. "You mean Newt Scamander? The Newt..."

"Luna gave off a satisfied smile. "The very same."

"Oh... That's big. How is he like? Bet he is humble and intelligent. And..."

Ron frowned. "Okay... Something that we missed?"

Hermione looked back at him. Her eyes of annoyance. Mostly the look she carried when both Harry and Ron apparently didn't know the obvious. Ron just shrugged his shoulders at her.

"Well... He is the one who wrote Fantastic Beasts and where to find them. One of the most renowned man of the century."

Ron screwed up his face. " Who cares!" She punched him in his stomach. Just then two men were coming their way. Luna gave a wave to the younger one and passed a smile to the older one.

"Everyone this is Rolf Scamander and Mr Newt Scamander and we have Harry..." Luna started when a starstrucked Rolf came forward to shake his hands.

"Glad to meet you sir. I have been looking forward to this day."

Harry smiled at him, taking his hand. "Please call me Harry."

Newt Scamander came forward and royally introduced everyone. He was a tall lanky man whose old curly hair covered most of his head. His smile was wise and heavy. There were scars across his hand and face. Probably from his old days.

"Honoured to meet you Mr Potter.".

"Same here, sir."

Rolf kept glancing at Ginny when she finally caught him looking. She smiled at him. He looked pleased and smiled back. "You are more beautiful in person. No wonder, you the best bachelor in town."

She gave out a laugh. "Yeah, that one is a story." As she winked at Harry.

"Miss Hermione... Let's talk over a drink someday. And Mr Weasley, I hope your mother's doing okay?"

"Sure sir." Said Hermione.

"Thanks sir. She is doing fine now."

"Well... Good to hear that. And I would have loved to grab a drink with you all today but I am kind of short of time. I said I would meet Slughorn."

"Anytime sir." Harry said, smiling.

"Rolf, let us take our leave then." He said, turning towards the bar. Rolf gave a smile to all of them and went forward. Luna went alongside him, deep in conversation.

"Did you look up?" She asked him.

"Yeah, you were right. The poison does erode the tannin. And your Crumple horned cornsnack might be old. You should keep it soaked in piiple's juice with a few spells for 3days to reform itself."

Ron snorted. "Same flocks."

"Let's go to have drinks. It's about 12." Hermione said.

Four of them walked to the Three Broomsticks. It was crowded as usual. But Rita Skeeter was nowhere to be seen.

"I will bring the drinks." Ron said and went to the counter. Three of them sat on the corner table. Hermione kept staring up at rosmerta as Ginny and Harry kept on talking. Harry looked concerned and Ginny seemed to be consoling him.

"Why is he taking this long!" Hermione mumbled as she kept on looking up the counter.

After fifteen minutes or so, Ron came back with four butterbeers.

"You took long." Hermione said.

"Well... Just asking her if she saw Rita around here." Ron said.

"Did she?"

"No... Let's wait then."

It was about 1:30 now. Crowd was thinning and Rita was nowhere to be seen. Ron was poking the table with a wand. Hermione was going through a book on occulmency which she got from somewhere. Harry was resently looking outside as Ginny was conversing with a junior boy.

"We even have to give George a visit. Seriously, this woman gets on my nerve every single time." Ron said.

"Let's wait a little more." Harry said, still looking at the door.

"We are waiting for the past one and half hour. Okay... Only 20 minutes more." It went from 20 to one hour. No sign of Rita. They were out now and was gloomy and irritated.

"Let's apparthate now. It's past 2. We are already late." Ron said, putting forward his hand. Three of them joined their hands and with a crack, disappeared from view.

Within the next second they were standing in Diagonal Alley, facing the joke shop. It was brilliantly decorated. Crowd was less here too. Four of them walked inside to find George playing with a kid. He seemed to have cracked a joke because the kid burst out laughing. Then he saw them standing by the door. He waved at them and asked them to come in.

"Woah! You guys are here? How come?" He said, couldn't stop smiling.

" Just gave a nick." Ron said.

