Taking Charge…and Taking Action
Ministry of Magic, Minister Cornelius Fudge’s Office, 8:30 AM, Monday, June 26, 1995
”…TOO”?! chorused everyone in Fudge’s office, in shock…everyone, that is, except Arthur Weasley.
No…at the revelation that the Witch—whom he’d never liked or trusted, to begin with—had just revealed herself to be another of Voldemort’s feared Death Eaters, the Weasley patriarch quickly stood, whipped out his wand, and practically shouted, ”STUPEFY!”
As the Witch slumped in her seat, a look of shock on her face—doubtlessly at her unwitting confession—it was actually Rita Skeeter who was the first to grab the other Witch’s left arm, and slide her pink sleeve up. To no one’s surprise (now, anyway) the Dark Mark practically jumped off Dolores Umbridge’s forearm.
~~~~~
”Quick thinking, Arthur!” praised Cornelius. “Did you have any idea…?”
”Not specifically, Sir…just a general air of distrust, whenever she came around the MoMA Office.”
”And about the things we discussed yesterday…?” At the Minister’s upraised eyebrows, Arthur took a parchment from Bill, added it to his own, and passed both to Cornelius. “Thank you, gentlemen,” he said.
”Don’t worry, Ms. Skeeter…your name isn’t on either one of our lists,” Bill told Rita, to a round of chuckles.
”Perhaps my name should be on a list, though,” came the quiet reply from the Witch who, in fact, had not touched her tea. “You see, gentlemen, while I’m not a Death Eater…despite what my detractors may think…,” Here, she bared her own, un-Marked arm as proof, “…I am, like Peter Pettigrew, an unregistered Animagus…,” she finished.
”You do know the penalty for that, don’t you, Ms. Skeeter?” Fudge asked, seriously, yet gently.
”Yes, Minister: A month in Azkaban1, for every year the Witch or Wizard has failed to register; for ‘Me, Myself and I’, that would now be nine months2.”
After a round of groans at the reporter’s pun, Fudge looked at her, saying, a little more “sternly”, “Perhaps I should recommend a full year to the Wizengamot…?”
Spotting a twinkle in the Minister’s eye—and hearing one in his voice—Rita Skeeter nonetheless accepted Cornelius Fudge’s admonishment. “Sorry, Minister Fudge.”
~~~~~
Cornelius was about to review Arthur and Bill’s lists, when he realized there was a more immediate situation to attend to. Paging his secretary from the Reception area, he instructed the Wizard, “Have the former Senior Undersecretary taken to one of the Ministry Maximum Security Holding Cells straightaway.”
”Standard procedures, Minister?” queried the Wizard.
”Absolutely!” Fudge confirmed, already bringing forth a pair of Magic-Suppressing Handcuffs, which he clamped onto the unconscious Umbridge’s wrists. He then made a quick Floo call to the Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones, advising her of the situation, and that, unfortunately, this would not be the last call of its kind from him.
In less than five minutes, two Aurors—Kingsley Shacklebolt, and a young Witch whose name Fudge couldn’t remember (although Arthur and Bill Weasley both recognized fellow Order member, Nymphadora Tonks)—stepped out of the Floo. “Just to be on the safe side, take her to an anti-Animagus cell,” Fudge instructed the two.
”With pleasure, Minister!” Shacklebolt responded, in his deep baritone voice. The Weasley Wizards—including Percy, whose Veritaserum had worn off—all saw the look of pure glee in Tonks’s eyes, as she saw the reason for their summons. Even though her information on Umbridge was only second-hand, the younger Auror had still developed negative opinions about Umbridge.
As soon as the unconscious Death Eater had been Levitated by Tonks’s ”Mobilicorpus”, Shacklebolt thanked everyone for their quick actions, cast Notice-Me-Not Charms over Umbridge, Tonks and himself, then led the way out of Fudge’s office. The Charms would be reversed, upon their arrival at the Holding Cells.
After Fudge’s secretary returned to the Reception area, all eyes turned again to Rita Skeeter. “I suppose I’m next…,” she said, resigned to her apparent fate.
”Perhaps not,” Bill Weasley spoke up. “Minister, Ms. Skeeter has been a great help to us, and not just this morning.” He indicated her article—which contained Fudge’s old views on Voldemort, not the ones he now held, thanks to his “journey” Saturday night, in Albus Dumbledore’s office—which had been planted in the Prophet. “Could there possibly be an alternative to Azkaban?”
”Hmm…,” Fudge sat back, as if pondering the question…to the amusement of Arthur and Percy. They both knew that Fudge already had his plans for the reporter…even though Rita Skeeter might not fully appreciate those plans at first; after a few moments, he addressed a nervous Rita.
”First of all, Ms. Skeeter, you’ll need to register your Animagus form before Noon today. I believe I’ll have Arthur’s sons escort you downstairs for that. Bill and Percy nodded their understanding.
”Also, for the next nine months…,” (At those words, Rita bowed her head in shame) “…you will only be allowed to publish ‘Special Features’, that will require my pre-approval…starting with full retractions of, and apologies to, every single person you spoke ill of during the Triwizard Tournament.”
Rita flinched at those words, but could not refute the charges they implied. Fudge continued to scold her. “You’ve besmirched too many Good Witches and Wizards…many of them just since last September….”
”Rubeus Hagrid…,” began Arthur.…
”…Hermione Granger…,” added Bill….
”…Harry Potter…,” whispered Percy. At this, several heads snapped up; however, before any Wizard could say anything, Rita stood, and faced Fudge.
Knowing that she easily could have been (and—to be perfectly honest with herself—should have been) in the same situation now facing Umbridge, Rita Skeeter looked at Cornelius Fudge, humbly saying, ”Thank you for your kindness, Minister; I won’t betray your trust in me; I will reform my ways.” As proof, she then actually took her Quick-Quotes Quill—the device that largely composed her questionable articles…although the Witch’s vindictive attitude toward those who’d snubbed her in the past was the other major contributor—and snapped it in half. She next glanced at Bill and Percy, indicating her readiness to get the forced registration over as quickly as possible, actually glad she didn’t have to keep her Animagus form a secret any more.
”Ms. Skeeter…,” Percy said hesitantly, his own face aflame, “…if you wouldn’t mind sharing a few by-lines, I have some apologies of my own to make….” He and Rita glanced at Cornelius, for his approval, encouraged by the Minister’s nod.
As Rita accepted Percy’s offer, and the two shook hands, Fudge added to Weasley’s discomfort, by saying, deceptively lightly, “That would be a good way to keep your current position—or any other position—here at the Ministry, Percival….”
It was all Arthur and Bill Weasley could do, to not laugh out loud as Percy searched, unsuccessfully, for a hole to crawl into.