Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything the books claim. JK Rowling owns the rights to Harry Potter. This is not making money.

Summary: A challenge from Fei-sama. The challenge was to create a story where Harry is raised by Rita Skeeter, is powerful and is not friends with Hermione or Ginny. Harry is raised by Rita Skeeter, and in turn with being brought up in the Wizarding world is smart, well dressed and almost the coolest kid on campus. Harry is respected and envied; it seems he has the perfect life. But his horrid past can only lead to a horrid future and without his most treasured friend by his side, can Harry rid the demons on his own?

Pairings: Harry/Draco. Harry/Cedric. Some other Harrycentric pairings might occur, however this is under Harry/Draco and that is the main pairing ultimately. That's what you came for, right?

"…You have done many things I deem unacceptable, Albus, and I have ignored everyone until now; giving you the benefit of the doubt! But this… this Albus is simply ridiculous!" Minerva sucked in what seemed like miles of breath, as she thought over the rant she had just given her superior, Albus Dumbledore. Over the past weeks leading up to this moment, where she stood fuming in his office at Hogwarts and he sat smiling calmly, he had been as busy as a meddling bee and all his curious actions had not gone unnoticed by Minerva's watchful eyes.

"If you sit, dear Minerva, I will explain to you exactly why I feel it is completely acceptable that Harry should be taken into care by Ms. Skeeter." Dumbledore smiled caringly, whether to Minerva or his winning one wouldn't know, and nodded happily as his companion sat in the chair allocated for his guests. By the look on Minerva's face, one would be able to tell she was rather infuriated with Albus' incessant wisdom and how even the most impossible things could be accomplished by the man, because to him nothing was so impossible.

A few moments went by in silence, after Minerva sat herself in the chair so comfortable, to anyone unaware of the alluring charm, it would seem nothing could be wrong in that office what-so-ever. Misdeeds were not something Albus Dumbledore chose to meddle in; Minerva knew that well after the forty years she had spent as his colleague, however she suddenly became shifty under her skin as she realised how drawn in she was already becoming in that office; all her protests were beginning to be forgotten and angry she was becoming at even the nicest thing Dumbledore had done to items in his room.

She removed the charm on the chair promptly, before sitting up straighter and doing something she had taught herself not to do to the old man. "Albus, I demand at once you tell me exactly why you intend to place Harry Potter; The-Boy-Who-lived with none other than the most lurid rumourmonger this country has ever seen!"

Albus took a sip of his tea, his actions bidding Minerva to fall short of her temper once again, however in the time it took to seem like his sip of tea was taking years; it was over. Albus admitted he had a funny way about him; he just never divulged what that funny way was. "Minerva, if you wouldn't mind calming down." Albus replied subdued and firmly, "Well, my reasons are simple. As you know, whilst little Harry has been in the care of my granddaughter Isabella, we have been watching the only living family he has left; night, day and everything between that. You, yourself said it would be a bad choice to place Harry with the muggles even when I said it would be good to keep him away from all the fame and glorification, that will be placed upon him."

Minerva nodded, glad that Albus had taken in what she had said. Albus continued, "I have seen a glow of things untoward around that house; something I do not believe one of us has ever seen before. I have a notion that to place him with the Dursley's would end up with Harry being much like old Tom himself." Minerva gasped at the realisation that Albus was once again right.

"But Albus, wouldn't Isabella take care of Harry? Couldn't we place him with someone like the Weasleys? Molly would be only to happy to take in another"

Albus cut Minerva off- "Minerva dear, I wouldn't place another mouth to feed on Molly's table, even if it was the only real option. Fortunately, for everyone involved in this, rather special, case it isn't the only option we have. And as you know Isabella has her own children; it wouldn't be fair."

"Then why place Harry with Ms. Skeeter, of all people Albus?" Minerva asked snappily.

"If Harry was to grow up with the most respected journalist in Britain's wizarding society, do you not think the untrue rumours of him would cease to exist?"

Minerva's eyes widened substantially, "You really believe she wouldn't use that opportunity to write-… to publicise Harry's day to day life?"

"Honestly Minerva, you think I haven't already thought of that? Ms. Skeeter, although a little barmy at times, is a loyal person to those she loves. Mrs. Potter showed great liking to Rita whilst at school together, and not many know that Rita is Harry's godmother, following her brief marriage with Sirius Black."

