Albus Severus Potter (A Harry Potter fanfic)

Interviews

Weeks had gone by since the first task and it was November, the champions generally stayed away from the main student body, to avoid being mobbed. Albus was heading towards his Charms class with Rose and Tom, when a vaguely familiar boy walked towards him.

"Hi, are you Albus?" he asked, looking quite eager.

"Um, yeah," replied Albus, hoping that he wasn't someone who liked him because of his performance.

"Mr Lockheart said that you have to go his office," he replied.

"Oh, um, ok, when do I have to go?"

"Right now."

"But I have a Charms class."

"Mr Lockheart said that he's already told your teacher that you're not going."

"Ok, bye guys," he said, waving to Rose and Tom and walking towards Lockheart's office. He was almost there and was met by Louis, who greeted him with a smile. They walked in, to find Lockheart, Shruti, a man with a camera, and a woman, who could be easily recognised as Ashley Sellafield, a well-known journalist working for the Daily Prophet. She was wearing a deep purple dress, with a matching purple bag. She wore large red glasses which were sat atop her long curly hair. She was looking at the champions, expectantly, only problem was, they had no idea what to do, or why she was there.

"Welcome champions," began Lockheart, breaking the silence, "I have called you out of you lessons to each have an interview for the Prophet, how exciting!" He seemed happy, but it only annoyed them more. "This is-"

"Ashley Sellafield, Daily Prophet, pleased to meet you," she said, shaking each of the champions' hands firmly. "Right then, let's get a photo of you all together then." She made a chair appear and then pulled Shruti onto it, Shruti going wide-eyed, and then she pulled Louis and Albus over so that they were standing behind her. "Smile!" she said cheerfully. The man with the camera moved forwards and took a picture.

"Right then, let's get these interviews over with, I only have 20 minutes with each of you. Who's first?" she asked, no one moved. "In that case, let's start with Louis," she said, looking faintly annoyed, and pulling Louis out of the room.

They found an empty classroom, and she pushed him in. "Let's get this interview started. So why did want to enter the tournament?" she asked.

"Well, I've always wanted to be in the tournament, but I never really thought that it would be allowed-"

But he was cut off by Ashley saying, "And how old are you?"

"16 turning 17 next-"

But he was cut off, yet again, by Ashley saying "are you scared, being in the tournament, knowing what happened last time?"

"Yeah a bit, but eternal glory, and so much money-

The interview went on, with Ashley constantly cutting off Louis. After 15 minutes, she walked back to the office and took Shruti out next. They walked to the same empty classroom, and the interview consisted of the same thing. Ashley asking a question, Shruti replying but being cut off by Ashley.

Soon, she came back to her last interview with Albus. She pulled him out, and he would have yelped, but he knew that she would just make a story out of it. He allowed himself to be pulled to the empty classroom, Louis had already told him about his interview, and told him to keep his answers short, to avoid having to be cut off rather rudely by Ashley.

They sat down Ashley took out some parchment and a quill, "so why did you enter?"

"Sounded like a good opportunity," he replied, remembering to keep his answers short, however Ashley looked at him, almost expecting him to say more.

"Okay, and how old are you?" she asked, taken aback slightly.

"16," he replied.

"Are you confident about winning the tournament?"

"Kind of, yeah," he said, the short answers clearly irritating Ashley.

"So, are your parents okay with this?"

"Um, yeah, they did have to sign a form."

Ah, yes, I heard about that, under 17's," she muttered. "I hear you're friends with Thomas Finnigan, he's okay with this?" By now it was now common knowledge that the Diggory's were related to the Finnigan's.

"Not really, no," the short answers were clearly getting to Ashley's head, but she normally made up most of her articles, usually leaving the interviewee rather baffled when they came to read it. She had been chosen personally for the job by Rita Skeeter, who would have no doubt, chosen someone who could keep on writing insane articles which apparently hooked readers. Rita can't do it herself because she's still being blackmailed by Hermione. It was possible that all Ashley wanted to do in life was cut people off mid-sentence, but Albus wouldn't know.