Discovering Fan Fiction
Aurora de la Noche
Prisoner of Secrets, Chamber of Azkaban, Killing off Rita
Disclaimer: :p
A/N: Yeah. OK, last chapter sucked, but this one will, too! It's nearly one AM after my sister's graduation party, so naturally it'll be messed up. Maybe that should be my disclaimer. Maybe. O well. Soon enough, fatigue will set in. Or all of the caffeine I consumed today. Whatever, really. Just don't expect too much from this chapter. Except laughs, finishing books two and three (!) and more water balloons, due to popular (the voices count as popular, so suck it) request. And, yes, sorry, H/G fluff and tears. Live with it. Hey, let me live, it's not D/H! *ducks fruit thrown by D/H shippers*
O, and have I ever mentioned how I hate uploading to ffnet?? I despise it, really. First I have to save the story on Word. That's where I do it, and I save it so my evil computer doesn't eat it up and crash. Then I save as text so ffnet will like it. But no, it will never upload the first time, that would be too easy, so I have to save it as a web page which also never works. Then I have to again attempt uploading the text one, which of course works the second time, but no, not the first. That's why all my stories come out looking so screwed up. They don't look that bad to me, until I look at them on ffnet. Evil thing, that. Maybe I need a beta-reader, too. I've noticed that some of my grammar sucks. Any volunteers? Anyone? (I hate those crickets that chirp in the background!)
Wow. This'll be longer than the story. Hope not. I'm going to make this one as long as I can before I crash and die here at my computer. Have fun. Be young. I hate Pepsi.
"Code Name: Cow." Professor Dumbledore mused to himself as he read and re-read the very odd letter he'd received from Messrs. Potter, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, and Misses Granger and Weasley. "Original, I'll give them that. Now what to do about it...?"
Three hours later, the professor was still sitting in his lonely study at Hogwarts when his phoenix, Fawkes, decided to pay a visit. Fawkes had been out picking up girls again. Or trying to. That was the one thing about phoenixes. During every life, they had to go through puberty. Every so often, between every burning, they had to try to find a new mate. Dumbledore didn't know whether it was good or bad that phoenixes were becoming more and more difficult to find. On one hand, he didn't have any babies to take care of (give to Hagrid to raise), but then it was always sad to see a species in decline.
Seeing Fawkes reminded him of something from how many years ago...? Three years, now. Three plus years ago, during Mr. Harry Potter's second year at the prestigious school. Fawkes had brought him Godric's sword and...the Sorting Hat! Yes, the Sorting Hat could help!
"Bonnet bothering your bee, Albus?"
"Well...you understand. What do I do about Rita Skeeter?"
"Kill her."
"Gryffindor, Hat, I was in Gryffindor."
"Yes, but still. A good solution is only so obvious."
"That's too like Salazar for me. Can't we...be less violent?"
"You're no fun anymore, Albie."
"Don't make me."
"Albie."
"Now you've done it."
"Albie!"
"Sortie."
"No! Albie! Fine. No more advice for you!"
"Sortie...!"
"You're acting like a five year old."
"You're acting like a jester's hat."
"That's hitting below the brim."
"Help on Code Name: Cow?"
"Kill her, Albus. That is the only logical answer. Even Godric killed when it was necessary."
"True, but..."
"I don't like it either, Albus. But we do what we must."
"I suppose."
"Now. Don't suppose you could dust my shelf, could you?"
~*~
"What's Dumbledore's letter say?" Ron asked for the fifth time in as many minutes, hovering over Harry's shoulder like a moth to a streetlight.
"Um. Hmmm. Ron, do Hit-Wizards always, er, kill their targets?"
"Always."
"Better say bye to Rita."
"You're kidding."
"Can't tell you how I wish I was."
"Harry! Hedwig come back yet?" Fred and George bounded into the room, followed closely by Hermione and Ginny, who looked somewhat put off from the twins at the moment.
"Yeah..."
"Well?"
"It seems that Dumbledore's been advised to have Rita killed off."
"Really?"
