I certainly have no rights to Harry Potter, but this won't stop me writing this story. However, you probably already know this. As it is my specialty, and as in my other big stories, this shows how things go if something went different right at the beginning. Please note that I'm not a fan of bashing and also don't expect the two main pairings to differ from canon. However, the path to them certainly will be quite different. I also want to try and subvert certain plots and things that became common in the fandom over the years.
For now, the story will update every second Saturday, until I say otherwise.
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Chapter 46: Constant Vigilance
For Dudley it felt a bit surreal to come home after something like the Yule Ball. Yet, the ball had been less than 24 hours ago and now it was back to normality and a shortened winter break. He was already dreading the drive home with the tense atmosphere in the car. Being driven to the train station at the end of summer had already been bad enough, his father clearly having done so only reluctantly.
"Honestly, both of you act weird ever since the ball. Is something wrong? You after all did enjoy it," Daphne wondered while they were packing their things since the train station was only minutes away.
"Nothing is wrong. Why do you ask?" Millicent asked while making sure her cat Archimedes was in his pet carrier.
Daphne however was not buying it. "Because I know you. Both of you clearly have done something and now act all secretive. If you want to have a secret, then please be less obvious about it."
"All right, we try to be less obvious about it," Dudley promised.
Truth was, both of them, after their little experimentation in the rose garden, had agreed that they wouldn't tell anyone about it - not even Daphne. Of course, the blond girl was really good at reading them like a book, and while she was not interested in learning the secret, them acting so obvious was starting to annoy her.
They had to admit the whole kissing thing had been nice, but also reminded them that they essentially were beginners at these kind of things. Thank all goodness they still got years to figure it all out properly, thus they were in no rush. Millicent had agreed with him that they were both not ready for anything going further.
"By the way, why was Finch-Fletchley of all people your partner?" Millicent asked Daphne while closing her trunk.
"Because he asked nicely and had good manners." Daphne then giggled a bit. "We both also agreed it would annoy the right people."
Minutes later the Hogwarts Express stopped in the train station and everyone departed.
Dudley already was prepared for business as usual - meaning that he had to enter the station proper to be picked up by his parents - but got surprised when he saw an unexpected sight on the platform. "Mum?"
Indeed, Petunia was there on the platform, waiting for him. It was unclear if she was uncomfortable or overwhelmed, but fact was that this was the very first time that he had witnessed his mother actually waiting for him on the platform itself. His father not being in sight also made Dudley worry that something could have happened.
"Hello Dudley... I guess this is a bit of a surprise for you?" Petunia said, looking a bit paler than normal.
"Mum, not that I'm unhappy to see you here, but didn't you say you wouldn't enter the platform? Did something happen?" This unusual turn of events made him uneasy.
Petunia sighed. "Something... did happen. I didn't want to tell you by letter, but your father had made his own plans for the time from Christmas to the new year and has left to visit his sister. His plans did not involve me. I've been alone in the house for several days and took the train here."
"Oh man... He left you alone for Christmas." Dudley had known that things were not great, but to hear that made him painfully aware how far things had already fallen apart. But that it now also started to extend to his mother was a new and troubling development.
"I know and I wish things could be different. Sadly, this will be an awkward week," Petunia apologized to her son, knowing this was an unfair situation.
"Wait a moment!"
It was when Millicent walked to them that Dudley remembered that his mother was still oblivious that Millicent was a witch. They had never told her due to the fact that they'd had no idea how Petunia would react. Now however she clearly knew, judging by the widening of her eyes when first seeing Millicent and then Mrs. Bulstrode, that she was making the connection.
Millicent clearly realized as well what she had just done. "Look, I will be frank. You know I've been around Dudley for years and I'm not one of these people who are woefully ignorant about the world surrounding them. Do you have a problem with me having magic?"
Truth to be told, she had seen Millicent often enough over the past two summers that it felt downright weird to learn now that she was a witch. Petunia honestly had seen no hint at all that she was one, dressing like a normal girl and having no problem things other witches would despair over, which painfully reminded her how people were not stereotypes.
"In the past it would have been... But for my son's sake I'm trying to become less intolerant. It just comes out of nowhere..." Petunia felt out of her depth.
"You are trying. I honestly can't ask for more. Look, I heard you talking and... it doesn't sound like that week would be pleasant for either of you." Millicent then looked to her mother. "Mum, is it possible? You know, after last Christmas..."
Mrs. Bulstrode looked to her husband, who gave his wife a nod of approval. She the addressed Petunia and Dudley. "On behalf of my daughter I wish to extend to both of you the invitation to spend the week in the home of our family."
Petunia was a bit taken aback by the idea that she was invited into a magical household and felt quite insecure. But then she also saw Dudley giving her a hopeful look before glancing to Millicent. Realizing there had to be something going on between these two, Petunia for Dudley's sake held down her old fears and prejudices.
"This comes all of a sudden, but I have to admit I always wondered what a magical house is like..." Petunia said.
It was that moment that Daphne, Astoria and their parents, who had heard all of the discussion, chimed in. "Trust me, it's as much a home as your own house, only instead of technological appliances, we've got magical ones."
Petunia did recognize the blond girl as another of Dudley's friends that she had seen on occasion over the summer. She should have known that she was a witch as well. Yet, both of them didn't at all dress like the stereotype, and instead were wearing the fashion of teenage girls these days. Even their parents didn't look stereotypically magical, though their style of clothes looked rather old-fashioned.
"Looks like I missed some really obvious things." It was a bit depressing for Petunia about how much of her son's life she had no idea about.
"Mum, can we please? It's not only for me... but also for you. I don't want you to sit depressed at home, constantly thinking about what Dad did," Dudley asked his mother.
While Petunia still was unsure about this, she knew that denying this to Dudley would be unfair. Also, deep down her old fascination with magic that she had developed, before disappointment and bitterness had buried it, managed to emerge, whispering into her ear that after decades she could at least live part of the old dream, even without her having any magic of her own.
After a short inner battle, the part of her that even after all these decades yearned to experience some of the things that her sister did - a part of her she had thought dead and buried - won out.
o
Luna knew her parents were keeping something from her - all the signs were there. While Ginny probably would have outright asked her own parents in such a case, Luna was different. Being patient, she after arriving home went to unpacking while she waited for them to approach her with whatever news they got for her.
While unpacking, her mind wandered back to the Yule Ball and she couldn't help but to smile a little. That finally had been progress, although both of them still were more confused than anything. After the ball, she'd had a highly intense dream which still made her blush when thinking about it. Hopefully her mother would not look through the dirty laundry and notice a pair a knickers that were still sticky.
She did not have to wait for too long. She was just putting away some of her underwear when her father walked into her room. "Pumpkin, could you come? We... need to tell you something."
