We had reached the foot of the marble staircase. A line of fourth year Ravenclaws was crossing the entrance hall; they caught sight of Harry and hurried to form a tighter group, as though frightened he might attack stragglers. "Yeah, we really ought to be trying to make friends with people like that," said Harry sarcastically. We followed the Ravenclaws into the Great Hall, looking instinctively at the staff table as they entered. Professor Grubbly-Plank was chatting to Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher, and Hagrid was once again conspicuous only by his absence.

"Dumbledore didn't even mention how long that Grubbly-Plank woman's staying," Harry said, as we made our way across to the Gryffindor table.

"Maybe . . ." said Hermione thoughtfully. "What?" we all said together.

"Well . . . maybe he didn't want to draw attention to Hagrid not being here."

"What d'you mean, draw attention to it?" said Ron, half laughing.

"How could we not notice?" Before Hermione could answer, 2 girls had marched up to us, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet.

"Hi" said Harry

Hi," she said briskly, "good summer?" And without waiting for an answer, "Listen, I've been made first team Quidditch Captain."

"Oh well done Angelina mate" I said, fist bumping her "they've chosen well!"

"Nice one" added Harry

I had to be happy about this, her pep talks would surely not be as long as Oliver's.

"Anyway" said Alicia "as we're gonna promote Tina to replace Oliver-"

"Oi!" said Ron heatedly, "you can't do that, I was wanting to try out for the first team!"

"You were?" said Harry and Hermione

Ron went a bit pink "oh, umm, yes I was, with my new broom you see. You can laugh if you want, I know how badly my last tryout went"

"No, we won't laugh, it'll be great having you on the team" Harry said

"Well it'll be the reserve team, and he'd have to tryout" said Angelina. "Tina has been a very solid reserve keeper, she's proven she deserves the step up"

"Don't worry Ron, at least it would mean you can play with me" said Hermione, winking, and everyone laughed.

"Tryouts will be on Friday at 5" Alicia said. I want everyone on both teams there to judge, plenty of people have already approached me asking about it, so it could take a while"

"You holding tryouts for any other positions?" Demelza asked

"Nah, we have enough backups, we just need the new reserve keeper. I know we've had a year out, but in 93-94 we were dominant, a couple practices and we'll be back up to speed I'm sure"

With a whoosh and a clatter, hundreds of owls came soaring in through the upper windows. They descended all over the Hall, bringing letters and packages to their owners and showering the breakfasters with droplets of water; it was clearly raining hard outside. Hermione, had to move her orange juice aside quickly to make way for a large damp barn owl bearing a sodden Daily Prophet in its beak.

"What are you still getting that for?" said Harry irritably, as Hermione placed a Knut in the leather pouch on the owl's leg and it took off again. "I'm not bothering . . . load of rubbish."

"It's best to know what the enemy are saying," said Hermione darkly, and she unfurled the newspaper and disappeared behind it.

"Bloody sad that we're having to call the Ministry the enemy" said Amy

"Nothing," she said simply, rolling up the newspaper and laying it down by her plate. "Nothing about you or Dumbledore or anything."

Professor McGonagall was now moving along the table handing out timetables.

"Look at today!" groaned Ron. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts . . . Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and that Umbridge woman all in one day! I wish Fred and George'd hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted. . . ."

I looked down at my timetable. We also had History of Magic and Defense, but thankfully no potions. Instead we had COMC and Transfiguration.

"Ours is an improvement on that at least, but we've still got Umbridge and Binns" I said

"I didn't sleep much last night" said Andrew, yawning, so I'm glad, I'll catch up in History"

"Surprised you're not scolding him, D" said Ron

"I'd be a hypocrite if I did, Ginny and I often chuck mini quaffles around at the back of those classes, they're too much even for me" Demelza replied

Fred and George arrived.

"Look what we've got today," said Ron grumpily, shoving his schedule under Fred's nose. "That's the worst Monday I've ever seen."

"Fair point, little bro," said Fred, scanning the column. "You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like."

"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up, we haven't got an antidote yet," said George, helping himself to a kipper.

"Cheers," said Ron moodily, pocketing his schedule, "but I think I'll take the lessons."

"And speaking of your Skiving Snackboxes," said Hermione, eyeing Fred and George beadily, "you can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor notice board."

"Says who?" said George, looking astonished.

"Says me," said Hermione. "And Ron."

"Leave me out of it," said Ron hastily. Hermione glared at him. Fred, George and I sniggered.

"I'd be with you if only I was a year older" Demelza said. Hermione smiled at her.

"You'll be singing a different tune soon enough, Hermione," said Fred, thickly buttering a crumpet. "You're starting your fifth year, you'll be begging us for a Snackbox before long."

"And why would starting fifth year mean I want a Skiving Snackbox?" asked Hermione.

"Fifth year's O.W.L. year," said George.

"So?"

"So you've got your exams coming up, haven't you? They'll be keeping your noses so hard to that grindstone they'll be rubbed raw," said Fred with satisfaction.

"Half our year had minor breakdowns coming up to O.W.L.s," said George happily. "Tears and tantrums . . . Patricia Stimpson kept coming over faint. . . ."

Kenneth Towler came out in boils, d'you remember?" said Fred reminiscently.

"That's 'cause you put Bulbadox Powder in his pajamas," said George.

"Oh yeah," said Fred, grinning. "I'd forgotten. . . . Hard to keep track sometimes, isn't it?"

"Anyway, it's a nightmare of a year, the fifth," said George. "If you care about exam results anyway. Fred and I managed to keep our spirits up somehow."

"So no pressure then" said Amy, and she and I laughed

"It'll be you next year!" Hermione snapped, and that shut us up.