"Don't sound so excited!"
"Maybe they'll just take her memory and have her live as a Muggle?"
"Do you really think they'd do that?"
"Sarcasm doesn't fit you, Harry m'boy."
"Nor does that dress to you."
"Oh. Fred told me it was flattering."
"You're his twin. You should know when he's lying."
"It is very comfortable. I see what that old wizard was saying last summer..."
"George, you're scaring me."
"Don't worry, Ginny, you'll get your dress back."
"Don't think I want it anymore, thanks."
"It was your favorite."
"Was."
"Gin!"
"George!"
"Hush!"
"Huh?"
"Do you want to know how Code Name: Cow is coming to a close or no?"
"Yes."
"Fine. Um. We have to get Rita in a Muggle cab and have her... dang."
"Where, Harry?"
"Harrod's."
"What? Harrod's? Why?"
"I'll bet you Dumbledore picked it."
"How do we get her there?"
"What happens from there?"
"Why is George wearing Ginny's dress?"
"Long story."
"Ditto."
"Well... I suppose we could tell her the Harry books are real-"
"They are."
"Hush. We could tell her she can buy them at Harrod's and the only way to get there is by Muggle Cab."
"Think she'd buy it?"
"The book?"
"The story, Fred!"
"Oh. Worth a try, I say."
"Guess so."
"Want to read book two first?"
"Sure!"
~*~
"Chapter one: The Worst Birthday...."
Although they began the book at around ten in the morning, they didn't finish until nearly two in the afternoon. This was partly due to everyone's reluctance to believe that it was real, partly due to Rita entering the room at inopportune times, and partly due to the length of the book, although not really that impressive in size. By the time they finished it, everyone was giving the book odd looks, and Ginny looked ready to cry.
"Well. Let's see. It seems that she got most of it right." Harry said quietly. The Chamber of Secrets was not the most uplifting novel of all time, and with the parts that two of their number had played in it, it was even more depressing. Harry had recoiled visibly during the bit on the snake in the wizard's duel. Ginny hugged her knees to her chest and rocked slightly from the first attack nearly straight through to the end. Ron and Hermione had taken turns patting her on the back or giving her uplifting looks during it all, and even the twins seemed less inclined to pick on her, though George was still wearing her dress. Harry, even though he was reading, still paused a moment to smile at Ginny; that smile had more effect than did any amount of Hermione's hugs.
"For one thing, we weren't in the wardrobe. We were sitting on the floor under the couch when they, um, told the teachers, um, about Ginny. And Tom's journal, it was scarlet. Let's see. Dobby... No, she got Dobby right. Eerily right. How does she know? And, let's see... The basilisk...Never mind. Let's just leave it at that?"
No one could really reply to anything Harry said, so they let the silence linger. Lumps had found their way into every throat. The trials of the second year hung uncomfortably real for the Weasleys in the room, though the twins did laugh at hearing the account of the flying car. Ron even managed to crack a smile at all that his wand did that year.
"Right, then," George said, unable to take the serious nature of the moment any longer. "I've got to get out of this dress! It's fine for a while, but you know... I want my pants. What do you know, I've gotten used to dressing like a Muggle... Scary. Maybe I should wear robes from now on. Well, I mean, I will, but..."
"Quiet time, Georgie," Fred laughed. The sound of laughter seemed to visibly brighten the air in the room.
"Let's find Rita and get her in a cab. Dumbledore wants her at Harrod's at five." Hermione stood up and dusted off her capris.
"I think I'll just stay here..." Ginny said almost inaudibly. When everyone else got up after nodding at her, Ginny looked pleadingly at Harry.
"Why don't I keep you company, Gin?" The small nod and brief smile were enough to let everyone know that this was right. The others gave one more somber look at Ginny and Harry, then piled out of the room to get Rita her final cab.
"Gin?"
