A Little Help from a Snake // Tomarry

Part 48

But Hagrid did not come back the next two weeks. No one seemed to even catch a glimpse of him, and that worried many of the students.

Halfway through January was a Hogsmeade visit. Harry went into the Three Broomsticks with his friends and ordered butterbeer for them all.

"Oh no," Pansy groaned as she spotted Rita Skeeter.

"... didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo?" she was saying. "Now, why would that be, do you think?"

"Maybe because he's allergic to bullshit," Tracey said loudly.

Rita turned, beaming when she saw Harry. "Harry! How lovely! Why don't you come and join—?"

"I'd rather hang out with a dementor," Harry said. "What was up with that article about Hagrid?"

"Our readers have the right to the truth, Harry," Rita said almost condescendingly. "I am merely doing my job."

"Oh, really? I didn't realize tearing other people down was part of your job."

Rita's smile flickered very briefly. She looked at Tracey and pulled out her quill. "How about giving me an interview about your girlfriend here? Or perhaps your guardian, Remus Lupin? How did you feel when he called you his son? Would you call him a father substitute?"

"You horrible woman!" Tracey snapped. "You don't care who you hurt as long as you get a story, even if it is slander!"

"Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand," Rita said coldly.

"Silly? Is that how you see anyone who stands up to you? You're pathetic."

The Slytherins stood and left the pub. Harry turned back to see Rita writing something on a piece of parchment.

"She'll be after you next," he said worriedly.

"Let me guess, our 'relationship'?" Tracey scoffed. "Then let her."

"That took guts, what you did back there," Pansy said. "I don't think anyone has ever stood up to her like that."

"Well, maybe they should. It's about time she was taken down a peg or two— thousand."

The unicorns, as Daphne had stated, had been fascinating, even if Harry hadn't seen them up close. What Harry did not find fascinating was standing outside in the freezing February air staring over a body of water they've all seen multiple times already. It wasn't like they knew what was happening or where the champions were.

"While I do love hanging around the lake," he said, "why so early in the year?"

"Gotta cool off from the dragons, I guess," Tracey said.

"It's been three months!" Harry said. "There's a beetle in your hair," he added, and Tracey flicked it away with an impatient huff.

"Look!" Pansy said, pointing to a figure that had just emerged from the lake.

It was Fleur, but her arms were empty. She went to Madam Maxime.

"The grindylows, they attacked me," she said frantically. "Gabrielle is still down there."

Bagman tried to calm her down by informing her no one was in any real danger, but Fleur didn't seem to hear.

Cedric came up next, carrying Cho. They were immediately swaddled in towels, and Madam Pomfrey shoved a potion down Cedric's throat. Krum and Hermione received the same treatment when they arrived.