Toujours Pur

Chapter 8: Skeeter Beater

Care of magical creatures was always fun due to Hagrid, the careful giant that cared for everyone: But Hagrid wasn't there to welcome his students. In his place was a wrinkled old woman, who looked sour and horrid.

"Who are you?" Athena said sourly.

"I'm professor Grubbly-Plank, and you need to change your tone, young lady!" The woman responded.

"I'll talk how I want," Athena argued. "Wheres Hagrid?"

"I can't tell you" Professor Grubbly-Plank snapped.

"You will tell me!" Athena snapped. "That man has done nothing wrong!"

Professor Grubbly-Plank tutted. "Good thing Rita sussed him out!" She mumbled.  

Athena turned to Oliver, who was next to her. "Whose Rita?" She asked.

"Daily Prophet reporter," He responded. "Interviewed last years quidditch team and made them all out to be awful!"

***

Athena bumped into Harry, Ron and Hermione on the way to potions. 

"Harry!" Athena called to him.

He looked angry as he turned to her.

"Can you spare a minute?" she asked. The trio followed Athena to an empty hallway, where she checked for any teachers. "Hagrid has been replaced!" She whispered.

"We know," Harry said, slipping her a ripped piece of paper with a small article on it. She skimmed through text, her face contorting as she took in the quotes.

"Rita wrote this?" She asked. Harry nodded. "Who gave the quotes?" Athena followed with.

 "Draco Malfoy" Harry responded.

"Ah, platinum boy!" She said. "Check in on Hagrid, I'll handle Draco, okay?" They nodded as she walked away to class, plotting in her head. Snape was cautious toward her all lesson, rarely making contact or asking her questions.

***

"Draco Malfoy," Athena said to him at the start of lunch. Either side her of were the twins, just for extra force. "Come with me". He stood hesitantly, nodding toward Aleksi. They led him to the edge of the lake. 

"Not going to drown me, are you?" Draco laughed.

"Unfortunately not" George responded.

"Rita Skeeter will be here in five minutes," Athena said looking at her watch. "And you're going to reverse your statement!" 

"Why should I do that?" Draco said cockily.

"Because you're a filthy lier, Malfoy!" She yelled at him, sending him back a few feet. "YOU insulted that Hippogriff, no wonder it hit you!" She argued. He squirmed slightly. "Harry got on that Hippogriff perfectly well, so it was clearly your fault!"

"He's half-giant, he'll kill us any day now-" Draco tried to say.

"HE WOULDN'T HURT A SOUL!" Athena snapped back. "Your father has killed more people than Hagrid could dream of!" George held Athena back slightly. "You FILTHY bully!" She finished with. Draco looked defeated. "You will defend Hagrid, or you say goodbye to your father," Athena whispered. "Because I've already got the evidence that I can hand to Barty Crouch." 

Rita came around the corner wearing an awful acid-green outfit that clashed with her horrific sharp purple nails. "You called?" She said in a posh voice.

"I did," Athena said, placing hand firm hand on Draco's shoulder. "This boy here would like to revoke what he told you previously, isn't that right, Draco?" Fred placed his hand on Draco's other shoulder.

"I- uh... yeah" Draco said, Athena's nails digging into him.

Rita pulled out a quill from her crocodile handbag, making the twin's faces drop. "Do you mind if I use this quill? It writes for me." She said.

"Actually, no," Athena said. "I want you to write it yourself, under the supervision of my acquaintance here," Athena said, gesturing toward George as he stepped forward.

Rita looked insulted. "Are you sure, I can't use it?" She said angrily.

"Reducto!" Athena yelled, creating a beam from her wand, going toward the quill, making it burst into millions of pieces. "Now you have no choice!" Athena said casually, causing Rita's face to crack into an angry expression.

"You silly girl!" Rita screamed.

 "Oops!" Athena said. "Shame it can't ruin lives anymore!". Fred pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and handed it to Skeeter, who seemed furious.

They went through the interview, George nodding and Draco finally telling the truth.

"Oh, and one last thing, Rita," Athena asked as she tried to scutter away. "I would like you to vow that you will not twist any more stories in the rest of your career."

"Not just any vow," Fred said. 

"The unbreakable vow!" George followed with.

Rita pretended to look at her watch. "Well, would you look at the time!"

"I would, but I Booked you for two hours," Athena said. "it's only been one and a half!". Athena knew Rita couldn't get away. "Surely making this vow shouldn't be a problem, if your articles are true!" Athena had clearly been smart with her argument. "And if they're false, maybe we should be reporting you." Athena held out her hand, taking Rita's wrist, as she wrapped her clawed hand around Athena's wrist. George tapped their hands with his wand, causing a golden beam to wrap around them.

"Rita Skeeter, do you vow to never alter a story badly ever again?" George said.

Rita hesitated. "Yes." 

The beam finished turning around their hands, locking in the vow. 

"Have an excellent day, Rita!" Athena called as she ran away.

Draco ran back to the castle as the twins came to Athena's side. 

"That was genius!" Fred said.

"How did you get Draco to spill?" George asked.

Athena pulled out a small vial of truth serum. "Slipped it into his drink before mealtime."  

"Genius!" They said in sync.

***

They found themselves in Hagrid's hut, comforting the poor man with Harry, Ron and Hermione

"You will never see that dastardly woman again," Athena told him.

"Who, Ri-er Skee-er?" Hagrid asked.

Athena nodded. "We've put an end to her life-ruining career".

Hagrid burst out crying. "Bless yer souls!"