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a matter of fact；〃 she added； her voice now trembling slightly； 〃Rita Skeeter isn't going to be writing anything at all for a while。 Not unless she wants me to spill the beans on her。〃
〃What are you talking about？〃 said Ron。
〃I found out how she was listening in on private conversations when she wasn't supposed to be ing onto the grounds；〃 said Hermione in a rush。
Harry had the impression that Hermione had been dying to tell them this for days； but that she had restrained herself in light of everything else that had happened。
〃How was she doing it？〃 said Harry at once。
〃How did you find out？〃 said Ron； staring at her。
〃Well； it was you； really； who gave me the idea。 Harry；〃 she said。
〃Did I？〃 said Harry； perplexed。 〃How？〃
〃Bugging；〃 said Hermione happily。
〃But you said they didn't work…〃
〃Oh not electronic bugs；〃 said Hermione。 〃No； you see 。。。Rita Skeeter〃…Hermiones voice trembled with quiet triumph…〃is an unregistered Animagus。 She can turn…〃
Hermione pulled a small sealed glass jar out other bag。
〃into a beetle。〃
〃You're kidding；〃 said Ron。 〃You haven't。。。 she's not。。。〃
〃Oh yes she is；〃 said Hermione happily； brandishing the jar at them。
Inside were a few twigs and leaves and one large； fat beetle。
〃That's never…you're kidding…〃 Ron whispered； lifting the jar to his eyes。
〃No； I'm not；〃 said Hermione； beaming。 〃I caught her on the windowsill in the hospital wing。 Look very closely； and you'll notice the markings around her antennae are exactly like those foul glasses she wears。〃
Harry looked and saw that she was quite right。 He also remembered something。
〃There was a beetle on the statue the night we heard Hagrid telling Madame Maxime about his mum！〃
〃Exactly；〃 said Hermione。 〃And Viktor pulled a beetle out of my hair after we'd had our conversation by the lake。 And unless I'm very much mistaken； Rita was perched on the windowsill of the Divination class the day your scar hurt。 She's been buzzing around for stories all year。〃
〃When we saw Malfoy under that tree 。。。〃 said Ron slowly。
〃He was talking to her； in his hand；〃 said Hermione。 〃He knew； of course。 That's how she's been getting all those nice little interviews with the Slytherins。 They wouldn't care that she was doing something illegal； as long as they were giving her horrible stuff about us and Hagrid。〃
Hermione took the glass jar back from Ron and smiled at the beetle； which buzzed angrily against the glass。
〃I've told her I'll let her out when we get back to London；〃 said Hermione。 〃I've put an Unbreakable Charm on the jar； you see； so she can't transform。 And I've told her she's to keep her quill to herself for a whole year。 See if she can't break the habit of writing horrible lies about people。〃
Smiling serenely； Hermione placed the beetle back inside her schoolbag。
The door of the partment slid open。
〃Very clever。 Granger；〃 said Draco Malfoy。
Crabbe and Goyle were standing behind him。 All three of them looked more pleased with themselves； more arrogant and more menacing； than Harry had ever seen them。
〃So；〃 said Malfoy slowly； advancing slightly into the partment and looking slowly around at them； a smirk quivering on his lips。 〃You caught some pathetic reporter； and Potter's Dumbledore's favorite boy again。 Big deal。〃
His smirk widened。 Crabbe and Goyle leered。
〃Trying not to think about it； are we？〃 said Malfoy softly； looking around at all three of them。 〃Trying to pretend it hasn't happened？〃
〃Get out；〃 said Harry。
He had not been this close to Malfoy since he had watched him muttering to Crabbe and Goyle during Dumbledores speech about Cedric。 He could feel a kind of ringing in his ears。 His hand gripped his wand under his robes。
〃You've picked the losing side； Potter！ I warned you！ I told you you ought to choose your pany more carefully； remember？ When we met on the train； first day at Hogwarts？ I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this！〃 He jerked his head at Ron and Hermione。 〃Too late now。 Potter！ They'll be the first to go； now the Dark Lord's back！ Mudbloods and Muggle…lovers first！ Well…second…Diggory was the f…〃
