Hogsmeade and Rita Skeeter
14 February, 1996
The morning of the Hogsmeade weekend dawned bright and cloudless. Everybody in the third year and above was awake about an hour before breakfast. They were looking forward to a nice day spent in Hogsmeade. The first and second years were looking forward to spending the day by the lake, in the castle grounds, courtyard, and common rooms.
Harry wore a casual orange shirt and sky blue pants. He looked around his dormitory. Ron sported a navy blue shirt with half sleeves and dark blue pants. Neville preferred a red T-shirt and light blue pants. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan wore identical white T-shirts and jeans. In the Common Room, Fred and George were dressed identically. Light brown shirts and dark blue jeans. Neville greeted them and left for the Entrance Hall.
Colin Creevey came down wearing a lime green jacket and blue jeans, holding Demelza Robbins' hand. Demelza was Ginny's classmate, and she wore a cute sky blue dress.
Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown were the first to come down the girls' dormitories. Parvati Patil wore a gorgeous peach-colored saree and light peach blouse. Her hands were adorned with green bangles. Lavender wore peach too, a peach sundress. Alicia wore a red mini dress, and Angelina wore a purple mini dress. Parvati and Dean left, followed by Lavender and Seamus. Angelina and Fred followed Alicia and George.
Hermione and Ginny came next. Hermione wore a periwinkle-blue suspiciously similar to the one she wore to the Yule Ball. Harry smirked at the memory. Ginny, on the other, took Harry's breath away. She was dressed in a mini dress, not unlike Angelina's and Alicia's, but the robes were the exact color of Harry's eyes. She and Harry followed Hermione and Ron outside the Common Room.
At the entrance Hall, Padma Patil was chatting with Parvati Patil. Padma wore an elegant bright turquoise saree and a light blue blouse. Her hands were adorned with purple bangles. Her date was Terry Boot, taller than he was the last time Harry had seen him. Terry Boot was dressed in a brown shirt and dark blue jeans.
A little distance away was Neville talking to Luna, who was wearing a silver-white glam maxi dress. Thankfully, she had left her Spectrespecs and bottle corks for this occasion. As Harry watched, Neville kissed Luna!
Fred and George and their dates were nowhere to be seen, so Harry assumed they had already left. Seamus came out of the Great Hall holding Lavender's hand, and the couple walked out.
"Oi!" Ron thumped Harry's back, "Let's go! Hermione and Ginny are already in the line, saving places for us!" Harry grinned sheepishly and accompanied Ron to where Ginny and Hermione were standing. Just ahead of the two girls, Cho Chang and Micheal Corner stood. Micheal had his arm around Cho, and Cho kept saying, "Cedric used to put his arm around me just like this!" To no one's surprise, Cho sobbed into Micheal's shoulder. But she regained composure by the time her permission slip for Hogsmeade was checked and approved by Argus Filch so she could go.
Ahead of Micheal and Cho, Harry saw Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillian holding hands. They looked back in alarm as they heard Cho sniff and had looks of sorrow and pity on their faces. Cedric Diggory had, after all, been a Hufflepuff. According to Harry, Cedric should've been the winner of the Triwizard winner instead of 'the spare'. In front of Hannah Abbot stood Susan Bones with Zacharius Smith. Smith had finished and waited for Filch to hand back Susan Bones' Hogsmeade permission slip.
As Harry stepped out onto the cold, stone steps outside the castle with Ginny, they stood to wait for Ron and Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of Daphne Greengrass leaning on Blaise Zabini's shoulder while he had an arm around her waist as the couple slowly made their way out of the gates. Harry noted that so far, every Hogsmeade visitor from Hogwarts had been a couple!
Harry took Ginny's hand in his, and Ron had taken Hermione's hand in his. The four of them walked in the direction of Hogsmeade. They split ways near the Shrieking Shack after relieving the past. R/H went to Zonko's Joke Shop, and H/G went to Honeydukes.
Harry treated Ginny to cakes and brought chocolates for her to takeaway. Ginny was thrilled. Hermione was thrilled, too, for she and Ron had purchased some excellent joke products to amuse everybody in the Common Room that evening.