"Just...sit with me a minute, will you? Please?" Ginny's normally subdued voice was almost silent in its pleading. Uncomfortable at letting the moment pass while sitting on nearly opposite walls, Harry scooted over and sat next to Ginny, both of them on the floor leaning against one bed. When silent tears began to course over Ginny's cheeks, Harry put a not quite brotherly arm around her, pulling her against his chest. Normally, Harry would have been embarrassed by a tearful hug, but now it just seemed right. He let her tears wet his shoulder, let her hug him as tightly as she needed, even went so far as to lean his cheek on her head and pat her hair gently.
After a while, Harry began to suspect that Ginny had fallen asleep on him. His right arm was beginning to fall asleep from where she was supported on it, so he carefully shifted her more to the left. When he did move, he noticed that she was not asleep after all, and indeed looked like the 'moment' had done her some good; a smile was on her face.
"You know... this is the first time we've ever really been alone, you and I." Her voice seemed to come from nowhere and from everywhere, startling him from thoughts which were actually along the same line.
"You're right, I think."
"You... you don't mind do you?" This seemed to be a question of nerves for her, for he could see that she feared the answer and that she visibly braced herself for an "I'd rather be with Ron and Hermione, but you're a cute kid" answer.
"Gin, I've never minded being with you. Least of all now. I..." Not quite knowing what else he would say, and not trusting himself to find out, Harry let himself trail off at the end of words that brought back the sweet smile to Ginny's face.
"Thanks, Harry."
"For what?"
"For sitting with me. I know you'd rather be with Ron or Hermione, or even the twins. I... Thank you."
"Gin, don't think that. I... You know, we have to get to know each other better. I've known who you are, but I don't really know you. Nor, I think, do you know me..."
"I'd like to."
"Me too."
"You'd like to know yourself?" She giggled.
"Well... yes. You, too. I'd really like to get to know you."
"I... Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me first weekend we can?" Ginny seemed startled by the question that passed her lips and looked embarrassed.
"Love to." If she'd been startled before, she was struck dumb now.
"Really?"
"Really."
Ginny and Harry smiled at each other once more and let the comfortable silence hang in the air. A watch beeped to let them know that it was three o'clock.
"Got her!" George surprised both of them by instantly appearing at the door, wearing a grin that didn't seem able to fit through the doorframe.
"Rita?" Harry grinned.
"Yup." Ron appeared behind his brother (who was now wearing a pair of Muggle jeans and a green jumper (same one he'd worn that day so long ago when he'd learned how to work the shower)) wearing an almost identical grin.
"Spiffy."
"Hit-wizards are supposed to be there at six." Fred said from somewhere behind Ron.
"Honestly, move! It's someone's life we're dealing with here, you guys!" Hermione exclaimed haughtily. "Maybe we should have owled Dumbledore and asked for an alternative plan.
"Even Godric Gryffindor killed when necessary, Hermione. Wasn't that in Hogwarts, a History?" Harry surprised even himself with that. Ginny smiled at him.
"Well. Lunch?" Hermione seemed at a loss for words for once. Five nods agreed with her and twelve feet trumpeted down the stairs and into the kitchen. No one was quite expecting the sight that waited for them.
"Dobby?" Harry was the first to speak.
"'Tis I, Harry Potter! 'Tis I!" The house-elf squeaked.
"Erm... What are you doing in my kitchen, Dobby?" Hermione asked, torn somewhere between amusement and terror at what her parents would say if they saw a house-elf in their kitchen, especially with the kids 'on probation.'
"Dobby has a message, Harry Potter, sir, for Harry Potter and his noble friends!"
"What is it, Dobby?"
"Professor Dumbledore sir says that Miss Rita Skeeter escaped the Muggle cab that sir's friends called for her and is running loose in London. Sir Professor wanted reminding sir that the Ministry of Magic is there, sir, as well as the Daily Prophet. Sir Professor wanted to know if sir or sir's friends had ideas on how to corner her?"
"Fred, George, I thought you were going to tell her that the um, my books were at Harrod's?" Harry asked, rounding on the twins.
"We did."
"Maybe, sir, maybe she thought anything at Harrod's could be bought anywhere, sir."
