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Chapter 43: Rita Skeeter
Chapter 43: Rita Skeeter
Chapter 43: Rita Skeeter
After trying to keep these thoughts aside, he wrote a letter inviting Rita Skeeter for a personal interview to share his experience fighting the Dark Lord and the details he had not provided to anyone else until now. To catch this big fish, he had to throw bigger bait.
He wrote the letter quickly and sent it via the owl while waiting for Pansy to join him at the breakfast table. But Pansy never came down from her room.
She shut herself in the guest room from morning and Neville never found the courage to knock on her doors or the right words he can use to speak to her.
After all, "sorry your family kicked you out because they are wizard Nazis doesn't sound very comforting!"
Rita skeeter arrived before lunch in the Longbottom manor. She was dressed in a slight brown jacket along with a slight green pencil skirt and fishnets. Neville wasn't expecting Rita Skeeter to look like Marilyn Monroe in real life.
Her hairstyle, the sexy dress and the way she handled herself were definitely waking the silent hormones inside Nev. For a minute he doubted himself before using Occlumency to block his certain thoughts.
"Good Morning, Mr Neville Longbottom or should I address you, Lord Longbottom? I must say I have waited for an exclusive interview like this for a long time. Shall we hurry?" Rita Skeeter bent while making the greeting to give a good view of her cleavage which caught Nev off guard.
Neville didn't reply but took a small sniff around her face and then gave a sweet harmless smile.
"What a wonderful perfume Ms. Skeeter. If I didn't know any better, I would say it smells like newly bloomed flowers and the green grass after the rain but as someone who has been learning potions, it feels more like a diluted Love potion. Strange, isn't it?"
Neville finally figured out the reason for the hormonal impulse that he felt ever since Ms Skeeter entered the room. Clearly, the woman was ready to use all the tools to get all kinds of gossip and news that might benefit her career. That also involved her certain charms and potions.
"Well, I have no idea about this new perfume. A gift from one of my readers. Let us not dwell on these things. Where shall we conduct the interview?" Rita skeeter tried to shift the matter and Neville didn't point out the obvious.
"Please join me in the study room. Don't worry you will be satisfied after the meeting." Neville led Ms Skeeter to his study room and placed the necessary charms.
"Now, yesHerePlease read this!" Neville after offering her a seat, gave her a letter he had finished writing in the morning.
"Very well. Is this a part of the interview? May I include it if necessary?" Rita Skeeter hurriedly opened the letter and kept speaking until she read the first para and then she lost her voice until she finished the whole thing.
Her face was changing from one expression to another before she grabbed her wand. Neville noticed it but before Ms Skeeter tried anything, she put her wand back into her diary.
"This was notwhat I was expecting Lord Longbottom. Since you are already aware of my little secret, please, let us cut to the chase. Shall we?
What do you need from me? Some articles against someone from school or a competitive business owner? Or do you want me to spy on someone for keeping my secret to yourself in exchange?" Ms. Skeeter lost her smile and changed her demeanour completely.
"Well, it is nice to speak to the intelligent people, Ms. Skeeter. However, my request is slightly riskier. But fear not, it is completely something you can accomplish.
In return, your secret will not only stay safe but you shall be awarded handsomely. More than your last year's annual salary."
Neville gave Ms Skeeter favourable terms, but she was not pleased with being at the mercy of a 12-year-old boy.
"The task?" She asked seriously.
"Breaking into two vaults of Gringotts. All you need is to take two portkeys that will be provided to you, and you shall use them to provide access to these vaults to two distinct individuals.
One is Me and the other is Madam Bones. Shall you succeed, you shall have the riches from me and favour from Madam Bones who at present handles the Animagus Registry."
Neville poured a drink to Ms Skeeter to calm her nerves down and Ms Skeeter drank the whole thing after listening to her task. Nev felt the woman had no appreciation for the fine wine he recently purchased to entertain adult guests. While Ms. Skeeter was thinking something entirely different.
Spying is something she does normally and writing poison-pen stories is also another of her speciality but this! Breaking into Gringotts?! What madness this boy was speaking?
"Absolutely Not! I rather register my Animagus form today itself than break into Gringotts. If Goblins ever find I did something like this, then a price will be put on my head in exchange for certain galleons.
All the crazy and ruthless ones, hiding in the Knockturn alley will jump for it. They will have my head but not before they are tired of playing and torturing me enough. No money is good enough for me to sign up for such an experience Lord Longbottom!"
Rita Skeeter screamed loudly and threw the glass down shattering it. Neville for the second time in the week realised his idea and still based on books and not matched up with reality.
In the books, Harry Potter and the duo basically break into the Gringotts and even Lord Voldemort breaks into the Gringotts but nothing happens to them. This might be because either their identity is hidden or they are with the fucking "HARRY POTTER!"
Racking his brain to think of a good solution, Neville thought of a certain idea.
"How about instead of galleons, I compensate you something more. Something priceless.
If Goblins ever took offence to this little plan, I promise to compensate you with one of the legendary artefacts left behind by our very four founders of Hogwarts.
Think about this before you jump to make a decision you might regret. Your secret safe with the Madam bones who oversee the registration of Animagus and safety from Goblins side along with monetary compensation."