Percy Jackson and the Department of Mysteries

131) I Can't Think Of A Chapter Title, Comment Your Ideas Please

"Pretty boy, is he, Percy?" Skeeter turned to me, pen in hand.

"Write one word about Percy's love life and the deal's off and that's a promise," Hermione glared at the journalist. I sat down beside me friend, leaving Harry to sit uncomfortably by Skeeter.

"What deal?" Skeeter sat straight. "You haven't mentioned a deal yet, Miss Prissy, you just told me to turn up. Oh, one of these days..."

"Yes, yes, you'll write more horrible stories about us," Hermione didn't really care for the threat. "Find someone who cares, why don't you?" Personally, I cared very much. Skeeter had outed me to the world, and for a while after that I was pretty paranoid, thinking that everything I said and did would be on display. I only got over this when Draco was kidnapped and I went on that quest to get him back, and realized that some things were worth the risk. I didn't want to trade communicating with people for a life of guaranteed privacy. Still, I found myself hesitating, even around the people I loved.

"They've run plenty of horrible stories about those two this year without my help," Skeeter flippantly motioned to us. She added in a whisper, eyes darting between Harry and me. "How has that made you feel, boys? Betrayed? Distraught? Misunderstood?"

"Aroused," I said at the same time Hermione said roughly said, "They feel angry, of course. Because they've told the Ministry of Magic the truth and the Minister's too much of an idiot to believe them." Hermione, to her credit, didn't falter as she realized what I said, instead stomping on my foot beneath the table.

"Do you actually stick to it, do you, that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back?" Skeeter placed her glass down, hand reaching for her gator purse as if she wanted her quill. "You stand by all this garbage Dumbledore's been telling everybody about You-Know-Who returning and you being the sole witness —?"

"We weren't the sole witness," I said. "There were a dozen or so Death Eaters there as well."

"Want their names?" Harry offered.

"We'll give 'em to you as a 12 for free deal," I nodded seriously.

"I'd love them," Skeeter started fumbling in her bag. "A great bold headline: 'Potter and Jackson accuse...' A subheading: 'Harry Potter and Percy Jackson name Death Eaters Still Among Us.' I flinched at the sound of Among Us. I know most wizards don't feel the same culture shock as I do when I hear that, but Hermione and Harry cringed immediately. "And then, beneath a nice big photograph of you two: 'Disturbed teenage survivors of You-Know-Who's attack, Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, 15, caused outrage yesterday be accusing respectable and prominent members of the Wizarding community of being Death Eaters...'"

"You were nearly on the ball with that one, then you called us disturbed," I said. "I think unhinged would have painted us in a better light, or maybe neurotic."

"Well, it doesn't matter," Skeeter lowered her quill and stared icily at Hermione. "Little Miss Perfect wouldn't want that story out there, would she?"

"As a matter of fact," Hermione said sweetly, but it was that same kind of sweet you heard from Umbridge, "that's exactly what Little Miss Perfect does want."

We all stared blankly at Hermione, except for Luna, who sang 'Weasley Is Our King' dreamily under her breath.

"You want me to report what they says about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Skeeter asked Hermione in a whisper.

"Yes, I do," Hermione said. "The true story. All the facts. Exactly as Harry and Percy report them. They'll give you all the details, they'll tell you what the names of the undiscovered Death Eaters they saw there, they'll tell you what Voldemort looks like now — oh, get a grip on yourself." Skeeter had jolted so badly she spilled her drink down her front.