A Date with the Headmaster

It hadn't been much of a surprise to Rita to get the job at The Daily Prophet, nor had it come as much of a surprise that she had managed to beat out the other reporters to get the assignment of interviewing the new Headmaster of Hogwarts, André Martinez. The others would all get their chance eventually, but Rita was glad to get the first bite.

The meeting was set up by owl and Rita left her flat early, arriving at The Three Broomsticks with time to spare. She got herself a drink at the bar (a lime martini, though she would limit herself to just the one drink since she was working) and found a seat with a view of the door so she would see the Headmaster when he first entered. While she waited, she went over some of her questions in her head, but she didn't have too many. The curse of many interviewers, she thought, was having too many questions pre-formed in their heads, which made it difficult to let the conversation flow. Looking around her, she made a point to select some patrons of the pub to ask a few questions after the proper interview. Even if the Headmaster was duller than dirt, surely they could give her some colorful quotes for her story.

A trip down to The Three Broomsticks usually meant casual, a place where he would come to relax. Usually his choice of clothing would include some normal shirt and pants, not the business suit that he was wearing that day. Amora would have said that it was rather over the edge, but what she did know? All she had to do was pick out a dress and look beautiful in it, she knew nothing of what he had to go through.

If this had been a normal trip down to the pub, he would have chosen to walk, preferring a little time of his own, but that day he had instead chosen to apparate a few yards away. Sleeking his hair back, and straightening himself he made his way towards his destination. He hadn't heard much about the woman that was waiting for him there, a Rita Skeeter he recalled from the owl. But what he did know was that she was from The Daily Prophet and that he didn't like her that much already. Safe to say, there was something about her name that forced him to be wary of her.

Pushing open the entrance door, André gulped before scanning for this Rita Skeeter.

As it turned out, getting a seat with a view of the door did not help much at all as Rita was too busy selecting patrons for quotes to notice a tall, dark haired man enter the pub. He was handsome is a way that one would expect more of a politician rather than an educator, but Rita was not scared. She was not a sucker for a pretty face.

When she noticed the man looking around, presumably looking for her, she waved him over. Depending on how long this interview goes, I could finish the story tonight and have it off to the editor in time for tomorrow's paper, she thought.

As she waited for him to arrive at the table, she took out a fresh sheet of parchment poised her brand new Quick Quotes Quill -a gift from her mother for getting the job- above it.

"Testing, testing. My name is Rita Skeeter, reporter for the Daily Prophet, preparing to interview André Martinez, the new Headmaster of Hogwarts," she dictated to the quill, which immediately began to scribble across the parchment.


"That will do," Rita laughed lightly as she read over what the quill had written before crumpling it up and Banishing it to the trash bin behind the bar.

She took out a fresh sheet of parchment and poised the quill over it once more. "Mr. Martinez, lovely to meet you. I'm Rita Skeeter. Please, have a seat," she offered to the man when he arrived at her table. "How are you this evening?" she asked, starting the interview with what would surely end up being the least intrusive of her questions.

It didn't take long for him to find her and this was thanks to two reasons. First, she seemed the only one around there that seemed like someone from the newspaper, and secodly because he was waving right at him. Smiling slightly, he made his way towards her and took the seat opposite her. Was it still necessary for him to introduce himself? Because she had basically done that for the two of them. Giving her another one of his smiles, he nodded, "André Martinez," he said, "Lovely to meet you also, Miss Skeeter".

André had to give it up to her, she seemed well-mannered, a great quality in his opinion to be the writer of such a popular newspaper, and the fact she started with a simple question was enough for anyone to lose themselves under her charm. Even him, suppose he was wrong about her after all.

"Very well, thankyou," he allowed himself to say, not too much and not too less, because looks could be decieving, isn't that what they said?

"Good, good," Rita answered somewhat absent-mindedly. The quill had started to scribble once more, already beginning it's story, but Rita had to stop it before it went too far too soon.

"Now now, that's enough of that," she scolded the quill. "Transcribe for now and leave the editorializing to me."

She chuckled, then looked at André, giving him her full attention. "Don't mind the quill, it's only going to be writing down what we say, nothing more," she assured him. "So tell me, how does it feel to be the new Headmaster of Hogwarts? What made you want to take the position?" she asked. The questions were basic enough, harmless really, but it was as far ahead as she had planned. After he answered those, she would have to start improvising.

