Harry walked into Snape's office and was delighted to find it was empty. He took the letter to Snape out of his bag and placed it on the desk, then quickly left.
Meanwhile Ron sat in an armchair on his own in the Gryffindor common room. A million thoughts were going through his head. Come on, admit it—you've liked her for ages. But what if you got it wrong? Then when the spell is broken it will be really embarrassing.
Just then Harry walked into the common room; he looked over at Ron and grinned. Ron did not return the grin but just looked sulky and moody.
"So how did it go?" asked Harry. "Have you two arranged your first date?"
Ron glared at Harry as if he wanted to punch him. "Just mind your own business, will you?" said Ron, and he got up and left the common room.
Something tells me the discussion between Ron and Hermione didn't go that well, thought Harry.
Just then someone came through the portrait hole; Harry thought it might be Ron coming back, but he went quite red when he saw who it was.
It was Ginny; she and Harry stared at each other, not knowing what to say. They had stood there looking at each other for several minutes and Harry was beginning to think he might just have to say something, when someone else entered the common room.
Glad the moment of awkwardness was over, Harry turned and saw Hermione carrying several books and some parchment.
She looks quite upset, he thought. Please don't tell me Ron turned her down. Those two are made for each other. Wait—did I really just think that? Bleah!
Hermione looked at Harry for a moment and then said, "I might go to the Library to do some homework."
Harry rolled his eyes but simply replied, "Okay."
Hermione turned to leave but then seemed to remember something. She took the pieces of parchment she was holding and threw them in the bin. Harry gave her a funny look but Hermione just tossed her hair out of her face and said, "It was wrong."
She started a second time to leave the common room, only to stop once again. But this time she did not turn around or even move. "If you see Ron," she said, "will you tell him I want to talk to him, please?"
"Yeah, sure," said Harry.
Hermione went through the portrait hole and was gone. Harry was just about to leave too when he noticed Ginny was still there, staring at him awkwardly.
"Look, Ginny," said Harry. "About before—it was…."
Ginny smiled at him. "Only because of the spell?" she said. "Yeah, me too."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "So we're good, then?" he asked. "I mean, we're still friends?" Ginny nodded and walked off in the direction of the girls' dormitory. Harry felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
I bet it's nearly time for tea, he thought. Eating with Ron and Hermione should be a right laugh.
Harry left the common room and headed in the direction of the Great Hall. When he got there he was surprised to see Ron already sitting at the Gryffindor table. Harry walked up to him, wondering what he could say so as not to make Ron even more mad.
"Listen, mate," he began. "What I said before? I didn't mean…I just…well, the thing is…."
Ron just smiled at him. "Forget about it," he said. "I was being a bit of a moody git, to be honest."
"Really?" said Harry. "Because I hadn't noticed." Both he and Ron grinned at each other. No sooner had Harry sat down than the plates magically appeared on the table in front of them. Feeling quite peckish, he began shovelling as much food onto his plate as he could.
Everyone in the Great Hall saw Dumbledore suddenly get up, and they all fell silent. Dumbledore, however, did not say anything but seemed to be looking at something interesting. All the students turned to see what he was looking at, and then they saw it too.
George Weasley had got up and was walking down the Gryffindor table; all of a sudden he stopped and turned to face Angelina Johnson. "Hold on a minute," he said. "Got something for you." He searched through his pockets and everyone watched carefully to see what he would do. Finally he pulled a piece of parchment out of his robe. Giving a little cough as if to clear his throat, he began to read:
"Angelina, I know this is probably because of a spell,
But then I thought about it and thought what the hell.
I've got to tell you how I feel and get it off my chest,
You are so fit Angelina and you're miles above the rest…."
But that was as far as he got, because at that moment someone else was running toward George and Angelina—and that person was Fred Weasley.
"OY!" shouted Fred. "OH, NO, YOU DON'T!"
Harry, who had been watching the whole scene with much interest, looked to see if Angelina appeared embarrassed or even annoyed but saw that she was smiling as if amused.
"What do you think you're doing?" shouted Fred.
