Not that she doesn't like you, of course,' she added kindly to Harry while she examined a long black and gold quill. 'Ginny used to fancy Harry, but she gave up on him months ago. Hermione looked at him rather pityingly and shook her head. 'But,' said Ron, following Hermione along a row of quills in copper pots, 'I thought Ginny fancied Harry!' 'Big surprise,' said Hermione under her breath. 'Which one was Michael Corner?' Ron demanded furiously. They had turned into the High Street and she paused outside Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, where there was a handsome display of pheasant feather quills in the window. 'They met at the Yule Ball and got together at the end of last year,' said Hermione composedly. 'Well, that's why he and his friends came, I think-well, they're obviously interested in learning defence, but if Ginny hadn't told Michael what was going on-' 'She's going out with-my sister's going-what d'you mean, Michael Corner?' 'He's WHAT?' spluttered Ron, outraged, his ears now resembling curls of raw beef. Ron, who had been draining the last few drops from his Butterbeer bottle, gagged and sprayed Butterbeer down his front. 'I don't like him much, either,' admitted Hermione, 'but he overheard me talking to Ernie and Hannah at the Hufflepuff table and he seemed really interested in coming, so what could I say? But the more people the better really-I mean, Michael Corner and his friends wouldn't have come if he hadn't been going out with Ginny-' 'That Zacharias bloke's a wart,' said Ron, who was glowering after the figure of Smith, just discernible in the distance. Harry and Ron were clutching their bottles of Butterbeer. 'Well, I think that went quite well,' said Hermione happily, as she, Harry and Ron walked out of the Hog's Head into the bright sunlight a few moments later. As her friend ushered her through the door, Cho looked back and waved at Harry. In twos and threes the rest of the group took their leave, too.Ĭho made rather a business of fastening the catch on her bag before leaving, her long dark curtain of hair swinging forwards to hide her face, but her friend stood beside her, arms folded, clicking her tongue, so that Cho had little choice but to leave with her. 'George, Lee and I have got items of a sensitive nature to purchase, we'll be seeing you all later.' 'Well, time's ticking on,' said Fred briskly, getting to his feet. It was as though they had just signed some kind of contract. There was an odd feeling in the group now. When the last person-Zacharias- had signed, Hermione took the parchment back and slipped it carefully into her bag. Nobody raised objections after Ernie, though Harry saw Cho's friend give her a rather reproachful look before adding her own name. No, of course not,' said Ernie, looking slightly less anxious. 'Ernie, do you really think I'd leave that list lying around?' said Hermione testily. 'I-yes,' said Ernie, 'yes, I do believe that, it's just-' 'You just said this group was the most important thing you'd do this year,' Harry reminded him. you said yourself, if Umbridge finds out-' 'I-well, we are prefects,' Ernie burst out. I'm sure Ernie will tell me when the meeting is.'īut Ernie was looking rather hesitant about signing, too. ' said Zacharias slowly, not taking the parchment that George was trying to pass to him, 'well.
So if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge or anybody else what we're up to.'įred reached out for the parchment and cheerfully wrote his signature, but Harry noticed at once that several people looked less than happy at the prospect of putting their names on the list. But I also think,' she took a deep breath, 'that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. 'I-I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here. She rummaged in her bag and produced parchment and a quill, then hesitated, rather as though she was steeling herself to say something.
'We'll send a message round to everybody when we've got a time and a place for the first meeting.'
'Right, well, we'll try to find somewhere,' said Hermione. For all that Hermione had said about study and homework groups being allowed, he had the distinct feeling that this one might be considered a lot more rebellious. But Harry was pretty certain that McGonagall would not be so accommodating this time.
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