The Wolf's Lion ~ Harry Potter (Editing)

Epilogue | Leaving Home

The train journey at the end of the year was always an odd time for Ariana. She would of been better not taking the Hogwarts Express, since she lived in the Scottish Highlands anyway, but the girl loved to spend her time with her friends. It was worth the extra journey back up to Scotland if she got to spend time on the train with Hermione, Harry and Ron. They certainly appreciated it, as they knew Ariana took the Express in order to spend time with them, it definitely wasn't because she wanted to travel 13 hours on a train back home from London.

The sun had reached its peak and was now beginning a descent towards the horizon, the beautiful countryside gleaming in all of its glory. The train chugged along the tracks, with the four Gryffindors sitting together in a compartment. Nova was awake, sitting in between a snoozing Hedwig and a peaceful-looking Fiera, and Crookshanks was watching Pigwidgeon dart about near the ceiling.

"There's nothing in there. You can look for yourself, but there's nothing at all. I've been checking every day," Hermione said as she reappeared in the compartment, catching both Ariana and Harry eyeing a copy of the Daily Prophet nervously, "Just a small piece the day after the third task saying you two won the tournament. They didn't even mention Cedric. Nothing about any of it. If you ask me. Fudge is forcing them to keep quiet."

Ariana grimaced when Hermione mentioned Cedric; the fact that Fudge was too concerned about himself to acknowledge the brave boy's death and Voldemort's return was absurd.

"He won't want anyone knowing about Voldemort, for many reasons," she said.

"He'll never keep Rita quiet," said Harry glumly. "Not on a story like this."

"Oh, Rita hasn't written anything at all since the third task," said Hermione in an oddly constrained voice. "As a matter of fact," she added, her voice now trembling slightly, "Rita Skeeter isn't going to be writing anything at all for a while. Not unless she wants me to spill the beans on her."

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, biting into a pumpkin pasty.

"I found out how she was listening in on private conversations when she wasn't supposed to be coming onto the grounds," said Hermione in a rush.

Ariana knew Hermione had been keeping this to herself for days and in light of everything that had happened, had kept the news to herself. "How did she do it, Hermione?" the witch enquired, watching her friend smile.

"How did you find out?" said Ron, staring at her.

"Well, it was you, really, who gave me the idea. Harry," the brunette said.

"Did I?" asked Harry, perplexed. "How?"

"Bugging," said Hermione happily.

Ariana recalled the conversation the quartet had had about how Skeeter had been eavesdropping on conversations throughout the school year. Harry had suggested that she had used electronic Muggle devices to 'bug' the school, but Hermione and Ariana quickly informed him (again) that Muggle devices don't work on Hogwarts grounds. She shifted on her seat, pulling her legs up beside her.

"But you said they didn't work -"

"Oh not electronic bugs," said Hermione. "No, you see...Rita Skeeter" - Hermione's voice trembled with quiet triumph - "is an unregistered Animagus. She can turn -" Hermione pulled a small sealed glass jar out other bag. "- into a beetle."

"You're kidding," said Ron. "You haven't... she's not..."

"Oh yes she is," said Hermione happily, brandishing the jar at them.

Ariana spied a few twigs and leaves and one large, fat beetle inside the jar, buzzing angrily. She laughed in satisfaction at the sight, pleased that Rita had finally got her comeuppance after trying to humiliate her friend.