George looked annoyed. "What do you mean, what am I doing?" he asked. "What does it look like I'm doing, dancing or something? I'm trying to declare my love for this gorgeous girl, so if you don't mind…take a hike and stop ruining it!"
Suddenly, without warning, Fred rushed forward and punched George in the face. "You sneaky little git!" shouted Fred. "You know I've been after her for ages."
George went for his brother but Fred dodged out the way just in time. "So what?" yelled George "Just because you've got your eye on her it means I don't get a look-in?"
Fred grabbed his brother around the neck and attempted to strangle him. "We're brothers," said Fred. "Everyone knows you don't go for your brother's bird!"
George had gotten free of his brother's grip and was attempting to kick him in the shins. "Yeah, we're brothers," said George. "So share, won't you?"
Fred looked furious and swung at George. "I already share my DNA with you," yelled Fred. "I'm NOT sharing anything else!"
George plunged his hand inside his robes to get his wand. "If you like her so much, why haven't you asked her out?" he sneered. "I mean, come on, you've liked her for what—a year now?—and you haven't done anything about it."
Fred was now removing his own wand from his robes, and the onlookers feared they were about to witness a duel when the wands were abruptly ripped from their hands and went flying through the air straight toward Dumbledore, who had decided enough was enough.
The Great Hall was silent now, until all of a sudden someone coughed politely, as if to get someone's attention. Everyone turned to see who the noise had came from and was surprised to see it was Angelina. "Do I not get a say in this?" she asked, looking from George to Fred.
"NO!" they yelled together.
Angelina looked furious. "I don't like either one of you!" she cried. "So just—bugger off and leave me alone!"
Fred and George looked at each other, then shook hands. "Come to think of it, she's not that good looking," said George.
"I know," said Fred. "I mean, she didn't have to shout like a raving lunatic." They both went and sat back down in their places at the Gryffindor table. The onlookers were in stitches over the scene they had just witnessed.
"Silence!" Dumbledore bellowed over the sudden buzz of noise. "I want to tell you all something that you need to know." The Great Hall quieted once again. "We will be having a special meeting tonight," continued Dumbledore. "At nine o' clock something will be revealed that you all must know…and I will warn you all," he said, looking at them sternly over the edges of his spectacles, "that it is in your best interest to attend."
Dumbledore then sat down again and a buzz of conversation filled the great hall as people talked excitedly about what he had just said.
Harry and Ron were laughing to themselves about the whole thing when Hermione joined them at the table. "You just missed a cracking show, Hermione," said Ron. "Fred and George fought it out for Angelina, only for both of them to be turned down, and…." Ron suddenly stopped talking, blushed, and turned toward his plate. Harry looked at Hermione, who was also blushing a delicate shade of red. After a while she went back to normal and sat down next to Harry at the table.
Harry picked up a glass of pumpkin juice and had begun to drink it when he caught sight of something that was very worrying. Harry spat out his mouth full of pumpkin juice; Ron turned to look at him and suddenly saw what he had been staring at. Snape was holding out a piece of parchment to Dumbledore, and both of them were looking straight at Harry.
"Uh-oh!" said Ron. "I think you're in big trouble, mate."
Harry swallowed his pumpkin juice with great difficulty; when the desserts suddenly appeared, he was no longer hungry.
After they had all finished their desserts Harry, Ron, and Hermione got up from the table and began to leave with everyone else.
Suddenly someone grabbed Harry's shoulder. "Oy!" said Harry. He turned sharply to tell whoever it was not to grab him and saw that it was Dumbledore. "Oh, Professor Dumbledore," he said. "I didn't know it was you, sir."
Professor Dumbledore did not look happy. "I think you and I need to have a talk in my office," he said solemnly.
Oh no, thought Harry. I'm in heaps of trouble now.
End of chapter nine
Title of next chapter: Taking the Fall
Preview of next chapter:
Without warning, Hermione suddenly grabbed hold of Ron and kissed him. Ron just stood there with a dazed look upon his face.
"I'm in the middle of a crisis here," said Harry. "Couldn't you two snog later?"