"I did expect this. After all, it was very obvious there is some sort of secret you want to tell me," Luna said, being about to follow him.
"Ehm, maybe you first put that away?" Xenophilius asked, pointing to her hand.
Luna only now noticed she was holding one of her bras in her right hand. No wonder her father looked a bit uneasy. "Oh..." She couldn't help but blush a little when realizing she had held it right in front of her father without noticing. Quickly putting the piece of underwear away, she followed Xeno.
Her mother was already waiting in the living room and after all three of them had sat down, she asked Luna "Darling, do you know why we need to talk with you?"
"No. However, it must be important since it's the first thing you did as soon as we were home," Luna answered, feeling a direct answer is always the best answer.
"You can say that. It's very important." Xeno then held Pandora closer, both of them looking... proud.
"Luna, I'm expecting. Soon enough you will be a big sister," Pandora announced, hand on her currently still flat belly.
Luna's eyes widened at these news. She knew her parents had been trying for another child and should have expected this, but to actually hear it still felt like it came out of nowhere for her. All of a sudden she understood how Hermione had felt when getting the news about her mother's pregnancy. Luna felt it difficult to understand how she should feel about it - why she knew she should feel happy, in reality her emotions were confused.
"This... this is wonderful news," she stammered, her emotions being on open display.
To her parents, Luna right now was an open book. "This is too much of a surprise for you?" her father asked her.
"Y-yes, my emotions are all over the place..." Luna then stopped when her parents pulled her in and held her close, showing they understood her confusion all too well and would not hold it against her.
I need to apologize to Hermione for wondering why she felt conflicted when she learned she would become a big sister, Luna thought, finally understanding how that actually felt and why Hermione had been so conflicted about it, though she now was finding her brother adorable.
Hopefully, Luna could do the same for her new sibling.
...Hogwarts grounds, January 8th 1995...
"Ever since the Yule Ball it feels like things are different. Granted, our daily routine hasn't changed much, but I think you know what I mean," Ron asked Harry while walking near the edge of the age line that separated the Forbidden Forest from the Hogwarts grounds.
Harry actually understood what Ron was talking about. "Yes, ever since the ball, it feels somehow a bit more meaningful when I'm with Ginny. Nothing world-shattering, but it's there and Ginny obviously feels the same. Something has changed between us."
Normally Ron would have been annoyed, since it was his sister Harry was talking about, but for his best mate he made an exception, knowing Harry would never dishonor Ginny. "That's it and for me as well, ever since that night it does feel different whenever I'm together with Hermione. I can guess Neville and Luna feel the same about each other."
The whole thing had been on Ron's mind ever since their return to Hogwarts. After the Yule Ball, an obvious change in the dynamics of the group had happened. Granted, they all still were friends, but more than before the three boy-girl pairs were spending time together. It was nothing of the romantic kind, but still noticeable. And they had noticed after several days but by silent agreement made no big deal about it.
I most certainly noticed Hermione's smile looking nicer ever since she got rid of her braces for good, Ron thought, remembering when he had first noticed.
Ron however felt a need to have a guy-talk about this and thus he and Harry were walking at the edge of the Hogwarts property for privacy while talking about it. Both boys clearly felt a bit unsure about this change, wondering where it would take them. After all, the whole thing was new for them, causing them to be insecure about it.
"I actually asked Uncle Tom about it, and you know what he told me? Not to force it and instead take our time to see where this is going. I honestly want to follow his advice, since I have little idea what I am supposed to do differently. I can guess Ginny feels the same about it," Harry explained what he was thinking.
"Funny, Dad told me pretty much the same thing and I know Ginny swallowed her pride and talked with Mum about it. Great advice that we essentially do nothing about it..." Ron honestly had expected some kind of wisdom being relayed to them.
That caused Harry to snort. "I bet they were told the same thing when being at our age."
Walking back to the castle, they knew walking around the grounds in January had been a stupid idea. Snow was still high and walking through it was costing them lots of strength. They stopped next to the pier when seeing a highly unusual sight. They saw Krum emerge from the Durmstrang ship, wearing a bathing robe. Walking down the plank to the pier, Krum then shed the robe, revealing that underneath he was only wearing swimming trunks. Krum then dived right into the lake.
"He must either have balls of steel, or he's bonkers! It's January and the water is freezing cold! Hermione told me it's only the Hogwarts magic that stops the lake from freezing over," Ron gasped in utter disbelief.
Watching Krum swim his rounds in the freezing water, Harry could only agree. "Yes, but he's not alone. Look over there."
A little further down the shore they spotted Fleur, who was just in the process of shedding her own robe, revealing her wearing a bathing suit underneath. She then ran into the water, loudly shouting what had to be very unladylike French curses while doing so. There was no way in hell that this was a coincidence.
"Have we missed something?" Ron honestly wondered.
"Considering no one in their right mind would swim in the lake at this time of the year, I guess it has something to do with the next task," Harry guessed.
Watching Fleur start to swim, Ron snorted. "Mum was outright grilling Bill once we were home. Ginny made good on her threat to tell Mum. She managed to squeeze out every detail, but you already know that..."
Indeed, after Ginny had told Molly about Bill's partner at the Yule Ball, she had managed to get all the details from her oldest son, as Ron had told him on the way back to Hogwarts. That she had done so in front of the entire family had been quite uncomfortable for Bill. The story of how he had saved Fleur's little sister from drowning and thus stated to get Fleur known better, which had resulted in her asking him if he could be her partner at the ball, was actually quite interesting.
To everyone's surprise however, Molly seemed more concerned than anything about that development. Maybe she had something against the fact that Fleur was French.
Walking back into the castle, they almost literally ran into Luna in the entrance hall. The blond girl was being busy with looking at the hourglasses of the four houses - which in years past had been used to show the current points of the houses with fake gems but now were purely ornamental in nature - writing down things in a small notebook.
"Eh, Luna, do we even want to know what this is about?" Harry asked.
Luna closed her notebook, looking dead serious. "I was investigating the theory that in the past Hogwarts used the point system to manipulate the houses against each other. However, all my findings so far only let me come to the conclusion that some teachers used it unjustly according to their personal bias."
"You don't need an investigation for that. Bill told me how the whole point system caused tensions. Good thing we never had to deal with that," Ron told Luna, remembering Bill's tales of it.
"Sadly, after examining all the other evidence, that is the most likely explanation." Luna looked a little disappointed at that fact. "Mum told me as well that sometimes the mundane explanation is the most likely one."
"Your mother is quite wise," Harry remarked, knowing Luna's feelings about her mother were a bit over the place ever since being told of her pregnancy.
