Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. I'm surprised at how many people want to squish Rita Skeeter, ha ha. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to squish the canon version of her too, but she serves an important role in my story, and while I can guarantee everyone that she's about to pay for her actions, she's necessary and will therefore not be getting stepped on, ha ha.
Also, to Pink Diamonds specifically, I'm sorry to have to disappoint you by redeeming Ginny, but I promise there's a reason. And, I am also giving Ron a much much longer redemption arc that begins to take form here, and ends several chapters from now. I promise, I'm going to do my best to satisfy everyone, but at the end of the day this is still my story, and the plan I have requires a couple redemption arcs, arcs that have a few very painful moments (Evil Cackle).
Chapter Thirteen: Media War
One week. That was all it took for all hell to break loose. A week after Rita Skeeter's first article was published, Hermione began to receive hate mail. She expected that people would send her hateful letters because of the mostly fictional article that had been written about her, Hagrid expressed that he had gone through the same when the article about him came out. What she did not anticipate was that wizarding hate mail wouldn't simply stop at letters. "Ow," she cried as a yellowish-green liquid burst out of one envelope and gushed over her hands, which began to erupt in large yellow boils.
Neville, who had taken to sitting with Harry and Hermione during meals, immediately recognized the liquid as undiluted bobutuber pus and helped Harry wrap Hermione's hands in several napkins. As tears began to trickle from Hermione's eyes, Harry kissed her forehead. "I'm taking you to the hospital wing," he stated and Hermione nodded before standing up with Harry. Harry began leading Hermione out of the Great Hall as Malfoy and his Slytherin cronies pointed and laughed. Harry paused momentarily at the door and pointed his wand at Malfoy, turning the irritating blond back into a ferret. After Moody did it the first time, he showed Harry the spell. He and Hermione practiced it together because the couple agreed that Malfoy fit as a ferret.
After a quick trip to the hospital wing and a kiss goodbye, Harry reluctantly left Hermione in Madam Pomfrey's care and went looking for trouble. That trouble ended up being Ronald Weasley, standing around in the corridor, trying to get people's attention. Harry was heading straight toward Ron, ready to bash in the red-head's face for ever talking to Rita Skeeter. Neville showed up seemingly out of nowhere and stood in front of Harry, blocking his path. He could see the look on Harry's face, and knew what was on his friend's mind. "He isn't worth it Harry," Neville stated with a calm, firm voice.
Harry shook his head and sighed. "I just want someone to pay for what happened to Mione, and Ron is partially responsible for this mess."
Neville nodded. "I know, and I hate it too, you're my friends and I hate to see you both going through this, but he honestly isn't worth it." Harry nodded with a sigh and began to walk past Ron with Neville.
Ron took notice of Harry and didn't take kindly to being ignored. "Has she been potioning you, Potter?" Ron hollered and crossed his arms over his chest as Harry turned to face him.
The moment Harry caught sight of Ron's smug look, Neville knew he couldn't stop Harry a second time. All Harry wanted to do as he stormed up to Ron was to knock the redhead's teeth down his throat. Instead, he grabbed Ron by the front of his robes. "Are you ever going to shut your big mouth? Or do I have to shut it for you?" He asked. His tone was deceptively calm, but his eyes gave away his rage. "I'd be more than happy to rid you of your teeth."
Ron's eyes widened and he gulped. "All I did was ask a question," he argued in a weak effort to defend himself.
Harry rolled his eyes, unmoved by Ron's argument. "You asked a fucked up question, and you actually spoke to that glorified fiction writer. For someone who claimed he wanted to go back to being friends you're being a right foul git."
Ron struggled against Harry's grip until Harry finally released him. The pureblood wizard fell to the ground due to his lack of balance and glared at his former friend. "You didn't forgive me."
Harry shrugged. "You didn't give me a reason to." Ron made a move to stand and drew his wand, which Harry instantly sent flying, having drawn his own wand too fast for anyone to have noticed. "Point your wand at me one more time and you'll see the repercussions of what I survived in the muggle world." Harry narrowed his eyes and smirked as he pointed his wand directly between Ron's eyes. "I won't hesitate to teach you a lesson you'll never forget if you provoke me any further."
Ron's ears were redder than his hair and he stood up slowly. Everyone in the corridor had stopped to watch the latest fight between the former friends, a fight many had been expecting to happen the moment the article was published. "I just want my friends back, is that so wrong?" the redhead asked.
Harry sighed. Most people wouldn't believe it, but Harry did have sympathy for Ron, and he did miss his friend. But at the same time, he couldn't see the kid he befriended in the person Ron had turned into, and even if he wanted to look deep enough to find it, he wasn't going to budge or forgive Ron without a proper apology and good reason to believe that it's sincere. "It's not wrong to want your friends back, Ron. What's wrong is expecting forgiveness and doing nothing to earn it." Harry lowered his wand and turned away. "Neville," he acknowledged his friend. "We should probably get to class, Mione's going to need me to take notes for her today."