Later, it was H/R who made way to Honeydukes, where Hermione treated Ron to his favorite sweets and takeaway chocolates. G/H went to Zonko's Joke Shop. Ginny brought trick candy and some such joke products for Harry, which greatly amused him.
Harry saw Neville and Luna near the Post Office. Luna and Neville were arms in arms, and Luna was talking about Wrackspurts being the reason some people kept looking over their shoulders.
Fred and Angelina were walking up the street, talking about how George and Alicia went to explore Zonko's just now, so they'd wait for them to be finished with their shopping before going there.
"Let me do this, Harry!" Ginny suddenly said and threw a dungbomb at Fred. There was a loud screech from Angelina and a curse from Fred, "I want to know which of my siblings did this! I'm sure it's one of them!" Ginny pulled Harry into a lonely subway and laughed so hard she had tears! "That should teach him not to mess around with me! "Ickle Gin Gin. You and Harry are up to mischief!" He says! Ha! I got him!" Harry, too roared with laughter.
The alleyway wasn't really deserted. A boy with a pale, rat-like face, dark circles under his eyes cursed as a red-haired girl, and a black-haired boy came close to where he stood. The girl and the boy were roaring with laughter, and then they were in a deep embrace! Upon a second look, Draco Malfoy saw Harry's face! That meant the girl in his arms was that Blood Traitor Weasley girl!
He spat in disgust and fury. At this, the boy and the girl broke apart and stared in his direction. Malfoy cursed his own stupidity. Harry shielded Ginny with one hand and held his wand in another, "Who is there?! Show yourself!" He bellowed into the darkness.
Draco Malfoy shut his eyes, hoping against hope that Harry and Ginny would leave the place. He was wrong, and he knew the instant Harry's voice sounded suspiciously close to him, and he opened his eyes. Grey eyes stared into green eyes. "What the hell are you doing in here, Malfoy?"
"Can't a guy have some time himself at all?" Draco Malfoy snarled. Then, with a sneer, he shouted, "WEASLEY AND POTTER SITTING ON A TREE! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" and disapparated.
It was Harry's turn to curse. They were standing close to the window in Madame Puddifoot's. The next second, the window opened, and people were muttering.
"Weasley and Potter?"
"What's Potter doing with that Weasley girl?"
"Weasley is going out with Potter?"
"Potter and Weasley are kissing in secret when everybody already knows their relationship? Something's wrong!"
"Damn it!" Harry said. He took Ginny's hand and left. They both had lost interest in being in Hogsmeade for the day and left for Hogwarts. Harry was furious when he saw Malfoy entering the castle. "Bloody Hell! He ruined everything!" Ginny shook her head, "I am sorry, Harry. I shouldn't have thrown that dungbomb."
"Don't blame yourself, Gin. It's okay." Harry assured her.
Meanwhile, Malfoy was fuming at Harry. "I wanted to propose to Caitrin Morris, and then Potter and that Blood Traitor show up! I wasn't even able to get the chance to meet Caitrin! I don't want to marry Pansy Parkinson! Ever!" He had disapparated to the Hog's Head, Honeydukes, and Zonko's but found Caitrin nowhere and went to the Slytherin Common Room.
Meanwhile, Ron and Hermione entered the Three Broomsticks. The plan was to meet Harry and Ginny there, and the four would make their way back to the castle. Instead, everybody in the bar was muttering, "What were Potter and Weasley doing in secret in that deserted alleyway?"
Knowing that something was wrong and guessing correctly that they would have left for the castle by now, Hermione and Ron immediately rushed up to the palace, where Ginny, because Harry was still fuming, told them about the dungbomb and Malfoy.
"So it was you who threw that Dungbomb?" Fred growled at Ginny. It was dinnertime, and everyone sat in the Great Hall.
"Yeah! Because you were going around teasing Harry and me! But I've landed Harry and me in the soup now that Malfoy created such a ruckus!" Ginny retorted as she moodily stabbed the chicken leg on her plate with her fork.
