Inked Dragons

An Ill-Advised Lack of Caution

In the very early hours of Thursday morning, as the article about the loss of the Auror's Elite Corps and Ministry conspiracies against Harry Potter was being printed for the morning run of papers, Rita Skeeter received an unwieldy envelope by Owl. There was no declared sender and the owl was a courier owl that she knew would be hard to trace.

Rita Skeeter was positively gleeful when she opened the envelope and shifted through the paperwork that it contained. She didn't stop to consider who had sent the information because Rita Skeeter had the political scandal of the century. The contents of the envelope fortified some evidence that she'd already wheedled out of Percy Weasley and a few other useful contacts who were willing to talk. The envelope also included several statements, some leaked correspondence, records of travel, some diary extracts, and copies of actual bank statements. All of which were rather unfavourable. She smoothed down her new lime-green jacket and sat down at her desk with her QuikQuil. Rita Skeeter was determined she was going to gloriously capitalise on this opportunity.

Perhaps she should have been more cautious because QuikQuil's are known for their embellishment of the truth and sometimes those embellishments can be unerringly correct. And some people don't like the truth to be spoken aloud. Especially politicians with something to hide.

The Prophet broke a scandal of corruption and bribery to the world on the Friday morning. Rita Skeeter's name sitting neatly under the headline on the frontpage.

British Magical politics exploded into chaos.

That morning, Arum Twarmer sat at his breakfast table, fuming. The Daily Prophet was spread out before him and Rita fucking Skeeter's name was cheerfully looking right back at him under the headline: 'Arm-Twister Twarmer: the Charmer with the Shallow Smile'.

Until that moment, everything had been going exactly to plan for Arum Twarmer, ignoring the expected small murmurings of dissent here and there. He just hadn't planned on Rita Skeeter rearing her ugly head.

He ignored the runny egg-yolk that had just dripped down the front of his robes and carried on reading the article.

He had no doubts that Harry bloody Potter was to blame but he didn't know how. Lucius Malfoy was implicated in double-crossing him, but so was Annalisa Parkinson, Dwaine Abbot, and Leander Prewett. And he thought he could trust these old families...

On the same Friday morning, Hermione Granger was also studying the minutiae of Rita Skeeter's headlining article for the Daily Prophet. And her anger and incredulity were directed, firstly at Arum Twarmer for being a corrupt smarmy git (Ron's words) and far worse than she imagined, and secondly, at Harry bloody Potter. In Harry's case it was mostly because he had the audacity to book a week's holiday abroad just before the eruption of one of the most volatile weeks in British Magical politics since the Ministry falling to Voldemort in 1997. And Hermione didn't doubt for one second that Harry, and by default Draco bloody Malfoy, knew all this was about to kick off.

According to the little radio that was playing in the corner of Hermione's and Ron's kitchen, people were already gathering outside the Ministry for Magic calling for a complete overhaul of the Wizengamot and the Ministry. And she hadn't even finished her breakfast yet.

As the day progressed, it appeared that Harry was entirely uncontactable as the support for Twarmer and his traditions and old-school approach to Ministry and Wizengamot dealings was suddenly thrown on its head and the Ministry was in disarray and the Magical population were braying for blood.

And the department that dealt with those who broke the International Statute of Secrecy was struggling to cope with the ever-growing odd-looking crowd outside Whitehall, London with their strange placards and weird chants. Some had even dressed up as Twarmer and were gleefully impersonating his foolish characteristics to entertain the crowds. Some people had joined the crowds just to see the downfall of a top political figure. There was something of circus atmosphere to the whole gathering. Without much pushing, Twarmer was being turned into a grotesque spectacle to be ridiculed. People were beginning to call him 'The Armtwar' in faux posh accents that mimicked his so it sounded like they were calling him 'The Amateur'...