Pilot
Harry
Harry
I’ve officially decided that after this interview I’m never going outside again.
Rita Skeeter keeps tapping her freshly polished fingernails against the table beside her. It’s making my eye twitch. I can also hear her speaking but to be honest, I really don’t want to listen to the woman, her voice is like a fork scraping against a plate. Instead, I choose to keep avoiding eye-contact with her. The room she's chosen for the interview isn't as cramped as the one she shoved me in during the Triwizard Tournament. The walls are a deep, faded green with a few decorative pictures of landscapes. I look down to my questionable outfit. I'm wearing a beat up blue hoodie, that has definitely seen better days, and simple blue jeans. As a pureblood would say, muggle attire. My eyes land back on the hag, today she's sporting more violently neon shades of green than usual. I eye her up and down, before I make the mistake of looking up at her face, lips tight and forehead creased.
"Harry!" She shout-whispers, "Can you answer the question, please?" I can see her try to keep her cool, though she’s doing an awful job at it.
"Oh, sorry Rita." I say trying to mask my laugh with a slightly off beat cough, "I think I might have zoned out, could you repeat that for me please?" She gives me a strained smile; my indifferent face contrasts the action. I go back to assessing the room.
She clears her throat awkwardly, "Yes, yes I was just asking about what you’re planning to do now?" I don't need to look up as I hear her quill scribbling on the parchment. Another great thing about being the 'chosen one'. Everything I say or do has to be recorded for everyone to see. Amazing.
"Well, I’m going back to Hogwarts to finish my newts and I’ll figure the rest out afterward I guess," I tell her which is half true, I was planning to take a gap year and figure the rest out afterward. Only Ron and Hermione, which means Hermione, thought we should all go back to finish our exams. I run a hand through my mop of hair, it’s getting quite annoying with the length of it. Me personally, I didn't want to back to the place where loads of friends and family died but, apparently, my future is more important than my sanity. Merlin who would have thought.
"What about the rumors of you being offered a position as an Auror," She looks at me like a vulture waiting for its next meal, "is that just a hoax or are we not getting the full story, hmm?" Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if this woman wanted to know which way I shit, but still she looks at me expectantly.
"Well," I furrow my brows. "I was offered to start as an Auror in early October, but I turned it down to go back to Hogwarts with my friends." She signals for the quill to write as she murmurs something to it and fixes her blonde curled locks before asking me another question.
“So, Harry all the ladies are dying to know," This is seriously getting boring, why can’t she ask normal questions like my favourite colour? It’s red by the way. "Is our young hero single, or has he already been tied down?" I very obviously roll my eyes. A guy would think after the first round of interviews people would get that I have a girlfriend.
I sigh, "Actually Rita, I have a girlfriend, and we are both quite happy in our relationship." She turns to mutter few more words to her quill before twisting her body to face me again.
"So, you're still with Hermione Granger?" Give me strength. I feel my body tense with frustration and maybe a tad of anger. I look Rita dead in the eye, her plastic politeness is putting me on edge.
"No, me and Hermione were never together." I say, highlighting over the word 'never', just in case Skeeter doesn't get it, again, “my girlfriend isn’t a fan of being in my shadow, nor am I,” I add curtly.
She gives me a pointed look before muttering something to her quill. At this point I've been here for a while, answering the same basic questions hundreds of times, and I'm getting hangry. Me, Ron and Hermione are going to the leaky cauldron for lunch, before going back to Hogwarts in a couple of days. I mourn at the fact I’ll be stuck here with the beetle for a bit longer.
“Are there any thoughts you have about being back at Hogwarts?” She asks sweetly.
“Honestly I don’t Hogwarts will be the same as before,” I take a gulp of air, feeling a sudden contraction around my heart, “before the, um,” I need to leave, where is the door? “Sorry Rita give me a second I’ll be back I just need some air.” I practically leap out of my chair, not waiting for a reply as I scurry out of the door to Skeeter’s office. I rub my eyes, nudging my glasses up my forehead. Seriously boy, get your act together. I hear Uncle Vermin’s rotted voice, overflowing with fury, echoing throughout my head, it’s quite strange to hear him instead of Molly or Hermione speaking to me in this setting. Is it weird if I find it even remotely comforting, probably. I stand up straight, breathing slowly and deeply. I savour the peace I feel before adjusting my ratty hoodie, and with my head help high I stroll back into Skeeter’s office.
“Oh, Harry dear I was just about to go look for you,” If Rita was like anything like a character from a fairytale, I think anyone could swiftly make the decision that its Pinocchio, since I’ve never heard such a lie come out of someone’s mouth. For saying that she was about to look for me, she seems quite cozy in her leather chair, sipping a new cup of tea.
“Ah, yes sorry again Rita, I just needed a moment,” I say mildly, fake it to you make it with Skeeter I suppose.
Her freakishly white teeth make an appearance in her unnatural grin, “No problems Harry, back to the question though,” she pauses for a beat, “oh yes, and thoughts about being back at Hogwarts?”
“Like I said before, I think this start of Hogwarts will be unforgettable, I have high hopes for McGonagall being the headmistress,” I continue, “but there will probably be a lot more tension throughout the school, especially with distraught students. Generally, though I think I speak for a lot of people when I say I just want a quiet year with my friends.” The quill scribbles rapidly and Skeeter peeks at it, giving the quill a nod of approval.