"Merlin's toe jam! Hermione, what will we do now? What if she's gone to Flourish and Blott's? What if she shows up in Diagon Alley? What if she goes back to the Prophet?"
"Ron, calm down! She won't. Um, Dobby, would you tell Professor Dumbledore to check every Muggle bookstore. She'll probably be in one of those, looking for...books. Tell him, by JK Rowling."
"Will do, Miss."
"Thank you, Dobby."
*Crack* and he was gone.
"Rita disappeared? Oh great."
"Um, lunch?" Ron asked in response to his stomach's extremely loud gurgle.
They had tuna sandwiches and juice. By the time they finished eating, it was nearly four o'clock.
"Should we start the third book yet?"
"I've a better idea!" George shouted, pulling Fred along with him. Almost before anyone had even realized that they'd left, a shriek came from Hermione's direction, then an equally shrill one from Ron's.
"Water balloons!" Ron roared in his normal octave.
"We never finished them up!" Fred yelled down, his head sticking out the bathroom window that was directly above the small garden where they'd eaten.
*Splash**splash**splash* and Ginny and Harry were wet, and Ron again.
A few more sporadic poppings of balloons, and Fred announced to the courtyard that they were done.
"About (censored) time," Ron muttered to Harry as the four soggy teenagers walked back in to the kitchen.
~*~
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." Harry began this book in a quieter tone than he'd begun the first two; experience had taught him that the trauma would never really cease with those who didn't know the full story.
Halfway through (actually the chapter entitled "Grim Defeat"), an owl tapped lightly on Hermione's window. Everyone jumped a little, though Fred and George tried to play it off by jumping even higher as though they'd not been startled the first time.
Shaking her head and mumbling incoherently, Hermione got onto her feet and opened the window. A rather important looking owl walked in, held its leg out and let Hermione untie the letter. Shaking its feathers and hooting disapprovingly at Fred and George, the owl left without waiting for a reply.
"Dear Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, George, and Fred," Hermione read, "Please know that Ms. Rita Skeeter, formerly of the Daily Prophet, has been apprehended. Hit-wizards will deal with her in two hours' time, as is proper to crimes of her magnitude. It has been discovered that she was an illegal Animagus and used many illegal, and some Dark, means to get stories that usually turned out to be false anyway. Just for your information. And Harry, do owl if you have any dreams. Very sincerely, Professor A. Dumbledore, Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry"
"Well." The single word summed it up very well indeed.
"So, Grim Defeat...." Harry continued the story after yet another uncomfortable silence had exceeded its welcome.
Three hours had passed along with the story before anyone knew that it had.
"Um. Just so you know, Rita Skeeter is no longer a problem," Hermione said tentatively.
"And this book was pretty much right on the money."
No more words needed to be passed. Hermione motioned to Ron and he unclasped his hands. He had grabbed them together at the first mention of Scabbers in the Shrieking Shack and his knuckles had long since turned white. Flexing his hands as though to see if they were still working properly, his face mirrored the pain he felt in moving them from the position they'd been in for an hour.
"Hey... No more Rita!"
A/N: Warned you it would suck. It took me the better part of an hour to finish this, and it's 8 pages, so I know it's still short, but it's 2 in the fricking morning! Give me a break. And sorry it's so abrupt with the books, but I must get them through them and this works as well as any other way. Rita was annoying me, so I killed her off. Live with it. (But, here's what will really bug you: Is she really dead? I said they'd deal with her, but then I skipped three hours, bum bum buuuuuuuum!)
Yes. Um, there was something else, what was it?
I was having far too much fun with the dialogue!! Dumbledore and the Sorting Hat just gives so much material! I get the impression that they talk often, and so joke around, but can be serious (not Sirius) when the situation calls.
Is it just me, or does it take these people a long time to finish a book? Well, when one has to read it aloud and it's true for them, I suppose that can work.
Good night!! Long awaited and really needed sleep ahoy!
If you need me, I'll be vacationing in Nod. Leave a message with my house-elf and maybe I'll get back to you. Next part should be up soon. Review!