Luna had asked Hermione how she should feel, now that her mother was expecting a second child. Hermione had suggested to Luna to keep an open mind and reminded her that they were too old to be jealous of the attention their parents would give the new sibling. Hermione had added she herself had learned to love her new brother very much.
They then started their trek back to the Gryffindor dorms.
However, just while they were walking up the grand staircase... -CRAAAAC- -grooooaaan-
"What the...?! Watch out!" Ron shouted when all of a sudden the stairs they were on detached from the landing.
"Crap, what is this?!" Harry screamed while all of them tried to hold onto the banister of the stairs.
Their lives literally depended on not losing their grip, since the stairwell moved back and forth like a confused snake while violently trying to shake them off. Falling off however was no option, since the long fall would have ended either on other stairs or the stone floor, both options being very lethal.
"Ahhh! The stairs used to be able to change where they head to, but not anymore. Why is this one suddenly...?!" Luna gasped, unlike normal looking very panicked due to the fear of dying.
"Carp... crap!" Harry gasped when he started to lose his grip due to the constant trashing of the out-of-control stairwell. "NO!"
Then it happened - he did lose his grip.
Dying by wild staircase. Strange that this is how I'm offed. That was one thought going through Harry's head while he was quickly approaching the stone floor, though most of it was wild panic.
Harry's skull was about to be shattered on the stone floor, when... "Arresto Momentum!"
Mere centimeters from the floor Harry came to a stop, the sudden halt almost making him hurl, but he held it down, feeling that doing so while being upside-down would be nasty for him. Even now he saw someone running to where he was hanging upside-down, and that person had very distinctive pink hair.
"Harry, gods..." Dora right now had none of her usual cool, which was understandable since Harry had almost died. She quickly rotated him the correct way before ending the spell. "For a moment I thought I was too late. Had I not been close by..."
-croooiiiik- Looking up, they saw two of the teachers had finally arrived and brought the wild staircase to heel, forcing it back into its intended position. Moments later Ron and Luna were running down the stairs, only stopping when seeing that Harry was still in one piece and unharmed.
"Mate, thank goodness..." Ron was clearly trying to find words.
"What... what has happened?" Luna wondered, right now not looking at all like her usual unfazed self and instead looked ready to stress-vomit.
"I want to know that as well." Only now did they notice how pale Dora looked and that there were some white streaks in her pink hair. "These stairs were shut down while I attended Hogwarts. Why did that one suddenly go amok?"
"No idea... it suddenly..." Only now was everything catching up with Harry. "God, my brains almost got splattered over the floor..."
Dora knew that Harry normally would say he is too old for such things, but seeing him having a meltdown, she quickly hugged him and did not let go. That she had been close by had been pure coincidence, and without her Harry now would have been dead. Seeing Harry understand that he had almost died, Dora knew he would need some time to recover.
How did that happen? No way those stairs just decided to to go wild, she thought, having a dark suspicion that this was no accident. "All of you better get a look-over for injuries... Maybe some calming draught. Damn, I need one as well..."
The sound of running stopped Dora from her spiral. She saw Hermione, Ginny and Neville running down the stairs. "Why are the three of you running?"
It was Ginny who answered. "No... no idea. We suddenly had a feeling something is very wrong and felt a need to come here."
Dora wondered what that now was about.
...later that day...
By now it was evening and the incident with the stairs had completely altered this Sunday. After all three of them got checked for injuries and the Aurors were being busy with examining the stairs to determine what had happened, of course parents and guardians of the three of them had been informed about the incident.
Their only saving grace had been that there were no injuries, but Harry almost dying by shattering his skull on the stone floor had caused an uproar. That only became worse once the Aurors reported that it was impossible to determine what happened, though their best guess was, that years ago the magic that made the stairs change destination had not been removed properly on that section.
Needless to say that no one had believed that for a moment.
Sirius had even outright told him to not try and snoop around in order to find out what had really happened, saying that it was too dangerous. However, after almost getting killed, Harry felt he had a right to find out if that had been intentional. After all, there were numerous people who would have been very happy to see him bite the dust.
Maybe it was because he now was a rebellious teenager, but Harry now only wanted even more to find out what this had been about. He told so to his friends as well while they were talking in a corner of the Gryffindor common room. Needless to say, his friends had some strong reactions to his decision.
"Harry, you want to go against Sirius and still snoop around to see what this was about? Are you insane?" Hermione questioned him, looking quite concerned about his mental health.
"Don't get me wrong, I understand why you want to do that, but intentionally getting yourself into more danger..." It seemed Ginny also had her doubts.
Harry rolled his eyes. After the emotional turmoil he had gone through directly after his brush with death, his fear had been replaced with anger. He knew it was a bit irrational, but he had enough of people with malevolent intentions against him. "It's not like I want to go around and accuse people. Think of it more like a covert investigation."
"Why investigate? The adults are already doing that," Neville reminded his friend while noticing how Luna had been closer than normal to him ever since the incident.
Harry snorted. "They have to follow certain rules you know... we don't. I refuse to stay passive and hide in a hole. That didn't help me with past situations after all."
His friends realized there was no way they could stop Harry, so the best they could do was to help him and make sure he wouldn't do something foolish.
"So, how do we even start this?" Ron finally asked.
"This is a very sensitive matter, so perhaps we first should find a place where we can do that without someone finding out," Hermione suggested, having read enough detective novels to know that your investigations getting discovered was the worst that could happen.
"Yes, but..." Harry now realized this would be a bit more complicated than anticipated. "Hogwarts is big, but there are not many places with that kind of privacy."
Yes, that was turning out to be more complicated. The others hoped that would temper Harry's desire to do something impulsive.
At the same time, Karkaroff had again locked himself in his cabin on the ship.
"Отказ. У этого мальчика больше удачи, чем у кого-либо," [Failure. That boy has more luck than anyone should have,] Karkaroff cursed, going back to his native Russian while he was alone.
Ever since his conversation with Snape in the rose garden, his priorities had shifted. While he still wanted Viktor to win the Triwizard Tournament, a much more serious and personal situation had arisen. Snape's comments had been the final straw, finally showing him that he was utterly screwed, since running away wouldn't work.
He had desperately tried to find any way to escape his fate, until finally it had dawned on him. There was one thing he could do to make the Dark Lord reconsider: getting rid of the very person that had caused his fall.
Karkaroff was sure that the Dark Lord would be willing to show mercy should Harry Potter find a nasty end and it had been Karkaroff who had arranged for it. Problem of course was, that it had to look like an accident, since outright murder would be a huge sign pointing to him as the only suspect with a motive and the means. He already knew he was the top suspect, so he had to be even more careful next time.
Sadly, the first attempt had failed due to bad luck. However, there would be more opportunities.
...January 13th, dinnertime in the great hall...