Landed Ginny and him in soup, that's true, Harry thought. He stared at the Daily Prophet the following morning in the Great Hall, fuming with anger. Earlier, he had walked in with Ginny and noticed two things; whispers and pointed fingers at him and Ginny; and Hermione shaking her hands with tears rolling down her eyes while holding the day's Daily Prophet and Ron growling like an angry lion, red in the face. Harry did not listen to their insistence and grabbed the paper, and now was in a state of fury. Ginny was reading the article behind him, and she had tears in her eyes.
The Frontpage showed Ginny in Harry's arms in a deserted alleyway in Hogsmeade. While they were both laughing, the picture of them showed Ginny crying. The Headline read in bold,
"Potter Scandal!"
"By Rita Skeeter!"
"Valentine's Day is a beautiful day for couples. As our young Hogwarts couples made their way to Hogsmeade on the morning of the fourteenth of February, everyone was expecting a lovely day with their dates. However, Daily Prophet reporter, Rita Skeeter has unearthed something shocking! It seems the Boy-Who-Lived has impregnated his long-time girlfriend, Ginny Weasley! Yes, you heard that right! A 14-year-old Ginny Weasley was crying around mid-day on February Fourteenth in a deserted alleyway in Hogsmeade. She was with 15-year-old Harry Potter. You see, she is now pregnant! Harry Potter was shocked when he found out! Continued in the next page."
On the next page, the article continued. "Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin 5th year gave a statement to Daily Prophet reporter, Rita Skeeter, "I would not put it past Potter, but there is still the chance that it can't be Harry Potter's child. That Blood Traitor is only trying to get the Boy-Who-Lived's property!"
"Daily Prophet reporter, Rita Skeeter further notes that Harry Potter has been having a secret fling with one muggle-born Hermione Granger for a while now. After all, Harry Potter took Hermione Granger to the Yule Ball in December 1994 as his date! If Weasley's unborn child is Potter's, then he is cheating on Granger. Or, as Parkinson said, Weasley might be lying to Potter about who the father is."
Harry slowly put down the paper. His surroundings were filled with blurs of people pointing at him, Ginny and Hermione, and whispering to each other. His ears were ringing, and his face reddened rapidly. His eyes filled up, and he couldn't bring himself to look at Hermione. Ron patted his back even as Harry stood up, "Mate, we're here with you."
Harry couldn't respond to Ron. Hermione was Harry's older sister! Parvati Patil had told Harry of an Indian festival called "Raksha Bandhan" where sisters would tie a band called "Rakhi" on their brothers' wrists, and the brothers, in turn, would vow to protect their sisters. Ginny had had six Rakhis on her wrist.
Harry distinctly remembered Hermione tying a sunflower Rakhi on his right wrist. He looked at his right hand and remembered promising that he would always protect Hermione, his sister. SISTER! That foul Skeeter had dared degrade the name of his sister! A hot wave of fury washed over him.
As for the Yule Ball, Harry and Hermione had gone to the Ball as friends. The only thing they did together was open the Ball! After opening the ball, Hermione had spent the rest of the night with Ron, while Harry had spent the rest of the night with Ginny!
Then, he remembered Ginny, the love of his life! How dare that foul Skeeter degrade his soulmate's name! Ginny was, in no way, pregnant. They had decided not to have sex until they were both seventeen and older! Even if they did have sex regardless of when, it was nobody's effing business, what Harry and Ginny did under the sheets! An enormous wave of fury erupted over him, and he started shaking violently. How dare she befoul the name of the Weasleys!
Harry felt Ron's gentle hand on his back again, directing him forward into what he dimly realized was the Gryffindor Common Room. They sat by the fire on their favorite sofa in shocked silence.
Ron was the first who spoke. "H-Harry, I do not believe that stupid article! I have full faith in you! Ginny, I trust my sister over some rubbish written by that scarlet woman! Hermione, I stand by you come what may! It hurts me that you three have been insulted publicly like this! I'm willing to do anything it takes to help you out of this mess!"
"T-Thanks, Ron!" Ginny sniffed. "Hermione, I don't believe that rubbish that scarlet woman wrote about you or Harry. H-Harry, love, I have never betrayed you, and I know you would never cheat on me."
