There were many offshoots to the main street of Diagon Alley, from the low-end Knockturn to the upper-class Professional Alley. It was on one of these, a mere couple minutes walk from Diagon, that the Roasted Boar was located. An expensive restaurant, catering to only those that could afford its exorbitant prices. Any customer could expect to pay at least two galleons a day for the privilege of eating there.

For Rita Skeeter, this price was easily affordable. She even had her own table, situated next to a second floor window, overlooking the quiet streets. At this time in the evening, most stores were closed and foot traffic was small, a few people coming and going from the building, warm light illuminating them.

"How… salacious" she said, eyes gleaming behind her slim glass frames, the rhinestone studded frame glinting in the clear light of the Roasted Boar, the golden chandeliers providing excellent light. In front of her was a picture, of one Marathus Selwyn, head of the Selwyn family, heading into what could only be a brothel. "What would his wife think, if she knew of her husband's habits?"

She looked up at the man sitting across from her, his rather dim looking face out of place in the upper-class atmosphere. "I'm surprised, Bozo, it's unlike you to take your own initiative." She took a sip of her wine as she considered him, almost able to taste the galleons this particular vintage cost - the taste of high society.

He turned to the right, looking out the window and onto the street below. "Yeah, well… Bastard stole the girl I liked" he grunted, uncomfortable. With his short, patchy brown hair and pudgy face, she didn't find it too surprising he didn't score the girl he wanted.

Her face turned inquisitive, eyes shining with curiosity. "Ooh, the motive of revenge, is it? Was your heart broken, your girl stolen from you? Was ther-"

"You're doing it again" he said, rolling his eyes at her.

So she was, but he couldn't just dangle something like this in front of her and not expect her to bite. Her photographer could be so closed off at times…

Moving on, she turned back to the picture. "How could I spin this…. A forbidden love between a high-class man and a prostitute? Would need some better pictures, but doable… Trouble in the Selwyn marriage, wife perhaps not satisfying him?" She reached into her handbag, taking out her faithful acid-green quill, specially made. "Or perhaps…" she muttered, eyes distant. "Perhaps he might wish for this to be kept quiet, it would ruin his marriage after all. What do you think, Bozo?"

He contemplated for a while. "I think he would want this kept quiet, but I'm not sure how far you could push him. He's a prideful bastard, might take the scandal just to deny you."

Problematic. She would have to personally investigate to try and find the best angle. To use it as another step in raising her figure - already gaining a reputation for exposing the deep, dark secrets people held - or use it for potential blackmail.

Blackmailing him could be dangerous, but the Selwyn's didn't have a particularly dark reputation, so she should be fine.

"Hm? What's wrong?" she asked, seeing Bozo frowning out the window.

"No, it's probably nothing. Just thought I saw something on the building across the street."

Rita's looked out the window, examining the opposite building with a clinical eye, but she didn't see anything. Still, you could never be too careful, she had angered a lot of people in her path to success.

"I doubt anyone would try anything in a public location like this. It was probably a bird or something" she said, flicking her hand dismissively, blonde curls bouncing as she turned back to Bozo.

And if something did happen, she had her emergency portkey. It had cost her a pretty penny, but it was worth it. As long as she didn't feel an anti-portkey charm surround the area, she was safe. It would take her barely a second to activate it.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Just, be careful. There's a lot of people out there that would love to see you burn. You don't exactly have many friends."

She had none, actually. Merely another cost on the path to success and one of the reasons she was so careful. If some of her own secrets came to light and with all the people she had stepped on and still planned on stepping on, she would find her head spinning from how fast she'd be tossed in Azkaban.

And despite his worries, she was unconcerned. She had her portkey, she apparated whenever she could - it was a shame you couldn't apparate into or out of an Alley except at special points - and her house was heavily charmed against intruders or attackers. The goblins had charged her an exorbitant amount, but it was worth it.