Another day of school had found its end and now students and teachers alike were sitting down at dinner, before they all would retire to their dorms and rooms.
The incident five days ago with the out-of-control staircase still wasn't forgotten - it after all been something really serious - but at least students were no longer constantly talking about it. That was a big relief for everyone involved, since it had started to get annoying. Hopefully, something else would soon replace it completely in the news cycle.
Dinner itself went by without anything out of the ordinary, but at the end Dumbledore asked for attention.
"May I have your attention for a moment of your precious time?" Of course everyone gave him their attention. "As you all might know, this year Hogwarts does operate under the banner of cooperation between the houses. As all of you sadly also know, no regular Quidditch games take place this year."
There was some grumbling, showing that some students still hadn't gotten over that fact.
"I know for one thing that Angelina is pissed that she is the acting Captain yet won't lead a single game," Ginny whispered, knowing that Angelina was quite disappointed about it.
"Understandable. Her time to shine was taken from her," Harry agreed, having a guess how that felt.
"Now, you will be delighted to hear that a special Quidditch game will take place after the second task has concluded. An all-star team from Hogwarts with players from all the houses against a selection of a combined Beauxbatons-Durmstrang team," Dumbledore announced.
That finally caused chatter to explode! Excitement was running high and Dumbledore looked pleased that he had given the students something to look forward to.
"Awesome! Oh, please, please, please..." Ron said in anticipation.
Dumbledore held up his hand and everyone fell silent again. "Your excitement is well-placed. I can announce to you that Mr. Krum, despite being a Triwizard champion, declared his determination to play for the Beauxbatons-Durmstrang team."
If anything, this caused even more excited chatter. After all, the chance to actually play against a professional player like Viktor Krum was very rare. Krum for his part looked pleased with the reaction - probably because this was something he felt honored to do, unlike being pretty much drafted to enter the tournament at Karkaroff's orders.
Dumbledore looked amused at the reaction. "I see the interest is great. I have had a long discussion with all four Heads of House of Hogwarts and thus we have nominated the following people."
He let it hang there for a few moments, before announcing the players. "From Gryffindor, Angelina Johnson and Harry Potter. From Ravenclaw, Roger Davies and Duncan Inglebee. From Slytherin, Dudley Dursley and Raymond Humblebush. And from Hufflepuff Heidi Macavoy. Please note that this is no slight against House Hufflepuff, but since Mr. Diggory is the champion for Hogwarts..."
"Congratulations, Harry!" Ginny said, having not expected to be nominated herself due to being a reserve player.
"Angelina will be quite happy about this," Neville added, looking down the table to see the black girl look ready to have a little dance of joy.
Dumbledore this time had to let out a bang from his wand to get silence. "Patience, there is one more point. After some discussion it was decided that all the training and tactics will be determined by one student of the faculty's choosing. That student will be Ronald Weasley, who has proven to have a sharp mind for tactics."
There was applause from the other houses, but the one from Gryffindor was overwhelming. By now everyone in Gryffindor knew it had been Ron's tactics which had allowed Gryffindor to win the Quidditch Cup last year. If anyone could create a successful tactic for the game, bringing together players from all different teams, it would be him.
Ron for his part looked very surprised. "Eh, what? Me?"
"Ronald, do you have trouble to see when you skill is being acknowledged?" Luna asked Ron.
"Ron, just accept that you got this fair and square," Hermione told Ron.
"It's not that... It's that this is coming out of nowhere." Thankfully, Ron then started to process it properly and thought about what was to do. "I don't play against Krum... but to plan for a team how to play against him... Man, that will be a hell of a job to create a cohesive team."
Dumbledore then took the word for one final time. "Please note that training can not be done in the week of the second task, in which the Quidditch pitch is off-limits. The details about the scheduling may be discussed with Mr. Weasley in the administrative office. The game will take place at March 11th, so there will be enough time for training."
Harry then saw Dudley walk over to them. "Hey, Big D. Looks like we'll be playing on the same team this time."
"You are still using that nickname? Astoria learned of it and is using it constantly," Dudley said, rolling his eyes. "That aside, I'm concerned if the team can be made functional. After all, we are used to play against each other, not on the same side."
"I already thought about that," Ron said with a grimace. "We all need to come together before the training to get a feel for each other. It's like building a completely new team."
"Good luck with Humblebush. Bloke might not be a moron like the players under Flint, and he is a good beater, but he has real trouble to adjust when things change a lot. It took us weeks to get him stop being nervous all the time," Dudley explained the problem.
"Looks like you have your work cut out for you, Ron," Harry remarked, then saw that Ron didn't look amused.
Instead, Ron for his part looked quite determined. "Better believe that I will make this team work. There is no way I will humiliate myself and our school in front of Viktor Krum. I have no illusion that we can beat him and all those older players on their team, but there's no way I'll allow us to not give our best!"
He looks really determined and serious. I... I like that, Hermione thought. She couldn't help but to imagine a more mature Ron in a leadership position. It was an appealing thought.
...January 16th, breakfast time in the great hall...
"And Sirius said they have unusual troubles stopping this slander?" Hermione asked Harry while putting her fork into the bacon with more force than necessary.
"He told me over the mirror. It's not even the usual trouble with such problems, it's like the administration itself is trying to delay things a much as possible. Sirius said someone must have a significant interest to drag the whole thing out," Harry said, himself being disturbed by what his godfather had told him.
"Well, they certainly have success with it," Ron grumbled, finding the whole topic depressing.
Last weekend, the slander though publications by Rita Skeeter had continued, and it by now was starting to become quite personal. Also, the idea that someone in the castle was feeding information to Skeeter had been confirmed by that in all the lies and twisted facts about the Yule Ball, some actual facts were buried which Skeeter only could have gotten from someone who had attended the ball.
It was hurtful to read how Skeeter was misusing their exploration of the more adult parts of puberty. Neville was presented as a naive simpleton who was being preyed on by Luna, who in turn was depicted as a dangerous loon. Ron was painted as a clueless jock who was being strung along by Hermione, who in turn actually wanted Harry. Ginny was painted as a jealous harpy while Harry himself was written as enjoying playing the girls against each other.
Of course it was not written that directly, Skeeter was not that dumb, but it was the picture that readers would get when reading all this drivel. Some stories even contradicted each other, but since this were not exactly quality publications, readers probably never noticed.
"The whole thing does read like a petty revenge campaign against us, but I can't deny it's starting to get concerning. I worry what will happen if this goes on," Neville reminded his friends, remembering some of the things his father had told him about.
"I hope I won't regret still believing that people are smart enough not to fall for this," Harry said more to himself while filling up his cup.
