The Weekly Word: Toads and Scones

By Rita Skeeter

For years toads have been regarded as a great starter pet for any witch or wizard. These days, however, they have declined greatly in popularity. No one is quite sure for why this fail in interest from the general youth.

This is why when you see a toad these days you remember who owns it. I may even be as bold to say you remember that this person is a bit behind the times. Toads are, however, very smart and loyal things despite their now lack of faith from buyers and pet owners.

No one else can prove this more than Neville Longbottom. His toad, Trevor, has stayed with him since his first year of Hogwarts. This makes his toad eight years old, an incredibly high age for such an animal. Neville returned to Hogwarts School for one more year due to the circumstances of his last year at Hogwarts so he could peruse a career of herbology. Returning with him was Trevor the toad.

Perhaps Trevor is a lucky omen to Longbottom who just barely past his previous seven years at Hogwarts. The lucky toad also may have given Longbottom a little bit of confidence to pursue a very off-limits person in a deep relationship.

Last issue readers were shocked at the knowledge of the (slightly questionable) relationship between Potter and Malfoy. But there has been a confirmed report of Neville sitting in the Hogsmeade shop of Madam Puddifoot's with Ginny Weasley. The person who claims to have seen this (apart from wishing to remain anonymous) reported that they were "Locked in a sweet embrace while Ginny cried her eyes out". This was around the same time that Harry Potter had allegedly left her to pursue a relationship with Draco Malfoy.

It seems that Hogwarts is having a free for all. How can these friends possibly stay together with the knowledge of such a betrayal? Potter and Malfoy was one thing, but Longbottom and Weasley?

Perhaps we'll find they can pull themselves together. Find out in the next issue of The Weekly Word!

Responses to the Last Issue of The Weekly Word: Hogwarts Hubbies?

How could Harry simply forsake his relationship with Ginny? They had SO MUCH. And why would he go for DRACO? I hope they are all reading this and know how sick and wrong it is to be doing this! Thank you Rita, for letting the world see the true side of Potter.

- Cassie from Essex

It's all a ploy to get Ginny to say she misses Harry. Then Harry will drop Malfoy like a used portkey.

Yolanda from Ipswich

Why can't Harry and Malfoy speak for themselves? You should interview them; otherwise everyone could be making false assumptions. What if they're just friends?

I think you're honestly blowing this out of proportion Rita.

- Name and Address Disclosed

"She strikes again." Ron muttered disgustedly as he strode into the common room late Saturday morning. It'd been a week since the last gossip column had caused all of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to be turned upside down and inside out with confusion. Harry wasn't showing himself.

No one, not even Ron or Hermione, knew exactly if the article on him and Malfoy having a secret relationship was true. Ron had tried to confront Harry, and all that had happened was a big row.

Harry had been sitting on his dormitory bed, reading a book with the curtains pulled tightly around the four-poster. Ron leaned against the post, not saying anything for a moment as he collected his thoughts.

"What do you want, Ron?" Harry finally snapped from the other side of the curtain.

"I just wanted to see if you were all right, mate," Ron muttered defensively, taking a step away from Harry's bed. "I just feel like we should… I dunno, talk about whatever the bloody hell is happening."

"I got publicly—no, internationallyhumiliated, and labeled a queer. That's what's happening." Ron had never heard Harry snap at him like this. No, that was a lie. He had heard him yell like this before, when they were hunting the horrcruxes. When Ron had left.

"I just thought maybe you… would tell me and Hermione if there was something—"

"Oh, bloody hell Ron. Are you saying you actually believe Rita Skeeter?" The curtains were thrown back and Harry was standing there, fuming and his fists clenched. Ron took a careful step backwards, his eyes wide at the look on Harry's face.

"I just was going to say that you should be able to talk to your best friends, no matter what it is. It'd be nice if you'd just come out and tell us if you're snogging Malfoy or not!"

That set it off. Both wizards forgot that wands existed as Harry took a good swing at Ron's face. Ron retaliated, and five minutes later when Hermione pulled them apart with tears streaming down her face both were going to have bruises for a while.

"The both of you, just stop!" she cried, her voice trembling with the effort to keep control. "Harry, we just want to know what's going on with you! Just tell us the truth!"

"I didn't ask for you two to be such brownnosers. Leave me alone!" Harry shouted back. Hermione flicked her wand, making the freezing charm stop on Ron's part. She headed for the door, Ron followed behind. Just before the frizzy haired girl slammed the door, she undid her charm on Harry as well.

Since then, Harry had refused to talk to anybody about anything.

Hermione sat in the common room, doing homework every one knew she didn't need to do. They were back at Hogwarts only so they could complete their needed years to move on. In some senses, they were only there for the comfort the school provided. Hogwarts was home. Hogwarts was where things… however much they had changed, could still be somewhat normal. It gave the three time to collect themselves and move on. To the right of Hermione's never-ending stack of books was a letter from George.

"Was that for me?" Ron asked as he threw Hermione the copy of Witch's Weekly and picked up the parchment.

"It was addressed to all three of us," Hermione said before her nose fell into the glossy pages of the magazine.

The letter read:

Dear Harry, Ron and Hermione,

Mum got a hold of that article and is going bonkers. She won't stop talking about how evil Skeeter is. I think you all better try and talk with her, before she gets out of hand. I don't like this business with her either, but it's really not her place, is it? Anyways, hope things turn out all right.

George

PS

Malfoy, Harry? Honestly, I'd have thought you'd do better than that if you were going to stray from the straight line.

Ron was deeply thankful that Hermione hadn't let Harry read this. It was clear George saw it as a joke. Harry was not taking it so lightly. It was nice to see George joking again, though. It'd been months since he'd cracked a smile.

"Oh, Merlin's beard," Hermione screeched as she finished the gossip column. She stood up, knocking over her thick volumes without a care and walked determinedly towards the boy's dormitories.

"Hermione!" Ron called after her, but she was already parading up the steps, hollering all the way.

"Stop acting like such a misunderstood martyr, Harry! You're not the only one that Rita rags on so get your carcass out of bed and start sucking it up! Rita's said way worse about you, and you still went on living!"

She threw the door open to the seventh year dorm, and wished she hadn't.

"Hermione!"

"I'M SORRY!"

Ron heard the slam of the dorm door from the common room, and knew that life had gotten even morecomplicated within the last fifteen seconds.

Downstairs in the Great Hall, Neville and Ginny sat across from each other over a breakfast of jelly and scones, chatting happily about next week's trip to Hogsmeade.

A/N - You guys got me started, and now I can't stop! This will be only seven chapters, mk? That should be enough time for you guys to figure out what happens! Wonderful Journey should be updated soon... maybe. - JC out.