(-:
Aurora de la Noche
Prisoner of Secrets, Chamber of Azkaban, Killing off Rita
Disclaimer: :p
A/N: Yeah. OK, last chapter sucked, but this one will, too! It's nearly one AM after my sister's graduation party, so naturally it'll be messed up. Maybe that should be my disclaimer. Maybe. O well. Soon enough, fatigue will set in. Or all of the caffeine I consumed today. Whatever, really. Just don't expect too much from this chapter. Except laughs, finishing books two and three (!) and more water balloons, due to popular (the voices count as popular, so suck it) request. And, yes, sorry, H/G fluff and tears. Live with it. Hey, let me live, it's not D/H! *ducks fruit thrown by D/H shippers*
O, and have I ever mentioned how I hate uploading to ffnet?? I despise it, really. First I have to save the story on Word. That's where I do it, and I save it so my evil computer doesn't eat it up and crash. Then I save as text so ffnet will like it. But no, it will never upload the first time, that would be too easy, so I have to save it as a web page which also never works. Then I have to again attempt uploading the text one, which of course works the second time, but no, not the first. That's why all my stories come out looking so screwed up. They don't look that bad to me, until I look at them on ffnet. Evil thing, that. Maybe I need a beta-reader, too. I've noticed that some of my grammar sucks. Any volunteers? Anyone? (I hate those crickets that chirp in the background!)
Wow. This'll be longer than the story. Hope not. I'm going to make this one as long as I can before I crash and die here at my computer. Have fun. Be young. I hate Pepsi.
"Code Name: Cow." Professor Dumbledore mused to himself as he read and re-read the very odd letter he'd received from Messrs. Potter, Weasley, Weasley, Weasley, and Misses Granger and Weasley. "Original, I'll give them that. Now what to do about it...?"
Three hours later, the professor was still sitting in his lonely study at Hogwarts when his phoenix, Fawkes, decided to pay a visit. Fawkes had been out picking up girls again. Or trying to. That was the one thing about phoenixes. During every life, they had to go through puberty. Every so often, between every burning, they had to try to find a new mate. Dumbledore didn't know whether it was good or bad that phoenixes were becoming more and more difficult to find. On one hand, he didn't have any babies to take care of (give to Hagrid to raise), but then it was always sad to see a species in decline.
Seeing Fawkes reminded him of something from how many years ago...? Three years, now. Three plus years ago, during Mr. Harry Potter's second year at the prestigious school. Fawkes had brought him Godric's sword and...the Sorting Hat! Yes, the Sorting Hat could help!
"Bonnet bothering your bee, Albus?"
"Well...you understand. What do I do about Rita Skeeter?"
"Kill her."
"Gryffindor, Hat, I was in Gryffindor."
"Yes, but still. A good solution is only so obvious."
"That's too like Salazar for me. Can't we...be less violent?"
"You're no fun anymore, Albie."
"Don't make me."
"Albie."
"Now you've done it."
"Albie!"
"Sortie."
"No! Albie! Fine. No more advice for you!"
"Sortie...!"
"You're acting like a five year old."
"You're acting like a jester's hat."
"That's hitting below the brim."
"Help on Code Name: Cow?"
"Kill her, Albus. That is the only logical answer. Even Godric killed when it was necessary."
"True, but..."
"I don't like it either, Albus. But we do what we must."
"I suppose."
"Now. Don't suppose you could dust my shelf, could you?"
~*~
"What's Dumbledore's letter say?" Ron asked for the fifth time in as many minutes, hovering over Harry's shoulder like a moth to a streetlight.
"Um. Hmmm. Ron, do Hit-Wizards always, er, kill their targets?"
"Always."
"Better say bye to Rita."
"You're kidding."
"Can't tell you how I wish I was."
"Harry! Hedwig come back yet?" Fred and George bounded into the room, followed closely by Hermione and Ginny, who looked somewhat put off from the twins at the moment.
"Yeah..."
"Well?"
"It seems that Dumbledore's been advised to have Rita killed off."
"Really?"
