A/N: Essentially, what you recognize belongs to the goddess that is J.K. Rowling, and what you don't belongs to insignificant little me.
•~0~•
Monday morning, Genevieve sat in the Great Hall, shaking her head.
"Hermione, why would you say such a thing directly to the house-elves?"
"Because they deserve everything people have, and they deserve to know it!" Hermione said defiantly.
Genevieve sighed. "All right, I'll get the food for Sirius from now on; they won't be wanting you three in the kitchens anymore, but what's the point of telling them they deserve something when they don't even want it?"
Hermione started to answer, but owls swooped in, and the girl looked up expectantly.
"Percy won't've had time to answer yet," Ron reminded her. "We only sent Hedwig yesterday."
"No, it's not that. I've taken out a subscription to the Daily Prophet. I'm getting sick of finding everything out from the Slytherins."
"Good thinking!" Harry said. "Hey, Hermione, I think you're in luck - "
An owl was flying straight toward Hermione.
"It hasn't got a newspaper, though. It's - "
The original owl landed in front of her, and multiple owls landed with it. To Genevieve's surprise, the same thing happened to her. Owls fought to get their letters to her first.
"This doesn't make sense," she said, confused. "I've only just replied to Charlie a few days ago."
Genevieve opened a letter.
You should be ashamed of yourself, helping that wicked Muggle girl trick Harry Potter. Kill yourself.
Genevieve smiled serenely. "Same to you." She picked up the lot and went to chuck them in the rubbish bin, but one broke open, spilling bubotuber pus all over her right hand. Hermione was having the same problems, but on both hands.
Together, the two girls made their way to the hospital wing. Genevieve would have to make up Ancient Runes later. It was no problem; the professor rather liked her.
Madam Pomfrey simply sighed when Genevieve entered the hospital wing, ushering them into beds.
"What have you lot done this time?" she asked in a disapproving voice.
"It's not us, that lying magazine article angered a lot of people." Hermione said.
Madam Pomfrey shook her head and began applying an ointment to their hands, then bandaging them. She tutted under her breath.
Once Madam Pomfrey cleared them, Genevieve rushed to class, muttering furiously about a cow named Rita Skeeter.
•~0~•
Letters continued to arrive, and Genevieve and Hermione continued to toss them, though they did receive the occasional Howler, which, of course, they were forced to listen to anyway. When Hermione asked Genevieve how she wasn't annoyed in the slightest and, in actuality, was unbothered by the hurtful words and stinging insults, Genevieve shrugged.
"It's rather entertaining, actually. They get more creative everyday. But trust me, Skeeter's paying for the undiluted bubotuber pus."
"I just want to know how she's listening to private conversations when she's banned from the grounds," Hermione said with a trace of irritation.
"Yeah, that is weird. She knew exactly what Angelina said about me. Maybe you could ask Moody; can't his eye see through Invisibility Cloaks and things like that?"
Hermione nodded thoughtfully.
"I suppose that, if something was annoying me, it would be people asking me to mix up Love Potions for them," Genevieve said as a young girl approached her and she waved her off.
It happened at least three times a day, and Genevieve's usual retort was, "You're pathetic enough to need one?" but the constant flood of dreamy-eyed girls surrounding her was getting old.
The biggest disappointment, however, was Mrs. Weasley's Easter eggs. She sent them annually, but this year, Genevieve's egg was less than half its usual size, as was Hermione's. It hurt her that Mrs. Weasley would believe such a farfetched article.
Percy's letter about Mr. Crouch was exactly as Genevieve predicted it would be: revealing nothing and appalled that they had the nerve to ask.
Meanwhile, the heavy workload was ever increasing. It was as if the teachers expected them to take their N.E.W.T.s this year rather than the next. Between Moody's attacks of a lesson, nonverbal spells, Ancient Runes (an entirely different language), Human Transfiguration, and ever complicated potions, it was a miracle Genevieve had any free time at all, and she usually spent it with the twins, Katie, crosswords with Myrtle (the often mopey ghost who enjoyed her company and her crosswords), or Ron, Harry, and Hermione.
Near the end of May, Harry told them he was to go down to the Quidditch field at eight to learn about the final task. When he returned, though, he looked seriously disturbed.
Harry told them about Krum and him talking when Mr. Crouch, almost insane, had stopped him and insisted to see Dumbledore. When Harry had left Krum to watch over him, he and Dumbledore had returned to find Krum Stunned and Crouch gone.
Hermione looked like she had a headache. "It comes down to this. Either Mr. Crouch attacked Viktor, or somebody attacked both of them when Viktor wasn't looking."
"It must've been Crouch," Ron claimed instantly. "That's why he was gone when Harry and Dumbledore got there. He'd done a runner."
"I think it's the latter," Genevieve input. "If he was anywhere near as bad as Harry says he was, there's no way he could've gotten away that fast."