Hermione's voice was shaking as she spoke, "Thanks, Ginny. Oh, Ron! I would never cheat on Ron and never betray Ginny! Harry is my younger brother! I have spent sleepless nights obsessing over Harry's safety like he is my younger brother and my responsibility! That foul woman has written rubbish in that paper!" She broke down.
Harry finally had found his voice, although it still shook slightly, "Ron, I swear Hermione's like my sister. I have always loved her like a sister! Hermione, you've always been my protective older sister, and I always look up to you whenever I feel the need for someone to protect me! Gin, love, never will I ever betray you! I know you won't cheat on me either."
Harry and Ron hugged each other tightly, just like Hermione and Ginny just then. Hermione and Harry gave one-armed platonic hugs, as did Ginny and Ron. Finally, Ron and Hermione cuddled together, as did Harry and Ginny.
But Harry wasn't about to have an easy time at all. Before he knew it, a girl had begun stalking him everywhere.
"Potter, ditch the ginger and the Granger, and come to me!" She kept following him everywhere.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Harry asked her, angry and annoyed.
"I can give you what Granger and that ginger can't, Potter!" She smiled seductively. Harry cursed. Why was this girl bothering him? And why now?
"Harry!" Ron came out of nowhere and dragged him into the boys' bathroom. "Are you alright? That's Romilda Vane, a third-year! Hermione and I haven't told you this because it would bother you, but Vane wants to sleep with you! Rumors are she is trying to smuggle in Love Potions now that Rita Skeeter has written trash about you, Ginny, and Hermione. Romilda thinks you'll break up with Ginny and Hermione, so she thinks she has got her chance. Thats' why she is after you!"
Harry was shocked. Rita Skeeter had not only dragged three teenagers' names into the muck, but she had also indirectly made people like Romilda Vane come out with their true intentions. H could also sense distress coming from Ginny but couldn't place where she was.
Meanwhile, at Potter Manor, Molly, Emma, Dan, Sirius, and Remus were fuming! Bill and Fleur sat as though they couldn't believe what they just heard from Lupin growling the Daily Prophet. Mrs. Tonks, Mrs. Lupin, Audrey Jones, and Percy Weasley bore shocked expressions.
No, none of them were angry or spiteful towards Harry or Ginny or Ron or Hermione. Absolutely not! They, instead, were sympathetic to the four teens. They were all fuming at the audacity of one Rita Skeeter to befoul the name of four innocent teenagers in possibly the vilest way!
Mrs. Tonks cursed in all the languages she knew. But her daughter did distinctly hear her say, 'Cissy! It was your son!' Mrs. Tonks stormed away.
"P-Prongs! Lily! You would've died of broken hearts if you read what these foul-minded villains are doing to your son, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione!" Sirius stood up and went after Andromeda. Nymphadora, who knew where her mother and uncle were headed, ran after them to stop the two from storming into Malfoy Manor. "Mother! No, wait! Wait, Sirius!"
Bill and Percy stood up and started pacing the hall furiously. Fleur and Audrey were only half successful trying to calm everybody down, as they themselves were fuming inside at the Skeeter woman's shameless behavior.
"I know my daughter! She would never do such a thing before marriage! And poor Harry has already seen enough hell to last a lifetime without this foul scarlet woman making life worse for him! I see Hermione as my surrogate daughter, and she would never, I know, be involved in anything like this! As for my son, Ron, he is a gentleman and has chosen his friends wisely!" Molly fumed. Emma and Dan nodded gratefully to Molly's words.
"I couldn't have put it better, Molly." Emma cried, and Dan put his arm around her shoulder and said, "Our daughter, Hermione, is a sweet and modest girl. We see Ron, Harry, and Ginny as our surrogate children, and they would never indulge in half of what that rubbish states!"
"In the muggle world, no adult ever has the right to defame a minor the way that Skeeter does! If an adult goes so far, the said individual or guardians can file a defamation case on such villains! How come in the Wizarding World, adults can spread such dirty rumors on minors and children?" Dan and Emma kept questioning. Sirius and Remus assured everybody that they would do everything in their power to get back at Skeeter and bring justice to the four teenagers.
