The Evil that is Rita (was: An acronym, why can't JKR count, etc.)

[psychic_serpent]

No: HPFGUIDX 57784

Huggs Becky wrote:

RITA isn't bad or evil.  She's just a shallow, narcissic mudraker 
who'll do anything for a story to make herself look good.  If she 
were a muggle I'm sure she would be working for the National 
Enquirer or some other such trash papper.  She's just a pest.
 
Me:

Oh, I don't know about that.  She obviously has a vicious streak.  
It was after Hermione screamed at her (and Ron did warn her it 
wasn't a good idea) that Rita wrote that article about Hermione 
toying with Harry's and Viktor's hearts.  Because of that article, 
Hermione received all of that hate mail (remember the bubotuber 
pus?), and even Mrs. Weasley was ready to believe it was true.  
Plus, any Death Eater who saw it and believed it might think that 
targeting Hermione would be an excellent way to get to Harry, so it 
was far more dangerous than character assassination.  This could 
really put Hermione--and thus Harry--in great danger.

There has already been evidence that Harry is the sort of person to 
selflessly risk his own safety to save people he cares about.  When 
Ron, Hermione and Cho were in the lake, he was ready to attempt to 
save all of them, even though his ability to breathe underwater 
probably would have given out before he could do it.  He went into 
the chamber for his best friend's sister, perhaps also feeling 
somewhat responsible for her, as he knew she had a crush on him 
(even before he knew that she was in there because of writing in the 
diary, and much of her writing in the diary was about him).  Rita 
also conspired with Draco Malfoy, who definitely is not an FoH 
(Friend of Harry's).  And now that Hermione has held her prisoner in 
a jar, she might be out for revenge for that.  I don't think we're 
going to see the last of Rita, nor that she will prove to be 
harmless.  She hasn't been so far; if she's revenge-minded now, 
she'll only be getting worse.

--Barb

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