Emma Potter; Going to War

89: Going, Going, Gone [Pt.2]

I moved across the room, slid my mirror fragment off today'sProphet, and unfolded the newspaper. I had merely glanced at theheadline when I had taken the rolled-up paper from the deliveryowl early that morning and thrown it aside, after noting that it saidnothing about Voldemort.

I was sure that the Ministry wasleaning on the Prophet to suppress news about Voldemort. It wasonly now, therefore, that I saw what I had missed.Across the bottom half of the front page a smaller headline wasset over a picture of Dumbledore striding along looking harried: 

DUMBLEDORE — THE TRUTH AT LAST? 

Coming next week, the shocking story of the flawedgenius considered by many to be the greatest wizardof his generation. Stripping away the popular imageof serene, silver-bearded wisdom, Rita Skeeter revealsthe disturbed childhood, the lawless youth, the lifelong feuds, and the guilty secrets that Dumbledorecarried to his grave. 

WHY was the man tipped to beMinister of Magic content to remain a mere headmaster? WHAT was the real purpose of the secretorganization known as the Order of the Phoenix?HOW did Dumbledore really meet his end?The answers to these and many more questionsare explored in the explosive new biography, TheLife and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, by Rita Skeeter, exclusively interviewed by Betty Braithwaite, page13, inside. 

I ripped open the paper and found page thirteen. Rolled my eyes at Harry, who scowled at me as I shoved him to the side of his bed and spread the newspaper across our laps. The articlewas topped with a picture showing another familiar face: a womanwearing jeweled glasses with elaborately curled blonde hair, her teethbared in what was clearly supposed to be a winning smile, wigglingher fingers up at us. Doing my best to ignore this nauseating image, I read on. 

In person, Rita Skeeter is much warmer andsofter than her famously ferocious quill-portraitsmight suggest. (Here Harry and I snorted) Greeting me in the hallway of hercozy home, she leads me straight into the kitchenfor a cup of tea, a slice of pound cake and, it goeswithout saying, a steaming vat of freshest gossip. 

"Well, of course, Dumbledore is a biographer'sdream," says Skeeter. "Such a long, full life. I'm suremy book will be the first of very, very many." 

Skeeter was certainly quick off the mark. Hernine-hundred-page book was completed a mere fourweeks after Dumbledore's mysterious death in June.I ask her how she managed this superfast feat.

 "Oh, when you've been a journalist as long asI have, working to a deadline is second nature. Iknew that the Wizarding world was clamoring forthe full story and I wanted to be the first to meetthat need."

 I mention the recent, widely publicized remarks of Elphias Doge, Special Advisor to the Wizengamot and longstanding friend of Albus Dumbledore's, that "Skeeter's book contains less fact than aChocolate Frog card."Skeeter throws back her head and laughs. 

"Darling Dodgy! I remember interviewing hima few years back about merpeople rights, bless him.Completely gaga, seemed to think we were sittingat the bottom of Lake Windermere, kept telling meto watch out for trout." 

And yet Elphias Doge's accusations of inaccuracyhave been echoed in many places. Does Skeeter really feel that four short weeks have been enough togain a full picture of Dumbledore's long and extraordinary life? 

"Oh, my dear," beams Skeeter, rapping me affectionately across the knuckles, "you know as well asI do how much information can be generated by afat bag of Galleons, a refusal to hear the word 'no,'and a nice sharp Quick-Quotes Quill! People werequeuing to dish the dirt on Dumbledore anyway.Not everyone thought he was so wonderful, youknow — he trod on an awful lot of important toes.But old Dodgy Doge can get off his high hippogriff,because I've had access to a source most journalists would swap their wands for, one who has neverspoken in public before and who was close to Dumbledore during the most turbulent and disturbingphase of his youth."