At Hogwarts, as Harry came out of the bathroom, he was glad Romilda was nowhere around. But when he turned the fifth-floor corridor, he saw Romilda sneering at Hermione.
"Your days are numbered, bitch! Potter will break up with you! It's only a matter of time before I sleep with him! I know you want to sleep with him first! Ha! In your dreams!" She taunted an already upset Hermione who kept saying, "No! Stop it! Harry is my brother! Don't you dare talk about him like this!"
"See? You still defend him but not yourself!" Romilda laughed. Harry was furious. He went and stood beside Hermione, "Yeah, I love Hermione. She is my sister! Now, sod off if you know what's good for you, Romilda Vane!"
"Only until the effects of Granger's love potion wears off, Potter! Then, you're mine!" Romilda laughed and left.
"I'm sorry you have to listen to crap like this, Harry." Hermione cried, "You're my little brother! I can't bear to see somebody bully my brother! It's my duty to protect you and here I'm doing nothing!"
"No, Hermione. You're my sister and it becomes my duty to protect you. Please don't apologize. I should do something before the situation worsens! Merlin knows how many more people like Romilda Vane are into this!"
Hermione stopped crying and took a deep breath, "It's not just me, Harry. Do you know why I was in this corridor in the first place? I saw Romilda call Ginny a s***, accuse Ginny of the same 'Love Potion conspiracy' she accused me of doing, and tell her that it's not going to be long before she becomes Lady Potter. Romilda wants your wealth and title, Harry. Poor Ginny. She was already having a bad day thanks to that stupid article, and Snape taunting her at Potions, and Romilda Vane had to do this!"
Harry was shocked and furious, "How dare she talk to Ginny like that! How dare Snape behave like that with Ginny!"
"Ron, Ginny, and I are keeping most of these pathetic dolts away from you, Harry. We don't want you having to suffer because of them. But Romilda Vane is one extreme. She goes out of her way to make life horrible for you and for us! Yesterday, she almost drowned Ron in the lake because he politely told her not to bother you."
"DROWNED RON?!" Harry screamed in horror and shock. Hermione shuddered but continued. "Thankfully, Ginny and I rescued him. But by then Romilda had left the place. Probably that's why she cornered us here today, to take revenge on us."
"I'm going to give her a piece of my mind for troubling my friends!" Harry growled.
"No, Harry. We'll take care of that. Please don't get involved." Hermione pleaded.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked Hermione. She nodded and left, "I need to go to the library, Harry."
"Quick question, Hermione. I can sense Ginny, but don't know where she is, so can you tell me where she is?"
"Last I remember she ran off crying, Harry. I don't know where she could be. Maybe the Common Room?" Hermione left hastily.
Harry took off to look for Ginny. His first stop was the Gryffindor Common Room but she wasn't there. He went to the library, but saw Hermione alone, reading a Charms essay she had just written. Harry had to marvel at the speed Hermione wrote all her essays.
He tore up the stairs as he saw Parvati Patil skipping along the corridors. Momentarily distracted, he watched Parvati go up to the seventh floor but stop. "Sorry, Ginny. Having a hard day?"
"Uh, yes, Parvati. Mind if I stay alone here for some time?" came Ginny's voice from above.
"Sure, hey, if you need me, I'm there. We're all friends." Parvati assured and came back. She didn't see Harry, who immediately went to the seventh floor.
"No, really, Parvati, I'm fine." Ginny started but stopped. It wasn't Parvati. It was Harry. "Gin, are you alright?" He looked at her with concern and sat beside her.
"Just having a bad day, Harry. Snape as usual." Ginny said. Harry stared, "Snape, yes, but he's not the only thing bothering you. I know about Romilda Vane and what she has been doing to you, Hermione, and Ron. You were in that corridor, weren't you? After she hurt you, Romilda hurt Hermione."
"What?!" Ginny's famous Weasley temper was rising.
"Yeah, Hermione told me about how people are taunting you, how much Romilda is bothering you, and even about Ron almost drowning yesterday."
