Out of The Shadows (Golden Trio Era) {1}

Skeeter Stirring Trouble

The foursome left the castle together through the cold, wet grounds toward the gates for their January Hogsmeade Trip. As they passed the Durmstrang ship anchored in the lake, they spotted Viktor Krum emerge onto the deck, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. "He's mad!" Harry gaped as he stared at the spot where Krum's head bobbed in the water. "It must be freezing, it's January!"  "It's a lot colder where he comes from," Hermione informed him. "I suppose it feels quite warm to him."  "Yeah, but there's still the giant squid," Ron said, looking - and sounding- rather hopeful. Hermione noticed his tone of voice and frowned.  "He's really nice, you know," She said. "He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He likes it much better here, he told me." Ron said nothing. He hadn't mentioned Viktor Krum to Hermione since the ball. Mikayla looked around Hogsmeade as they made their way down the slushy High Street, keeping her eyes peeled for any sign of Hagrid.

However, once they looked through all the shops and didn't find him anywhere, Harry suggested to them to take a visit to Three Broomsticks. They all agreed and we made their way to Three Broomsticks. The pub was as crowded as ever, but as Mikayla looked around, she could tell Hagrid wasn't there. Sighing slightly, the four of them walked over to the bar and ordered butterbeers from Madam Rosmerta for all of them.

"Doesn't he ever go into the office?" Hermione whispered suddenly. "Look!"  She pointed into the mirror behind the bar, and Mikayla saw Ludo Bagman reflected there, sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins. Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and were looking rather menacing. It was indeed odd that Bagman was here at the Three Broomsticks on a weekend when there was no Triwizard event, and therefore no judging to be done. They all watched Bagman in the mirror. He was looking strained again, quite as strained as he had that night in the forest before the Dark Mark had appeared. But just then Bagman glanced over at the bar, saw Harry, and stood up. "In a moment, in a moment!" Mikayla heard him say brusquely to the goblins, and Bagman hurried through the pub toward Harry, his boyish grin back in place. "Harry!" he greeted not even bothering to look in Mikayla's, Hermione's, and Ron's direction. "How are you? Been hoping to run into you! Everything going all right?"  "Fine, thanks," Harry said politely.  "Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?" Bagman said eagerly. "You couldn't give us a moment, you three, could you?"  "Er okay," Ron shrugged, and he, Hermione, and Mikayla went off to find a table. Once they had found a table in the back of the pub where they could still see Harry, the trio all sat down and started sipping at their warm butterbeers, watching and drinking in silence, as Bagman started talking Harry's ear off, leaning closer to him at some moments.

At one point, Fred and George approached them, but Bagman waved them off and hurried out of the pub. Harry shook his head, looking rather irritated, looked around, and when he spotted his friends, he started making his way toward the table. "What did he want?" Ron asked the moment Harry had sat down in the empty seat next to Mikayla. "He offered to help me with the golden egg," Harry informed us. "He shouldn't be doing that!" Hermione exclaimed, looking very shocked. "He's one of the judges! And anyway, you've already worked it out, haven't you?"  "Er...nearly," Harry muttered. "Well, I don't think Dumbledore would like it if he knew Bagman was trying to persuade you to cheat!" Hermione shook her head, looking deeply disapproving.  "I hope he's trying to help Cedric as much." Mikayla commented, tapping her fingers idly on the table top.  "He's not, I asked," Harry sighed. "Who cares if Diggory's getting help?" Ron scoffed. Mikayla scowled at him, "I don't know maybe his girlfriend?" Mikayla suggested sarcastically, Ron nodded realising his error.

