A full six hours of lessons, including a hideous double spent trying to stay awake in the divination room, Harry and Ron collapsed into two chairs in a corner of the common room already occupied by Hermione and Ginny who were whispering conpiringly over a piece of parchment. Uninterested in the subject if their giggling, Ron pulled out an unfinished Potions essay ("Uses of Deadly nightshade in a lawful society") from his bulging school back and began to write.Harry, on the other hand, who was eagerly awaiting a quidditch training sesson at six o'clock was hurriedly scribbling a reply to Sirius' letter of concern about the rumours in todays edition of the Daily Prophet. It had been reported that the ministry of magic had reason to suspect a rebel organization led by Dumbledore, and they would be placing ministry officials within the school's grounds immediately. So far they had seen several unfamiliar faces dotted about the castle, but as the headmaster had not notified the pupils of any such news, it was assumed to be a rumour.
'I'm heading upto the Owlery' he said to Ron with a final flourish of his quill as he signed the letter. 'Wanna come?'
Before Ron could answer, Ginny stood up, clutching the parchment she and Hermione had been poring over. 'I'll come Harry, I've got er...something to send myself'. The girls both giggled, and Harry shrugged and turned for the portrait, slinging his sports bag over his shoulder. It was the first training session since before the Christmas holidays, and he was determined to be on time.
Up in the Owlery, Hedwig was nowhere to be seen. Ginny was busy attempting to hold pigwidgeon still long enough to tie a letter to him, so Harry had to make do with one of the school owls. A handsome Tawny with what appeared to be the tail of a mouse hanging from its beak stared at him expectantly, so, disgustedly, he attached his envelope, and hurried back down the stairs for the changing rooms.
Back in the common room, Ron was racking his brains trying to remember the names of antidotes Snape had mentioned earlier that day to finish his homework, while Hermione was gazing into the fire with glazed eyes.
'It's strange isn't it?' she said in a soft voice, as if addressing nobody in particular. 'To think fifteen or twenty years ago, He Who...I mean, Voldemort was out there, right now, and how nobody was safe.'
Ron stared at her, deducting this was not a good moment to ask her for the antidotes. 'Eh? Where'd that come from?'
'Oh...I don't know. It's just...all this suspense and worrying all the time...never knowing what's going on, it's getting to me. They want everyone to know He's back, but they're cutting us out from the order meetings, not telling us what theirplans are. I feel so...so....'
'Useless.' Ron finished with no question in his voice.
'Yeh I suppose so. Useless.'
'Fact of life, Hermione' he replied, looking back down at his work and frowning.
Hermione stared at Ron as he concentrated on his essay. Normally his patrionising would have annoyed her, but looking at him she felt a tremendous rush of affection for him. After a minute or so, she got up and moved over to the chair closest to Ron's.
'Would you like some help Ron?'
'I'm heading upto the Owlery' he said to Ron with a final flourish of his quill as he signed the letter. 'Wanna come?'
Before Ron could answer, Ginny stood up, clutching the parchment she and Hermione had been poring over. 'I'll come Harry, I've got er...something to send myself'. The girls both giggled, and Harry shrugged and turned for the portrait, slinging his sports bag over his shoulder. It was the first training session since before the Christmas holidays, and he was determined to be on time.
Up in the Owlery, Hedwig was nowhere to be seen. Ginny was busy attempting to hold pigwidgeon still long enough to tie a letter to him, so Harry had to make do with one of the school owls. A handsome Tawny with what appeared to be the tail of a mouse hanging from its beak stared at him expectantly, so, disgustedly, he attached his envelope, and hurried back down the stairs for the changing rooms.
Back in the common room, Ron was racking his brains trying to remember the names of antidotes Snape had mentioned earlier that day to finish his homework, while Hermione was gazing into the fire with glazed eyes.
'It's strange isn't it?' she said in a soft voice, as if addressing nobody in particular. 'To think fifteen or twenty years ago, He Who...I mean, Voldemort was out there, right now, and how nobody was safe.'
Ron stared at her, deducting this was not a good moment to ask her for the antidotes. 'Eh? Where'd that come from?'
'Oh...I don't know. It's just...all this suspense and worrying all the time...never knowing what's going on, it's getting to me. They want everyone to know He's back, but they're cutting us out from the order meetings, not telling us what theirplans are. I feel so...so....'
'Useless.' Ron finished with no question in his voice.
'Yeh I suppose so. Useless.'
'Fact of life, Hermione' he replied, looking back down at his work and frowning.
Hermione stared at Ron as he concentrated on his essay. Normally his patrionising would have annoyed her, but looking at him she felt a tremendous rush of affection for him. After a minute or so, she got up and moved over to the chair closest to Ron's.
'Would you like some help Ron?'