"Oh!" Ginny said and looked down, "We have been doing our best to prevent her from getting to you, Harry. Unfortunately..."
"Listen," Harry cut her in between, "I don't care what Romilda Vane or anybody else does or says. I love Hermione like a sister. I love you, Gin. That will never change, just like me loving Ron as my best friend will never change. Don't worry, I won't fall for Romilda's traps. And once this mess clears up, everything will be forgotten." He put his arm around her and pulled her closer as Ginny burst into tears. They sat for a long time in silence.
Many people approached Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione, and the four heard everything from consolations to jeers and taunts. While a lot of people like Rubeus Hagrid, the Weasley twins, Neville, Luna, the Patil twins, Lavender, Seamus, Dean, Colin Creevey, Dennis Creever, Demelza Robbins, Hannah, Susan, Terry, Anthony, Ernie, Zacharius, Micheal, and even Cho were sympathetic and said everything along the lines of "We know you guys aren't half as what that article full of bollocks claims about you. We know Rita Skeeter is a foul reporter known for her lies and rumors."; the four teenagers also had to endure taunts and jeers from the likes of Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle.
That's why Harry turned furiously when he heard Draco Malfoy call out to him, "Yeah? Come to have a laugh and Ginny and me? Or Hermione and me?" Ginny, Hermione, and Ron were glaring daggers at Malfoy.
Draco Malfoy, however, looked shocked, guilty, and upset. "Potter, please, you've got to listen to me. It's true that I shouted 'Weasley and Potter sitting on a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G."
Ron interrupted him with a growl, "Then why the hell are you repeating it here, Malfoy?"
"Please, allow me to finish, Weasley." Draco Malfoy pleaded and looked back at Harry. "Potter, I said that to distract you and Weasley here," he indicated Ginny, "however, I have had, and do not have any intention of hurting, insulting, or mocking, any of you!"
"And why should we trust you, Malfoy?" Ginny's famous Weasley temper was on the surface, but Malfoy looked close to tears. "I swear, Weasley! Potter and I have been rivals since our first day at Hogwarts, but I have nothing against you and Potter! I have nothing to do with that bullcrap article and Rita Skeeter!"
"Malfoy!" Fred and George had just turned the corridor and roared at Malfoy's sight. Draco paled, "I was busy that day and furious that Potter and Weasley had disrupted my work. I needed a distraction, and that's why I spoke like that. I have nothing to do with Rita Skeeter and her article! I swear!"
In a split second, Fred and George were rubbing their knuckles with fury, and Malfoy ran away howling, "S-Soooorrrrryyyyyyy!"
"Thanks, Fred, George. Fred, sorry for that dungbomb." Ginny sobbed. "Don't, Ginny!" George and Fred growled.
Ginny and Hermione called in for an early night, and Harry and Ron decided to do the same. George and Fred followed them up the stairs and proceeded to their dormitory to call it a day.
Meanwhile, Malfoy cried as he ran without looking. He slipped and fell at multiple places, tripped over people and fallen objects but didn't care, and did not stop until he was back on his bed in the Slytherin dormitory, the curtains drawn around him.
The following week went by in a sort of haze, and Harry was glad it was the weekend again. He woke up late on Saturday morning and looked around. Apart from him, Ron was the only one in the dormitory. "Morning, Ron!" Harry said. Ron opened his eyes, "Huh? Morning already? Morning, Harry!"
"Oh, I'm so glad it's the weekend. I was tired of hastily eating my meals and rushing off to classes or the Common Room the entire week." Harry shook his head.
"I know, right!" Ron was now arranging his bed, and Harry was already halfway through arranging his own bed. Just then, a distraction arrived in the form of a girl with very bushy brown hair and a smaller, red[1]haired girl. "Morning, boys!" They chirped.
"Morning, girls!" Harry and Ron answered with a smile. The four of them were glad the weekend was upon them at last.
"Harry, is it just me, or are these two glowing brighter and are looking livelier than usual?" Ron asked Harry, "It just makes them look a hundred times beautiful!"
Harry had to give this one to Ron, "Oh, I'm so glad you think so too, Ron! I was wondering if it's just me as well!"
Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and pushed him onto Ron's bed as she and Ginny settled themselves on Harry's bed. Hermione held Friday's Daily Prophet edition in her hand, which she threw at Harry, "Read this!" She demanded excitedly. Ron looked over Harry's shoulder to read what Harry read.
There was a significant article on Page two, with a small clipping Hermione had stapled from another edition of the Daily Prophet, which was Tuesday's edition.
Tuesday's edition read, "Investors of the Daily Prophet, Lord Black, Mr. Lupin, and Mrs. McDougal have withdrawn their investments from the Daily Prophet on the occasion of the popular newspaper allowing depredatory articles to be written on others, especially children."
"Lord Black did not comment anything further than 'Even if Mr. Potter is an adult given his 'Lord' status, he is still my Godson and my child! Miss Weasley, Miss Granger, and Mr. Weasley are akin to my children, and I will not tolerate this atrocity! Mrs. Weasley and Mr. and Mrs. Granger wholeheartedly agree with my decision as a number of my other friends and colleagues!' to the reporters."
"Mr. Lupin was unavailable for comment, although Auror Lupin (Mrs. Lupin) stated the couple says more or less the same thing Lord Black said."
"The revenue of the Daily Prophet has drastically dropped to 42% from 98%, and that is saying something."
Harry and Ron grinned as they looked up at a beaming Hermione and Ginny. "Here, have some sandwiches as you read Friday's edition!" Harry and Ron held a couple of sandwiches and began munching them as they read further.
Friday's edition was the end to their worries. Rita Skeeter had been demoted and fired unceremoniously, while Mr. Gardens, the head of the Daily Prophet, apologized profusely over the behavior of his employees, or rather, one particular employee who was an ex-employee now. He further declared that facts would subsequently be verified before making it to the printing press. No rumors will be encouraged, and should anybody be found guilty of publishing rumors and baseless fiction. Such a person will be demoted and fired effectively without the months' pay.
The rest of the paper had comments from Mr. Black, Mr. and Mrs. Lupin, Mrs. Tonks, Mrs. Weasley, and even Mrs. Longbottom. They all applauded the efforts taken by young Mr. Gardens. Albus Dumbledore showed up and insisted yet again, as Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Molly, and the others had been insisting, that neither was Ginny or Hermione pregnant nor was Hermione dating Harry. Sirius and the Lupins said they would wait and see before considering investing in the company shares again. McDougal was moving to the Americas, so she didn't bother commenting (Tonks commented with a laugh).
"Guys?" It was Neville's voice. "I told my grandma to comment on the issue, and I'm glad your names have been cleared."
"Thanks, Nev!" Harry and Ron hugged him together, "You're a true friend, mate!"
"It was nothing." Neville grinned.
"It meant the world to us, Nev!" Ginny and Hermione hugged Neville, who was as red as a tomato.
The five students made their way down to the Entrance Hall, where they met Luna. She grinned at them, "I asked Daddy to publish a second edition of The Quibbler for this month, in which the recent happenings and interviews will be mentioned. This is to make sure no one talks ill about Ginny, Harry, Hermione, or Ron."
"Thanks, Luna!" They all said in unison, and Luna joined the five students out to the lakeside, where they sat and enjoyed nature. Harry, for his part, was sure he heard a moan come from somewhere below the lake. Or was it a groan? But it didn't matter. They were enjoying their time chatting and joking. Harry, Ron, and Ginny later had Quidditch practice, after which the six students would retire to the library for exam preparations. Their Saturday, however, went completely different from Draco Malfoy's Saturday.
Malfoy had woken late on Saturday morning to find Pansy Parkinson holding a Chicken leg in her hand. Even as Draco Malfoy got down from his bed, she thrust the chicken leg into his mouth. Mouth full of chicken and eyes still drooping, Draco Malfoy choked. Pansy hit his back rather hard and over-enthusiastically before sitting next to him with her head on his shoulder. Revulsion filled Draco. He didn't want to be anywhere closer to Parkinson. He shrugged her off as he hastily swallowed his chicken, "Err, thanks for the chicken, but stop this! I'm not comfortable with you and these gestures. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like some privacy!" Pansy huffed and left.
