Rita is seen again when Hermione meets with her in Hogsmeade village. Hermione tells Skeeter she will not report her as an unregistered Animagus if she abstains from writing any stories for the next year. She also recalled that whenever any secrets were discussed in private conversations, and then appeared in Rita's stories, there had always been a large beetle in the vicinity. Hermione suspected she was an Animagus after observing Draco Malfoy conversing with a small object, shortly before the article about Hagrid appeared. That is how she eavesdrops on private conversations and reports them in her articles. When Harry is watching the courtroom scenes in Dumbledore's Pensieve, he spots a younger Rita Skeeter in the audience, with the same Quick-Quotes Quill, reporting the trial.Īfter the final Triwizard challenge, Hermione traps a beetle while visiting Harry in the school infirmary: it is Rita Skeeter, who is an unregistered Animagus. Weasley this temporarily sours the relationship between Mrs. One of the readers taken in by this story is Mrs. As a result of this story appearing, Witch Weekly readers send anonymous and threatening letters to Hermione. Shortly after this most recent encounter, a vengeful Rita, now writing for Witch Weekly, claims in a new story that Hermione, whom she calls 'plain,' may be using illegal love potions on both Harry and Viktor Krum. Readers may recall that Rita had hinted about a romance between Harry and Hermione, using Colin Creevey as a source. This leads Harry to suspect Hermione will be Rita's next victim. When she later discovers Hagrid's Giant ancestry, she writes an awful article claiming he is dangerous to students and brutal in his classes.ĭuring the Hogsmeade visit just before the second Triwizard task, the trio encounters Skeeter, who approaches Harry for another interview, but Hermione chases her off, telling her she ruins peoples' lives. While she is setting up the interview, Ron wonders how she got there – hadn't she been banned from Hogwarts? She actually wants to pump Hagrid for information about Harry for another scurrilous story, although Hagrid refuses to say anything negative about him. Skeeter later interviews Hagrid, supposedly for an article about the Blast-Ended Skrewts. Harry provides her with one: 'Goodbye.' At some point after the first task, Albus Dumbledore had banned Rita from entering Hogwarts Castle. Harry suggests she is there to watch the first task.įollowing the First Task, as Harry returns to the Castle with Ron, she appears from behind a bush in the Forbidden Forest, asking Harry for a word. It appears she is staying in the village. Hermione thinks he can remove the cloak without being bothered, but Harry points out that Rita Skeeter and her photographer just left the Three Broomsticks. Hermione protests but agrees, and once in Hogsmeade, Harry is delighted he can travel without people hurling snide remarks. Harry vetoes that particular idea, and will only go under his Invisibility Cloak.

When pressed, she admits she is hoping to meet up with Ron in the Three Broomsticks. Hermione suggests going to the next Hogsmeade weekend.

I'm not ashamed to admit it.' Harry is both troubled and embarrassed by these erroneous statements. However, her 'Quick-Quotes Quill' fabricates many of his supposed comments, such as, 'Sometimes at night I still cry about them. When the Goblet of Fire selects Harry as a Triwizard Champion, Skeeter interviews him at the Wand Weighing ceremony. While we are told the story has been published, we hear nothing else about it. Molly Weasley, reading this, comments that Rita's stories always contain fabrications and should not be believed.Ī week later, Ludo Bagman mentions that Rita has heard about Bertha Jorkins' disappearance, and she soon writes a story about it. Rita's story, appearing in The Daily Prophet, over-sensationalizes events, and includes some inventions such as supposed dead people being removed from the forest after the Dark Mark appeared. Rita Skeeter is first mentioned after the Quidditch World Cup, where the Muggles in charge of the campsite are attacked by Death Eaters. Beginner warning: Details follow which you may not wish to read at your current level.

Rita skeeter beetle