She stayed within the restaurant for a while more, enjoying the perfectly cooked food and wine. Her quill was constantly scribbling, ideas being created and crossed out. Every angle needed to be considered, from the risks to the rewards. Would publicly embarrassing Marathus be worth his enmity? All such things had to be carefully considered before taking any action.

She had not come as far as she had from being careless. Some people were just too dangerous to attack and a single slip could see all her hard work scattered.

But, as the taste of wine stained her tongue, she knew the risk was worth it, to be able to live at the height of society, to experience the luxuries most could only dream of. From her expensive, jewel studded glasses to her opulent mansion, all the finer things in life were worth what she was risking.

Walking down the street after leaving, she stumbled as someone bumped into her. "Tch. Watch where you're going, would you?" she spat, glaring at the cloaked, broad shouldered figure as they mumbled illegible apologies, continuing to hurry along. Merlin, but she hated the common rabble.

She sneered, continuing on to an apparition point in Diagon Alley, only a couple minutes away.

For a moment, confusion seized her. Which way was it? The street continued on, but no, that wasn't the way, was it? Her mind felt like it was mired in fog, struggling to comprehend the path she had taken hundreds of times before.

Ah, that was the way. Just like that, she shook of the confusion that was plaguing her - maybe she had too much wine - and turning, she headed into an alley between two tall buildings. Diagon Alley was just down here and... and...

She was a good way into the alley when her mind returned to clarity, hair standing on end as an almost cold shock hit her, the realisation of her situation setting her nerves alight and her heart thumping in her ears..

She didn't hesitate. "Skeeter Manor!" she exclaimed, almost tumbling over the words. Adrenaline buzzed through her as nothing happened, the static feeling of magic humming around her. An anti-portkey charm. She'd walked right into one and not noticed, the confusion masking it. A confusion charm, it must have been.

In a flash, her wand was in her hand. She needed to get out of this dark alley. They couldn't have charmed the entire street, people would notice, if she could just get out before...

The entrance was blocked, the cloaked figure she had bumped into earlier blocking her path. Her thoughts were rapidly flashing, thoughts of who, why, who!

But those could wait for later. She needed to get out, now. Raising her wand, she prepared to cast her spell, but she was too late, the figure - a man, she could now see, blonde hair hidden beneath his cloaks hood - shot a bolt of blue light at her.

It crashed against her shield charm, blue sparks erupting as a pressure wave knocked her further back into the alley, her hasty charm breaking before the spells strength with the sound of shattering glass. She managed to stay on her feet, but more spells were already flying her way.

"Shit!" she shrieked, another, stronger shield charm erupting from her wand, blocking the alley with its blue glow as spells impacted it, barely holding up to the onslaught as her concentration kept the shield together, panic lending her the strength to hold off the attacker.

That first spell, if that had hit her, she'd-

She fled deeper into the alley, the cobblestones beneath her feet liquefying as she worked her magic, a stone gargoyle leaping up and flying towards the attacker behind her. Why did she choose today of all days to wear heels?

There was another figure ahead of her, a tall female if she had to guess, and she didn't hesitate. The disintegration curse flew from her wand tip, purple bolt striking the figure, shattering the woman like glass as Rita breathed in relief. But then a thought struck her. Like glass? That was-

She cursed as the female once again appeared just in front of her, disillusionment charm falling away as a red jet shot towards her, quickly slapped away by her own wand, the spell hitting the brick wall and scorching it black; it was immediately followed by another. Behind her she heard a shattering sound of exploding rock as her gargoyle was destroyed.

Her hand was trembling, fear shooting through her. She didn't have long, she had to kill this woman before she was ganged u-

Her scalp tingled. She didn't have much talent for sensing magic, but she could just make out the spell flying at her from above. Another one! How many were there?! Spinning her wand, she became entombed in concrete, the conjured rock cracking as spells crashed against it. With another slash the rock started bubbling, shapes forming from the now alive barrier, hands clawing from the grey stone, wings sprouting and horrific screeches beginning to wail from concrete throats.

