White Heather for Protection

Falling Out

Chapter Text

"Oh my," Headmaster Dumbledore said when they brought the body into the room. It had been a trial and a half to tromp across the whole school without anyone noticing the corpse. And they had steadfastly refused to let the invisibility cloak come anywhere near it. So subterfuge it was.

"Surely even Miss Skeeter's articles don't warrant such treatment?" the Headmaster asked mildly.

"Really, Albus! This is not the time for your jokes!" Professor McGonagall reprimanded.

Oh great. They'd walked into a staff meeting. Luckily, it was only for Heads of House and the Headmaster.

All at once, the four of them launched into explanations for the bizarre circumstance.

"Enough!" Professor Snape snarled. Turning sharply to Heather, he demanded that she explain.

"Err," she said sheepishly. "Anguis accidentally...ate...Rita Skeeter." At the disbelieving looks, she quickly continued, "She didn't know it was Skeeter at the time. She was feeling sick, so I cast the Regurgitate Spell, suspecting it was indigestion. And true enough, she felt better right after. But then the Skeeter emerged from the vomit, somehow." She paused to take a deep breath. "I suspect she was an animagus. Probably a beetle, because Anguis said she ate one that that tasted odd."

Cursing lividly, Professor Snape turned to the Headmaster. "Damnit you frustrating old man! I will personally go and set up the anti-animagi wards if you do not!"

Heather was barely able to hold in a laugh at the comment, remembering a similar response when Padfoot had snuck into school. Unfortunately, Hadrian was not so controlled, and he let out a tiny chuckle.

The Potions Master spun rapidly on his heel and fixed her brother with a searing glare. "And you, Potter! Snakes are not on the approved list of pets for students. Especially not a highly venomous one like yours! Think yourself above petty things like rules, do you not? Because of your absolute disrespect for them, a person has been murdered!"

Her brother paled rapidly as he realised that fact. She frowned heavily at her Head of House, who glared right back. This wasn't the time to comfort Hadrian, so she settled for grasping his hand firmly.

"First of all," she said, "Anguis is Hadrian's familiar. I believe the school rules restricting animal companions apply only to pets. There is a precedent of students bringing snakes to school with them."

"Harmless ones, Miss Potter," Professor Sprout chimed in. "Garden snakes and milk snakes."

"Hadrian is a Parselmouth. He can directly communicate with Anguis, telling her not to attack anyone unless in self-defence. I can't think of a scenario safer than that." Seeing that the teachers nodded in agreement (except for Professor Snape, who merely scowled further), Heather continued, "Secondly, it was not murder." She gave a distinctly unamused look to her Head of House. "Anguis was following her natural instinct to hunt and Skeeter happened to be in the wrong form at the wrong place. She shouldn't have been sneaking around Hogwarts, what with the ban the Headmaster put up against reporters." This, she directed more to her brother to impress upon him that this was not his fault.

Besides, Hadrian had had Anguis for years now, and the Professors were only now questioning him about her? He hadn't exactly been hiding her.

"Yes, I quite agree, Heather," the Headmaster said calmly. "This may explain how Miss Skeeter managed to write all those articles. Unfortunately, the aurors will have to be informed of this development."

Irritating little bug deserved it, in Heather's opinion. Yes, that was callous of her. And no, she wouldn't exactly have wished this fate upon the nosy reporter. But Skeeter hadn't endeared herself to her with her libellous articles about her brother and his friends.