Chapter Thirteen

Jeremy

Jeremy wasted no time walking over to the newspaper table, pulling out the latest Daily Prophet and Wizard Weekly before opening it to the article he was looking for. He straddled his seat as he sat down, glancing at it only briefly before showing it to Quintin, who was still getting his workspace ready by neatly putting his homework in the corner and pulling out the correct book.

"Here it is! The article on Lockhart and Heron being found," Jeremy declared.

"I already told you they were found," Quintin said, but Jeremy held up a finger.

"That is what they call 'inside knowledge'! I want to know what it is that everyone else knows," Jeremy said.

"You sound like a reporter again. I thought your parents said you had to give that up?" Pippa asked as she and Virginia took their seats in the front row.

"In my opinion, an LE investigator needs similar skills to an investigative reporter," Jeremy declared.

"What he means is, he's going to try to convince his parents that being an investigative reporter is a lot less dangerous than being in law enforcement. He talked me into joining the Auror Club even," Quintin admitted ruefully.

"Care to go along?" Jeremy asked them.

"No thanks, I have a lot better things to do with my weekend... like avoiding situations that involve mock wand fights, curses, and triage," Pippa said. "Besides, don't you have that Owl thing to worry about? Aren't you in charge of it this year? And what about Tennis Club?"

"Yes, but I have plenty of time in my schedule for all of them," Quintin assured her.

Pippa looked quite pleased at that, hoping that Quintin would be willing to teach her some of the basics and to have a chance to spend time with him. Virginia had been thinking close to the same thing, but Jeremy was too busy reading to notice the open admiration.

"'Expedition Found!'" Jeremy read. "A rescue team lead by Auror Harry Potter were finally able to track down the missing author Gilderoy Lockhart and his companion, Professor Rhett Heron from Canada. The were discovered in a previously undocumented cave site of historic significance after having become trapped there since their disappearance. The local authorities in the province have now taken over the site for further study.' Huh. There's no mention at all of the items they found, Quintin."

"I suppose because it really has nothing to do with the fact they were rescued," Quintin said with a shrug.

"Yes, but that means it never answers why they went in there in the first place. Why they were there is important information, you know... and it doesn't mention how they knew it was there in the first place. I'm not sure I care for this reporter... oh. It was written by R. Weasley," Jeremy frowned. "How come he didn't get into any detail?"

"I don't know. Maybe there's something interesting on the front page?" Quintin suggested. Jeremy shook his head, turning back a page.

"'Minister of Magic Draco Malfoy secures enough votes to pass wide-sweeping cost of living increases for Ministry workers,'" Jeremy read, obviously unimpressed.

"Wow! They've been trying to get that past for years," Quintin said. Jeremy flicked his eyes up and stared at his friend. "Well, it may not seem to be a big deal to you, but it is a big deal to all those lower end workers who haven't been able to make ends meet because of inflation," he pointed out.

"More important than the fact that Lockhart and Heron was found after being missing for months?" Jeremy challenged him.

"It isn't the first time Lockhart has done this," Quintin pointed out. "Whatever the details are, I'm sure he'll put it in his book."

"And exaggerate every bit of it," Jeremy finished.

"Yes, more than likely," Quintin admitted.

"Well, I'm going to write a real article full of real details about the whole thing for the next Veritable Wizard," Jeremy announced.

"I thought you'd given up on the whole journalist career path?" Quintin inquired.

"That doesn't mean I can't write for the paper as a hobby. Besides, Anna expects us to have a couple of Dusthorn writers this year, so I may as well keep it up," Jeremy reasoned.

"Oh, can I be another?" Virginia asked curiously.

"I was going to try for that too," Pete said from the table next to the girls.

"Talk to Professor Black, I'm sure she won't turn down the extra help," Jeremy suggested.

Professor Laura hurried in, a bit out of breath and looking a bit sheepish.

"Sorry I'm late. I got held up in the daycare," she admitted.

"You're not all that late. It's only been four minutes and thirty two seconds since the bell," Quintin said.

"Yes, thank you, why don't you help out by gathering up homework?" Laura said, frowning at him disapprovingly. "Is everyone looking for a new essay topic in current events?"

"There isn't anything going on," Ian complained across the room.

"Then try another paper," Laura suggested.

"I don't suppose there's a Canadian paper over there? I'd like to do something on Lockhart and Heron being found, but this article is pathetic," Jeremy informed her, holding out the article to prove it to her.

Laura scanned it briefly, then glanced back at the table.

"You know, I don't have a Canadian paper over there, but it's a really good idea... not because of this article, but because Aurors often work with the Canadian Flyers, which act as a nationwide wizard police force. They do a lot of the same work Aurors do, but they're known for their hardiness and their flying skills. I have some friends over there, so I'll ask for some newspaper recommendations," Laura decided.