With those words of finality, Harry walked away from Ron with Neville. Ron was left feeling as though he didn't recognize his own best friend, and over the next few weeks, Ron began to realize that he didn't recognize himself either.
Through that time, Hermione's hands healed and several more articles came out from Rita Skeeter. Nearly all of them were fabricating a secret side romance with Victor Krum, and there were a few genuine shreds of truth, such as the day when Krum asked her to the Yule Ball, and the fact that she kept "disappearing" supposedly to see her lover, but Harry knew it was to brew the animagus potion. The latest article was almost the worst of the bunch. It was another accurate event that she was twisting to be something it wasn't. Rita cited the last Divination Class Harry had, during which he had fallen asleep on accident and had a disturbing nightmare that had not plagued him since the summer. He had woken up to his scar burning and everyone in his class staring at him as if he had lost his mind. The way Skeeter wrote out the event, she claimed that Harry's mind must have been fighting against the love potions Hermione was clearly cramming down his throat, and once he woke up, he'd lost his fight against her hold on him. Then of course, she went on to mention that there was still no news on whether or not she had stopped sneaking around with Krum.
Harry's anger at the most recent article was what finally broke him down. He had stayed quiet and supportive through all of the hatemail that Hermione burned, and reassured her that he didn't believe the lies Skeeter wrote after every howler that screamed in her face that she was the most sadistic slag ever to exist. Even though he wanted to hunt down Skeeter and every jealous witch that was sending Hermione hate mail, he pushed down that urge for Hermione's sake. Every instance where he expressed any anger, it was turned around on Hermione in another article.
"That is it!" He shouted as he walked into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom with fiery rage in his eyes.
Hermione sighed and continued to stir their potion. Surprisingly, they'd made amazing progress and would likely be able to take the first potion shortly after the final task. "What's that foul wretch written this time?" Hermione asked, knowing that Rita Skeeter's attacks were the only things successfully angering Harry. Harry passed the copy of the Daily Prophet to Hermione so she could read it. The moment she reached the end of the article she growled and crumpled it up into a ball before tossing it into a random toilet. "Bloody hell how is she getting all of these exclusive interviews and pieces of legitimate information the few times she does put any truth into her articles?"
Harry growled and pulled Hermione to her feet before hooking his fingers into the belt loops of her jeans, pulling her to him. "I just want to be normal Mione," he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Let's just pretend we're normal for a few minutes." Hermione nodded enthusiastically and pressed her hands to his chest. She kissed him softly at first, trying to be a comforting force for her boyfriend. But Harry made it clear that wasn't what he wanted by moving his grip to Hermione's hips and squeezing. Hermione let out a muffled squeak that Harry swallowed with another passionate kiss. Hermione shivered and her hand travelled up from his chest to his shoulders, and Harry kissed her more forcefully, and one of his hands moved up to her hair to tangle in her curls while also holding her tighter against him. Hermione shivered and gripped his shirt hard, nearly poking holes through the material with her nails.
"Bloody hell you two are irritating sometimes. All you do is snog, snog, snog, shag each other senseless, ignore me, and brew your damn potion! Can't you do any of that somewhere else?" Myrtle asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Harry groaned in frustration and moved his hands into his pants pockets. Hermione turned around to face Myrtle with a scowl and leaned back against Harry. "We do all of that except brewing our potion in other places, Myrtle. We're just so in love we never want to keep our hands to ourselves. Don't you ever explore public parts of the castle?" Hermione asked of Myrtle with her hands on her hips.
Myrtle rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Hermione. "Don't be daft. Of course I visit other locations in the castle." She turned to Harry with a smirk. "How else could I have your father pull off his best pranks?" Before Harry could ask Myrtle any further questions, she winked and dove into her toilet with a whiney laugh.
Harry shook his head. "Well, looks like I have someone else to talk to about my parents," he commented softly. For the rest of the day Harry did everything he could to keep his mind off of Rita Skeeter's articles. With the final task looming ever closer, he knew he had to stay focused. Unfortunately, it would not last. The next morning, Hedwig did not deliver another scathing article. What she delivered was a letter from the last person Harry wanted correspondence from.
Mr. Potter,
I trust that you, along with your darling witch, have finally learned your lesson about making powerful enemies. If you would like the articles to stop, I suggest we meet for an interview at the Three Broomsticks this weekend before the final task. You are welcome to bring your girlfriend along of course. If I do not see you there, I will seek out further humiliating details from unsavory candidates.
Warm Regards, Rita Skeeter.
Harry could feel something within him ignite and Hermione quickly recognized that an explosion was imminent. She took Harry's hand and began to lead him away to the Room of Requirement. If he was going to lose it, which she didn't judge him for one bit, she wanted him to be safe and in a more private space. While they were running, Harry was practically trapped in his head. Lockhart's stupid old statements run through his mind. 'Fame is a fickle friend Harry,' 'Celebrity is as celebrity does.' He wasn't a circus freak damn it! He was a human being with a life and someone to love for once.
