Walking in to the living room of their apartment a little over a week since the second task, Daphne walked to the mantelpiece and removed the silenced, unbreakable jar containing Skeeter's animagus form. She carried it over to the coffee table and placed it on top as Harry and Hermione entered. While she was moving the jar, Harry and Hermione were sealing the room. Even the mail owl window was temporarily sealed. They didn't have to worry about throwing up anti-portkey and anti-apparition wards, as those already existed over the school.
However, more importantly, they'd been using the time since the second task to research how to set up an anti-animagus ward, and how to force an animagus back into its human form. So, for this purpose, they made ready to throw up the anti-animagus ward.
Once done, Harry conjured a hard seated and backed wooden chair with strong armrests.
"Are we done?" asked Daphne. "Are we ready?"
"We are," replied both her spouses, keeping their wands out.
She reached over and unscrewed the lid of the jar, tipping it over onto the floor.
The little water beetle slid out and landed on its back on the carpet before it began kicking its legs a little.
"Reddere Formam!" muttered Hermione.
Skeeter's animagus transformation was cancelled, replacing the beetle with the witch lying on her back on the floor.
As soon as she appeared, Harry ripped the wand out of her hand and tossed it onto the coffee table, before doing the same with her purse.
Then he and Daphne picked her up under her arms and dumped her into the wooden chair, while Hermione brought up the temporary anti-animagus ward, as they had rehearsed.
"Stay there, Skeeter," demanded Daphne of the vile woman.
Harry conjured a glass and filled it with water before handing it to the still completely confused witch.
The three then returned to couches and armchairs in a half circle around the front of the woman and waited for her to get her bearings back.
"Wha... what... is the meaning of this?" the woman demanded as soon as she regained her senses.
"It's really quite simple, Miss Skeeter," said Daphne, quite firmly. "You are an illegal animagus. Your animagus form, a water beetle, was caught riding on Miss Granger's hairclip while it was in her hair.
"Of course, as there are no animagus forms of a water beetle registered with the Ministry of Magic, we had no possible way of knowing we'd captured an animagus, rather than a plain water beetle."
"This room is sealed shut," said Hermione. "You are not going anywhere until we decide you will leave."
"Why?" the woman asked, now able to think more clearly.
"I told you, Miss Skeeter, to keep your nose out of my... our... personal business," replied Harry. "You were told you would have opportunities for personal exclusives if you behaved yourself. You agreed. Using your animagus form to spy on me and mine, after you were quite vehemently told not to, is what got you into this predicament."
"So, since your word is insufficient, we've come up with a way to force your compliance," said Hermione, sliding a contract across the coffee table towards the witch.
Warily, Skeeter reached down and picked up the contract. She carefully read it while her face blanched with shock.
When she'd finished, with her hand shaking while holding the document, she said, "This could ruin me!"
"Yes," said Harry. "That's the idea. This way we force you to never write nonsense about the Potters, the Greengrasses or the Grangers, Sirius Black or Remus Lupin. Everything you do write about them you will confirm as fact, in advance. You cannot even use a quote someone gives you, if you haven't already confirmed it as true."
"That means there'll be no going to someone like Draco Malfoy or Pansy Parkinson and have them say something vile, then printing that," said Hermione. "And, yes, we're well aware that's one of your little ways to attempt to get around the laws of slander."
"So, Miss Skeeter," said Daphne. "That document will be your confession of what illegal and despicable acts you do while disgustingly claiming you do it in the name of journalism. Sign it, and you're almost free to go."
"And what's to stop me from simply walking out of here?" she huffed haughtily. Harry grinned and held up his hand. He started to tick points off his fingers. "One, this room is magically sealed and you cannot leave. Two, we know the spell to force your body back into its animagus form. Three, if an animagus is killed while they're in their animagus form, their body remains in the animagus form. Four, my friend Neville has a toad that loves the taste of water beetles. Five, no one knows you're here. Six, those who do know you're an animagus, and what your form is, know you could always come to harm while in your animagus form. Seven, only your editor will miss you... for about a week... and then you'll not even rate a footnote in your own paper. Eight, you've already been missing for a week and no one's come looking for you, nor has word of your disappearance appeared in your own paper."
Skeeter stared back in fear at the very serious faces of the three for a few moments before she finally placed the confession back on the coffee table. She picked up the offered quill and, hesitating but a moment, signed the document.
"Thank you, Miss Skeeter," said Daphne, as Hermione pulled the document away, dried the ink, and put the document in her book bag for later.
"Now, Miss Skeeter," said Harry. "In this room and extending outwards a good few feet is an anti-animagus ward. We are going to return you your wand so you may attempt to transform, so you can confirm it exists. Attempt to use your wand to do anything other than transform and we'll hurt you; really hurt you."
Daphne handed Skeeter her wand as all three had theirs drawn and levelled on the older witch from three diverse directions.
With her wand in her hand, the three watched as Skeeter concentrated for a moment before she looked back at them in shock.
With a nod back, Harry said, "Good. Now you know. You should also know that if you enter the ward while in your animagus form it will force you to revert to human form. As it is a forced transformation, it will be painful."
Daphne added, "Our ward extends a few feet, even beyond the windows. Be aware; if you attempt to use your form to fly in through one of our windows, you will be forced back into your human form, and you will plummet approximately eight stories to your death. Do you understand?"
Skeeter went a little more white but just nodded back.
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