"Does that school that Heron teaches at have a paper?" Jeremy asked with renewed interest.

"It might... I would talk to Librarian Boulderdash. If the school does have a newspaper, we might already have it at the circulation desk," Laura suggested.

"Good idea," Jeremy agreed, and Quintin stepped up to hand her the homework.

"Quintin, how about you?"

"I think I'm going to write about the Ministry pay rise," Quintin decided.

"How does that have anything to do with Defense?" Broc asked from beside Ian.

"Because Aurors and LE officers are included in that, and I don't think it's in our country's best interests to let them and their families starve, is it?" Quintin pointed out.

"Yeah, maybe they'd get so skinny their pants all fall down in the middle of a wand fight!"

"Jeremy, stay after class," Laura said briskly, "and Quintin, go ahead, but don't you dare put that comment in your report."

"Yes, Professor Laura," Quintin said and glanced at his friend, who was too amused to be upset about getting held over.

Jennifer's first year Potions class was a double at the end of the week, and because it was a single class, this had been only the second time she had sat in a class with Antonio Villin. She had asked him up to her desk the moment he had wandered in, smiling at him sympathetically.

"I would like for you to keep your mirror here on my desk while we're in class, just there. You can retrieve it at the end of class," Jennifer told him.

"Ma dai? I can't do that! I can't concentrate without my mirror!" Antonio immediately protested.

"I understand how you feel, believe it or not. I was just as dependent on my mirror as you at your age," Jennifer informed him. "And as such, even my favorite teacher soon learned that I wasn't going to be paying attention to his lectures when I was too busy reading my own thoughts to really absorb it. I want you to be paying attention to my face when I lecture, not your face," she explained.

"If it is your lecture you are worried about, can't I get my mirror back straight after that, before labs?" he coaxed. Jennifer sighed.

"Yes, fine! But only for now," she said sternly, taking off her glasses so that he could read her clearer. "You are much too dependent on that thing, and while I personally have no problem having a pocket mirror as a Truth Seeker tool since I use mine every day, it is high time you learn restraint so that you aren't constantly using it at an unhealthy level."

"Yes, Professor," Antonio said, quite annoyed that he had to deal with a Truth Seeker professor at all. Jennifer ignored the criticism, pointing at her desk.

Sighing with reluctance, Antonio finally produced his hand mirror, giving himself one last forlorn glance before putting it face down on the desk. Then he walked over to a desk crowded around by all of the Hufflepuff witches in his class, quick to offer him sympathy for his loss.

Doing her best not to roll her eyes at the performance, Jennifer turned to organize her notes. But just before class was about to start, Hermione walked in with a newspaper.

"I don't suppose you can take a quick glance at the Letter to the Editor today?" Hermione asked softly. "After I read it, I had confirmation that it came from the castle. I already told Ron that he should let us know before he should print anything from here, but he didn't see anything wrong with the criticism so..." Jennifer took the paper and glanced at the page Hermione turned to. This time, she did roll her eyes.

"Show it to Anna! As far as I'm concerned, it's hers to deal with," Jennifer decided at once.

"Straight away. Have a good class!" Hermione said, waving at the students with a smile as she stepped back out again. Taking a moment to sigh and put her hair back in place, Jennifer began writing her notes out in the air so that the class could see her face as she did so.

Dear Editor,

I am an avid reader of this newspaper, but I'm sorry to say that I found your last story on the Lockhart and Heron expedition completely inefficient. There were no details of why they had gone in there, no mention of the magical items involved or the fact that they were in there are the bequest of a confined criminal. I found it completely lackluster considering that they've been missing for weeks. To just come off saying Harry Potter solved it and continue is quite disappointing, especially considering a lot of other people were involved, including Lucky Snape, who is the only reason any of them got out in the first place. I hope you're not sacrificing story detail to save yourself advertising space, because that would be a public disservice. Those wizards and the circumstances behind it deserve a lot more attention, and I'm hoping to learn more about this incident in the future.

An Aspiring Investigator

If that hadn't been enough, it was quickly answered the next day.

Dear Editor,

I would like to comment on the Letter to the Editor by "An Aspiring Investigator." First, I commend the newspaper's decision to fairly report on this wizard's concerns and hope that you honor his or her request for a more detailed investigation into the matter. If there were magical items involved with connections to a known criminal, it is of concern not only to me but to our entire society. Surely whatever item was worth them getting trapped for weeks at a previously unknown wizard site is of enough interest that the Daily Prophet should have included it. Or is this another case of bias caused by the known friendship between the newspaper's owner and the famous Harry Potter?

A Concerned Citizen

Jeremy was sitting in Anna's new office when the newspaper was thrust in his face and he was instructed to read it.

"Do you know who wrote this response to your letter, Jeremy?" Anna asked him sternly.

"No," Jeremy admitted.

