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Ch. 3 Movin' on UP!
School homework was finished in a week. They had kept more of a breakneck pace than even Hermione had kept during exam week. Harry was motivated by his dedication to Cedric and Hermione saw it as therapy.
"I think we need a break" Harry said when he awoke the next morning.
"I think I could handle that" Hermione said between mouthfuls of oatmeal. "What do you want to do then today?"
"Lets go see Ron!"
"Splendid idea, but how do we get there" asked Hermione.
"I was thinking we could take my broom and cloak over to his place. Can you imagine the look on his face when we show up?"
"Brilliant! I hope he has other things to talk about than quidditch. My father talks about football all the time and you guys talk about quidditch. Could you find anything more boring to talk about?"
"I bet you wouldn't find it as boring if Victor was talking about it" Harry teased with a gleam in his eye.
"I would so. Victor's could never understand why I was not enthralled with the game. I mean watching you and the rest of the teams play is fun but really, its nothing to fill you head with."
"So *cough* you ahh *cough* Victor…. I mean…." Harry prodded.
"Its none of your bloody business, but no. In the end I figured you were the only famous person I wanted to be associated with."
"Oh, gee… thanks!" said Harry sarcastically. "You want to be famous the same way I am? I'm sure Voldermort could help you out there"
"I'm sorry Harry, I didn't mean it like that. Its all the hype. You know how to deal with it so much better than I do. I couldn't handle it when Skeeter was writing all those horrid things about us. Which reminds me that she isn't doing so well in captivity?"
"You been taking her out for walks and changing the litter box?"
"Maybe I was a little too harsh in my punishment?"
"I think she got the point when you were shut her up in that jar. She may be thick but she can't be that thick."
"I've been feeling guilty about holding her. Maybe I will let her go today."
"We should at least transfigure her back into a woman and see what kind of mood she is in before we let her go" warned Harry.
Three minutes later found them upstairs unscrewing the lid to a jar which contained one of the most sensationalistic reporters in the magical world. Previously Hermione had caught her eves dropping on them and, in a rage over an article insinuating that she was playing Harry, had imprisoned her in a glass jar. Rita Skeeter was an unregistered animagus and Hermione had exploited that fact.
Once the jar had been unscrewed the small insect hopped out and immediately transfigured back into a human. It was fair to say that Rita had lost a few pounds, but had the change taken place on the inside as well.
"I'm so glad to be out of that terrible jar" said Rita as she stretched.
"Did you learn your lesson" asked Hermione and Harry at the same time.
"Does it matter if I did or not? I mean technically I could pretend to be contrite and you two would never know until I was back at it. Although, in my defense, I must tell you that the stories over the past year about you two, although you in particular Harry, gained me a lot of fame. I wonder how my absence has been taken at the Prophet?"
"I think they are managing" said Hermione while rolling her eyes. Some people really had no grip on reality. How could this woman leave a 2 month imprisonment with out asking something more important?
"You never answered our question" spat Harry. "Are you going to be printing more lies about us?"
"That depends on what you call a lie" Rita shot back.
"I think you know that" Hermione added. "And unless I'm not mistaken you took an ethics class did you not? Don't they tell you not to make things up?" Hermione was almost beside herself.
"It technically wasn't me, it was my pen. Fancy suing my pen? I'm sure that one would go to the Minister"
"If I catch you using anything other than this quill I will report you to the authorities" shouted Harry as he handed her one of his quills.
"Oh, alright, but you haven't heard the last of Rita Skeeter" she said huffily. "How quaint, a quill."
With that she disapperated while Harry and Hermione were left wondering if she would keep her word.
"I guess we always got the goods on her if we want to press the charges" said Harry as he moved to his trunk to get his father's invisibility cloak and firebolt broom.
"I guess, but it still gets to me that after all this time you would have thought she would have contemplated her fate and what led to her incarceration."
"You would think so" agreed Harry. "How did that woman ever get to be an animagus?"