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "He seemed really weak - I don't reckon he was up to Disapparating or anything."
Hermione responded with exasperation. "You can't Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds - "
" - haven't I told you enough times?" Genevieve finished goodnaturedly. The girl sent her a fake glare.
"Okay . . . how's this for a theory," Ron presented enthusiastically. "Krum attacked Mr. Crouch - no, wait for it - and then Stunned himself!"
"And Mr. Crouch evaporated, did he?" Hermione retorted, looking at him.
"Oh yeah . . ."
•~0~•
The next morning, she woke early. Fred and George had roped her into helping send a letter to Bagman, blackmailing him into paying them back. Genevieve and George were strongly against this idea.
"We can't do it," George said, "that's blackmail, that is, we could get into a lot of trouble for that - "
" - we've tried being polite; it's time to play dirty, like him. He wouldn't like the Ministry of Magic knowing what he did - "
"This won't end well, and how far are you willing to sink to win in the end?"
"It's not about that; it's about getting what's ours back!"
"I'm telling you, if you put that in writing, it's blackmail!"
"Yeah, and you won't be complaining if we get a nice fat payoff, will you?"
They opened the door to the Owlery to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione looking nervously back at them.
"What're you doing here?" Ron and Fred said in unplanned unison.
"Sending a letter," Harry, George, and Genevieve replied at the same time.
"What, at this time?" Hermione and Fred said.
Fred compromised. "Fine - we won't ask you what you're doing, if you don't ask us."
They all stood around for a moment.
"Well, don't let us hold you up," Fred gestured grandiosely to the door.
Ron looked for a moment as if he were deciding if he dared or not. He seemed to decide he did dare, because he said, "Who're you blackmailing?"
The twins and Genevieve looked at each other.
"Don't be stupid, I was only joking," George lied.
"Didn't sound like that," Ron said.
They glanced at each other again. "I've told you before, Ron, keep your nose out if you like it the shape it is. Can't see why you would, but - "
"It's my business if you're blackmailing someone," countered Ron. "George's right, you could end up in serious trouble for that."
"Told you, I was joking," George repeated. He tied the letter to a nearby owl. "You're starting to sound a bit like our dear older brother, you are, Ron. Carry on like this and you'll be made a prefect."
"No, I won't!" Ron protested as though it were the greatest insult.
"Well, stop telling people what to do then. See you later."
With that, Fred and George exited. Genevieve lingered.
"Here's a bit of food to send to Snuffles," she pulled out of her bag about a dozen cakes and some more chicken, along with pumpkin juice. She also produced a letter. "Can you send this for me too? It's telling him to keep taking care of Buckbeak."
She grinned at them, and hurried off to study before class began.
•~0~•
The news had echoed across the school. Skeeter's newest article painted Harry as "Disturbed and Dangerous", untrustworthy also a part of the list. She claimed that he was looking for attention or was insane, or both, and that Dumbledore should question whether to allow Harry in the tournament or at Hogwarts at all.
That morning, Genevieve was sitting with Ron, Harry, and Hermione as the Slytherins sniggered at Harry for his scar hurting during Divination, which had spurred the article itself.
"How did she know your scar hurt in Divination?" Ron asked, confused. "There's no way she could've heard - "
"The window was open," suggested Harry. "I opened it to breathe."
"You were at the top of North Tower!" Hermione exclaimed. "Your voice couldn't have carried all the way down to the grounds!"
Genevieve shut them out, mumbling to herself as she concentrated.
"There's got to be a common factor. The first was Hagrid, and Harry and Ron overheard him that night too, outside . . . and . . . and . . ."
Genevieve's eyes widened. "And the second time was the second task, when Krum and Hermione . . . outside, and the - the . . ."
Harry and Ron looked back and forth between her and Hermione, who was also having a realization. She was muttering as well.
". . . but she's not allowed . . . she's definitely not allowed . . . I think we've got her! Just give me two seconds in the library - just to make sure!"
Hermione and Genevieve nodded at each other, and dashed off. When they had arrived at the library, Genevieve snatched from a shelf a book about Animagi, while Hermione grabbed the copy of the Animagus Registry.
They looked at each other. Genevieve started.
"Harry and Ron, they were outside when they overheard Hagrid talking to Madame Maxime!"
"And Viktor - when Viktor was talking to me, he swept a beetle out of my hair!"
"When I was making the Amortentia in Potions, there was a beetle on the desk!"
"And she could've been on the ledge of North Tower!"
"And the Slytherins - the Slytherins have been talking to her in the palm of their hands!"
"But she's definitely not registered," Hermione finished. They checked the Registry, which was blissfully devoid of the name "Rita Skeeter" or "Lying Cow".
"We've got her!"
"But we have to catch her in the act," Hermione said, biting her lip.
"I suppose we'll just have to keep an eye out," Genevieve said, sighing. She checked her watch. "We'd better hurry; we'll be late for our exams."
And they rushed away.