Right then then usual flock of owls appeared in the hall to distribute the morning mail. However, the friends got a surprise when owls deposited quite a number of thick envelopes in front of them, together with a number of regular letters. It did form a formidable small mountain.
"Is any of us accepting fan mail all of a sudden?" Neville wondered when seeing the unusual amount of mail in front of them.
Harry snorted when hearing that. "Does any of us look like Lockhart?" He still remembered too well the horrible time when he had to help that fraud with his mountain of fan mail.
However, it was what then landed on top of the normal mail which alarmed them.
"Crap, Howlers!" Ron gasped, recognizing the red, smoking envelopes.
All of them were aware what a Howler was, and had also witnessed them in action often enough - mostly Howlers from Molly Weasley to the twins, but also some other students getting these rude letters - but they had never gotten one targeting them. Clearly that was about to change and other students at the Gryffindor table made a run for it, considering the number of Howlers on the table..
They got no chance to deal with it when the envelopes exploded open and a cacophony of screaming and yelling erupted from the letters. All of it was rude, aggressive and hurtful, with quite a number of threats being mixed in. Most of the letters were screaming in general that they are horrible people, while others were more... explicit in their insults and threats.
Everyone in the hall had gone pale and some of the teachers quickly ran over to them, starting to cancel the enchantments on the letters before it got even worse than it already was. The Howlers quickly crumbled to dust, the deafening cacophony being replaced by an eerie silence.
Luna looked especially hurt after letters had screamed at her that she was a mentally retarded twit who should stay away from the heir to an old house, one even going as far as accusing her of only waiting until adulthood so that she could get Neville into her claws and then poison him to get his inheritance. That letter had told her to die in a dark hole.
"Luna... Luna, please. These horrible people have no idea who you really are," Neville tried to get through to her. The insults against him also had been horrible, but he knew that beneath her outer shell Luna was very vulnerable to emotional injuries.
Luna held onto his hands, looking paler than normal, trembling with emotions. "I know... But it hurt. It hurt so much..." She honestly had not even noticed she had started crying.
"These... these..." Hermione tried to find words for people who blindly believed such horrible drivel. That the word 'mudblood' had been thrown against her multiple times was a good indicator to her what kind of people tended to do such things. Her faith in humanity had taken a hit.
However, she was cut short when one thick envelope suddenly jumped and burst open, spewing a yellowish-green liquid, which smelled like petrol, at her face. Hermione on reflex protected her face with her hands and did manage to ensure nothing of whatever this was managed to reach its intended target, but the price was high. Her hands erupted in large, yellow boils while also starting to bleed.
Hermione was frozen in shock for a moment, before... "Yaaaaaarrrrghhhhh!" Her scream of pain horrified many students and the teachers alike.
"Hermione... Ouch!" Ginny gasped, only to suddenly get bitten by a different envelope into her hand. From where she was bitten, the skin of her hand suddenly began to rupture bloodily, and the effect was spreading! "Arrrrrgghhhhhh!" Her scream of pain joined Hermione's.
The teachers hastily vanished to rest of the hate mail before something else could happen, realizing that nothing of any value could be in that pile, only more hurtful things.
"Great goodness!" Professor Flitwick gasped when seeing what was happening to both girls. "Hospital wing! We need to get them to the hospital wing now!"
His words broke the spell and everyone knew helping the injured students was the highest priority. In the activity no one noticed who Hermione's and Ginny's friend looked more shaken than normal. They looked like they had gotten stabbed.
No one in all of the chaos did notice Draco and Pansy barely managing not to smirk after seeing what had happened.
o
"How could you allow this to happen?!" Molly hissed at the Headmaster, struggling to keep her volume down.
"Please calm down! Snarling at the Headmaster will solve nothing," McGonagall said to Molly, herself also struggling with her emotions after the events of the morning.
"This is easier said than done. I understand why Molly is ready to commit murder, seeing how my own daughter also was attacked," Jean added, already being thankful that everyone was keeping their voice down so they wouldn't wake up baby Jonathan whom she was carrying with a baby harness.
"I have to admit that while we knew that situation was bad, we had not expected it to escalate like this," Dumbledore admitted, feeling he had been a bit naive about the issue and how dumb people could be.
The aftermath of the incident at the breakfast table had been unpleasant. Hermione and Ginny had both been been rushed to the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey had her work cut out for her, especially due to both girls being in terrible pain, forcing her to put them both under before she could treat them. Both girls now laid in hospital beds, Hermoine's hands and Ginny's right arm being heavily bandaged. Both of them looked very miserable.
Such a serious incident of course meant informing the parents of the injured students. As fearsome as Molly Weasley was when becoming protective of her children, the teachers counted themselves lucky that Arthur was unable to come. The man might be a jovial soul, but harming his children would reveal that he could become very nasty. The anger of the Grangers however more than made up for his absence.
"The better question is, why was nothing done about that woman and her poisoned pen?! In our society writing such stuff about minors would have already landed her behind bars. I know what Sirius said about the problems, but this is a disgrace," Ian growled while looking at his daughter's bandaged hands.
"Sadly, press laws here are more... archaic." Dumbledore looked a bit resigned, like he himself felt his society was doing everything to prove all the negative stereotypes about Magical Britain. "Additionally, Sirius has encountered problems in the legal proceedings which he does for all of them. Someone with serious influence over the courts is making them drag out the whole matter, while Ms. Skeeter can continue on."
"All this spying on them to get information, Skeeter targeting them specifically and now someone influential causing the courts to stonewall. You can no longer deny this is a targeted campaign," Molly hissed.
"I will try to use my political influence to unclog the courts, but it sadly won't stop the libel," Dumbledore admitted.
"As for the mail... The only chance to prevent an incident like this is to first re-direct all their mail to the administrative office for security screening before it is transferred to them," McGonagall decided, knowing it was the only way to prevent a repeat of today's incident.
Ginny groaned when hearing that "Please tell me Percy and Penelope won't actually open our mail."
"That would be an invasion of privacy. We only filter out any howlers and dangerous substances or items which can be detected," McGonagall assured her.
"That means we still get normal nasty letters. Great..." Hermione then looked at her bandaged hands. "How long is this going to last?"
Madam Pomfrey, who up to now had said nothing, sighed. "You have to stay here overnight and it will be healed by tomorrow mid-day. Undiluted bubotuber pus is difficult to treat, as is the other poison that was used against Ms. Weasley."
Hermione's head sank into her pillow. "Meaning that I even need help using the bathroom..." She felt attacked in her dignity when realizing that consequence of being temporarily unable to use her hands.
Not only you, Ginny thought, since after all her right was her dominant hand.
Both girls also felt anger growing in them over this cowardly attack. While before they mainly had been concerned about the situation, they now, after getting a painful reminder that it can turn very nasty, felt a growing outrage and the need to strike back.
