After the book signing ended.
Douglas secretly rubbed his face, which had grown a little stiff from smiling.
Then he told Percy about his visit to the Burrow the following evening.
Rita Skeeter rushed straight up to Douglas.
The other reporters found this behavior thoroughly objectionable, but they did not particularly want to have much contact with Rita Skeeter.
They could only gather around Slane instead.
Rita gave Percy a disdainful glance, then said to Douglas:
"Professor Holmes, could we speak privately? I won't take up too much of your time."
Douglas gave Percy a meaningful look, then he and Rita found a quiet corner of the bookshop where they could see at a glance that no one was nearby.
Rita Skeeter asked cautiously, "Professor Holmes, I wanted to ask... to ask..."
Douglas said with a faint smile:
"So even someone with your sharp tongue can find herself at a loss for words?"
Rita Skeeter said nothing, looking at Douglas as if to say that he should understand without her having to spell it out.
Douglas sneered. Rather than fencing with her, he said bluntly:
"As long as none of those ridiculous, groundless speculations and slanders appear in print, I don't suppose I'll have time to write The Little Beetle's Adventures. You understand what I mean, don't you?"
Rita Skeeter nodded hastily, then obligingly took the notebook out of her handbag and erased everything the quill had written with a single spell.
Then she adjusted her jewel-encrusted glasses, glanced around first, and asked cautiously:
"Will that do, Professor Holmes?"
Watching her practiced movements, Douglas could not help reflecting that she was a clever woman. To remain active in the wizarding world for so long with such an indifferent sense of morality, she naturally possessed an extraordinary knack for survival.
"Remember