Harry Potter 06 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

the sight of the approaching sixth-years and dropped the heavy brass scales she was carrying.
    ‘It’s all right!’ said Hermione kindly, hurrying forwards to help her. ‘Here …’ She tapped the broken scales with her wand and said, ‘Reparo.’
    The girl did not say thank you, but remained rooted to the spot as they passed and watched them out of sight; Ron glanced back at her.
    ‘I swear they’re getting smaller,’ he said.
    ‘Never mind her,’ said Harry, a little impatiently. ‘What did Ginny and Dean row about, Hermione?’
    ‘Oh, Dean was laughing about McLaggen hitting that Bludger at you,’ said Hermione.
    ‘It must’ve looked funny,’ said Ron reasonably.
    ‘It didn’t look funny at all!’ said Hermione hotly. ‘It looked terrible, and if Coote and Peakes hadn’t caught Harry he could have been very badly hurt!’
    ‘Yeah, well, there was no need for Ginny and Dean to split up over it,’ said Harry, still trying to sound casual. ‘Or are they still together?’
    ‘Yes, they are – but why are you so interested?’ asked Hermione, giving Harry a sharp look.
    ‘I just don’t want my Quidditch team messed up again!’ he said hastily, but Hermione continued to look suspicious, and he was most relieved when a voice behind them called, ‘Harry!’, giving him an excuse to turn his back on her.
    ‘Oh, hi, Luna.’
    ‘I went to the hospital wing to find you,’ said Luna, rummaging in her bag. ‘But they said you’d left …’
    She thrust what appeared to be a green onion, a large spotted toadstool and a considerable amount of what looked like cat litter into Ron’s hands, finally pulling out a rather grubby scroll of parchment that she handed to Harry.
    ‘… I’ve been told to give you this.’
    It was a small roll of parchment, which Harry recognised at once as another invitation to a lesson with Dumbledore.
    ‘Tonight,’ he told Ron and Hermione, once he had unrolled it.
    ‘Nice commentary last match!’ said Ron to Luna, as she took back the green onion, the toadstool and the cat litter. Luna smiled vaguely.
    ‘You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?’ she said. ‘Everyone says I was dreadful.’
    ‘No, I’m serious!’ said Ron earnestly. ‘I can’t remember enjoying commentary more! What is this, by the way?’ he added, holding the onionlike object up to eye-level.
    ‘Oh, it’s a Gurdyroot,’ she said, stuffing the cat litter and the toadstool back into her bag. ‘You can keep it if you like, I’ve got a few of them. They’re really excellent for warding off Gulping Plimpies.’
    And she walked away, leaving Ron chortling, still clutching the Gurdyroot.
    ‘You know, she’s grown on me, Luna,’ he said, as they set off again for the Great Hall. ‘I know she’s insane, but it’s in a good –’
    He stopped talking very suddenly. Lavender Brown was standing at the foot of the marble staircase looking thunderous.
    ‘Hi,’ said Ron nervously.
    ‘C’mon,’ Harry muttered to Hermione, and they sped past, though not before they had heard Lavender say, ‘Why didn’t you tell me you were getting out today? And why was she with you?’
    Ron looked both sulky and annoyed when he appeared at breakfast half an hour later, and though he sat with Lavender, Harry did not see them exchange a word all the time they were together. Hermione was acting as though she was quite oblivious to all of this, but once or twice Harry saw an inexplicable smirk cross her face. All that day she seemed to be in a particularly good mood, and that evening in the common room she even consented to look over (in other words, finish writing) Harry’s Herbology essay, something she had been resolutely refusing to do up to that point, because she had known that Harry would then let Ron copy his work.
    ‘Thanks a lot, Hermione,’ said Harry, giving her a hasty pat on the back as he checked his watch and saw that it was nearly eight o’clock. ‘Listen, I’ve got to hurry or I’ll be late for Dumbledore …’
    She did not answer, but merely crossed out a few of his feebler sentences in a weary sort of way. Grinning, Harry hurried out through the portrait hole and off to the Headmaster’s office. The gargoyle leapt aside at the mention of toffee eclairs and Harry took the spiral staircase two steps at a time, knocking on the door just as a clock within chimed eight.
    ‘Enter,’ called Dumbledore, but as Harry put out a hand to push the door, it was wrenched open from