It was as though someone had exploded a box of fireworks within the partment。 Blinded by the blaze of the spells that had blasted from every direction； deafened by a series of bangs； Harry blinked and looked down at the floor。
Malfoy； Crabbe； and Goyle were all lying unconscious in the doorway。 He； Ron； and Hermione were on their feet； all three of them having used a different hex。 Nor were they the only ones to have done so。
〃Thought we'd see what those three were up to；〃 said Fred matter…of…factly； stepping onto Goyle and into the partment。 He had his wand out； and so did George； who was careful to tread on Malfoy as he followed Fred inside。
〃Interesting effect；〃 said George； looking down at Crabbe。 〃Who used the Furnunculus Curse？〃
〃Me；〃 said Harry。
〃Odd；〃 said George lightly。 〃I used Jelly…Legs。 Looks as though those two shouldn't be mixed。 He seems to have sprouted little tentacles all over his face。 Well； let's not leave them here； they don't add much to the decor。〃
Ron； Harry； and George kicked； rolled； and pushed the unconscious Malfoy； Crabbe； and Goyle…each of whom looked distinctly the worse for the jumble of jinxes with which they had been hit…out into the corridor； then came back into the partment and rolled the door shut。
〃Exploding Snap； anyone？〃 said Fred； pulling out a pack of cards。
They were halfway through their fifth game when Harry decided to ask them。
〃You going to tell us； then？〃 he said to George。 〃Who you were blackmailing？〃
〃Oh；〃 said George darkly。 〃That。〃
〃It doesn't matter；〃 said Fred； shaking his head impatiently。 〃It wasn't anything important。 Not now； anyway。〃
〃We've given up；〃 said George； shrugging。
But Harry； Ron； and Hermione kept on asking； and finally； Fred said； 〃All right； all right； if you really want to know 。。。it was Ludo Bagman。〃
〃Bagman？〃 said Harry sharply。 〃Are you saying he was involved in…〃
〃Nah；〃 said George gloomily。 〃Nothing like that。 Stupid git。 He wouldn't have the brains。〃
〃Well； what； then？〃 said Ron。
Fred hesitated； then said； 〃You remember that bet we had with him at the Quidditch World Cup？ About how Ireland would win； but Krum would get the Snitch？〃
〃Yeah；〃 said Harry and Ron slowly。
〃Well； the git paid us in leprechaun gold he'd caught from the Irish mascots。〃
〃So？〃
〃So；〃 said Fred impatiently； 〃it vanished； didn't it？ By next morning； it had gone！〃
〃But…it must've been an accident； mustn't it？〃 said Hermione。
George laughed very bitterly。
〃Yeah； that's what we thought； at first。 We thought if we just wrote to him； and told him he'd made a mistake； he'd cough up。 But nothing doing。 Ignored our letter。 We kept trying to talk to him about it at Hogwarts； but he was always making some excuse to get away from us。〃
〃In the end； he turned pretty nasty；〃 said Fred。 〃Told us we were too young to gamble； and he wasn't giving us anything。〃
〃So we asked for our money back；〃 said George glowering。
〃He didn't refuse！〃 gasped Hermione。
〃Right in one；〃 said Fred。
〃But that was all your savings！〃 said Ron。
〃Tell me about it；〃 said George。 〃'Course； we found out what was going on in the end。 Lee Jordan's dad had had a bit of trouble getting money off Bagman as well。 Turns out he's in big trouble with the goblins。 Borrowed loads of gold off them。 A gang of them cornered him in the woods after the World Cup and took all the gold he had； and it still wasn't enough to cover all his debts。 They followed him all the way to Hogwarts to keep an eye on him。 He's lost everything gambling。 Hasn't got two Galleons to rub together。 And you know how the idiot tried to pay the goblins back？〃
〃How？〃 said Harry。
〃He put a bet on you； mate；〃 said Fred。 〃Put a big bet on you to win the tournament。 Bet against the goblins。〃
〃So that's why he kept trying to help me win！〃 said Harry。 〃Well…I did win； didn't I？ So he can pay you your gold！〃
〃Nope；〃 said George； shaking his head。 〃The goblins play as dirty as him。 They say you drew with Diggor