"Don't sound so excited!"
"Maybe they'll just take her memory and have her live as a Muggle?"
"Do you really think they'd do that?"
"Sarcasm doesn't fit you, Harry m'boy."
"Nor does that dress to you."
"Oh. Fred told me it was flattering."
"You're his twin. You should know when he's lying."
"It is very comfortable. I see what that old wizard was saying last summer..."
"George, you're scaring me."
"Don't worry, Ginny, you'll get your dress back."
"Don't think I want it anymore, thanks."
"It was your favorite."
"Was."
"Gin!"
"George!"
"Hush!"
"Huh?"
"Do you want to know how Code Name: Cow is coming to a close or no?"
"Yes."
"Fine. Um. We have to get Rita in a Muggle cab and have her... dang."
"Where, Harry?"
"Harrod's."
"What? Harrod's? Why?"
"I'll bet you Dumbledore picked it."
"How do we get her there?"
"What happens from there?"
"Why is George wearing Ginny's dress?"
"Long story."
"Ditto."
"Well... I suppose we could tell her the Harry books are real-"
"They are."
"Hush. We could tell her she can buy them at Harrod's and the only way to get there is by Muggle Cab."
"Think she'd buy it?"
"The book?"
"The story, Fred!"
"Oh. Worth a try, I say."
"Guess so."
"Want to read book two first?"
"Sure!"
~*~
"Chapter one: The Worst Birthday...."
Although they began the book at around ten in the morning, they didn't finish until nearly two in the afternoon. This was partly due to everyone's reluctance to believe that it was real, partly due to Rita entering the room at inopportune times, and partly due to the length of the book, although not really that impressive in size. By the time they finished it, everyone was giving the book odd looks, and Ginny looked ready to cry.
"Well. Let's see. It seems that she got most of it right." Harry said quietly. The Chamber of Secrets was not the most uplifting novel of all time, and with the parts that two of their number had played in it, it was even more depressing. Harry had recoiled visibly during the bit on the snake in the wizard's duel. Ginny hugged her knees to her chest and rocked slightly from the first attack nearly straight through to the end. Ron and Hermione had taken turns patting her on the back or giving her uplifting looks during it all, and even the twins seemed less inclined to pick on her, though George was still wearing her dress. Harry, even though he was reading, still paused a moment to smile at Ginny; that smile had more effect than did any amount of Hermione's hugs.
"For one thing, we weren't in the wardrobe. We were sitting on the floor under the couch when they, um, told the teachers, um, about Ginny. And Tom's journal, it was scarlet. Let's see. Dobby... No, she got Dobby right. Eerily right. How does she know? And, let's see... The basilisk...Never mind. Let's just leave it at that?"
No one could really reply to anything Harry said, so they let the silence linger. Lumps had found their way into every throat. The trials of the second year hung uncomfortably real for the Weasleys in the room, though the twins did laugh at hearing the account of the flying car. Ron even managed to crack a smile at all that his wand did that year.
"Right, then," George said, unable to take the serious nature of the moment any longer. "I've got to get out of this dress! It's fine for a while, but you know... I want my pants. What do you know, I've gotten used to dressing like a Muggle... Scary. Maybe I should wear robes from now on. Well, I mean, I will, but..."
"Quiet time, Georgie," Fred laughed. The sound of laughter seemed to visibly brighten the air in the room.
"Let's find Rita and get her in a cab. Dumbledore wants her at Harrod's at five." Hermione stood up and dusted off her capris.
"I think I'll just stay here..." Ginny said almost inaudibly. When everyone else got up after nodding at her, Ginny looked pleadingly at Harry.
"Why don't I keep you company, Gin?" The small nod and brief smile were enough to let everyone know that this was right. The others gave one more somber look at Ginny and Harry, then piled out of the room to get Rita her final cab.
"Gin?"
