It was a thin, circular room, filled with cabinets; the walls were peppered with parchment that were scribbled with words here and there, a few shone brightly with red ink, while others were a light periwinkle blue sang sweetly to the wind. Sitting behind an elevated mahogany desk, was a tall middle-aged wizard, who was writing swiftly on a small piece of parchment; there was a loud knock on the door.

"Get in here if you're coming," Screamed the wizard, taking his wand out and violently jabbing the parchment to make it seal. "I said come on."

The door opened quickly and standing there was a stout woman, with bright blond hair. She looked rather like a man; her hands were thick and her jaw was set heavily under her lip line. She was wearing bright acid green robes and there was a slightly malicious smile on her face. Behind her stood a small fat man, who was holding a camera, he looked shocked and seemed as if his mouth had been magically sealed together.

"Barney," Screamed the woman in excitement, even though her face was empty. "Barney, darling. How have you been?"

She sat down in a frail wood chair opposite the desk, and threw the guffawing photographer a menacing glance and a motion to sit in the corner. Barney looked neither excited nor angered by the woman's abrupt entrance to the office. He, however, looked her over surreptitiously before smiling.

"Hello, Rita," He said, taking another piece of parchment out of his pocket and writing something on it. He handed it to her and then motioned for both her and her photograhpher to leave his office. Rita neither stood nor left, and she called the fat photograhpher back into the office. There was an offended look on her face, as if Barney had just spat in her face.

"I remember a time when I was ushered into this office," Rita said jokingly, but it was clear that she was angry at her quick dismissal from the room.

"That was when you were making me money. You're as helpful now as a first year from Hogwarts."

"I wrote that story on Dumbledore didn't I? That was a good story," She said in a matter-of-fact type tone. Barney laughed out loud, his face was still cold. "What? What are you laughing for? It was a good story!"

"It was Rita, it was a good story, but did it sell? No. No one wants to read about Albus dying, I thought you should have known that, I guess that year you took off really hurt your skill."

Rita was silent still. There was a hurt look on her face, the light from the tall window shone on her face and for a moment it looked like there was a tear coming from her left eye. She wiped it away resolutely and then opened the piece of paper he had handed her.

"'New Wand Maker Moves In.' that's a page seventeen story. Give me something good, like in the old days."

"Find something," Barney screamed at her. "You used to be the best investigative journalist I had, go out find a story. Interview Harry Potter again."

She looked as if there was nothing she would rather do, and Barney let out another telling laugh. "That's the old Rita coming out. I saw that gleam in your eye, go ahead Rita, go after him again. Get something really good on him; see if you can't see how he feels on Rufus Scrimgeour."

Rita moved tightly in her seat; there was a look of utter disgust on her face, her nose was flared like she had just smelt something rather foul. Her voice, nonetheless, was cheery when she said, "Have there been any more killings? Maybe I could do something on that."

"Hestia Jones has already been covered, bit of a good story. The Death Eaters waited for her in her house and used the Cruciatus Curse until she hemorrhaged from the inside out. The Auror Dawlish was murdered a few ago, some are saying by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Now Rita you mustn't tell anyone this, I'm not supposed to know but the Minister thinks it best for me to know that I shouldn't know. Last night Bertie Higgs was taken to St. Mungo's, he had been attacked by some type of large snake, not to mention the fifteen more Dementor attacks there have been. It's a sad time to be a wizard," He said this all in a low and very solemn voice.

An eerie silence had filled the room. The fat, little camera man stood quietly in the corner his mouth still closed, his eyes were eager for more, his hands shaking to take a picture of this odd moment.

Rita eyes had flashed several times during Barney's story. She seemed to be taking it all in for later use.

"Of course that is neither here nor there," He said with a fake smile. He had taken there utter eagerness for sadness, and wanted to change the subject quickly. "So Rita will you do it? Will you write an article on Harry Potter?"

Once again Rita winced and moved slightly in her seat, but almost immediately a look of steely determination appeared on her face. She looked at him and said yes in a small tone.

She got up then and violently called for the photographer to follow behind her, as she reached the door she called back to him, "What is the Ministry going to do about all of this?" She said after pulling out a small quill and a pad of paper.

"They've got some new plan." He says before motioning for her to close the door behind her.

Barney then took out his wand and tapped the small piece of parchment, causing it to unfold magically. He then wrote in a very small slanted writing.

To the Minister from Barnabus Cuffe