" You can?" He asked, incredilous.

"Maybe we can't but we came, ryt?" Hermione said, hugging him. "How are you?"

" Am good. How are you?"

" Doing good. And you are managing the shop great." Hermione said.

"Yeah... Thanks. N for coming too."

"George... I need something. Like a gift for Teddy. He is going to be on be one soon and I have no idea what to give. I want it to be big but I just hit dead end everytime." Harry said.

"For a one year kid! Hmm... There is nothing much one can give but let's see. Toys maybe, something cool." George said. He appeared just as blank as Harry.

"Cool? He is one for goodness sake!" Ginny said, jerking her head.

"How about a toy broom? Sirius gave... Oh well... It's more than a better choice!" Harry said, looking at Hermione's face.

"He might break his bones somewhere. I am against it. You are just as reckless as Sirius." Hermione said.

"Oh... Whatever." Harry said, looking at Ron for a decision.

"I mean.. er... She does have a point. But broom is cool too. Ask her to suggest a gift then." Ron said.

"Yeah... Suggest one then."

"Well, just look around the shop. There are plenty to choose from."

"You lot can come inside. Today ain't much people out."

They went inside a tiny basement like room. Numerous item were strewn everywhere. Fred's magenta robes were hanging from a stand, quite apart from the messiness of the room. Ginny's eyes lingered on it for a second. George quickly turned back on them. It still hurt everyone. Even Ron looked awkward standing there. Harry cleared his throat loudly and said. "Do you have anything new going on? Something which you are making?" George cleared his throat too and turned front. "Well yeah. Kind of this lamp. It gives out warmth whenever it is on. Just stupid but kind of helpful during winters."

"Where is it?" Harry asked.

"Here." He said, going to a shelf. Only about half a dozen were there. "We still didn't test it. "

Hermione went forward, examining it. "How did you do it? Or did you intensity the heat? Light gives out heat as a loss anyway."

"Yeah." George said, smiling. "Easy, right? We quadrapuled the heat than it generally emits. It keeps one warm plus the light. Good for night study."

"Why, simple and brilliant. Even though I know why, I don't know how to do it like you. I can take one?" Hermione said.

"Sure. I almost had you and Percy in my mind while doing it." George laughed out.

"You know what, I don't study at all like you guys think."

"No one is buying that." Ginny said.

"But heat is too much, won't it damage the thing?" Hermione asked.

"That's the main issue. We are, for the mean while able to contain it." George said. " But why you guys are so late? You could have taken lunch at my apartment."

"We wanted to be here sooner. But someone ditched us." Harry said.

"Who?"

"That newspaper woman. I don't even want to take her name now. Enough really. Skeeter!" Ron said, scowling.

"Skeeter? Like Rita Skeeter?" George asked.

"The very same." Ginny said.

"Oh... You might have not caught the news. That's why there is so less people out there today. Rita Skeeter was found murdered in her house this very morning."

The silence hit them. The news was unexpected. How can that woman die? It was just not possible. She seemed like a person who would anyway haunt their lives, like forever! And that too, murdered!

"But how? Why?" Harry murmured.

" Someone broke in probably. And they are saying that they didn't use magic to kill her. She was tortured or something. And she succumbed to her injures. It was a horrible sight to see, they claim. Otherwise magical murders come off quite clean."

Hermione's forehead frowned in horror. Ginny's lips tightened. Harry and Ron looked disturbed. They didn't want Rita Skeeter to go that way even though they gave out death wishes a hundred times.

"They wanted information, obviously." Harry said.

"It's not like she has got one enemy or two."

"Ron!" Both Hermione and Ginny shouted.

"And Harry. It almost slipped my mind. They were mentioning you too. Amazing how every sticky ends catches up to you. Aurors have found a letter exchanged between you and Rita. And talks about the Elder Wand has sprang up. I dismissed it as stupid because many tend to blabber anything. But then you guys mentioned that you actually had schedule a meeting with her this morning... The rumours might be true." George said.

"Hell!"