"Just...sit with me a minute, will you? Please?" Ginny's normally subdued voice was almost silent in its pleading. Uncomfortable at letting the moment pass while sitting on nearly opposite walls, Harry scooted over and sat next to Ginny, both of them on the floor leaning against one bed. When silent tears began to course over Ginny's cheeks, Harry put a not quite brotherly arm around her, pulling her against his chest. Normally, Harry would have been embarrassed by a tearful hug, but now it just seemed right. He let her tears wet his shoulder, let her hug him as tightly as she needed, even went so far as to lean his cheek on her head and pat her hair gently.
After a while, Harry began to suspect that Ginny had fallen asleep on him. His right arm was beginning to fall asleep from where she was supported on it, so he carefully shifted her more to the left. When he did move, he noticed that she was not asleep after all, and indeed looked like the 'moment' had done her some good; a smile was on her face.
"You know... this is the first time we've ever really been alone, you and I." Her voice seemed to come from nowhere and from everywhere, startling him from thoughts which were actually along the same line.
"You're right, I think."
"You... you don't mind do you?" This seemed to be a question of nerves for her, for he could see that she feared the answer and that she visibly braced herself for an "I'd rather be with Ron and Hermione, but you're a cute kid" answer.
"Gin, I've never minded being with you. Least of all now. I..." Not quite knowing what else he would say, and not trusting himself to find out, Harry let himself trail off at the end of words that brought back the sweet smile to Ginny's face.
"Thanks, Harry."
"For what?"
"For sitting with me. I know you'd rather be with Ron or Hermione, or even the twins. I... Thank you."
"Gin, don't think that. I... You know, we have to get to know each other better. I've known who you are, but I don't really know you. Nor, I think, do you know me..."
"I'd like to."
"Me too."
"You'd like to know yourself?" She giggled.
"Well... yes. You, too. I'd really like to get to know you."
"I... Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me first weekend we can?" Ginny seemed startled by the question that passed her lips and looked embarrassed.
"Love to." If she'd been startled before, she was struck dumb now.
"Really?"
"Really."
Ginny and Harry smiled at each other once more and let the comfortable silence hang in the air. A watch beeped to let them know that it was three o'clock.
"Got her!" George surprised both of them by instantly appearing at the door, wearing a grin that didn't seem able to fit through the doorframe.
"Rita?" Harry grinned.
"Yup." Ron appeared behind his brother (who was now wearing a pair of Muggle jeans and a green jumper (same one he'd worn that day so long ago when he'd learned how to work the shower)) wearing an almost identical grin.
"Spiffy."
"Hit-wizards are supposed to be there at six." Fred said from somewhere behind Ron.
"Honestly, move! It's someone's life we're dealing with here, you guys!" Hermione exclaimed haughtily. "Maybe we should have owled Dumbledore and asked for an alternative plan.
"Even Godric Gryffindor killed when necessary, Hermione. Wasn't that in Hogwarts, a History?" Harry surprised even himself with that. Ginny smiled at him.
"Well. Lunch?" Hermione seemed at a loss for words for once. Five nods agreed with her and twelve feet trumpeted down the stairs and into the kitchen. No one was quite expecting the sight that waited for them.
"Dobby?" Harry was the first to speak.
"'Tis I, Harry Potter! 'Tis I!" The house-elf squeaked.
"Erm... What are you doing in my kitchen, Dobby?" Hermione asked, torn somewhere between amusement and terror at what her parents would say if they saw a house-elf in their kitchen, especially with the kids 'on probation.'
"Dobby has a message, Harry Potter, sir, for Harry Potter and his noble friends!"
"What is it, Dobby?"
"Professor Dumbledore sir says that Miss Rita Skeeter escaped the Muggle cab that sir's friends called for her and is running loose in London. Sir Professor wanted reminding sir that the Ministry of Magic is there, sir, as well as the Daily Prophet. Sir Professor wanted to know if sir or sir's friends had ideas on how to corner her?"
"Fred, George, I thought you were going to tell her that the um, my books were at Harrod's?" Harry asked, rounding on the twins.
"We did."
"Maybe, sir, maybe she thought anything at Harrod's could be bought anywhere, sir."
