Poison Pen

Chapter 26: Due Notice

~~

A weary Harry returned to Grimmauld Place after his meeting with the Goblin Keeper. The Keeper had informed them the best time to do the ritual would be during the dark of the moon after the new year.

Harry and Sirius, after due consideration, decided to have their Christmas fun in spite of Dumbledore. They made hurried plans for fun, sun and half-naked girls on some white sand beach.

The bags were quickly packed and ready. Harry no longer needed anyone's permission, but he did let Lord Peter and Ragnok know where he would be, in case of an emergency. Their portkey was timed, and just as it activated to whisk them away, the fireplace in the parlor went green.

"Sirius? Hello? Harry? Anyone?" called Remus. "You need to get to Hogwarts for an emergency Order meeting. Hello?"

~~

Rita Skeeter was in seventh heaven. She had followed Harry Potter to a meeting where he was emancipated! And the files she managed to get a quick look at...!

She had the story of a lifetime. Child abuse, neglect, recognized as an adult by a senile Albus Dumbledore and a bumbling Cornelius Fudge! It was the stuff of dreams! And that fool Dumbledore never suspected he carried his undoing in his very own pocket! His magic had masked her presence quite well.

She quickly wrote out her article. The Minister was at first reluctant to print anything that portrayed him in a bad light. However, when she pointed out that he had believed Dumbledore when he said the boy was fine at his relatives, and the fact that the headmaster had also stepped aside and let him try the boy – thereby giving his implied consent to the trial.

A reluctant Cornelius had turned a lovely shade of green at reading her piece, but gave the go ahead. Anything to bring Potter down a notch now that he claimed not one but two lordships.

The next morning, she went to the Editor's Office and knocked. She handed in her article and left, humming to herself.

Later that day, she got word from her contact in the Ministry that he needed to speak with her.

In Hogsmeade, in a corner table at the Hogshead, Rita met her contact, a fat little filing clerk in the DMLE that was disgruntled with how things were done.

"You need to run Rita," the clerk said. "The Potter's high class barrister has filed paperwork for your arrest. Seems you violated the terms of your employment."

"He can't do that!" Rita hissed.

"Yes he can. Potter owns controlling shares of the Daily Prophet and he has requested that all articles about go through his barrister before printing. How you got into a closed meeting at Gringotts is beyond me, but I'm sure the goblins would like to know as well."

"But...but I have the Minister's backing!" Rita argued.

"Ol' Fudge doesn't have any say. You violated your contract Rita and ol' Charley is looking for ways to fire you. Best you lay low for a time. Heard Potter took off for the hols with that insane godfather of his, so he won't be around for you to snoop on."

Rita shuddered as she paid her spy and left. This put a new wrinkle in her plans, she mused. The best way to hide would be in her bug form, but where? As a beetle, she knew that the whole world was against her, between the many predators that ate beetles to the many humans that don't watch where they are stepping.

She smiled. There was one place she could hide and still get a scoop.

~~

Lord Charles sat in a very cluttered office, looking over at his friend. "Care for a drink while you are here, Peter?"