The Cupboard Series 4: The Fourth School

Chapter 29

Rita Skeeter was bored. Oh, that wasn't to say that her evening hadn't been filled; really, how could it not have been when she'd crashed THE event of the year: The Yule Ball.

She'd arrived early, on the jacket of one of the British aurors no less, and quickly sped into the Great Hall of Hogwarts. The fact that she was a water beetle animagus could be so incredibly useful.

She'd been able to zip around the Hall all night, listening in to conversation after conversation. As couples began wandering out to the enchanted rose garden, she'd followed, hoping to spy a dalliance or two that was worthy of her time and penmanship. All evening she'd zipped between the garden and the Hall, eavesdropping on the notable personages in attendance: Dumbledore, Bagman, the Champions – Diggory, Krum and Delacour – even the three other Heads of school.

And by the time that twelve o'clock was nearing and the ball was winding down, Rita came to the realisation that she'd spend a night wasting her time. Oh, if she'd been a writer for Witch Weekly or something, then she would have had enough material to fill an entire issue – who was dating whom; who was wearing the best dresses; who was wearing the most atrocious formal wear (a Weasley, definitely, but the jury was still out as to whether it was the youngest boy or the twins); which dalliances in the secluded rose garden were a trifle daring ...

But in terms of the scandals that she was expecting, nothing.

There were far too many aurors from three different countries, not to mention a horde of security goblins stationed just about everywhere in the Hall and rose garden for anyone to even consider doing something news or gossip worthy.

And worse still, Harry bloody Potter hadn't even bothered to show up!

The fact that Dumbledore and Potter were at odds was well-known in the Wizarding world. The fact that the two of them were expected to be in the same room for a night had had her mouth-watering with the potential. And then, nothing!

The closest that she'd come to gossip-worthy news was that Potter's girlfriend had been on the arm of some unknown boy. If worst came to worst, she was sure that she could make something of it, but still ...

Seeing McGonagall gathering her students and staff, Rita decided to pursue the one vague story that she'd found.

Beating her wings as fast as she could, she flew up and above the crowd, her eyes on her target below. At the door to the Hall, the unknown boy paused to say 'goodbye' to the Weasley twins and their dates. It was just the opportunity that Rita was waiting for.

In a well-practiced manoeuvre, she folded her wings back and dropped down to land in the boy's sandy-blonde hair. As quick as a flash, she buried herself in it before creeping down the back of the boy's head to hide against the nape of his neck.

The jolting of her hiding place indicated that the boy was on the move.

"You first, Mister Evans," she heard McGonagall say.

This was obviously the boy's name as Rita felt him continue on from where he'd briefly paused.

"I'll be right behind you, Hadrian," a female voice that she recognised as the Granger girl whispered into the boy's ear.

"See you on the other side," Hadrian said cheerily. "Potter Haven!"

The next thing Rita felt was the heat of the flames of the FLOO, followed by the dizzying whirl of the activated FLOO system. The boy, Hadrian, stepped forward once they'd arrived and Rita waited for her chance to escape to find somewhere to hide where she could observe where she was and, more importantly, what was going on around her.