Annabeth Chase the Triwizard Champion

Chapter Forty One

"How was she doing it?"

"How did you find out?"

"Well," Hermione said, "it was you, really, who gave me the idea, Harry."

"Did I?" Harry looked bewildered. "How?"

"Bugging," Hermione said, excited now.

"But you said that didn't work—"

"Not electronic bugs! No, you see, Rita Skeeter... is an unregistered animagus. She can turn—" Hermione pulled a jar out of her bag— "into a beetle."

"You're kidding," Ron said. "You haven't— she's not—"

"Oh yes she is," Hermione said proudly. Inside the jar, there were a few twigs, leaves, and one large beetle. "I caught her on the window sill in the hospital wing. Look very closely, and you'll notice the markings around her antennae are exactly like those foul glasses she wears."

"There was a beetle in the statue the night we heard Hagrid telling Madam Maxime about his mum!" Harry exclaimed.

"Exactly," Hermione said. "And Viktor pulled a beetle out of my hair after we'd had our conversation by the lake. And unless I'm very much mistaken, Rita was perched on the windowsill of the Divination tower the day your scar hurt. She's been buzzing around for stories all year."

"There was a beetle when I talked to Hagrid about being a demigod," Annabeth realized. "Hey, can I see that for a second?"

Hermione handed it over. Annabeth held it to eye level to look at the beetle, which was definitely Rita. Aside from the markings, the beetle had that same mischievous air about her. Annabeth smiled slightly, then gave the jar a good shake.

"Let's see how well you handle your life being turned upside down," she told the beetle.

"Annabeth!" Hermione snatched the jar back. She shook her head, but otherwise she didn't really seem too upset about it. "I've told her I'll let her out when we get back to London. I've put an unbreakable charm on the jar, you see, so she can't transform. And I've told her she's got to keep her quill to herself for a whole year. See if she can't break the habit of writing horrible lies about people."

Hermione put the jar back in her bag just as the compartment door opened to reveal everyone's favorite brooding twit, Draco Malfoy. He was flanked by his two friends/bodyguards, and all three looked extremely smug.

"Very clever, Granger," Malfoy said as he entered the compartment. "So, you caught some pathetic reporter, and Potter is Dumbledore's favorite boy again. Big deal."

"It's very nice of you to come visit," Annabeth said, crossing her arms and smirking. "You really care, huh?"

Malfoy's gaze turned to her. "Don't get me started on you, Chase. Hanging out with Gryffindors all the time. And you've looped Henningson into it, too? You're an insult to the Slytherin name, the way you act."

"Oh, it's not just Freddie," Annabeth said. Absentmindedly she reached for her wand, before she remembered that she had lost it in the graveyard. "Vera should be here soon. She was just busy, somewhere down by your compartment? You should stay awhile. Hang out."

"You've picked the wrong side, both of you!" Malfoy said, though he did look a little nervous. He turned and left at a pretty quick pace, probably to see whatever was happening in his compartment.

Harry looked at Annabeth. "What's Vera doing in his compartment?"

"Nothing," Annabeth said, shrugging. "I don't know where she is."

"Nice one, Annabeth."

Annabeth looked up to see Fred and George Weasely standing there, looking in the direction that Malfoy and his goons had gone.