The Fifty-Third Meeting was about to begin. Everyone was hanging around looking bored, except Rita Skeeter who looked annoyed because Hermione had once again black-mailed her into not publishing anything, at least until the plan had been put into action.

*Hermione's imagination* Wormtail: Mr. Malfoy sir! Look what's in the Daily Prophet! They're planning to put a musical charm on the Master! Malfoy: Aha! Now we have them! *evil laughter*
*End of Hermione's imagination*

Ron had not, as yet, turned up, but when he did he would have the final ingredients and they could finally begin the plan. When he did. If he did. Oh why oh why had she given RON this job? Why couldn't one of the Auror's have done it! What if he's been killed!

She was, however, prevented from following this line of thought further by the arrival of Ron, who fell through the door onto Neville. Nothing like a collapsing wizard to thoroughly derail your train of thought.

"I" He wheezed. "I... got... the... Manticore... claw... but... it's... outside... and it's not happy. It chased me all the way here!"