𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸, harry potter

˗ˋ 141

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED
AND FORTY ONE
✧
-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH THE ARTICLE 
IS PUBLISHED

. . .

A week and an abysmal match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, after which Slytherin had been named favourites to win the House Cup, and The Quibbler had published the article.

"What the fuck?" Aviana pulled her coffee from the table as, at the very least, a dozen owls flew through the rafters above the Great Hall and landed before her, Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Who the fuck did this?" She snapped, looking around accusatorily.

"What's going on?" Ron echoed her question in amazement, as the wholeof Gryffindor table leaned forward to watch as the last of the owls landed amongst the first ones, screeching, hooting, andflapping their wings, knocking over the salt and stumbling over the remaining, slowly emptying breakfast plates. Aviana's nose wrinkled. 

"Harry!" Hermione looked excited, plunging her handsinto the feathery mass and pulling out a screech owl bearinga long, cylindrical package. "I think I know what this means -open this one first!"Harry ripped off the brown packaging. Out rolled a tightlyfurled copy of March's edition of The Quibbler. Aviana peered over, having quickly cottoned on to Hermione's tone and her chin rested on his shoulder, watching as he unrolled itto see his own face grinning sheepishly at him from the frontcover. 

In large red print across his picture were the words: 'Harry Potter Speaks Out at Last: The Truth About He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the Night I Saw Him Return'. 

"It's good, isn't it?" Luna said, drifting aimlessly over to the Gryffindor table and squeezed into the small space on the bench between Fred and George.  "It came out yesterday, II asked Dad to send you a free copy. I expect all these," she waved her hand at the assembled owls scrabbling around on the table before Harry and Aviana, "are letters from readers."

"That's what I thought." Hermione nodded eagerly. "Harry, d'you mind if we-?"

"Help yourself." Harry agreed, feeling slightly bemused as he watched Ron and Hermione both stared ripping open envelopes. Aviana, who was still looking apprehensive, despite the fact that Harry knew she had made many trips to the owlery in the past few weeks in order to send Umbridge hate mail, reached forward and selected one of the envelopes. 

"This one's from a bloke who thinks you're off your rocker." Ron glanced down at his letter. "Ah, well." He hummed, and tossed it to the side.  

"This woman recommends you... and Aviana try a good course of Shock Spells at St. Mungo's."  Hermione looked disappointed as she crumpled up the second.

"This one's fine, I suppose." Aviana said, pushing it into Harry's hand. "And please, I've been Shocked before."

"Hey - she says she believes me!" Harry grinned.

"This one's in two minds." Fred said, having joined in the letter opening with enthusiasm. "Says you don't come across as a mad person, but he really doesn't want to believe You-Know-Who's back so he doesn't know what to think, even with her in your corner... Blimey, what a waste of parchment - what's the point in writing a letter if he can't even remember Aviana's name." 

Aviana winked at him, but went back to hurriedly scanning the article, and Harry noticed where her thumb sat where her name was typed out, and was murmuring what Rita had quoted from her under her breath.