Safe behind the enchantment of the Room of Requirement, Hermione threw her arms around Harry in a hug. "I hate seeing you this angry. Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked, whispering in his ear.
Harry shrugged and sighed. "I don't fucking know, but this is driving me mad. I've never had to deal with my fame like this before. People have mostly respected that I want to be left alone, or I just didn't matter as much most of the time. Now everyone wants a piece of me. Look at this!" He said and Hermione let go of him to take the letter he was holding out to her.
As Hermione read Rita's message, her anger grew. Anger not just for how she was being attacked, but for the manipulations Harry was being forced to endure and the injustice of it all. Harry deserved better than this. She sighed and looked up at Harry once she finished reading. "Are you going to take her offer?" She asked softly.
Harry shrugged his shoulders again. "I don't know. I don't want to give in and give people what they want from me, but I want this to go away. We've already looked into wizarding law, and journalists aren't held under the same restrictions and regulations that they would be in the muggle world. It's almost as if they don't know the meaning of the words libel and slander. We can't fight her in a legal sense, and if we don't do what she wants we'll be facing more and more far-fetched stories and cruel hate mail. I'm tired of you having to suffer because she's a pathetic and annoying little insect."
Hermione nodded slowly, almost resigned to Harry's analysis. Then her eyes widened in realization and she grinned before grabbing Harry by his shirt, pulling him to her and kissing him forcefully. "That's it!" She yelled. "Harry you're a genius!" She declared joyously. "It all makes sense now!"
Harry was about as confused as he had been last year when they travelled back in time together before she explained. Harry felt quite the opposite of a genius."Mione, could you please explain what the bloody hell you mean? Because nothing makes sense to me."
"She's an animagus! Do you remember the second task? You told me your own life didn't mean much to you but that I was a different story, then you pulled a beetle out of my hair! Beetles aren't active in water! You mentioned being bugged, but we dismissed it because we only considered electronic bugging, not magical! We're going to that interview, and we'll slip her a potion that will force her into her animagus form. If I'm wrong, nothing will happen and we'll just have to come to an agreement with her. If I'm right, we'll have her trapped!" Hermione shouted with glee and kissed Harry again, wrapping her arms around his neck. Harry responded eagerly and kissed her back with a near desperate passion. No doubt about it, his girlfriend was brilliant and he loved her with everything he had.
Dumbledore was growing more and more impatient, disappointed, and worried. He'd allied himself with a wild card in the hopes that Skeeter could effectively separate the couple he wanted eliminated, yet she had failed miserably. Harry and Hermione were closer than ever before and it was possible that the need to support one another wholeheartedly had done nothing more than cement their bond further.
Before Harry Potter came to Hogwarts, every plan Albus made worked out perfectly. He was a master of manipulation and his ideas were golden. But the Granger variable had thrown him off completely and he was panicked, watching his grand scheme go up in smoke. That damned muggleborn girl was going to ruin everything, and Albus would not allow it. No, he most certainly would not.
As for Rita Skeeter, she was having a drink in a room in the Three Broomsticks, getting ready to retire for the evening when the snowy owl came. She quirked a pencilled eyebrow and gently took the letter from the truly beautiful owl.
Miss Skeeter,
I confess that I am insulted by your lies about Hermione and I, and I do not appreciate being manipulated in this fashion. However, the love and devotion I have for my girlfriend Hermione Granger is stronger than my anger at your uncalled for lies and manipulations. I am not agreeing to meet you for you. The only reason I am willing to meet with you as you have requested is because I love my girlfriend and will not continue to stand by while she is assaulted with dangerous hate mail because of you. I will pay for a private room for the three of us to speak without prying eyes or spying ears.
-Harry Potter.
Skeeter was pleased. She had been worried that she went too far and lost her chance to gain their partnership. Obviously she would have to apologize profusely for the lies she wrote and published, and she had no problem with doing so. Rita Skeeter genuinely wanted the end of her career. She wanted to take down Albus Dumbledore and move on with her life. Maybe she could talk Harry and Hermione into letting her write their biographies later on in their lives.
For now, Rita would simply take comfort in the knowledge that her plan had worked and she would soon have two allies in her journalistic warfare against Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Bloody Hell, why did that man need so many middle names?!
Author's Note: Okay, again, I know everyone hates Skeeter, but keep an open mind, she's going to be very useful! Also, I haven't figured out what Dumbledore's next attack against the couple will be, so if anyone wants to throw in an idea or two feel free. And I know Ron was the one that identified the liquid that harmed Hermione in canon, but not only is he not friends with Harry at this point, I feel that the herbology nerd (and let's face it, that's what Neville is) would be more likely to figure it out. Anyway, please please please leave a review telling me what you liked, didn't like, any questions you have, any ideas you have, any criticisms (as long as they are constructive, I'm not a fan of hate mail), just please engage with me about this story. It makes me a better writer and I appreciate conversation prompting reviews!