“Just a few more questions Harry, I’m sure I’ve kept you for long enough,” I praise whoever is up there in the sky for this mercy on my wellbeing. Rita coughs loudly to get my attention. I raise an eyebrow.
“My Rita, are you okay should I get someone here for that cough?” I ask with as much saccharin as I can muster. She glares at me before tipping her nose at me, mumbling something under her breath that sounds a lot like, cheek little bastard, recovering fast she proceeds.
“Oh, no thank you, I am quite alright,” she says, “as I was about to say, we have recently been notified of your…. rivalry with a well-known pureblood, what do you have to say about this?” If I were to take a wild guess on who this is, its Malfoy. Godric’s heart, nobody’s safe, not even shallow, uppity Malfoy.
I chuckle, he always did want to be in the spotlight, “I think I know who you’re talking about, I’ll be honest we’ve had our mishaps, and we definitely aren’t keen on each other, but hopefully we can just ignore each other now,” I say sharply, as if Malfoy were in the room to her me say it.
“Mhm, and would you say its more of a rival or someone you’re not particularly fond of?” She asks keenly.
“Definitely more of a rivalry,” I reply, I don’t know why we are on the topic of Malfoy, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he will throw a fit over it, a smirk pulls at my lips. For someone who could’ve had a larger group of friends, his smugness doesn’t get him anywhere. Maybe it’s all that pureblood incest in his family, how unfortunate, no wonder he walks a bit funny.
Skeeter clears her throat before standing up, smoothing over her velvety, green skirt as she announces that this interview is over and to hurry up and leave.
She might not have said the last part, but that’s my brief summary.
Next thing I know I'm already walking out of Rita's office and into the lift down the hall. I think Rita likes me more after every interview. Once the lift doors close, I exhale a relieved sigh. What a waste of time.
Less than an hour after my meeting with Skeeter, I'm sitting in a hidden corner of the Leaky Cauldron with my best friends, enjoying a nice roasted hog, which Ron keeps nicking pieces of.
"Ronald," Hermione slaps his fork away, causing him to yelp, "stop it, you have food on your plate."
"Yes, Ronald eat your own food." I laugh slightly before I get a look from Hermione, I stop and return to my food.
"Piss off you git." He tells me before digging back into his food, "And 'mione that hurt." He adds while frowning at her.
“You’re both as bad as each other, children honestly,” she says in between chews of her food, before going back to telling us exactly how she wants our school year to go, "I can't wait to go back, I’m going to have a nice relaxed year with you guys, Ginny, even if Neville and Luna join us" she tells us excitedly.
“Hermione, I hate to break it to you, but newts are not relaxing,” Ron tells her gloomily, “I don’t think I’ll survive them,” me and Hermione roll our eyes at the man.
“Ron, I think if you can survive months being on the run you’ll be fine for a couple of school tests,” I say, yet he keeps sulking while stealing another chunk of my food, I choose to ignore it. “Still, I don't think it's going to be the same there." She says the last part with a hint of grief rather than all her past enthusiasm.
“At the very least we won’t have an old, delusional geezer after our asses now,” I say cheerfully, finishing off my plate.
“Yeah, no mate you mean you,” Ron says pointing his fork me lazily, “I was just there for emotional support,” I feign a hurt face, reaching for my heart.
“I feel so heart-broken, was I just game to you Ronald?” Ron just scowls at me as Hermione giggles.
“Back off you shit-tard,” he says grumpily.
“Like I said, children, the both of you, I feel like a mother sometimes,” Hermione sighs.
“Returning to our previous topic, why do we have to do our newts, we’ve literally been battling a hag for years, I should have jobs lining up at the door for me,” Ron begins to rant.
I nod, "Yeah, I don't think it's going to be that helpful going back."
"Harry don't be ridiculous, you need to do your newts." I give her a look as she babbles on, "and what were you going to do during your year off anyways?"
Ron seems to agree as he adds, "Harry you've only stayed hidden in your house all Summer."
"Guys, I really couldn't go out with all the 'the boy who lived twice' thing." I tell her, to which their eyes soften.
“And I have been to visit Teddy and Andromeda all the time,” I smile at the thought, Andromeda has been amazing for helping me out and letting me see Teddy so much.
"Harry, we know but we're just worried about you," she says clasping my hand on the table, to which Ron covers her hand with his.
"Yeah, mate Ginny's been asking 'bout you all the time," This crushes me a bit. She was sending me letters at the start of Summer, but I had only replied to a few of them of them.
"See Harry, even Ginny's concerned," she leans forward in her chair, "We all just care for you, and want to make sure you're okay."
"Guys, I'm completely okay," I say, "I just wanted to break from being in the spotlight for a bit until it calmed down."
They both share a look, "are you sure?" Hermione asks again.
"Yes guys, I know when I'm feeling sad and happy." I say snarkily, they both throw looks at me before Ron changes the subject to the latest Quidditch matches in the league. I breathe in solace, thankful for the break in their mini parent talks with me. I mean, I’m a grown man, I know what I need and want in life. Don’t I?