"Merlin's toe jam! Hermione, what will we do now? What if she's gone to Flourish and Blott's? What if she shows up in Diagon Alley? What if she goes back to the Prophet?"
"Ron, calm down! She won't. Um, Dobby, would you tell Professor Dumbledore to check every Muggle bookstore. She'll probably be in one of those, looking for...books. Tell him, by JK Rowling."
"Will do, Miss."
"Thank you, Dobby."
*Crack* and he was gone.
"Rita disappeared? Oh great."
"Um, lunch?" Ron asked in response to his stomach's extremely loud gurgle.
They had tuna sandwiches and juice. By the time they finished eating, it was nearly four o'clock.
"Should we start the third book yet?"
"I've a better idea!" George shouted, pulling Fred along with him. Almost before anyone had even realized that they'd left, a shriek came from Hermione's direction, then an equally shrill one from Ron's.
"Water balloons!" Ron roared in his normal octave.
"We never finished them up!" Fred yelled down, his head sticking out the bathroom window that was directly above the small garden where they'd eaten.
*Splash**splash**splash* and Ginny and Harry were wet, and Ron again.
A few more sporadic poppings of balloons, and Fred announced to the courtyard that they were done.
"About (censored) time," Ron muttered to Harry as the four soggy teenagers walked back in to the kitchen.
~*~
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." Harry began this book in a quieter tone than he'd begun the first two; experience had taught him that the trauma would never really cease with those who didn't know the full story.
Halfway through (actually the chapter entitled "Grim Defeat"), an owl tapped lightly on Hermione's window. Everyone jumped a little, though Fred and George tried to play it off by jumping even higher as though they'd not been startled the first time.
Shaking her head and mumbling incoherently, Hermione got onto her feet and opened the window. A rather important looking owl walked in, held its leg out and let Hermione untie the letter. Shaking its feathers and hooting disapprovingly at Fred and George, the owl left without waiting for a reply.
"Dear Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, George, and Fred," Hermione read, "Please know that Ms. Rita Skeeter, formerly of the Daily Prophet, has been apprehended. Hit-wizards will deal with her in two hours' time, as is proper to crimes of her magnitude. It has been discovered that she was an illegal Animagus and used many illegal, and some Dark, means to get stories that usually turned out to be false anyway. Just for your information. And Harry, do owl if you have any dreams. Very sincerely, Professor A. Dumbledore, Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry"
"Well." The single word summed it up very well indeed.
"So, Grim Defeat...." Harry continued the story after yet another uncomfortable silence had exceeded its welcome.
Three hours had passed along with the story before anyone knew that it had.
"Um. Just so you know, Rita Skeeter is no longer a problem," Hermione said tentatively.
"And this book was pretty much right on the money."
No more words needed to be passed. Hermione motioned to Ron and he unclasped his hands. He had grabbed them together at the first mention of Scabbers in the Shrieking Shack and his knuckles had long since turned white. Flexing his hands as though to see if they were still working properly, his face mirrored the pain he felt in moving them from the position they'd been in for an hour.
"Hey... No more Rita!"
A/N: Warned you it would suck. It took me the better part of an hour to finish this, and it's 8 pages, so I know it's still short, but it's 2 in the fricking morning! Give me a break. And sorry it's so abrupt with the books, but I must get them through them and this works as well as any other way. Rita was annoying me, so I killed her off. Live with it. (But, here's what will really bug you: Is she really dead? I said they'd deal with her, but then I skipped three hours, bum bum buuuuuuuum!)
Yes. Um, there was something else, what was it?
I was having far too much fun with the dialogue!! Dumbledore and the Sorting Hat just gives so much material! I get the impression that they talk often, and so joke around, but can be serious (not Sirius) when the situation calls.
Is it just me, or does it take these people a long time to finish a book? Well, when one has to read it aloud and it's true for them, I suppose that can work.
Good night!! Long awaited and really needed sleep ahoy!
If you need me, I'll be vacationing in Nod. Leave a message with my house-elf and maybe I'll get back to you. Next part should be up soon. Review!
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