André gave a amused look at the quill, wondering if it would write exactly what he was saying. A bad interview and newspaper article was the last thing he needed on his mind. Especially right now, when he had a school to headmaster. "Well like any other job it takes a certain time to actually adjust, and I suppose I'm going through exactly that. From the healer to the headmaster is quite a change".

Not many people knew that he was related to the late Headmaster of Hogwarts, usually it came as a shock to them when they indeed did find out. But he supposed there was no harm in bringing it up now, especially since he'd taken up the post instead of Albus Dumbledore. "Armando Dippet was in fact my grandfather from my father's side," he gulped, "It was his last wish that I take up this post after him".

André's first answer again reminded Rita of a politician. It seemed that he would be taking the middle of the road for the whole interview. She was intrigued to hear that this man was Armando Dippet's grandson, despite not sharing the same surname. Perhaps this interview could serve doubly as research for my book, she thought, making a mental note to copy the transcription of the interview and put it with her book notes.

"Interesting. And you think that makes you qualified to be a Headmaster?" she asked, skeptical. With any luck, the man's words would bury himself and she wouldn't have to spin anything to get a response from her readers. "After all, most Headmasters achieve their rank through hard work and dedication to education, but it sounds as though you blundered into the position by mistake."

Her tone didn't amuse André, but he kept the facade of a smile on his features. "Most ranks are stumbled upon in life, the only thing you can do is make the most of it, which is exactly what I'm intending on doing," he said smoothly, "For all you know my grandfather had some sort of reasoning behind his decision".

Finishing his argument, he monitored for a bartender, ordering a butterbeer, and continued, "I mean our country is an excellent example. The Queen had that rank giving to her, only because she was born into that family, and for all we know, she is doing a great job. She has been making the most of what she has been given, and I intend to follow my grandfather's steps".

Rita was very amused by the turn that the conversation had taken so quickly. "Yes, but the Queen doesn't run the muggle government on her own, she has Parliament to do the grand majority of it and the Queen does not have immediate responsibility for the care and welfare of thousands of children, as the role you have assumed does."

The Quick Quotes Quill was scribbling intensely, flying across the page. Rita got the feeling that it had ignored her command and had begun to write on its own, which was fine with her. "Furthermore, who decided that your grandfather had the power to appoint the next Headmaster? Forgive me for saying this but it is hardly within his right to choose who should run the school," Rita said, a slightly cruel half-smirk settling on her lips. This would indeed prove to be an interesting article to send to her editor.

Andre was getting annoyed, but he knew that Amora would never approve. She always said that you only ever got what you put in. So if he spoke rudely to this Rita Skeeter, then he would basically be digging his own grave.

At this exact moment, the bartender returned with his drink, and ushering him away, Andre spoke, "Actually it is in the Headmaster's power to appoint his successor without the consent of the Governors. It is his rightful job to choose the right man for the job".

He knew that Amora would be proud of him, well he hoped anyway, and with a grin on his face, continued. "In some circumstances, the Headmaster doesn't appoint anyone, and in those cases, the Governors are free to do as they wish".

"Interesting," Rita lied. "And what would you say to the critics who believe that you are too young and therefore too inexperienced to take on such an important position?" she asked. Of course, nobody had actually said anything of the sort... yet. It wouldn't be difficult to find some grouchy old rich lady with a willingness to go on record railing against the new Headmaster.

"There is no such critic, not that I know of," said André, chuckling to himself softly. He was rather having fun in this interview, and although she was bound to think he was mad - mind you another thing she was likely to write - he possibly couldn't care. After all, once the will had been read infront of the Governors, they had been happy to accept him.

With a sip of his drink, he watched the woman closely, before clearing his voice, "I rather think you are worried for nothing," he smiled, "The public doesn't know how good I am just yet, so it is long before I have any such thing to worry about".

"Thank you so much. I think I've got everything that I need," Rita said, plastering a wide grin on her face as the quill finished up what it was writing.

She finished off her drink and left the empty glass on the table along with a coin to pay for it. She reached a hand across the table and shook the new Headmaster's hand. "Best of luck this year, Headmaster," she said sincerely before leaving, mentally adding you're going to need it as she walked away.