Chapter 198
Time passed quickly, and news reached Albert that he would meet with the champions of the Tournament today to take a group photo with the other champions and also to check the champions' magic wands, so that no error would occur during the Tournament tasks!!
Albert entered a small chamber, and the desks and chairs in this chamber retreated towards the walls, leaving a wide space in the middle. Ludo Bagman was sitting on one of five large seats positioned behind a desk covered with a silk cloth, talking to a witch whom Albert easily recognized, wearing dark green clothes!!
As for Viktor Krum, he was standing in one of the corners as usual, not talking to anyone, while Fleur was exchanging conversation with a girl from her school, and it was clear that Fleur had become calmer than before. On the other side stood a large man carrying a big black camera, watching Fleur out of the corner of his eye.
Bagman suddenly saw Albert, so he stood up and quickly headed towards him, saying, "Ah... here is the third champion. Come forward, Albert... come forward... Don't worry about anything, it's the Wand-Weighing Ceremony, and the rest of the judging committee members will arrive soon!..."
"We must ensure that your wands work properly and without problems, as you know they will be the most important tools for the tasks you will undertake. The expert is with Dumbledore upstairs, and after that, we will take some photos."
Then he pointed to the witch in the green robes, continuing, "This is Rita Skeeter, and she is doing a press tour for the Daily Prophet newspaper."
When Albert directed his gaze towards her, he found her to have frizzy hair and sharply featured face, wearing jewel-encrusted glasses. Her hand was carrying a small crocodile leather bag, above which long painted nails extended.
Albert muttered in a low voice, saying, "Because of her... Mr. Weasley is being pressured by the Ministry!"
Ludo Bagman suddenly interrupted the conversation, saying, "Did you say something, Albert?!"
Albert gestured towards Ludo Bagman, saying he hadn't said anything!
Rita Skeeter stood up and said, "I was wondering if I could talk a little with Albert before we start?... He is the youngest of the champions, as you know, Ludo, and the matter will add some excitement to the topic," as she spoke, her eyes were focused on Albert, while Bagman said, "Of course... no problem, if Albert has no objection."
Albert signaled that he had no objection to the matter, and then Albert left the chamber with Rita and entered a second chamber, and she was saying, "We don't want to stay in this noise. There... let's see... ah... yes, this is a suitable place."
It was a cupboard for storing broomsticks, so Albert stared at it, but she opened the door and entered the darkness of the place with him before she opened her bag and pulled out a set of candles, which she lit with a wave of her magic wand and let them float in the air, illuminating the place around them. Then she said, "You don't mind the use of a Quick-Quotes Quill? It gives me the freedom to talk to you!"
Albert spoke, saying, "I don't mind."
Rita Skeeter's smile widened before she dipped her hand back into her bag and pulled out a long green quill and a piece of parchment, which she placed in front of her. Then she positioned the tip of the quill on it before saying:
"Test... Rita Skeeter... correspondent for the Daily Prophet newspaper."
And when Albert looked at the parchment and the quill, he found it moving and writing above the parchment, "Rita Skeeter, the attractive blonde who was able to create many problems with her quill."
Rita returned to Albert again, saying, "Beautiful," then leaned towards him, continuing, "And now, Albert... what made you decide to enter the Triwizard Tournament?"
Albert was distracted by the quill. Despite the fact that no one was speaking, it began to write: "A sad memory takes its place on Albert Black's face and his eyes, which..."
So Rita said, "Forget about the quill, Albert... and now... why did you decide to enter the Tournament?"
Albert answered her confidently, saying, "For fame and the prize!" Albert hadn't thought carefully about a logical excuse for what he was going to say to Rita. He didn't want to tell her that he participated because he wanted to kill Peter Pettigrew inside the Riddle graveyard in order to stop Voldemort's return, but his mind quickly came up with this excuse.
Rita Skeeter was surprised, placing her hand on her chin, and saying, "Hmm... this is truly surprising... As we know, the Black family is a very famous and rich family among the noble families, but even though your father, Sirius Black, the infamous criminal who was under—"
BOOM!!
Rita Skeeter did not finish her sentence when she heard the sound of her back sticking to the wall behind her, as she was hovering up high!!
Rita Skeeter did not expect this scenario at all, as she had not even seen Albert use his magic wand on her, but what she was afraid of now was the anger that was showing on Albert's face!!
Albert approached her until he directed his face towards hers, saying, "Don't think that I am a boy of this age and you can say anything in front of me. I swear if I hear you again saying bad things about my father or about me!! You know what will happen!!"
Albert put his magic wand in his pocket, and Rita Skeeter finally fell to the floor as a result of the cancellation of the charm Albert had placed on her!!
Rita took a long breath to get her mind around what had happened to her, and she said angrily!! "Hey!! Do you know what you are doing?? What will you do if I tell the Ministry about you?! I bet you'll be in Azkaban Prison like your father!" Rita Skeeter clearly smiled on her face!!
But only a second passed before she was surprised by a powerful punch directed at her face, which caused her face to stick to the wall!!
Albert grabbed her frizzy hair and said angrily, "Didn't I warn you a moment ago that if I heard you speak ill of my father, you would see something from me that you wouldn't like!!"
Albert's hand tightened more on Rita's hair, and he said, "Do you think I'm afraid of you?! Go ahead, tell them that I taught you a lesson!! But I will also tell them that you are an illegal Animagus, as you transform into a beetle, which allows you to know news. Well... what will everyone be like when they know that the most trusted journalist brings news in a legal way!!? I think you know the danger of being an illegal Animagus!!"
It was known that people who can transform into an animal are known as Animagi, and those known under the Ministry's honor were four people: James Potter, Sirius Black, Professor McGonagall, and Headmaster Dumbledore.
It was forbidden by the Ministry that an Animagus person who did not take a license from the Ministry for this matter should be executed because the Ministry takes this matter as a challenge to them!!
After Rita Skeeter realized that all her secrets were being revealed in front of Albert, she sat on the floor, pointing her hand upwards, asking for mercy from Albert, "Please... please, I apologize..... I swear I won't tell them that you hit me!!!... Well, what do you think of me writing a report about you that embellishes your reputation as a hardworking and outstanding student?! What do you think?!! Please don't tell them that!!"
To be continued...