After the task, the students started flocking back towards the castle. Hermione stuck around with Harry and Ron. The judges seemed to be convening about something nearby, and Hermione cocked half an ear to see if she could catch them.
Right then, it seemed as if they were going over the Merpeople's feedback again. Bagman had started talking logistics for the third task-
Someone tapped her shoulder. She spun around, seeing Viktor, who was fully human once more.
"Viktor! Congratulations, you did very well!" She smiled. "Great idea with the shark."
He grinned. "Thank you, Hermyone. I haff practiced for quite a vhile to perfect the transfiguration."
"I remember seeing you in the lake," Hermione grinned.
Vikor's hostage ambled over, after finally escaping Poppy's clutches. "Hello, Viktor," she said in a low voice. "Who are your friends?" Hermione was surprised to hear an Austrian accent.
"This is Herm-eye-ne," Viktor said very slowly. "Please let me introduce Nerida Harfang, my fellow student from Durmstrang."
Hermione avoided Viktor's eyes and smiled thinly. This was the girl that Viktor would've used as back-up to confront her on Yule, and who somehow replaced her as his hostage. "It's great to meet you," she said, and reached out to shake hands. "These are my friends Harry and Ron."
Nerida nodded as well. "It is nice to meet you also. Hermione, you are Viktor's friend from the ball, ja?"
"Guilty as charged," Hermione smiled fondly. "Will you be staying in Britain for long?" Ron and Harry inched away slowly, and Hermione tried hard not to roll her eyes. If someone told her that they were allergic to small talk, she would believe them in a heartbeat.
"Oh ja, I'll stay till the end of this year. Viktor needs a sparring partner for the next task, of course."
"You must be well matched," Hermione said. And they did seem to suit each other, although Nerida was short and slim, while Viktor was broad and duck-footed.
They chatted for a short while longer. Hermione noticed that Viktor's gaze never left her face, but she stoically looked right at Nerida.
Finally, she glanced up for just a moment to meet his eyes.
She felt a poke at her mental shields, almost like he was knocking on the door. If you would, Hermione, meet us at the circle? Came Viktor's voice.
She nodded, but didn't respond. "If you'll excuse me," said Hermione, awkwardly breaking away from the pair.
By the time she reached the boys, Ron was in great spirits. She shook off the weird feeling from her conversation and settled next to them both on the grass.
If nothing else, at least Harry and Ron would always be her lovingly predictable best friends.
"Blimey, I never want to swim again." Harry slumped back onto the many towels Poppy provided.
Ron was wringing water out of his robes. "I wish they'd've let us stay awake under there. I missed the whole thing."
Hermione snorted. "You're not the only one. You'd think they would have a bit better showmanship, honestly. We sat and watched the lake for three quarters of an hour."
"Didn't think about that. Hey, do you think they'll stick you in the forest next, and we can just wait for you to come out? That'd look a sight." Ron said, elbowing Harry in the side.
Harry grinned. "Ah, the forest? That's a walk in the park. All we'd need to do is:"
"Follow the spiders." They said together.
They all got a good laugh out of that. Hermione looked around, and realized all the other champions had left; it was just them and the judges. "Let's go back to Gryffindor, you both look like you could use a bath."
Ron clutched at his towel. "And walk through looking like Peeves caught us with water balloons? No thanks."
"Oh honestly, are you a wizard or not? Facio nebulam aquae." She incanted, and both Harry and Ron's clothes steamed up, leaving them perfectly dry.
"Wicked. Thanks, Hermione."
Hermione looked back as they got up to leave, Harry and Ron dusting themselves off. At the judges' table, Ludo Bagman had turned around to face them. When she looked, he shifted his eyes away to look towards the castle quickly. He had been looking increasingly shifty throughout the year, and Hermione vaguely remembered that he owed the goblins for his gambling debt.
She felt a bit off about the whole ordeal, but there was nothing to do about it now. Trying not to dwell, Hermione threw herself into conversation with Harry and Ron for the rest of the evening, even playing a game of chess with Ron later that night. The important part, she reminded herself, was they had caught Skeeter. Being displaced as Viktor's hostage hadn't proved a fatal mistake.
Now that the second task was over, Harry seemed to be in much better spirits. He was even looking forward to Defense Against the Dark Arts, although that could be because they were covering counter curses. Hermione was also looking forward to it, but not for the class itself. Afterwards, she and Draco were going to talk to Skeeter. They decided that all three conspirators - herself, Draco, and Severus - should confront her at once. Herself and Draco would take the forefront, and Severus would only step in if their first attempts didn't work.
The evening prior found Hermione curled up on the armchair in Severus's office, Earl Gray in hand. Draco had used their new mental speech to ask she join them and plan everything out.
"So, Severus, now that we have Skeeter, how do you suggest we handle her?" Draco asked. They had decided it was easier to ask Severus's opinion before trying to share their own, which were usually met with plenty of derision. Then they could summarily reject the idea if needed.
Severus was silent for a moment.
"I do not recommend leaving our own identities to chance. Hermione, assume the Heroine persona, and I believe you should take the lead to begin. I'm sure you will be able to summon up the earnest, self righteous Gryffindor mentality.
