Honey Bee

Chapter 23

Life became even worse for Harry within the confines of the castle, for Rita Skeeter had published her piece about the Triwizard Tournament, and it had turned out to be not so much a report on the tournament as a highly colored life story of Harry.

Much of the front page had been given over to a picture of Harry; the article (continuing on pages two, six, and seven) had been all about Harry, the names of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang champions (misspelled) had been squashed into the last line of the article, and Cedric hadn't been mentioned at all. I had been mentioned briefly.

Rita Skeeter had reported him saying an awful lot of things that he swore he couldn't remember ever saying in his life, let alone in that broom cupboard.

"I suppose I get my strength from my parents. I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now....Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it....I know nothing will hurt me during the tournament, because they're watching over me..."

But Rita Skeeter had gone even further than transforming his "er's" into long, sickly sentences: She had interviewed other people about him too.

"Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school."

From the moment the article had appeared, Harry had had to endure people quoting it at him as he passed and making sneering comments.

"Want a hanky, Potter, in case you start crying in Transfiguration?"

"Since when have you been one of the top students in the school, Potter? Or is this a school you and Longbottom have set up together?"

"Hey - Harry!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Harry found himself shouting as we wheeled around in the corridor. "I've just been crying my eyes out over my dead mum, and I'm just off to do a bit more..."

"No - it was just - you dropped your quill."

It was Cho Chang. A Ravenclaw Harry liked.

"Oh - right - sorry," he muttered, taking the quill back.

"Er...good luck on Tuesday," she said. "I really hope you do well."

Which left Harry feeling extremely stupid.

To make matters worse I was now walking to my interview now. I'm dreading what is going to be written about me. I had dressed nicely, smart skinny jeans and a pretty top.

I knocked on the door and walked into the room, it had been set up in a proper interview fashion. Rita was sat there talking to the camera man.

"Melissa! Come in come in!" Rita said grabbing my hand and dragging me in. "How are you?"

"I'm good. A bit nervous but you know!" I said sweetly shaking everyone's hands to make a good impression.

Thought, if I can make everyone like me then their less likely to write long untrue sentences about me.

Rita was wearing a bright yellow coat with black fur coating her neck, the ends of her arms and at the bottom of the coat. She resembled that of a bee.

Bee... why does that sound familiar to me?

"Melissa! Melissa." I zoned back into the world.

"Sorry, zoned out for a moment there." I said sitting down.

"You don't mind if I use a quick-quotes-quill do you?" Rita asked.

"Do I even want to know what that is?" I asked concerned looking at the long green quill which was now floating.