Rita noticeably slowed her steps as she approached. Standing before Will, she toned down her sugary smile and adopted a more professional expression.
"Mr. Behrens," she said, her voice so much steadier than before that Harry almost wondered whether she was a different person, "your turn."
Will nodded with a courteous smile. "Ms. Skeeter, I hope you'll report what I say accurately."
"Of course, of course. A journalist must stick to the facts." Rita's quill hovered over the paper. Harry wanted to protest—That's not what you were saying a moment ago!
"Well, then..." Rita began. "Mr. Behrens, as one of the youngest champions in this Triwizard Tournament, alongside Mr. Potter, how do you feel?"
"Honored," Will said.
The quill wrote "honored" on the paper without adding any embellishments.
"What do you think of the other eight champions? Harry Potter, for instance. You're in the same year."
"Harry is an excellent wizard," Will said. "He's very good at Defense Against the Dark Arts, and his Quidditch skills are first-rate."
The quill continued to record his words faithfully, without embellishing a thing.
Rita pursed her lips and asked another question. "And what about the champions from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons? Do you find them... well, a little unusual?"
"Everyone has their own distinctive qualities," Will said. "I haven't had much contact with them yet, so I don't know the details."
Rita's quill paused, apparently waiting for more. But Will said nothing further.
"Do you have any guesses about the first task? Are you nervous?"
"No," Will said. "Mr. Bagman said the tournament is a test of courage. I'll do my best."
Another string of bland answers... There's nothing sensational here at all—
But Rita glanced at Will, bit her lip, and refrained from asking any more questions.
Finally, Rita forced a smile. "Thank