.Malfoy?..said.Hermione,.sceptically...Well….yes….maybe…..
And.she.remained.deep.in.thought.all.the.way.into.the.outskirts.of.Hogsmeade..
.Where.are.we.going,.anyway?..Harry.asked..The.Three.Broomsticks?..
.Oh.‐.no,..said.Hermione,.coming.out.of.her.reverie,..no,.it.s.always.packed.and.really.noisy..I.ve.told.the.others.to.meet.us.in.the.Hog.s.Head,.that.other.pub,
.you.know.the.one,.it.s.not.on.the.main.road..I.think.it.s.a.bit….you.know…
.dodgy….but.students.don.t.normally.go.in.there,.so.I.don.t.think.we.ll.be.overheard...
They.walked.down.the.main.street.past.Zonko.s.Wizarding.Joke.Shop,.where.they.were.not.surprised.to.see.Fred,.George.and.Lee.Jordan,.past.the.post.office,
.from.which.owls.issued.at.regular.intervals,.and.turned.up.a.side‐street.at.the.top.of.which.stood.a.small.inn..A.battered.wooden.sign.hung.from.a.rusty.bracket.over.the.door,.with.a.picture.on.it.of.a.wild.boar.s.severed.head,.leaking.blood.on.to.the.white.cloth.around.it..The.sign.creaked.in.the.wind.as.they.approached..All.three.of.them.hesitated.outside.the.door..
.Well,.come.on,..said.Hermione,.slightly.nervously..Harry.led.the.way.inside..
It.was.not.at.all.like.the.Three.Broomsticks,.whose.large.bar.gave.an.impression.of.gleaming.warmth.and.cleanliness..The.Hog.s.Head.bar.comprised.one.small,
.dingy.and.very.dirty.room.that.smelled.strongly.of.something.that.might.have.been.goats..The.bay.windows.were.so.encrusted.with.grime.that.very.little.daylight.could.permeate.the.room,.which.was.lit.instead.with.the.stubs.of.candles.sitting.on.rough.wooden.tables..The.floor.seemed.at.first.glance.to.be.compressed.earth,.though.as.Harry.stepped.on.to.it.he.realised.that.there.was.stone.beneath.what.seemed.to.be.the.accumulated.filth.of.centuries.
Harry.remembered.Hagrid.mentioning.this.pub.in.his.first.year:..Yeh.get.a.lot.o.
.funny.folk.in.the.Hogs.Head/.he.had.said,.explaining.how.he.had.won.a.dragon.s.egg.from.a.hooded.stranger.there..At.the.time.Harry.had.wondered.why.Hagrid.had.not.found.it.odd.that.the.stranger.kept.his.face.hidden.throughout.their.encountr;.now.he.saw.that.keeping.your.face.hidden.was.something.of.a.fashion.in.the.Hog.s.Head..There.was.a.man.at.the.bar.whose.whole.head.was.wrapped.in.dirty.grey.bandages,.though.he.was.still.managing.to.gulp.endless.glasses.of.some.smoking,.fiery.substance.through.a.slit.over.his.mouth;.two.figures.shrouded.in.hoods.sat.at.a.table.in.one.of.the.windows;.
Harry.might.have.thought.them.Dementors.if.they.had.not.been.talking.in.strong.Yorkshire.accents,.and.in.a.shadowy.corner.beside.the.fireplace.sat.a.witch.with.a.thick,.black.veil.that.fell.to.her.toes..They.could.just.see.the.tip.of.her.nose.because.it.caused.the.veil.to.protrude.slightly..
.I.don.t.know.about.this,.Hermione,..Harry.muttered,.as.they.crossed.to.the.bar.
.He.was.looking.particularly.at.the.heavily.veiled.witch...Has.it.occurred.to.you.Umbridge.might.be.under.that?..
Hermione.cast.an.appraising.eye.over.the.veiled.figure..
.Umbridge.is.shorter.than.that.woman,..she.said.quietly...And.anyway,.even.if.Umbridge.does.come.in.here.there.s.nothing.she.can.do.to.stop.us,.Harry,