"Ludo Bagman wrote it," Anna told him bluntly. Jeremy stared at her.

"Please don't tell my folks about it," Jeremy groaned.

"I had no intention of it. I just wanted to show you that speaking out does have some consequences. Why are you even worried that I would tell your parents?" Anna asked curiously.

"Because every time Ludo Bagman takes any notice of me, they freak out about it," Jeremy said.

"I doubt Bagman even knows who wrote the first letter. The only reason we know is because Hermione got her husband to confirm that your letter came from the castle and Jennifer guessed it was you right away," Anna said, sitting down. "Personally, I don't have a problem with the critique of the newspaper in general, but I am concerned with you not being careful about how you word it. You gave out some inside information... like the fact there were items involved as well as a known criminal... and then you signed that letter with anonymity."

"All the Letters to the Editor do that," Jeremy reminded her.

"But because you knew so much about the case, people might assume that it came from a Ministry insider, or someone at the Tower, or an Auror frustrated with how little was told about it, or it even could have come from Lockhart annoyed at how little attention he was getting," Anna explained.

"Oh yeah... I didn't think of that," Jeremy admitted. "I can totally see Lockhart writing to complain that there wasn't enough about his daring part in it somehow. In fact, I bet he did complain, but Mr. Weasley put my letter in instead since it would have been obvious who the first one is from. I'm right, aren't I?"

"You're missing the point," Anna said sternly. "Do you know what the real point is?"

"I guess the point is that other readers can get the wrong ideas about who it came from since I knew so much," Jeremy said, and Anna put her hand out in acknowledgement. "Well, I'm sorry, but it still had to be said. That article was pathetic."

"Yes, well... to be honest, I think that's why Ron decided to print your letter in the first place," Anna admitted. Jeremy gazed at her curiously. "That article was lackluster as well as biased, but not for the reason Bagman thinks. It's more because of how Ron feels about Lockhart and not wanting to give him the stage. Because of that, he put your letter in because he thought you had a point regardless of his feelings about it."

"Sure, but why did he put Bagman's letter in?" Jeremy asked.

"That's more complicated. He doesn't really have a choice," Anna admitted. Jeremy gasped.

"Is he being blackmailed? Threatened? Is Professor Weasley in danger?" Jeremy went on until Anna threw up her hands in protest.

"Not like that! He doesn't want Bagman to sponsor another newspaper like the Oracle," Anna explained. "As long as Bagman feels like he can voice his opinions, he's not going to be tempted to do so."

"Oh. Well, what about all that bull that Wand1 puts out on the radio and on the telly?" Jeremy asked curiously.

"That's what Maxen's Traditionalist Party are using as a conduit. Bagman isn't likely to stoop to using Wizard Television when he doesn't approve of the Wizard Council finally giving in and allowing it," Anna explained.

"Sounds like Bagman is more into tradition than Traditionalists are these days," Jeremy said.

"Yes he is, but that's an entirely different story and has nothing to do with the topic. I just want you to be more careful about how you word things when you send one of these letters. Always write them with the knowledge that it might be published, and think about just who it is who is going to read it and what consequences that may have."

"You're not going to stop me or punish me or anything?" Jeremy asked.

"For speaking your mind? Don't you know me at all yet? Wait, have you been taking notes in my class?" Anna asked suspiciously.

"But it's all about Muggle stuff! I know all of it already!" Jeremy protested.

"It's not all 'Muggle stuff', it's a tolerance course, as will become quite evident after we get through the basic 'how do they get on without wands' type questions I get during the first two weeks," Anna said. "When we get into essays, I expect your best work, and as your Journalism professor, I know what that is," she warned.

"Yeah, fine," Jeremy said, glad when he was finally dismissed to go upstairs.

Quintin was in the research corners with several of his friends, but there was a seat at the end next to him he was holding open. Jeremy picked the books off the chair and sat down, putting them off the table.

"Heard you had a conference already," Pete Cander said, glancing at Jeremy questioningly.

"It's fine. She wasn't angry at me, she just wants to be more careful," Jeremy explained. "I guess they're worried it might be seen as coming from a Ministry insider because I knew about them going after items. But it's not like it's news... they've known those two were after items since they went missing."

"I don't think anybody was really following it all that closely," Pamina put in. "I heard it mentioned over the summer, but it boiled down to everyone in Hogsmeade saying, 'I hear Lockhart's gone missing again. Think he's going to make it this time?' as a conversation starter. But the conversations never lasted after a quick opinion. They might as well have been asking if they thought it was going to rain later or not."

"It is getting some more attention in the Wizard Weekly," Virginia pointed out.

"Oh, did that just come out this morning?" Jeremy asked with interest.

"Of course. You should think about subscribing since it gets more in depth about their stories than the Daily Prophet does," Virginia said. "Sometimes even three or four pages."

