Read All About It

Rita Skeeter never thought about the fact her animagus form was a beetle. At the time, she was so excited by her successful transformation that she completely forgot the notes in the research she had done: a wizard attempting animagus transformation has little to no control over what form they will assume.

Of course, if she had thought about it, Rita probably wouldn't care.

While at Hogwarts, Rita was the uncrowned queen of gossip, which meant she was, at once, both feared and loved. If you wanted to know who was caught making out behind the broom shed by Filch, or whether Ernestine Fellows really used Bust Enhancing Potions, you sidled over to the Slytherin table during lunch and asked Rita what she had heard. She would dole out the latest tidbit, looking all the while like a benevolent ruler gracing the public with her knowledge.

Rita had her first taste of power, and she loved it.

Her only problem was those tantalizing bits of gossip, which were just beyond her grasp. It didn't take long for people to stop talking when she was around, to sneak into the restricted section to find spells that would allow them to talk (or make out) without worrying about Rita Skeeter sticking her nose in the middle. So, Rita thought, how could she get close enough to hear or see them without being obvious? When McGonagall presented a unit on animagi in her sixth year, Rita had her answer. It took her two long years, with the result that she had already left Hogwarts on the day of her first transformation. Unfortunately, Rita had yet to find a job where her talents could come into play.

It was time to start playing in the big leagues.

Rita spent two weeks skulking around Diagon Alley in her animagus form, until she had created a stockpile of tantalizing new gossip. Armed with her new knowledge and her brand new Quick Quotes Quill, Rita strode confidently into the offices of the Daily Prophet and demanded a job. She got one. Her exclusive gossip could boost the Prophet's flagging subscriptions, as well as bring in the coveted 18-24 witches bracket that usually got their gossip from Witch Weekly. Of course, it helped that Rita had the skinny on the Prophet's publisher's latest witch on the side, as well as the publisher's wife's Floo number.

Rita was on her way to the top.

Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter extraordinaire, was soon the menace of wizarding society. The smart ones curried her favor with exclusive interviews and entrée to the finest soirees. Even when they shuddered to see her sitting on their five thousand galleon dragon leather sofa annoying whichever Quidditch player was the latest media star, they were still pleased to see her effusively overwritten prose in the weekend edition of the Prophet with full color pictures of said Quidditch star waving happily from said dragon leather sofa. Of course, they would always wonder how Rita found out about the Wizarding Sisters bassist having a go with some young deb in one of the upstairs bedroom, but brushed it off with a reminder to always lock the doors.

Of course, not everyone could be so lucky.

Ignore Rita Skeeter at your peril was the piece of advice handed to new faces o the social circuit. Garner a little bit of fame and Rita would be all over you like a niffler on gold. If you appeased her with a good story and some exclusive pictures, you could have it made. Disregard her, and you could be dragged through the mud in less than a week. These unfortunates always wondered how she found out about their clandestine trysts with polyjuiced prostitutes or their tendency to play 'Centaur and Maiden' with the Italian seeker. Too bad, so sad.

Rita was the self-declared Queen of gossip, and she refused to relinquish the role.

Now Rita had pulled strings to get herself assigned to the Tri-Wizard Tournament at Hogwarts. She wasn't going to get shut out like at the Quidditch World Cup (and she was seriously considering implying that some of the officials were involved in sleazy Quidditch girlie mags in revenge). Now she was off to Hogwarts, where she could finally interview the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter.

This would be the interview she would never forget.