But she was too late and the conjured barrier suddenly exploded before she could finish the transfigurations, rock shrapnel bouncing off of her as she cried out, knocking her to the ground, the shards of concrete having lacerated numerous shallow cuts into her.

Quickly looking around, she spotted the man and woman coming towards her, the tell tale light-red glow of stunning spells impacting her reflexively cast spherical shield charm. And there was another above, but she didn't have time to check.

She'd twisted her foot, the right heel having snapped off, so running was no longer an option. She had no choice then. When she got out of this, she was going to bring the entire ministry down on these scumbags heads. She was Rita Skeeter! She did not come so far to fail now!

She shut her eyes, a blinding flash of light erupting from her wand, hopefully blinding her attackers. This was a risk, if they saw what she was about to do...

With another wave of her wand, the rock debris, created from her now destroyed barrier, morphed into hundreds of bugs, the buzzing cacophony of a horde of insects filling the alley, echoing off the walls and hidden by these, she quickly began her transformation, shifting into her beetle form, but not before she saw a blue star of magic shooting down towards the insect horde from the rooftop.

Fear gripped her heart, mind screaming in helplessness. She couldn't stop the shift, not without serious damage, and-

She was a beetle, quickly flying away as fast as she could, but with a blinding flash of light, she found herself immobile, along with all the other bugs, floating in the air and completely helpless.

No no no no no! This couldn't be happening! No one knew her animagus form! It was almost like they were waiting for her to use it! It wasn't possible, it wasn't-

Her thoughts rapidly descended into incoherence as panic gripped her, only regaining control when she saw movement from her attackers. Perhaps... Perhaps they didn't know. It was her only hope and she clung to it fiercely, trapped hanging in the air. She was careful, their simply wasn't any way for someone to know of her animagus form.

Footsteps, echoing from the alleyway as they grew closer. The two attackers merely waited as a small figure walked into view.

"Hmm, well done Maria, Penelope" the now revealed female said, waving to the rooftop above. "Now, lets see if we managed to catch us a fly, shall we?" Raising her hand, the girl said "Lumos", pale light spilling from a white wand.

She knew. The thought filled her mind, drowning out all else. It wasn't possible, but it was happening. Who!? How!?

She watched in sheer terror as the small figure reached out to a nearby bug, the fly erupting into flames between her fingers, the faint light of the Lumos revealing a young face to Rita, someone she was sure she had never met before. Her clothes seemed high-class, the short skirt and red blouse speaking of quality; it was not a calming realisation.

It couldn't be a child, more likely someone who drunk too much Youth potion, but even still she didn't recognise the girl, nor even anyone who looked similar to her.

"Look for a beetle, with markings around the eyes in the shape of glasses."

Rita could only watch as one by one bugs were burnt up, until the girl fixed her with a fiery stare, a sharp smile on her face, destroying any hope she might have had.

"Hello, Miss Skeeter" she said, reaching towards her, her voice filled with a vicious, victorious tone. With a dim spark, the space between her thumb and finger lit, a small stream of electricity filling the gap, getting brighter and brighter as it drew closer.

No no no! She shifted back, hoping she could surprise them, but before she could so much as lift her wand a white jet of light slammed her into the wall, breath exploding from her, eyes bulging as they tracked her wand flying into the woman's hand. And then, before she could move, ropes shot down from above, binding her so tightly she could barely breath as she writhed on the floor, glasses cracking slightly.

She tried screaming, for help or to curse, she didn't know, but it was useless. No sound emerged from her throat.

The girl turned to her companions. "Strip her naked, I don't want any hidden portkeys getting past you, then stun her and take her back."

Rita could only watch with a sort of stunned horror as her clothes and jewellery were shredded and taken, the enchanted ring pulled from her finger, the portkey now beyond her grasp. With a flash of red light, her consciousness was slain.

Her last thought was a wish that she had taken Bozo more seriously.