'We don't need another story about how Harry's lost his marbles!' said Hermione angrily. 'We've had plenty of those already, thank you! I want him given the opportunity to tell the truth!'
'There's no market for a story like that,' said Rita coldly.
'You mean the
won't print it because Fudge won't let them,' said Hermione irritably.
Rita gave Hermione a long, hard look. Then, leaning forwards across the table towards her, she said in a businesslike tone, 'All right, Fudge is leaning on the
but it comes to the same thing. They won't print a story that shows Harry in a good light. Nobody wants to read it. It's against the public mood. This last Azkaban breakout has got people quite worried enough. People just don't want to believe You-Know-Who's back.'
'So the
exists to tell people what they want to hear, does it?' said Hermione scathingly.
Rita sat up straight again, her eyebrows raised, and drained her glass of Firewhisky,
'The
exists to sell itself, you silly girl,' she said coldly.
'My dad thinks it's an awful paper,' said Luna, chipping into the conversation unexpectedly. Sucking on her cocktail onion, she gazed at Rita with her enormous, protuberant, slightly mad eye. 'He publishes important stories he thinks the public needs to know. He doesn't care about making money.'
Rita looked disparagingly at Luna.
'I'm guessing your father runs some stupid little village newsletter?' she said. 'Probably,
The Quibbler.
' "Important stories he thinks the public needs to know", eh?' she said witheringly. 'I could manure my garden with the contends of that rag.'
'Well, this is your chance to raise the tone of it a bit, isn't it?' said Hermione pleasantly. 'Luna says her father's quite happy to take Harry's interview. That's who'll be publishing it.'
Rita stared at them both for a moment, then let out a great whoop of laughter.
'The
The Quibbler!
Daily Prophet
unusual
'I don't think Daddy exactly pays people to write for the magazine,' said Luna dreamily. 'They do it because it's an honour and, of course, to see their names in print.'
Rita Skeeter looked as though the taste of Stinksap was strong in her mouth again as she rounded on Hermione.
'I'm supposed to do this
Prophet
'I don't suppose I've got any choice, have I?' said Rita, her voice shaking slightly. She opened her crocodile bag once more, withdrew a piece of parchment, and raised her Quick-Quotes Quill.
'Daddy will be pleased,' said Luna brightly. A muscle twitched in Rita's jaw.
'OK, Harry?' said Hermione, turning to him. 'Ready to tell the public the truth?'
'I suppose,' said Harry, watching Rita balancing the Quick-Quotes Quill at the ready on the parchment between them.
'Fire away, then, Rita,' said Hermione serenely, fishing a cherry out from the bottom of her glass.