Albert did not know whether Hermione would catch Rita Skeeter like she had in the original story and make her stay in a glass jar to calm down for a while.
However things developed, Albert did not care. It had nothing to do with him, so he stayed out of it.
He still followed his original plans for school life, occasionally taking out his notes to refine his earlier plans. As for teaching Hermione the Shielding Charm, it had not taken much time or effort.
Hermione herself practiced very diligently and completely mastered the Shielding Charm in just one day, making it impossible for Owls to find her location anymore.
What surprised Albert most, however, was Hermione's progress. In only a few days, she had identified Rita Skeeter's Animagus form.
"I suspect Rita Skeeter's Animagus is a beetle. After the second task ended, Viktor caught a beetle in my hair." Hermione told Albert about the strange occasions when she had seen Malfoy talking to thin air.
"Trying to catch a flying beetle won't be easy." Albert smiled and reminded her, "It requires patience and luck. Besides, after this term, you probably won't have the chance anymore."
"I'm certain that woman will sneak into Hogwarts again to eavesdrop for information. I'll catch her." Hermione was very confident in herself. Seeming to remember something, she asked, "By the way, aren't you really coming with us to see Sirius Black tomorrow?"
"No. I still have Apparition Class tomorrow, and I have an appointment with Professor Flitwick in the afternoon." Albert shook his head. "If you're lucky enough, you should be able to catch that annoying woman. But you only have one chance. You need to catch Rita Skeeter before she realizes she's been exposed. If you fail, Rita Skeeter won't give you a