TBAY: Avery/Rita. No, not like that. Please. Contains itty-bitty OOP reference.

[Kirstini]

No: HPFGUIDX 55955

One of the heavy, old oak doors of the Royal George creaks open a 
little way, and the top of a head pokes round. The door slams. 
There's a squeal.
The four people in the bar laugh heartily, their differences and/or 
acute paranoia momentarily forgotten. 
"Gotta love that Self-Slamming Charm," murmurs George, with a 
smirk. "Gets the tourists every time."
>From the other side of the door a muffled grunting can be heard. 
There's a long pause, as the newcomer finally gets the door open. 
She takes a couple of steps forward, holding her face in her hand.
 There's a crash, as the newcomer trips over a flagstone which has 
raised itself out of the floor to welcome her. The TBay natives 
burst out laughing again, even Avery. He wasn't in much of a 
laughing mood, but the sight of someone smaller than himself 
writhing in agony always manages to put a smile on his face.
The newcomer picks herself up rather angrily, but rethinks her 
demeanour after noticing Captain Cindy's Big Paddle.
"That's a really
nice paddle. Must have great
aerodynamics, huh?" 
Captain Cindy growls softly.
"Sorry. Sorry. I just wanted to say something about Rita Skeeter," 
the stranger mumbles through her fingers. "I was outside, trying to 
pluck up the courage to come in, and I couldn't help but overhear 
what you said just then – I wasn't eavesdropping or anything
um. 
Anyway. Rita Skeeter. All I wanted to say was that the idea of her 
suddenly turning embedded reporter for Dumbledore seems a little – 
out of character."
Avery sinks back down into his chair, wobbling slightly. For some 
reason the newcomer interprets this as a positive sign, and presses 
on, encouraged.
"You see, JKR has said in various places that she really *likes* 
Rita Skeeter. However, I'd be willing to bet that it's not the same 
sort of affection she has for say – Lupin, or Ron – you know, 
because they're *nice* characters
"
(a sound much like the noise a can of worms makes when opened echoes 
through the Royal George. The stranger ignores it and carries on.)
"She likes Rita because she's irritating. She's awkward. She doesn't 
make it easy for *anybody*. "Disgraced Ex-Minister of Magic 
Cornelius Fudge" might have a ring to it, but so does "Disgraced 
Former Hogwarts Headmaster and All-Round Bumbling Buffoon Albus 
Dumbledore" (maybe not quite as much of a ring to it). That 
awkwardness is the whole essence of her character. It's why she's 
funny. In places.
And besides, isn't that just a bit too easy? As far as I can tell, 
one of the huge problems in OoP is going to be getting the wizarding 
populance to realise that Dumbledore is back. Even though the Daily 
Prophet won't run the story, if Rita breaks it independently, or 
through Witch Weekly, everyone is going to listen to her, aren't 
they? Even Molly Weasley is prepared to take Rita's word over 
Hermione's in GoF. Everyone believes her when she's telling lies – 
oh!"
"What?" asks Derannimer, a trifle irritably.
"Sorry, it's your theory isn't it? Can I buy you a drink, by the 
way?" asks the stranger, in a blatant attempt to integrate herself. 
Captain Cindy clears her throat loudly. The stranger glances 
nervously over at George, who begins mixing another Black Russian.

The stranger begins again. "The reason I said "Oh!" there was 
because something had just struck me. All the while my mouth has 
been running away with me, my brain has been frantically trying to 
work out how to talk my little theory round the fact that Rita was 
THERE on the windowsill, she heard it all about Voldemort coming 
back, and she's not exactly renowned for her ability to keep schtum, 
is she? Blackmail or no blackmail, there is no WAY she's going to 
sit tight on this one. She might not be working for Dumbledore as 
she does it, but you're so right. She's going to let people know as 
soon as she's de-beetled herself. And so we come back to "too easy", 
but I've just worked out a possibility. Everyone believes Rita's 
lies, right? But I don't think there was any occasion in GoF where 
she reported something that was absolutely truthful – without any 
sort of embellishment. So, I'm wondering (that's code for "making it 
up as I go along") if she might be some sort of Cassandra figure – 
you know, under some kind of curse whereby all her truthful reports 
are destined to be disbelieved
"

The stranger tails off and dares to glance up from the floor for the 
first time since she put her wallet back in her pocket. She looks 
around hopefully, with a bit of a stupid grin on her face.
"I'm Kirstini, by the way" she says. "Would any of you like to hear 
my anti-Florence theory
?"

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Kirstini