A crystal ball lay quietly on the table in the room conjured by the Room of Requirement.
It faithfully recorded Su Er and Hermione in front of it, along with Rita Skeeter, who had just changed back into a human from her beetle form.
Rita's hair hung in disarray over her scalp. Her exquisite makeup had long since smeared, leaving black and brown streaks across her face. There were also bluish-purple bruises on her sagging face, and her ornate, crystal-studded glasses hung crookedly off one side of it.
Propping herself up on her arms, she crawled backward a few paces and looked around before raising her head to stare in terror at the smiling Su Er.
"What do you want? Where have you brought me?"
"Don't worry, Ms. Skeeter. This is just a little joke." Su Er was still smiling. "Rather than worrying about where you are, I wonder whether you understand the situation you're in?"
Rita checked her surroundings out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that there was no one in the room besides Su Er, Hermione, and herself, she breathed a sigh of relief and gradually calmed down.
"I don't believe there's any bad blood between us, Mr. Bones..."
Rita straightened her disheveled wizard robes while discreetly feeling for her wand. Fortunately, it was still there. She let out a soft breath.
These were only two students. As an adult wizard, there was no reason she couldn't beat two young ones.
Her confidence restored, Rita straightened up. "I think you should know, Mr. Bones, that detaining a wizard without cause is illegal."
"If you don't, you might consult the young lady beside you... oh... Miss Granger?"
Su Er paid no mind to Rita's sudden confidence. Instead, he reached over and picked up the crystal ball from