"Those goblins didn't look very friendly," Hermione observed, sipping at her butterbeer. "What were they doing here?"  "Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman," Harry told them. "He's still ill. Hasn't been into work."  "Maybe Percy's poisoning him," Ron suggested. "Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he'll be made head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation." Hermione gave Ron a don't- joke- about- things- like- that look, Mikayla faces displayed utter confusion, "Funny, goblins looking for Mr. Crouch... They'd normally deal with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."  "Crouch can speak loads of different languages, though," Harry pointed out. "Maybe they need an interpreter." "Worrying about poor 'ickle goblins, now, are you?" Ron asked Mikayla and Hermione. "Thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?"  "Ha, ha, ha," Hermione said sarcastically. "Goblins don't need protection. Haven't you been listening to what Professor Binns has been telling us about goblin rebellions?" Mikayla laughed at the idea of the boys paying attention in History of Magic. "No," Harry and Ron said together.  "Well, they're quite capable of dealing with wizards," Hermione before taking another sip of butterbeer, Mikayla agreed with Hermione, before explaining, "They're very clever. They're not like house-elves, who never stick up for themselves." 

"Uh-oh," Ron whispered suddenly, staring at the door. Rita Skeeter had just entered. She was wearing banana-yellow robes today; her long nails were painted shocking pink, and she was accompanied by her paunchy photographer. She bought drinks, and she and the photographer made their way through the crowds to a table nearby, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Mikayla glaring at her as she approached. She was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something. "...didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? And what's he doing with a pack of goblins in town anyway? Showing them the sights... what nonsense... he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? 'Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman...' Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo. We just need to find a story to fit it" Mikayla scoffed towards the intolerable woman.

"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" Harry called loudly. A few people looked around. Rita Skeeter's eyes widened behind her jeweled spectacles as she saw who had spoken. "Harry!" She beamed at him. "How lovely! Why don't you come and join-?" "I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," Harry said furiously, Mikayla giggled at her friends wit. "What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?" Rita Skeeter raised her tattooed drawn eyebrows. "Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my-"  "Who cares if he's half-giant?" Harry shouted. "There's nothing wrong with him!" The whole pub had gone very quiet. Madam Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar, apparently oblivious to the fact that the flagon she was filling with mead was overflowing.

Rita Skeeter's smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once; she snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag, pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill, and said, "How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know, Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?"  Mikayla gasped at her, appalled by her gall. She stood up from her chair and glared at her, Mikayla had her butterbeer clenched in her fist as she prepared to throw it at Rita. "You're a horrible, horrible person!" Mikayla spat angrily. Hermione stood up with her friend, adding "You don't care, do you? As long as you have anything for a story, anyone will do, won't they? Even Ludo Bagman-" "Sit down, you silly little girls, and don't talk about things you don't understand." Rita Skeeter said coldly, her eyes hardening as she glared down at Hermione and Mikayla. "I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl." Mikayla scowled at the woman, "Well everyone in this bar knows the truth about your phoney stories. How long do you think it'll take before word spreads aye?" Rita rolled her eyes at the girl. "I only publish real stories." Mikayla laughed, "Your stories are as real as your eyebrows." Laughter filled the pub at Mikayla's comment.

"Let's go, Mikayla." Harry said, sending Rita Skeeter a glare. "Come on, Hermione, Ron..." The foursome left the pub before either of the girls could do anything to make matters worse. Many people were staring at them as they went. Mikayla glanced back as they reached the door. Rita Skeeter's Quick-Quotes Quill was out and zooming backward and forward over a piece of parchment on the table. "She'll be after you two next." Ron said in a low and worried voice as they walked back up the street as quickly as possible. "Oh, let her!" Mikayla waved him off, glaring ahead of her defiantly. "Us? Silly little girls? Has she looked in the mirror recently? Stupid, old broad!" Hermione spat venomously. "We'll get her back for this." She stated firmly. "First Harry, then Hagrid..."  "You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter." Ron said nervously, placing his attention on Hermione now. "I'm serious, Hermione, she'll dig up something on you and Mikayla-"  "Well, I've got nothing to hide." Mikayla shrugged. "And my parents don't read the Daily Prophet." Hermione added striding along so fast that the others had trouble keeping up with her. "Besides, Hermione and I can handle it! She can't scare us into hiding! Right 'Mione?" Mikayla turned to her friend. "Right." Ron shook his in disbelief of the girls actions. Harry seemed quite content with the situation in the pub.

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