...January 18th, after lessons...
Two days had passed since the incident with the hate mail and both girls by now were back to full health, no mark on them from that terrible experience. However, that did not mean it would be forgotten, quite in the contrary. While Hermione lamenting that she had missed lessons was in a way amusing, the reason for their injuries was far from amusing.
In a way both girls now understood Harry's feelings about wanting to do something after the stairs incident. Now that they themselves had gotten hurt due to the actions of someone else, they both did feel the need to something, anything, to make this libel stop. That however brought them to the same problem as Harry, in that they had to do it covertly.
With Hagrid's Creatures lesson being over they had quickly put away their stuff and now were walking aimlessly through the corridors, trying to decide how to approach the problem.
"Any problems with the hands?" Ron asked Hermione when seeing her test the movement of her fingers.
"After being unable to use them for an entire day, I realized how much I took them for granted. I was even unable to read a book with my hands out of commission," Hermione said. The whole experience had been highly humiliating for her.
"Granted, you had it worse," Ginny admitted, "but trying to use your left hand when your dominant hand is the right one is no fun, either. Thank all goodness Madam Pomfrey knew what she was doing."
Both girls hated to be victimized and besides the anger also felt humiliated they had ended up in such a situation. While before they had hoped the whole thing would somehow fizzle out, they now knew better. As much as they respected the efforts of the adults, it now was time to actually start think about themselves doing something about it.
"So, where do we start with the whole thing?" Neville asked, feeling the whole task was a bit too big.
"First things first, we do need a place where we can do our investigation in peace. Would be bad if someone listens in on us or finds our things connected to both cases," Harry reminded his friend. "To be honest, I've been thinking about it every since it came up over a week ago but I'm still drawing a blank."
"Maybe Kreacher can be of service?"
"Waaah!" "Eeeek!" The boys let out a yelp of surpise while the girls - including Luna - squeaked.
"Perhaps Kreacher should have announced his presence properly?" the house-elf wondered, realizing that appearing behind them without warning maybe had not been such a smart idea.
"Wait, I remember you," Harry said once he'd gotten over the surprise. "You are employed by Uncle Sirius. I remember you from two years ago when you scared away Dobby."
Kreacher looked pleased that Harry did remember him. "Head-elf of the House of Black... though right at the moment also the only elf serving the House of Black." Kreacher made no secret he was a bit disappointed about that fact.
"Wait, you are the Kreacher that Dobby told us about?" Hermione did remember her visit to the elves in the kitchen. "He sounded a bit intimidated when talking about you."
"Dobby hurt Master's godson and Kreacher will need a long time to forgive that." The elf then sighed. "However, the head elves of Hogwart made Kreacher work on having a more professional work relationship with Dobby. Still difficult to let go of the anger."
"Don't get me wrong, Kreacher, but how come that you are here right now instead of being busy with work?" Harry asked, feeling this was a bit too much of a coincidence.
Now Kreacher looked like he was deciding how to put it. "Master told Kreacher to check up on Harry Potter from time to time. Felt better if someone is watching out for him. Kreacher thus heard of the need for a safe place."
"You do know of such a place, Kreacher?" Luna asked
"The elves call it the Come-and-Go Room, others call it the Room of Requirement, using it as a dumping ground for all lost or no longer needed items. The room is special in that the entrance is hidden and the room takes the form and function of what the one seeking it needs," Kreacher explained.
"Man, a room that could take any form?" Ron thought about it. "Imagine playing a Quidditch game indoors."
"An interesting thought, but right now it's what we need to investigate without fearing unwelcome visitors," Harry reminded Ron, then looked to Kreacher. "Can you show us where that is and how to summon the room?"
If anything, Kreacher looked pleased that Harry was asking for his help. "Kreacher will gladly show where and how."
"Wait a moment, Kreacher," Hermione said quickly. "Before we go, I was trying for some time to get a hold of you. I try to learn more about hose-elves, and since you have been serving a prominent family for so long, I hope you can answer some of my questions..."
It was almost half an hour later that they had finally reached their destination.
"Here the place is," Kreacher said, pointing at a blank wall on the seventh floor, right opposite to a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy making his biggest and last mistake.
Luna gave the tapestry a good look. "His intentions in honor, but it is a fact that trying to teach trolls ballet was a foolish and lethal mistake that Barnabas made," she said dryly, watching the trolls on the tapestry, who were wearing pink tutus, beat Barnabas to death.
"I guess ever since the troll incident in first year, she has developed a serious dislike of trolls," Neville whispered to Ron, knowing how that incident had left its mark on Luna.
"How does it work?" Harry asked Kreacher while looking at the blank wall.
"Very simple. Walk by this spot three times and think of what is needed," Kreacher told Harry.
"Let's test it out," Hermione decided, since she felt she had the best idea what they needed. She did walk by the spot three times, thinking of what they needed, and indeed a door appeared where before there only had been a blank wall.
"Granted, the procedure to make the door appear is simple, but if you have no idea where to do it..."Ginny said while inspecting the door.
"Kreacher was glad to help, but now has to return to his duties. If Harry Potter needs help, just call Kreacher." That said, Kreacher then vanished.
"Kreacher looked quite flattered by your questions, but you laid it on quite thick, don't you think?" Ron told Hermione after being sure Kreacher had left.
Hermione honestly didn't care for how it had looked. "He was really happy that I asked him about his long service for the Blacks. Though it was a bit frightening how accepting he was of the more horrible things like his relatives having their heads being cut off."
They then all entered and Harry looked around. The procedure of thinking about a problem and needing a room for it was indeed simple. However, without knowing it had to be done at this specific spot, finding this room would be next to impossible. Considering the students normally never got in contact with the elves, he was sure the secret would be safe.
Right now the room looked not like anything out of the ordinary.
It simply looked like a cozy room with a big table, six seats surrounding it, and shelves filled with books and all kind of materials. Two big cork boards hung on one wall. Nothing extraordinary, but for their purposes it was ideal.
Not being able to resist, Hermione pulled a book from one of the shelves. "This here is a book about detective procedures. The room seems to be quite thorough; I wonder if it's some kind of chamber that simply accesses alternate-universe versions of this room instead of creating everything anew?"
"Who cares, it looks like we are being provided with everything we need," Harry remarked while looking at the things on the shelves.
The shelves did hold all kind of things needed for detective work, even some no-so clean ones like lockpicks and magical spying devices. However, the shelves also held mundane things like writing material, strings and cork board pins. It was like the room had scanned their minds to determine what they imagined they needed.
Shortly later, Hermione had taken over, standing next to one of the cork boards. "First let's deal with the stairwell attack. We have to approach the whole thing logically. Now, first off, as much as I like Ron and Luna, the attack clearly was aimed at Harry."
