Rita Skeeter, was Re: Re: Things I don't understand

[jodel at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 48664

BoBaFeTT states;


>>I don't expect anything but good things from Rita.


Remember, she's still an unregistered animagus and that's how she gets her 
scoops. Why would she risk her entire way of life for small-time revenge like 
that?<<

We don't know Rita's political position or her own personal leanings 
regarding Voldemort's return. At a guess, I would say that the fact that she 
was getting her personal interviews from the Slytherins -- and the fact that 
they knew about her being an illegal animagus -- suggests nothing good. At 
the very least, she was at Hogwarts with some of their family members and has 
kept in touch with them, either socially or professionally after leaving 
school. The probability that she is an alumus of Slytherin House is also 
pretty strong. 

Mind you, this does not mean that *she* supports Voldemort. But she is in 
pretty strongly with people who do, and is clever enough to know that their 
public lip service to the Ministry isn't all it should be... 

As to the Hermione/Rita situation. There's a further complication. 

Malfoy *knows* that Hermione caught Rita and kept her in a jar. He was 
evesdropping outside their compartment and heard her tell Harry and Ron all 
about it.

THAT can't bode well for Hermione remaining safely in the background while 
Harry gets all the attention. Even if Rita drops it -- and she's already 
demonstrated that she has a nasty vindictive streak where Hermione is 
concerned.

We also don't know just how much Rita heard. Hermione had already figured it 
out and was on watch for something. But we don't know whether she was 
checking all of the windows in turn, or whether there was only the one window 
where Harry was. If the first, she may have been listning for some time 
before Hermione got to that particular window. 

If the later, we could be in luck. Hermione was watching and may have got her 
before she had a chance to hear too much. Otherwise, Rita colud have enough 
information to have Dumbledore removed from his office. (Opposing the 
Ministry, harboring fugitives.)

Which may actually happen. After all, the requirements of this sort of 
comming-of-age quest only demand that the "wise counsellor" figure be removed 
from the playing board. Not that he necessarily die. And if Dumbledore does 
get ousted,that could happen as early as the fifth book. 

-JOdel