Ron was in a bad mood the next morning about Scabbers. He didn't even cheer up when Dean gave Scabbers a bit of chocolate frog. He didn't speak to Hermione until part way through breakfast when their owls arrived.

A school owl dropped a letter off for Dudley. He had sent an owl to Lockhart before he went to bed last night and assumed this was his reply.

My friend, Dudley,

I am delighted to hear you are well. Boarding with Basilisks is all finished, it will be coming out in December to make the most of the Christmas rush. I'll be sure to send you an autographed copy. I will be delighted to meet you at Hogsmeade in the afternoon. To tell the truth, it will do me good to get away from the book signings and lunches with various important wizards and witches. The price of fame, Dudley! Everybody wants a piece of you. Only last week I was invited to attend the Holyhead Harpies vs Tutshill Tornadoes match—VIP tickets and I allowed the Harpies to meet me afterwards. Then, of course, I was invited to give a speech at the Vampire Slaying Society's annual symposium. And give a lecture on the use of memory charms in a combat situation to the Auror Department! It's been all go here!

See you soon

Your friend

Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin 2nd Class, Order of Merlin 3rd Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League, Former Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Six-Time Winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile

Lockhart, it seemed, had started to add his professorship at Hogwarts to his letters now too.

"Lockhart said he'll meet us," Dudley announced.

Ron though wasn't listening. He was reading a letter of his own and looked up, beaming. "Dad's got a promotion!" he said excitedly. "Listen …"

He read from a section of the letter he had received. "Cornelius Fudge put through the final paperwork to enlarge the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. He settled on four new staff full-time staff members and two part time. Relocated us to a larger office and granted us extra permissions to carry out raids. I also get a raise—a 50 percent increase to my salary. Molly is really pleased—we're delaying the celebration until Christmas and you can invite Dudley and Dean."

"Nice one," Dudley said.

"Now maybe you can get a decent broom," Dean teased.

Fred and George came over to join them. They had one letter between them. "Got a letter too?" Fred said. "Dad only sent one to George. It's like he thinks we're one and the same."

"Or because I'm the favorite," George replied, sounding smug.

"I'm glad your dad is getting the credit he deserves," Dean said. "It was all thanks to him that Dobby gave evidence at Malfoy's trial."

"Yeah, that clinched it," George agreed. "I reckon dad would LOVE to be the one to arrest Malfoy again."

"Had no luck?" Dudley asked.

"Nope, same with Black—no idea where they are. I reckon they'd be mad to try to break into Hogwarts with Dementors everywhere," George said.

"He's probably cooped up with Black planning something," Fred said, thoughtfully. "Be nice if we could find out where and tip dad off."

"Do you reckon rat boy knows?" George asked, nodding at the Slytherin table where Draco Malfoy was eating with Crabbe and Goyle.

"Would you trust him with a secret?" Dean asked.

"Maybe not, but still … I reckon we should keep an eye on him, see if he sends many owls, what do you say, Fred?"

"Seems like a job for Messrs Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs," Fred replied, referring to the Marauder's Map which the pair owned. "Should be easy enough to see if he makes a lot of trips to the owlery."

During Herbology, later that day, they were working on a puffapod-a magical plant that produced large pink seedpods full of shining beans, which instantly flowered when they came into contact with any solid object.

"How's Scabbers?" Hermione asked timidly as they stripped fat pink pods from the plants and emptied the shining beans into a wooden pail.

"He'll be ok," Ron replied. He was in a very good mood now and much inclined to forgive Hermione for what Crookshanks had done. "Just try and keep your cat out of the dorm."

Hermione looked irritated at Crookshanks being criticized but nodded. "I'll do my best."

Dudley was glad the pair weren't arguing. He replied too much on Hermione's brains to get through his homework, especially Transfiguration, History and Potions.

When they arrived at Transfiguration later, Lavender Brown seemed to be crying. Parvati had her arm around her and was explaining something to Seamus Finnigan and Neville Longbottom, who were looking very serious.

"What's the matter, Lavender?" said Hermione anxiously as she, Dudley, Dean and Ron went to join the group.

"She got a letter from home this morning," Parvati whispered. "It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."

"Oh," said Hermione, "I'm sorry, Lavender."

"I should have known!" said Lavender tragically. "You know what day it is?"

"Er -"

"The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!"

The whole class was gathered around Lavender now. Seamus shook his head seriously. Hermione hesitated; then she said, "You - you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?"

"Well, not necessarily by a fox," said Lavender, looking up at Hermione with streaming eyes, "but I was obviously dreading him dying, wasn't I?"

"Oh," said Hermione. She paused again. Then -

"Was Binky an old rabbit?"

"N - no!" sobbed Lavender. "H - he was only a baby!"

Parvati tightened her arm around Lavender's shoulders.

"But then, why would you dread him dying?" said Hermione.

Parvati glared at her.

"Well, look at it logically," said Hermione, turning to the rest of the group. "I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today -" Lavender wailed loudly. "¨ .. and she can't have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock -"

"Leave her alone!" Parvati snapped. "Her rabbit just died. Can't you show some compassion." She stalked off, dragging Lavender with her.

Hermione looked like she had been slapped in the face. Dean looked uncomfortable and Ron half looked like he was inclined to agree with Parvati but didn't want to anger Hermione.

"I'm with you," Dudley said, leading the way to their desks. "Trelawney is full of it."

"She's got a lot right … Neville's cup, Lavender's rabbit ..,"

"Lucky guesswork," Dudley said, firmly. "You saw my cup. There wasn't a Grim in there. It was a hippo."

"Or …" Hermione corrected. "It was just a pile of old tea leaves which vaguely resembled an animal shape."

"Hippo," Dudley said.

"And what does a hippo mean?" Dean asked.

"That he needs to lose weight," Ron said with a smirk.

"Which I have been doing," Dudley said, and it was true. He had stuck to his diet and done 10 pushups each evening before bed.

They stopped talking when Professor McGonagall entered. Nobody spoke without permission in McGonagall's class.