"If we need to force her, we should be prepared to do that as well."
Draco piped up, "I can handle that."
"Severus, we need a failsafe. If all goes awfully, I trust you to make her forget she ever met us." Hermione said seriously. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.
They sat in silence for the rest of the night.
—
Finally, Defense class was over, and they were free to meet at the Room or Requirements. The room Draco summoned up was a sleek dining room, and reminded her of Malloy manor. Hermione donned her Heroine face, charming her school robes a regal brown. Draco opted for a much simpler disguise, changing some features but covering most of his face with a cloak. Severus simply melted into the shadows.
He pulled out Skeeter's jar, now opaque so she didn't get any clever ideas of their location. "Alright, one, two, three-" and Draco opened the jar.
Immediately, Hermione spelled Skeeter back into human form.
"Fancy seeing you here, Rita," Hermione said in the Heroine's low voice.
Rita gave no indication that she had been locked in a small jar for the last few days. Quick as a flash, Hermione locked her wrists into the sturdy wooden chair. "Oh, how lovely to see you again, Heroine. How can I help you today?"
Hermione has considered carefully how to convince Skeeter to agree with them willingly. The offer of silence for the occasional favor that had worked so well when she was a fourth year wasn't going to cut it.
It came down to what both of them wanted. Skeeter thrived on attention and clout from headlines. The higher the readership, the better her reputation, and more she stands to gain. To secure Skeeter's aid, Hermione had to convince her that it's the best personal decision: security for her animagus form, and promises of career advancement.
So what future would Rita Skeeter sell her secret for?
In the end, it differed very little from the truth.
"This spring, the Minister for Magic is going to make an egregious error. His lack of a response towards the biggest threat of our lifetime will send the Wizarding World of Britain spiraling ever downward. And you, Rita Hawthorn Skeeter, are going to stop it."
Rita crossed her legs calmly. "And what do I stand to gain from that? Unrest makes for excellent news."
"You could do nothing, continue to scuttle across the ears of decision makers for the rest of your life. You may even be profitable with that." Hermione said derisively.
Rita was very still, and Hermione was surprised she had seemed so complacent thus far. "But you would be a fool. When June falls and I hand the story of a lifetime in your lap, you will take it."
She shrugged. "If I feel like it, sure."
"I don't know if you realize the reality of the situation, Rita. Don't you remember, failing to register your animagus form within three days can lead to a year in Azkaban?"
"And what will you want after I write this article, hmm? Then it'll be hush money, then it's a favor here and there. I'm not sure how you convinced the Malloy boy to catch me, or even how he managed it, but it might've passed your mind that kidnapping is illegal, too." Rita snarled.
She felt, rather than heard, Draco step up behind her.
Time for some persuasion, I think.
"This is a waste of time," Draco said smoothly. "Skeeter, I have an owl that will leave in twenty minutes sharing your animagus form with the head of the DMLE. Agree to work with us and I call off my owl… if not, enjoy Azkaban. Do you think you've covered your tracks well enough, or will they find the dozen laws you've broken gathering intel for your stories?"
Rita tapped her heel on the ground. "Well with an offer like that, how can I refuse? Sure, I'll write your article."
Hermione clapped her hands. "Excellent! Then you won't mind taking a Wizard's Oath to the fact, yes?"
Rita's lips parted in surprise. And before either of them had a chance to react, she had transformed into a beetle once more.
"Not so fast," Draco growled, slashing his wand at Rita's direction. Then the woman was back. She was on the ground, wailing. Clutching her arm as if burned. Draco rolled his eyes and cast a healing charm. "It was barely a scratch, you're fine." He kept his wand aimed at her.
Rita stood unsteadily and brushed off her robes.
"Very well, I'll do it. But this had better be one fantastic story."
"Then your oath, please. To publish the content we supply to you, keep from your publications the information I or my companion ask for, and to never reveal the identity, likeness, or information concerning those in the room, to any consciousness outside of this room." Draco handed her her wand, his own never leaving her heart.
She swore, and a wash of gold fizzed in and out of existence as her magic held her to those words.
"Brilliant," Hermione said smugly. "Now, I have a rather clever idea to make sure no one else cottons on to your little secret. We can let you wander around unprotected, or we could put the knowledge under an informational fidelus."
Rita cocked her head and said slowly, "an informational fidelus, you say? To hide a fact behind a secret-keeper?"
"Exactly right. Your choice." Draco said sharply. "Although I will have to step away to call off my owl, so you'd best choose soon."
"Then no. I've kept it secret from most everyone well enough on my own. I don't need you gate-keeping it. Can I go, now?"
Hermione nodded. "Of course. We'll be in touch, naturally.
"I do have one question, though. Aren't you going to ask how we know that Fudge will fail?"
She let out a bark of laughter. "Old Cornelius has been teetering on the edge of a scandal for months now. Whether or not your prediction happens to come true, it's doubtless there will be something to write about. I really couldn't care less."
AN: Facio nebulam aquae means "I make mist of water" in Latin. I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone still reading after all this time. Your comments are heartwarming. Hope everyone is staying safe during the pandemic, hurricanes, and whatever other disasters 2020 throws at us.