Harry shrugs and hands the paper over, revealing the prominently featured article on the front page.

"Harry Potter and Ciri Rivia rendezvous!?" it states in bolt letters with a large photo of the two walking beside each other, the camera focussing on Ciri more than Harry which shows a ball of black fur with red eyes resting on one of her arms.

Reima "Look Snuffles, you made the news!" he jokes, causing the rabbit to bite his finger.

Hermione "That isn't even the worst of it." she says, pointing down to an article detailing the wand weighing ceremony.

"The expert on wand-lore Garrick Ollivander was happy to examine all of the champions wands and give incredible detail about them... With the exception of Ciri Rivia now famous staff! The self purported expert could not even identify the materials it was made from making some question his qualification at all! Not to mention a trait of Miss Rivia's staff that she has attempted to keep hidden from the public ever since her debut! The woman's magical Foci is demonically enhanced! Causing most spells it conjures to be dangerous and more often than not ignite things on accident! Is this really a legal tool that a champion should be allowed? And if so, why are we allowing our other champions to be disadvantaged because of it!" - Rita Skeeter.

Reima holds his fingers off and starts listing them off, "Slandered Ollivander, a prominent wand maker in the magical community. Slandered the Tournament officials for allowing Ciri to use her staff. Slandered Harry for being in a sensational relations.h.i.+p with Ciri. Slandered Ciri for using a demonically enchanted staff and essentially cheating in the tournament... I think Skeeter's really out done her self today." he says, noting that he doesn't have enough finger on one hand to continue listing people she'd offended with a single article.

Harry "This is mad! How can she get away with stuff like this!?"

Fred Weasley leans over, "Isn't it obvious?"

His brother George quickly answers, "She's got dirt on everyone!"

Fred/George "The quill is mightier than the sword!" they say, raising their arms in the air and crossing two quills against each other, causing some of the surrounding students to laugh.

Reima was slightly confused at why the twins were being friendly with Harry since their brother had a public falling out together, he shrugs, in the end it wouldn't be weird if they also disliked Ron as it's a common trait for the civilised person. As he's thinking this the Great Halls doors burst open revealing a horrified looking Hagrid with tears still streaming down his face.

Hagrid walks past the tables and exclaims to Dumbledore who's silently eating his breakfast. "They killed em! All of em! Who would do such a thing!" the large man says while wiping snot and tears from his face.

Dumbledore "What has happened Hagrid?"

Hagrid "All those 'uns, torn apart!"

No one can really tell what the large almost hysterical man is saying and it seems Dumbledore can't either.

Dumbledore "Perhaps we should take this in my office, Hagrid?"

The large man slowly nods and follows the headmaster out, under suspicious whispering from the students.

Ciri "What was that about?" she wonder aloud.

Hermione "It sounds like some animals were killed..."

Harry nods, "Knowing Hagrid and the way he was acting that sounds about right."

Reima "You guys have got a lesson with him later right?"

Hermione nods, "We do don't we... We'll have to ask him then." she says.

Later on when Harry and Hermione go to attend their Care of magical creatures cla.s.s they spot Hagrid with students already gathering in-front of him.

The large man sighs and rubs his red eyes, "Al'right cla.s.s, today I was gonna teach you about blast ended skrewts but... I need to dig a couple graves, you can all continue the task on flobberworms 'aight?" they students nod and disperse to continue their project, Harry and Hermione however follow Hagrid back to his hut.

Harry "Hagrid?" he asks, causing the man to jump.

Hagrid "Ah, Harry? You scared me... Thought I'd be next." he says, scratching his neck.

Hermione "Are you alright Hagrid?"

The half giant shakes his head, "No... Not at all, did I tell ye about my looking after a group of terrorised animals?"

Harry shakes his head in response queuing the man to continue.

"Well, the worst has happened... While I was out feeding the hippogriff's a felt a strange breeze, I felt like somethin' was wrong so I went'ta check and found... Them, all butchered."

Hermione "What animals are you talking about Hagrid?"

He wipes his face again and replies, "Dem black furred cat'n dogs'n other animals wizard's see as a bad omen... I found'em in Diagon Alley about to be transfig'red into stones and tossed in a river. Took'em in I did..."

Hermione "Black furred animals are seen as a bad omen?" she asks confused, thinking about Ciri's familiar Snuffles.

Hagrid nods, "It's 'cause of the dark creatures that can turn into'em... They have black fur which makes them easy to spot out of a crowd, but I think magical folk just want somethin'ta hate..." he says sadly.

After they talk to the man for a couple more minutes the excuse themselves as they have a project on flobber worms to complete, as they walk Harry glances at Hermione, "You don't think?.." he says, feeling that something was wrong with this whole situation.

Hermione shakes her head, "No, that sounds silly, we're sounding like conspiracy theorists now."