"Mate, that's the kind of attention I'm glad I don't have. Nothing against you, Harry, but that's how it is," Ron remarked to Harry while Hermione pinned Harry's name to the board..
"Lucky me..." Harry grumbled, hating that he got so much negative attention.
"Since such magic is even out of the scope of seventh-year students, we can logically conclude that it couldn't have been a student. Casting such a charm and especially that it only reacts when Harry is on the stairs is only possible after many years of training," Hermione continued.
"So it has to be someone connected to Voldemort who is responsible. It's only them who have a motive for wanting to harm Harry," Luna concluded
"Yes, as corrupt as Fudge and the Ministry are, they would resort to different methods." It spoke volumes about how little trust Hermione held in the Ministry after being disillusioned. Hermione then pinned Voldemort's name to the board. "Of course it can't be Voldemort himself, but instead one of the Death Eaters."
They watched Hermione pin a card with Death Eaters written on it to the board. "Yes, but some have quite a bit more motive to go after Harry than just getting even with him. Also, which of them would have the opportunity to do so?" Neville added, trying to think logically.
Hermione nodded to Neville's suggestion. "Good thought, Neville. It does actually narrow down the field considerably. Essentially, there are two people. After the events of our second year, Lucius Malfoy does have the extra motive for wanting to actually murder Harry after his plans went sideways. Meanwhile, Karkaroff due to his presence at Hogwarts had all the opportunity to actually do the deed."
Harry frowned when looking at the board. "Since Malfoy Senior had not been in the castle for a long time, that leaves Karkaroff. I wonder what he's trying to accomplish? After all, he sold out other Death Eaters to save his own skin."
"Maybe he wants to save his own skin again and thinks killing you will make Voldemort show mercy?" Ron wondered.
"Fat chance. As far as I know, Voldemort for some reason thinks he's the only one allowed to murder me. So, what do we now do with this?" Harry wondered.
"It's not like he'll have some sort of confession lying around, so in order to get proof we would need to act like spies," Ginny mused, knowing it was never that easy.
Harry thought about it. "I know I promised Uncle Sirius to only use my invisibility cloak for real emergencies, and I think this one does count as an emergency. But let's think later about how to spy on that man. We after all do have a second headache."
Hermione and Ginny both grimaced at the reminder, before Hermione went to the second cork board and pinned cards with their names and Skeeter's onto it. "See it from this perspective. Skeeter might have a grudge against some of us, but against all six of us equally? That has to be opportunism and the fact that whoever is supplying her does have a grudge against all six of us."
"I know she hates me especially due to Daddy," Luna thought aloud.
"Yes, but us speaking our mind about her last year most certainly had not helped. My parents told me that she is incredibly petty and as much as she likes to smear others, she gets easily offended by anyone who does not do as she wants," Neville added, remembering their little confrontation during the re-opening ceremony of the renovated Chamber of Secrets.
Ron let out a bitter chuckle. "Well, if we need a list of students with a grudge against us, it'll be quite a long one. Mostly from Slytherin, but I also know of some Ravenclaws that don't like us or even a Gryffindor like that jerk McLaggen."
They did collect names and it was quite an impressive collection, though perhaps less than in their previous years due to students having left the school, like that pig Marcus Flint. Of course one group did stand out on the board, since Malfoy and Parkinson, together with their two gorillas Crabbe and Goyle, held the biggest grudge against them.
"I had no idea that this many people hold a grudge against us," Ginny observed after they had run out of names. "Though, to be honest, a number of them are just jerks and wouldn't resort to such tactics."
"I think it's becoming clear by process of elimination, who would have a sufficient grudge to supply her with information," Harry growled.
"Yes, Malfoy and Parkinson have a big enough grudge against us, are petty and - as much as I'm loathe to say it - smart enough to use such tactics to hurt us. Before we do anything however, we better first be more attentive and see if they or some helpers are indeed spying on us," Hermione concluded, connecting strings between the names of Malfoy's group on the board and then connecting one string to Skeeter's card and one to Harry's card.
"And the year had started so peacefully..." Ron sighed, wondering if they would ever get an ordinary school year at Hogwarts. After all, it felt like fate had it in for them.
...Hogsmeade, January 21st...
Another Hogsmeade trip had come and thanks to another snow storm two days prior, it was next to impossible to stray from the streets, since everything else was buried under snow. However, some also saw the weather as a business opportunity and several small stands had popped up on the streets of Hogsmeade, offering students warm drinks and snacks for sale. It was an offer many of them gladly accepted.
Standing at a small and tall outdoor table - something normally not seen in such a weather - Ron and Hermione were both enjoying a cup of hot chocolate, the combination of the hot beverage and the cold weather having an interesting effect on them.
"These stands are a bit like like one of these German Christmas markets. My parents once took me to one when I was younger when we visited Germany," Hermione commented before taking a sip from her cup.
"I honestly wouldn't know," Ron admitted. "However this really is very different from sitting in the Three Broomsticks. The pub is always awfully crowded. Despite being outside, this feels more private."
"Good thing we decided to do our purchases later..." Hermione then fell silent.
Ron then sighed. "Maybe we should address the elephant in the room? Ever since the Yule Ball, things have changed between us. It's a bit confusing for me."
Hermione gulped hard. Ginny and Luna had both admitted to her that things between them and Harry and Neville had changed after the ball. Their relationships, while not having changed in any world-shattering way, now felt closer and more meaningful. The girls however admitted that while they were able to talk about it among themselves, they had felt a bit too embarrassed to breach the topic to the boys.
Thus, ironically, it was Ron, who admitted that he was rubbish at emotional things, who actually was first in addressing the issue to the opposite gender.
"I have to admit I was hoping you would notice me in that way - as a girl. But now that you do, I realize I'm not as mature as I prided myself to be. Don't get me wrong, it feels right, but no less confusing than it does to you," Hermione admitted.
There also were some things they most likely would never admit to each other, since it simply was too embarrassing. Both of them by now regularly had dreams of the two of them doing highly X-rated things, resulting in both of them having to resort to masturbation regularly to ease the pent-up emotions. No way however they would ever admit that to each other.
Ron sighed, then actually started to chuckle. "Look what a pair we are..."
Hermione actually could see the humor in it. "So let's wait and see how things develop between us?" she asked.
"Yes. I know how we act is already changing... Hm?" Ron trailed off when he seemed to notice something. Hermione looked to where he was looking and saw something strange.
They saw Ludo Bagman approach one of the tables, where Cedric and Cho were enjoying drinking from one cup with straws. However, their private moment was interrupted when Bagman addressed Cedric. "Diggory, can I have a moment of your time?"
