Karina Potter, Aunt Marauder

Chapter 10

Karina Potter: True Murderer of Potter family?

Karina Potter: Lover of Criminals and Half-breeds

Harry Potter: Destroyer of the Dark Lord?

He-Must-Not-Be-Named: Still Out There?

The articles only kept getting worse and worse. Karina saw her name in the Prophet more times than she had seen her name on a school essay it seemed. Each one took her name and dragged it through the mud, declaring her a possible suspect of James and Lily's death. It dragged Remus and Sirius into it by telling of their past relationships. It talked again of Harry defeating Voldemort, and how it was possible that Voldemort was still out there, since the body was never found when other Aurors searched the Potter house.

"This is getting out of hand!" She exclaimed finally, throwing down an article comparing Remus to Fenrir Greyback, a vicious werewolf who had turned Remus when he was a kid. "I'm taking this to the head of the editorial office! Skeeter should not be allowed to do this!" Karina had been up to Rita Skeeter's office more times than she could count. She'd bribed, argued, threatened, even pleaded with Skeeter to stop writing the articles, but to no avail.

So, Karina put on one of her clean, work uniforms, got Remus over to babysit Harry, and apparated to the Ministry through the Aurors office, ignoring glances and whispering as she passed. She knew that most of the others didn't trust her quite as much anymore, and she knew that it needed to be resolved.

"Excuse me." She went up to a woman working in the editorial office. "I was wondering if the head of the editorial office was in today?" The woman folded her hands on her desk. "I'd like to speak to him about a few articles written about myself, my friend, and my son." The woman's face turned into a smirk, and she leaned back in her chair, smiling.

"Ah, so you're Karina Potter. The one that Rita writes about all the time." Karina pursed her lips.

"Yes, I'm Karina Potter. Now, may I see the head of your department?" The woman nodded, still smirking.

"Of course. Mr. Rapier's office is right through there." Karina thanked her shortly, before heading to his office and knocking on the door.

"Come in." Came a deeper voice from inside, and Karina walked in to see an older man with grey eyes, but a tall stature.

"You must be Mr. Rapier." She said, going up to the desk and shaking his hand. "My name is Karina Potter." Rapier's eyebrows rose. "I'm hear to talk about the articles that have been written regarding myself, and my son."

"Ah, yes." Rapier replied, pushing a few papers aside, slow enough for Karina to see her name on a newspaper. "I've seen some of those articles. And I suppose you'd like me to have them taken down?" Karina nodded.

"Yes, please. My job is at stake if these articles continue. My friend Remus already has trouble getting a job! With these articles, Rita Skeeter is preventing any chance of him becoming employed at all!" Rapier shrugged.

"I'm sorry, I truly am, but I don't have any control over what Rita writes."

"You're the head of her office!" Karina retorted. "You're her boss, you pay her! I think that you of all people have some control over her!" Rapier smiled and folded his hands on the desk.

"Karina, as the head of the newspaper, my job is to make sure each and every story that is printed comes out interesting, fact filled, and truthful."

"But these stories are not truthful!" Karina insisted. "Remus Lupin is nothing like Fenrir Greyback! He's never attacked anyone willingly, he's never turned anyone! He's only the way he is because his father insulted Greyback and Greyback took that out on Remus when he was a child! And, I would never kill James and Lily! They are my brother and sister-in-law for goodness sakes! If I were to have killed them, I wouldn't wait for when they were married and had a child!" Rapier merely shrugged again.

"I'm sorry, Karina. But the facts are there. Whether they're true or false, I don't know. But, I have to go to a meeting, and I cannot discuss this right now." Karina threw up her hands.

"Wha-" Rapier stood up and headed for the door. But Karina wasn't one to give up so easily. "Mr. Rapier!" She chased him down the way as he hurried towards the elevator. "Think of my son! He's going to be heartbroken if he sees articles like these! And someone is going to get hurt bad if this continues! Please, reconsider!" Rapier stopped, took a deep breath, then turned around to face Karina.

"Look, Karina, I like you. I really do. You're an enjoyable person to joke around with, you're fine to write about, and you're not ugly." Karina furrowed her eyebrows. "But, my job is not to stop reporters from writing stories just because whoever they're about comes in trying to shut them down. My job, is to make sure each story rings with truth and tells it like it is. And besides, when Harry finds out what kind of a person you really are, he'll just create more stories. And someday, he's going to walk out that door and forget all about you. Now, if you would please, step off." But Karina planted her feet right in front of him, pointing her finger at him.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Mr. Rapier! Letting slander and horrible lies fill your newspaper! I should take this to a higher power!" Mr. Rapier gave her a look that clearly said that he didn't believe her.

"Really? What higher power do you think you could take me to?"

"Could I be of some assistance?" They turned around, and saw Cornelius Fudge, the Junior Minister of Magic, standing there. "Is there a problem here?" Karina smiled triumphantly at Rapier, then went over to Fudge.

"Mr. Fudge, my name is Karina Potter. I don't believe we've properly met." Fudge shook her hand.

"Ah yes, Harry Potter's aunt." He said. "I've read a bit about you in the paper."

"That's actually what I'm here to talk about." Karina remembered. "Those articles are hurting my family. I want them taken down and stopped at once." Fudge looked to Rapier, eyebrows raised.

"Well, whats the problem then, Rapier? Get on it!" Rapier pursed his lips, his face turning red with fury.

"I'll see to it at once." Karina felt relieved as Rapier hurried away, muttering furiously to himself.

"Thank you, Mr. Fudge." She said happily. "You really, don't know how much that means to me."

"Don't mention it, Miss Potter." He told her. "Just try to keep out of trouble. I can't save you every time you find your name in the newspaper."

"Understood, sir."