Malfoy had never before spent ten minutes alone scrubbing his right shoulder with soap and water, where Pansy's head had been. He felt contaminated. Why wouldn't Pansy understand his rejection of her advances? How would it have looked if the genders were reversed and a Male Pansy was after a Female Draco like this? That would've been called stalking and disgusting behavior. But because it was a girl stalking a boy, no one seemed to see a problem in it.
As he finished taking a bath, he thought of Caitrin. Well, she had no last name and was a muggle-born girl. The thought of her bushy, golden hair on her shoulders, her pink face lighting up at the sight of him, her blue eyes watering when she was sad, and her style made Draco Malfoy blush. This was affecting him below the waist.
"Stop! You're flattering me!" A girlish voice said, making Draco jump, slip, and fall into the bathtub in shock. Spluttering, Draco looked up to see Moaning Myrtle blushing silver, "Getting an erection thinking of me, eh?"
"Myrtle, what the hell are you doing here?!" Draco demanded furiously.
"Exactly what I did watching Potter and that Diggory boy last year!" Myrtle yawned.
"Do you mean to say you have spied on Diggory and Potter as well?" Draco said, realization hitting him like a wall of bricks, "Can't a boy take a bath in peace and privacy?" He groaned loudly.
"Okay, okay, I'm going!" Myrtle said as she drifted away, still giggling at him. Draco cursed loudly. "If Moaning Myrtle had been a boy, and I had been a girl, how would that have looked?!" He screamed angrily to Myrtle's retreating back. "Of course, a boy stalking a girl is harassment, but a girl stalking a boy suddenly is cute, am I right?" He shook his head.
His mind still occupied with Caitrin, he got dressed quickly and left the Slytherin Common Room. As he walked, he heard Hermione's chiding voice, "Harry! Ron! Ginny! Homework is important!"
"But we have Quidditch practice!" The three protested, and Hermione shook her head. The Gryffindors had Quidditch practice today? Draco stared.
Caitrin was a big Quidditch fan, although she didn't prefer to play on the team. But she was a Gryffindor and would be there today! Excitement bubbled up within him as he followed Harry, Ginny, and Ron to the Quidditch pitch.
As Harry, Ron, Ginny, Angelina, Fred, Alicia, George, and Katie Bell flew around the goalposts, Katie Bell occasionally replacing Ginny, Draco Malfoy went over to the stands. He walked until he saw a girl sitting at the far end of the second row, looking up at Ginny with admiration. His heart skipped a beat. He began sweating, "Merlin, she looked a hundred times beautiful!"
Caitrin looked up at Malfoy and smiled at him. This made Malfoy stutter like a fool. "H-Hi, C-Caitrin!"
Malfoy shook his head. He was hopelessly in love with this Gryffindor muggle-born girl. His parents wanted him to marry Slytherin Pureblood Pansy Parkinson. Either he will have to go against them and live a life full of regret, unhappiness, and discontent, or he could break the barriers and live life the way he wanted.
Malfoy was sick of being a Death Eater. He had been forced to witness countless innocent murders, decapitation, rapes, torture, and lynchings by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Lucius was heavily involved in these activities, and Narcissa made Health Potions for injured Death Eaters. He was tired of the pureblood mania and had once overheard Albus Dumbledore telling a sniffing Minerva McGonagall the story of one Regulus Black who had become a Death Eater by 16 but changed his ways and died a hero fighting for the right cause.
Regulus Arcturus Black was Draco Malfoy's role model in life now. As his peripheral vision showed Caitrin looking at him with concern, he vowed to himself that he was done with being a Death Eater. He had tried the Avada Kedavra and had thankfully failed. Ronald Bilius Weasley was right in front of him, playing amazingly well. Ron was an excellent Keeper, Draco noted.
How would he get in touch with Regulus' brother, Sirius? He knew he needed someone like Sirius to help him. As he watched Harry Potter catch the Golden Snitch about fifty feet in the air, he knew who he had to ask.
