Harry followed the small Gryffindor boy who kept casting him glances torn between fearful and awe filled respect. As they finally reached the correct room the boy bravely shook his hand and darted off. Harry watched him leave, then slipped into the room. Standing inside were the three headmasters (one headmistress), Ludo Bagman, Ollivander, Cedric, Victor, Fleur, and Rita Skeeter.
"Ah! You're all here then." Bagman brightened. "Now this is just a wand check and photos!"
He sounded delighted. No one else really looked delighted besides Skeeter and Dumbledore. The four champions lined up and Ollivander looked the wands over, mumbling over each one. Harry stood last. When the old man reached him, Harry held his wand out handle first. The man silenced as he looked it over.
"Ah, yes. 12 inches, black ash wood, core; phoenix ash. A very powerful wand. Black ash is very temperamental; you need to have very good control to use it. And Phoenix ash. Only wand I ever even attempted using such a powerful core in. It's very good for fire and medic spells. Destruction and healing. And if I recall correctly, the wand didn't choose the wizard. The wizard chose the wand."
The man gave him a small, secretive smile. Then he turned back around.
"All the wands are in order. Now if I may go, my shop needs running."
Bagman nodded happily and Ollivander shuffled off.
"Photos!" The man practically sang.
Ten minutes later the three had thoroughly annoyed the photographer and almost everyone else. Victor preferred to glare, Fleur kept distracting the man with her charm, and Harry would not give any facial expression. Only Cedric appeared ready to smile for the camera. In the end their photo came out with Cedric smiling, Fleur smirking, Victor scowling slightly, and Harry starring at the camera, absolutely blank. The man gave a great huff of annoyance as he left. Then Skeeter talked Dumbledore into interviews and dragged Harry off to a broom closet. As they sat down Harry raised a hand to pause her before she started.
"You twist my words in any way and I shall be telling the ministry of your illegal animagus form."
Her eyes lit with fear as she gave him a startled expression. For a moment there was silence.
"How do you know about that?" She whispered.
He gave a small smirk.
"Don't you worry about that. Now I'll give you a story and you write it like I say."
She gave a fearful nod.
.--.
FACTS ABOUT HARRY POTTER!
By: Rita Skeeter
Yesterday I got an interview with our Boy-Who-Lived. Under oath I wrote word for word things he revealed about himself.
Who does Harry Potter live with? Harry Potter, previously thought to live with muggles, actually lives with a magical guardian? He does. Harry Potter's guardian is a wizard named Count D. Harry tells me he owns Pet shop in the muggle world, selling magical pets to wizards and witches also. Harry tells me the man is Asian and has been his guardian since the boy turned twelve.
Does Harry Potter have any special abilities? Besides Parseltongue and control over fire. Harry laughs as I ask him. He says beside the ability he has to play music and paint well, he has no super abilities.
What really happened in first year? Many rumours were thrown around about what really happened. Harry gave me the real story. He said he had spotted someone trying to sneak into the forbidden corridor and followed them, ready to stop them. When he identified the man as a professor he was ready to turn back when he noticed the man was acting suspicious. He told me he followed the man, following his path through the defeated traps till he cornered the exhausted man as he tried to get the Philosopher stone. Yes the Philosopher stone was hidden inside Hogwarts. Harry grabbed the stone and released a bout of flames that accidentally killed the thief. The thief, in the end, turned out to be DADA Professor Quirell. Who, in reality, was a death eater. He was able to enter the school as he had no mark on his arm, being a secret Death eater. Harry says he was distraught to have killed the man, but knew he couldn't let him get the stone.
What happened during Harry Potter's Second year? Harry Potter had given me the story. It seems a first year girl, possessed by an enchanted diary with a memory of Voldemort in it, opened the chamber of secrets. No one was killed, but many petrified. He tells me that he found in the end where the chamber was hidden. With his parseltongue abilities he entered and used Gryffindor's sword to kill the basilisk. He admits he was injured but the Headmaster's Phoenix, Fawkes, saved his life in the end. He then dragged the girl from the chamber back to the headmaster's office, destroying the diary and the memory that possessed her. He told me he was frightened to know Lockhart had vanished, thinking the Basilisk may have gotten him. The staff reassured everyone he had just vanished in the night, all of his things gone. Harry Potter, in the end, opened the chamber once more to give Severus Snape, potions master and potions Professor, the parts of the basilisk. He told me he will never set foot in their again, nor tell anyone where it is as it is best kept a secret.
Any adventures in third year? Harry Potter had reported to me that the third year was fairly dull for him, besides having a murdered after him. He laughed slightly at his own joke and told me that the man had vanished at least, and perhaps he had been killed by some animal in the woods where he had to have been hiding. We all share his hopes.
Triwizard contender? Harry, the poor boy, has informed me he never wished to attend this. He admits he does have the spell power to possible compete, but he'd have rather stayed safe just watching. He asks me what kind of person would enter him. Was it for kicks or maybe to kill him? He gnaws his finger nails nervously as he speaks. He says he will try his best though, as to do any less would stain his honour. He wishes everyone though to cheer on the other three champions who deserve their support. He smiles as he says he hopes to get some points each round.
I wish Harry Potter well in the tournament and thank him for graciously telling us a bit about him. This reporter signs out.
.--.
Hermione stared at him in a suspicious manner.
"So how did you do it?" She asked.
Harry raised an elegant brow.
"Get Rita to write the truth! ...Well what you told her? She always tells lies…well different lies."
Harry gave a slight smirk and bit into his cupcake.
"Some…Persuasion."
She rolled her eyes and stroked crookshanks. Blaise snickered from his own seat, stroking Hedwig who sat on his shoulder.
"You threatened her." He chuckled.
Harry shrugged.
"I prefer the term persuasion."
Hermione clicked her tongue reprovingly.
.--.
End of Chapter 31.