Percy Jackson and the Triwizard Tournament [Book 4]

116) Happy Easter, Not

Hermione continued to get hate mail, but mostly ignored it. The only thing that actually seemed to bother her was the question of how Skeeter knew about the question — or, more so, how she could find new evidence about her animagus without revealing to Ron and Harry about the deal she'd made with Draco.

She even stayed back to ask Moody a question one afternoon, and came back with the surprising knowledge that Skeeter didn't have an Invisibility Cloak.

"Well, Rita's definitely not using an Invisibility Cloak!" Hermione pulled Harry's hands away from his ears (Moody had us practicing deflecting hexes, and this had caused Harry to have a bad case of Twitchy Ears). "Moody says he didn't see her anywhere near the judges' table at the second task, or anywhere near the lake!"

"Hermione, is there any point in telling you to drop this?" Ron said.

"No!" Hermione shook her head stubbornly. "I want to know how she overheard me talking to Viktor. And how she found out about Hagrid's mum!"

"Maybe she had you bugged," Harry shrugged.

Ron frowned and gave Harry a blank look, "Bugged? What... put fleas on her or something?"

Harry started the lengthy process of explaining to Ron about hidden microphones and recording equipment, and although he looked interested, Hermione interrupted, "Aren't you ever going to read Hogwarts, A History?"

"What's the point?" Ron asked. "You know it by heart, we can just ask you."

"All those substitutes for magic Muggles use — electricity, computers, and radar, and all those things — they all go haywire around Hogwarts, there's too much magic in the air. No, Rita's using magic to eavesdrop, she must be.... If I could just find out what it is... ooh, if it's illegal, I'll have her..."

"Haven't we got enough to worry about?" I raised an eyebrow at Hermione. "Do we have to start a vendetta against Rita Skeeter as well? I hate her more than you could ever know, but doesn't this all seem... nonessential?"

"I'm not asking you to help!" Hermione snapped, giving me a dirty look. "I'll do it on my own!"

I stared up after her, pouting, "I just thought... it'd be better to wait until later. When we didn't have Snuffles or the tournament or anything else weighing us down."

Ron nodded in agreement, then said, "What's the betting she comes back with a box of I Hate Rita Skeeter badges?"

Hermione didn't ask us for her help with the Skeeter situation, for which I was forever grateful, because I don't think I would have been able to handle it. I had quite a bit on my plate already, what with the ever growing workload, the Draco situation (he was finally allowed to leave the hospital wing, but was struggling quite a bit at nighttime), and the strange dread I felt leading up to the third task.

After giving me dirty looks for a good ten minutes, Hermione saw Draco walk into class after he'd just been released, and started sending me apologetic looks, as if she had come to the understanding that when I'd said nonessential, I meant that I had bigger things to deal with. She, like everyone else in the room, couldn't seem to take her eyes off of Draco — most of his bandages were hidden beneath his robes, but there were a few on his face, and none of them looked fun.

"I wasn't expecting that," Harry whispered to Ron, motioning to Draco, who was turning in his homework.

Ron didn't say anything in response, just stared sadly at Draco.

***

It wasn't until after the Easter holidays that anything interesting had happened. I'd nearly forgotten all about it, but my friends had mailed a letter to Perry asking about if he'd seen Crouch at all, seeing as he was his personal assistant. The letter had been enclosed in a package of Easter Eggs that Mrs. Weasley had sent. Harry's, Ron's, and mine were each the size of a dragon egg and were full of homemade toffee. Hermione's was smaller than a chicken egg.

"Your mum doesn't read Witch Weekly, by any chance, does she?" Hermione asked Ron, twirling the egg around sadly.

"Yeah," Ron said around a mouthful of toffee. "Gets it for the recipes."

Hermione looked down at her tiny egg, and Harry asked quickly, "Don't you want to see what Perry's written?"

Perry's letter was short and he seemed irritated;

  As I am constantly telling the Daily Prophet, Mr. Crouch is taking a well-deserved break. He is sending in regular owls with instructions. No, I haven't actually seen him, but I think I can be trusted to know my own superior's handwriting. I have quite enough to do at the moment without trying to quash these ridiculous rumors. Please don't bother me again unless it's something important. Happy Easter.

"I don't think he cares if you have a Happy Easter or not," I said.

In one of the comments I got fired as an author, so sorry, but there will never ever be any chapters again. Tomorrow I have to get my meningitis shot. I'm not looking forward to it, needles are scary. I've also got to wake up super early and sit in a car for like fifty years. Not fun. I'll probably write during the car ride though. After that I'm going shopping with my grandma and sisters. Hopefully that will involve less needles. I finally did my summer homework last night. I'd been putting it off for far too long. I also had a weird dream last night. I don't remember most of it, but I do know that in the dream my name was Samantha. All day I've had that stuck in my head. I get the feeling that if someone were to call me Samantha, I would answer to it. I'm not pleased.

Anyway, I hope you guys have had a thrilling Thursday, and I totally won't see you on Saturday CT. Love ya!