The female reporter who had abruptly appeared in Hagrid's Hut made no particular effort to lower her voice as she spoke. Hagrid naturally caught a few indistinct words too. Muttering, "Human blood?" he sniffed and looked around his hut.
Hagrid said blankly, "Ms. Skeeter. About that human blood you mentioned-"
"Oh, Rubeus Hagrid, I must say, that's an excellent expression you're wearing. It seems you aren't quite as honest as you look, but that's all right. I'm a professional reporter, with a keen eye for discoveries-"
Rita Skeeter wore an expression that said, "You nearly fooled me." Mustering a smile even more unconvincing than the twins' excuses for being late, she pointed at a gap between the floorboards with the nails, over two inches long, on her thick, pudgy fingers, and said shrilly,
"Really, a little human blood between the floorboards is nothing. Actually, I'm not even certain it's human blood. It might be some animal's blood. That's perfectly normal. Look here, fresh-"
Rita Skeeter's voice stopped short-the blood that had been in the gap she was pointing at had vanished, along with the dust, as though a meticulous house-elf had crawled into the crack and scrubbed it with special tools. She raised her head suspiciously, looking past Hagrid's bewildered gaze at Brian behind him.
The moment Hagrid said the name "Skeeter," Brian knew who the reporter was. There were plenty of Skeeters in the world, but only one who brazenly wore a badge reading "Special Correspondent for the Daily Prophet" on her chest.
Brian was staring at the Bright Green Quill floating beside Rita Skeeter. While she had been chattering away, the quill had worked without a moment's rest. What it had written on the parchment left him utterly astounded: "Hogwarts' Keeper of Keys and Grounds, Rubeus Hagrid, a