If anything, Cedric looked highly annoyed. "Mr. Bagman, I hope this is important. As you can see I'm busy with something."
Bagman was unfazed by Cedric's undisguised hostility. "Have you already solved the riddle? Remember that my offer still stands."
If anything, Cedric only became more hostile. "I would never resort to cheating. Besides, I have already solved it. I'm more concerned that this does look like you violating the rules against offering help to the champions."
"Yes... that would be bad." Bagman made his exit while Cardic and Cho returned to where they had left off.
"I don't like this..." Hermione said, her eyes narrowed. Then she saw something else. "Ron, look."
Bagman had not managed to go far before he was being accosted by three goblins - three not very pleased looking goblins at that. There were some exchanged words before the goblins escorted Bagman to where they knew the Hog's Head was located, clearly to have a more thorough discussion. Considering how pale Bagman had looked, he was not looking forward to it.
"What do you think that was about?" Ron wondered.
"I don't know..." Hermione now looking downright furious. "What I do know however, is, that Bagman is clearly not acting like he is supposed to and blatantly violates the rules of the tournament. You better believe I will report this as soon as we are back in the castle."
Ron knew that Hermione's opinion of Bagman had been negative ever since the World Cup, but this was a new level. Hermione hated it when people thought they could blatantly violate the rules for their own gain and get away with it. Her sense of justice simply could not accept that. He was sure she would approach McGonagall about it, and she in turn would inform the Headmaster.
After all, Ron knew enough to know this was a serious matter and considering how much the Ministry was banking on the tournament, they would rather sacrifice a pawn than risk the whole thing falling apart.
He also had to admit, Hermione wanting to do something about an injustice was actually attractive.
o
The Three Broomsticks was full as usual whenever it was one of the days when Hogwarts students visited Hogsmeade. Over the years everyone had gotten used to it, even though it was better than in the past due to the pub having expanded to deal with these days better. At least the pub, unlike the Hog's Head, had a strict no-smoking policy due to the fact that students frequented it, since otherwise the air would have been unbearable.
Two students sat at one table, when the third of the group rejoined them with their drinks.
"It's always annoying how full the Three Broomsticks is during Hogsmeade visits," Daphne grumbled while putting their butterbeer mugs onto the table they were sitting at.
"Well, considering they let all of us out at the same time, it's inevitable," Millicent mused before taking a gulp from her butterbeer. "Ahhh, that hit the spot!"
"Just please don't belch like last time," Daphne said. "Also, better enjoy these days. Starting with next year Astoria and her friends are sure to stay close to us a lot of the time during Hogsmeade visits."
"Ah yes, Astoria will be able to visit starting next school year," Dudley realized, feeling time was going by a little fast. "Maybe she'll be busy enough with her friends that she forgets."
"I honestly doubt she will." Daphne then remembered something. "I noticed you got a letter this morning, which actually is a first. Can you tell us from who it is?"
Dudley remembered the letter, which still was in his pocket. "It's from Mum. Spending that week with Millie's family really helped her understanding better that having magic doesn't automatically make you a shitty person. She had told me she would try to start us exchanging letters."
"It was interesting having her being a guest in our house. She'd clearly had a very distorted idea of how we live, though she also managed to right away spot things that were clearly new and guessed correctly that our lives have started to change," Millicent commented, remembering that week very well.
Indeed, Petunia visiting the Bulstrode house had clearly helped her continue to question long-held beliefs, many of which had been formed by anger and bitterness in her youth. Petunia however also confessed that she hardly could forego all the comforts of the late 20th century, regardless how fascinating a magical household was. At least she was honest in that regard and no one took offense.
These two are so obvious... Daphne thought when watching the silent communication between Dudley and Millicent.
"Ahh, their heirs to the Bulstrode and Greengrass houses! Now, this is a chance I can't miss."
That female voice pulled them out of their private conversation. Looking up, they saw a person with the second-worst fashion sense they had ever seen, as the only person they had seen dressed worse had been Lockhart. Considering she was holding a notepad an a hovering quill was ready to write things down for her, she had to be some kind of reporter. None of them however recognized her.
"Can we help you?" Millicent asked, having a bad feeling.
The woman didn't seem to mind the lack of manners. "Rita Skeeter. I hope you won't mind me asking a few questions?"
Now it was like a switch had been flipped once they heard that name. It were Skeeter's hit pieces, her horrible lies, which were causing their friends serious grief. The cries of pain from Hermione and Ginny when they got hurt by malicious substances sent to them were something they would not forget anytime soon. They felt no need at all to show that woman any courtesy.
"Oh yes, we do mind very much! Take your poisoned quill and shove it up your arse!" Millicent hissed, her anger breaking through.
"The lies and the poison you spew is causing nothing but grief. The world would be better off without you." It took quite a bit for Daphne to forget her manner.
"Oh yes, we've seen that all that crap you write together is nothing bit slander full of lies. And why, because Harry's friends told you what you really are and you got butthurt over it and now feel the need to be incredibly nasty?" Dudley added, giving her the angriest look imaginable.
Skeeter looked taken aback for a moment, before her demeanor turned nasty. "You don't want me as your enemy."
"So what, then you try to smear us as well? Better pick your battles, or you could regret it. You are a horrible person, nasty, unsympathetic and false. Get lost," Millicent snarled, having enough of her presence.
"You little snots will regret this..." That said, Skeeter left quickly.
"I know she will try to aim at us now... but boy had it felt good to tell her what she really is," Dudley said, knowing there would be consequences.
Both girls felt the same and knew they would have to tell their families about that confrontation so that they could prepare for when Skeeter would start spitting her poison at them as well. Their only consolation was, that it was inevitable for Skeeter to step on the feet of too many important people and come to regret it.
to be continued...
Next Episode:
"In the Shadow of the Task"
Notes:
Here the notes.
As we can see, the situation with Vernon is detoriating constantly, and now Petunia is starting to feel it as well (him just leaving for Marge over Christmas is really rude). However, while her life starts to crumble, she ironically also becomes more open-minded.
Yep, Luna is going to become a big sister. Of course she is out of her depth here.
I felt really needed a little talk between two best mates and how Ron thinks about Harry and Ginny. However, the day then goes to hell. You thought I forgot that the stairs used to be mobile? Isn't it ironical that Karkaoff thinks killing Harry will get him into Voldemort's good graces, while it in reality does the opposite?
Maybe you forgot that year is about houses working together? It did come back with the all-star team.
And of course all that crap written about that now has consequences. On the other hand, this finally gives Kreacher a chance to make himself useful and we also hear there still are tensions between him and Dobby. I hope you like them setting up HQ in the RoR.
Looks like Bagman will be in trouble, while Skeeter is about to make an error.