"Harry is probably already with Ms. Skeeter now, isn't he?" Minerva sighed, knowing the stars moved around Dumbledore before they showed themselves to the rest of the world. She would give up if she wasn't right, and it seemed she wasn't. And even though the predicament was something of a farce, she knew she would have to accept it. Even though she now had just as much say in Harry's life as Dumbledore did, they both being high members of the Order, she knew that her role as a demi-guardian of Harry's was ceased when the impossibilities Dumbledore thrived on became possible.

"I won't go through with this without your approval, Minerva. I don't think it right that Harry's guardians disagree on where to place him. Is there anything else you object too?" Dumbledore asked slyly.

Minerva huffed, showing her disapproval but shook her head all the same. "If you think it's for the best, who am I to disagree?"

XaXaXa

Little Harry Potter had no babyish twinkle in his green eyes; he wasn't curious like the rest of the one year olds Isabella Dumbledore-Greenport knew, or had known, over the course of her life time. If Harry heard a loud noise he would turn his head around slowly, and quite unlike a child of his age, would narrow his eyes to slits at the source of noise. Harry seemed almost fearless in his exploration of life; and gave off a sense of being on this planet before; but that wasn't the case at all. Harry Potter had been cheated out of the privilege of parents, and his young mind could only register that his mother and father weren't there to dote, hold or coo him anymore. Little Harry Potter missed the attention from his parents and anyone that came to be around him following the weeks of his parents death, would be able to see how the loss of Lilly and James was apparent in Harry's eyes, in his aurora and in his lack of curiosity. Harry would not cry about his loss though; he had barely cried before his parents death and that trait had followed the changed Harry on and his little mind would not let him cry; he just didn't register that, or understand it at all.

Heartbreaking it was to see little Harry, who aged so much before his time. Isabella was concerned about whether Harry would ever survive his loss; whether the evil which caused the destruction of little Harry's life was enough to change him for worse or better. Isabella hoped it was the latter; after all she had grown quite fond of the small boy over the weeks she took care of him, and if it wasn't for the love Harry seemed to reject from her, she would have taken him in herself. Her granddaddy, Professor Dumbledore of Hogwarts, had rightfully told her that there were people who were tied by family bonds to Harry, and that they had first refusal on taking him in or not.

Little Harry Potter, Isabella found, liked music; often swaying with emotionless eyes to the sounds coming from her magical radio. Whenever she took Harry into the family room, she would put on the radio so he could play absentmindedly to the music, and when she took little Harry for a bath she would always bring the radio with her, as it seemed Harry preferred to listen to the words, notes, voices then play with Isabella's little girls bath toys. Harry didn't pay any mind to Lillifer when she was around, and Lillifer tended not to pay Harry any mind either, even though they were the same age, almost, and very much alike in some aspects. This worried Isabella somewhat, because it seemed Harry was detached from society as well as reality; he granddaddy had reassured her though, that Harry was silently suffering, as a baby can only do, with his mother and fathers deaths.

The only time Isabella saw Harry smile, with a twinkle in his eye, was when his distant godmother turned up to collect him; Harry was going away that day. Isabella was heartbroken that he was leaving, that he was happy to get away and that she might not see him for a very long time. She held no embarrassment about crying in front of the softened Rita Skeeter, in fact she let go of all her stability the second Rita turned up. She was wary about handing Harry over, from her feminine arms, as she chatted with Rita as best she could; however it seemed Rita couldn't be more honest about her intentions to love Harry like she was his mother.

"I can't have children myself," Rita admitted, slightly forlorn by that revelation, "But I will treat Harry like he is my own." Isabella nodded at the flamboyantly dressed woman, whose blonde hair was as bright as her personality.

And then Harry did something that surprised Isabella to the core, and she couldn't help breaking out into a heart hurting smile; Harry reached out towards Rita who eagerly went to take him from Isabella's grasp. Harry giggled when Rita cooed over him, and clung to her silk green scarf. "Can I come visit him sometime?" Isabella asked, eagerly and not caring whether she showed it or not.

"Of course you can…" Rita replied walking towards the door, "Of course you can…" She said once more before disappearing with little Harry Potter in her arms; happy and bouncy for the first time in what was nearly a month. Isabella only recovered from the heartache that was bestowed upon her by Harry's sadness when she realised the small child had wanted to desperately move on from his horrid past, and by being in Isabella's house he was reminded daily of all the things he had seen that fateful night. Little Harry Potter had not come away unscathed from the battle that took place in his former home; he had a scar on his forhead in the shape of a lightening bolt to prove that. But he did come away wiser, saddened but wiser none-the-less. Now all he needed to do was recover and forget for a while.

With Rita he could do that. With Isabella it was going to be hard.