"Because it's a magazine, not a newspaper," Jeremy explained. "But newspapers are supposed to be able to give all the facts in a paragraph or two, or at least enough that everyone wants to continue on page three. But it sounded like Editor Weasley had some personal reasons for writing the article the way he did, which is why he went and published my criticism of it in the first place. Anna said that Weasley didn't want to give Mr. Lockhart the stage."

"If your parents see that, you're going to get another letter," Quintin warned. "Especially if anyone tips them off as to who wrote that letter in the paper yesterday."

"I don't get it. How come your parents think that you going into criminal investigation is safer than being an investigative reporter?" Pete asked from the other end of the table.

"Oh... well, they just told me to pick another career. They didn't say what," Jeremy explained. "They don't actually know I've changed to criminal investigation yet. And if that fails, I'll be private detective!"

All of them heard the hearty laughter of a woman and turned around in surprise to see an unexpected painting on the wall, and the student's all called out Caprica's name.

"Good afternoon, my dear house students! Wonderful to see all of you again!" Caprica greeted warmly. "And yes, Quintin, I am supposed to be awake. I am helping the Headmaster Pro-tempore sort out all of those new paintings that were added without permission while I was asleep. Jeremy, did I hear you say that you are going to be an investigator? What are we investigating this week?" she asked with open interest.

"Oh, well... investigating is too strong of a word at this point, but I've been reading up on what happened to Lockhart and Heron... in summary, they went off and got trapped in a cave in India, and Harry and a bunch of his and Quintin's relatives had to go and rescue them," Jeremy said.

"Sounds like normal fare around here. What makes this one so special?" Caprica asked.

"They were in there to plunder a smuggler's cave full of precious items, that belong to a smuggler awaiting parole in the Tower," Virginia butted in excitedly. "Apparently, they were looking for a medallion that is rumored to contain the key for unlocking Pandora's Box!"

"Now how do you know that?" Pete asked.

"It's in the Wizard Weekly," Virginia explained. "Lockhart told reporters that it was the medallion mentioned in one of his books, and even confirmed its purpose. The problem is, nobody knows where Pandora's Box is, but it sounds like they are going to try to find it."

"Well, what is the point of that?" Caprica said with such exasperation that they all looked at her again. "Why would anyone go after something that's already been opened? It's a fools' errand, in my humble opinion. We already know what's in it. It's not like... well, you know what I mean. We already know how that story goes."

"But not precisely what the story means-" Quintin began, but then immediately got cut off by Jeremy.

"Hang on. What were you going to say? Not like what?" Jeremy interrupted, squinting at the painting suspiciously.

"It's just there's a similar box somewhere in this castle... at least, I think it's here. If it isn't here, it's probably nearby..."

"Caprica, you're up to something," Quintin declared evenly.

"Quintin, you sound just like your father!" Caprica declared.

"Never mind that, tell us about this box of yours," Jeremy replied with exasperation.

"Oh, it wasn't my box," Caprica informed him. "The box I'm talking of belonged to my friend, Bedivere O'Lauren. It was a beautiful silver box, thin and rectangular like a wand box, only a bit wider and covered with various symbols of magic. It also had a sophisticated lock, because he wanted to keep it safe. He always told me that it contained the most powerful item in the castle, and that is why he wanted to protect it. I'm pretty sure he left it to the school when he retired, because he knew it would be safer here at Hogwarts than anywhere. He was afraid it'd get stolen, you see."

"It's probably on a shelf in the Headmaster's Study then," Quintin concluded.

"I'd have noticed it by now. I do spend some time in there," Caprica protested.

"Maybe the Sorting Hat would know," Jeremy suggested. Caprica pondered it.

"To be fair, I never asked him. It hasn't come up since... well, I've been asleep for a couple of years," Caprica pointed out. "Also, I haven't thought about that box in quite some time. I only thought of it because you brought up Pandora's Box. My living self often thought of O'Lauren's Box as being Hogwarts own version, you see, because O'Lauren was so protective of what was inside. He said it was instrumental to the schools' very existence, as well as its future. He said there was a lot of hopes and dreams in that box, and it was what inspired him to get up in the morning, and he carried it with him the entire time he was the schools' chancellor... Deputy Headmaster, I mean."

"We remember," Quintin replied.

"Quintin, maybe you should ask the Sorting Hat if he knows where the box is, being that you're close and all," Jeremy suggested.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt, but I don't see any reason to concern ourselves with it," Quintin said. "O'Lauren left it in the castle to keep it safe. If it's been hidden this long, there's no real reason to worry about its safety."

"I guess you have a point there," Jeremy said with a frown.

"Yes, you're right. Best leave things the way they are," Caprica agreed with a sagely nod.

But when Jeremy went to bed that night, he had a lot of trouble getting to sleep.