A/n: Now I know why JKR puts in those Quidditch chapters: when you have NO CLUE what to do with the middle part of the story, you just write about the world's coolest sport

A/n: Now I know why JKR puts in those Quidditch chapters: when you have NO CLUE what to do with the middle part of the story, you just write about the world's coolest sport! Glad you enjoyed that last chapter…it was fun to write ~_~ I hope you like this one too…in any event, I can always use a piece of your guys' minds…and I will leave my hat out for reviews! ~Jerry

Hermione got a second reply from The Daily Prophet on Sunday morning, dragged in by a hawk, which meant that someone paid extra to get the letter delivered on time. Harry was working on that Potions essay when she approached him, looking incredibly…well, not exactly excited. More like disappointed. She thrust the letter at Harry, and he read:

Dear Ms Granger:

Once again, on behalf of The Daily Prophet I would like to thank you for your letter concerning Ms Rowling's newest book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. We have verified your facts, that the publisher of this book is a Muggle institution.

However, upon contacting the Ministry for Magic, we have found that already wizards who specialize in Muggle secrecy laws have proofed this book. They have told us that Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is targeted for young Muggle children, and that it will be targeted as a fiction. Ms Rowling has changed around the facts just enough so that no Muggle will suspect anything – if she stays true to her biography, which has already been written and documented in Muggle files. If not, she will face lifetime imprisonment in Azkaban.

We will be running a story about your findings tomorrow and request that you comment on the manner, as you were the one who found all this out. Also, if you really were Harry's friend, would you mind getting a comment from him too?

Cheers,

Langston Hearst

Managing Editor

"Should we say anything?" Hermione asked. Harry.

Harry shrugged. "Dunno," he said.

"Yeah you do."

Harry put down his quill. "Yeah, all right. What are you going to say?"

This time Hermione shrugged.

They stared at each other, lost in thought.

"All right," Harry said, just as Hermione said, "Okay." They laughed.

"You go first," Harry told Hermione.

"Okay…I'm going to say that I hope Ms Rowling sticks to her story, for your sake as well as her own." Hermione blushed, for she didn't consider herself very good at that sort of thing.

"Sounds good," Harry said encouragingly.

"Thank you…what about your own comment?"

"Oh…I'll say something to the effect that I hope she doesn't get the facts terribly backward, like that Sveeter woman."

"Yeah, good call. I mean, I'm sure she'll be changing around names and stuff, but if she makes Hagrid look bad, I'll never let her hear the end of it."

Harry smiled.

Hermione wrote a quick reply on the back of the paper, putting in Harry's and her comments, and she sent the hawk on its way.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Harry held up his parchment. "Potions essay," he said.

"Oh I already finished mine."

"I know."

They were silent.

"Well, see you," Hermione said at last.

"Bye," Harry answered, turning back to his essay. To himself, he wondered why that moment was so awkward.

*

As promised, The Daily Prophet printed their article, doing justice for both sides of the story, which was a relief to Harry and Hermione. In fact, their friend Langston Hearst wrote the article, which made Harry wonder if The Daily Prophet was shaping up at last in terms of not being slanted and hiring the right people.

Still, the article didn't seem to satisfy Hermione.

"They don't really mention a whole lot, do they?" she asked. "I mean, yeah, they say that the book is for Muggle kids and that what is happening is totally legal, but, if I wasn't looking, I'd've missed the entire article."

Harry looked down at it. She was right; it was just another simple brief on the front page, which puzzled Harry.

"I don't see what's wrong with it, Hermione," Harry said. "I mean, yes, it's short, but it's fair."

"Yeah," Ron chipped in. "So I wouldn't bother them anymore, okay?"

Hermione pursed her lips. "I still don't like it," she said. "I mean, the whole thing is fishy."

Harry looked back down at the article. Nothing seemed fishy to him. He looked back at Hermione and shrugged.

"Well, you'd think someone aside from us would care that the book is written for Muggles!" she exclaimed.

Hermione turned to Dean Thomas, who was reading his own copy of The Daily Prophet.

"Hey Dean," she called out.

Dean looked up. "Yeah?"

"What do you make of that book on Harry?"

Dean gave her a blank look. "What book?"

"You know, the one that they mention on the front page."

"Oh yeah. The one you were looking at a few days ago? I never read that paper, since they were still delivering to my home."

"They mention it again today. Front page."

Dean skimmed the front page. "Where?"

"Just at the bottom. It's a little brief."

Dean flipped to the bottom. "There's no brief here," he said, sounding puzzled. "It's just a continuation of that tariff story from last week."

Thanks for reading!

:throws out hat, hoping to fill it w/reviews: