.So,..said.Hermione,.her.voice.very.high‐pitched.again...So….like.I.was.saying…
.if.you.want.to.learn.some.defence,.then.we.need.to.work.out.how.we.re.going.to.do.it,.how.often.we.re.going.to.meet.and.where.we.re.going.to.‐..
.Is.it.true,..interrupted.the.girl.with.the.long.plait.down.her.back,.looking.at.Harry,..that.you.can.produce.a.Patronus?..
There.was.a.murmur.of.interest.around.the.group.at.this..
.Yeah,..said.Harry.slightly.defensively..
.A.corporeal.Patronus?..
The.phrase.stirred.something.in.Harry.s.memory..
.Er.‐.you.don.t.know.Madam.Bones,.do.you?..he.asked..
The.girl.smiled..
.She.s.my.auntie,..she.said...I.m.Susan.Bones..She.told.me.about.your.hearing..So.‐
.is.it.really.true?.You.make.a.stag.Patronus?..
.Yes,..said.Harry..
.Blimey,.Harry!..said.Lee,.looking.deeply.impressed...I.never.knew.that!..
.Mum.told.Ron.not.to.spread.it.around,..said.Fred,.grinning.at.Harry...She.said.you.got.enough.attention.as.it.was...
.She.s.not.wrong,..mumbled.Harry,.and.a.couple.of.people.laughed..
The.veiled.witch.sitting.alone.shifted.very.slightly.in.her.seat..
.And.did.you.kill.a.Basilisk.with.that.sword.in.Dumbledore.s.office?..demanded.Terry.Boot..That.s.what.one.of.the.portraits.on.the.wall.told.me.when.I.was.in.there.last.year…..
.Er.‐.yeah,.I.did,.yeah,..said.Harry..
Justin.Finch‐Fletchley.whistled;.the.Creevey.brothers.exchanged.awestruck.looks.and.Lavender.Brown.said..Wow!..softly..Harry.was.feeling.slightly.hot.around.the.collar.now;.he.was.determinedly.looking.anywhere.but.at.Cho..
.And.in.our.first.year,..said.Neville.to.the.group.at.large,..he.saved.that.Philological.Stone.‐..
.Philosopher.s,..hissed.Hermione..
.Yes,.that.‐.from.You‐Know‐Who,..finished.Neville..
Hannah.Abbott.s.eyes.were.as.round.as.Galleons..
.And.that.s.not.to.mention,..said.Cho.(Harry.s.eyes.snapped.across.to.her;.she.was.looking.at.him,.smiling;.his.stomach.did.another.somersault)..all.the.tasks.he.had.to.get.through.in.the.Triwizard.Tournament.last.year.‐.getting.past.dragons.and.merpeople.and.Acromantula.and.things…..
There.was.a.murmur.of.impressed.agreement.around.the.table..Harry.s.insides.were.squirming..He.was.trying.to.arrange.his.face.so.that.he.did.not.look.too.pleased.with.himself..The.fact.that.Cho.had.just.praised.him.made.it.much,.much.harder.for.him.to.say.the.thing.he.had.sworn.to.himself.he.would.tell.them..
.Look,..he.said,.and.everyone.fell.silent.at.once,..1….I.don.t.want.to.sound.like.I.m.trying.to.be.modest.or.anything,.but….I.had.a.lot.of.help.with.all.that.stuff…..
.Not.with.the.dragon,.you.didn.t,..said.Michael.Corner.at.once..That.was.a.seriously.cool.bit.of.flying…..
.Yeah,.well.‐..said.Harry,.feeling.it.would.be.churlish.to.disagree..
.And.nobody.helped.you.get.rid.of.those.Dementors.this.summer,..said.Susan.Bones..
.No,..said.Harry,..no,.OK,.1.know.I.did.bits.of.it.without.help,.but.the.point.I.m.trying.to.make.is.‐..
.Are.you.trying.to.weasel.out.of.showing.us.any.of.this.stuff?..said.Zacharias.Smith..
.Here.s.an.idea,..said.Ron.loudly,.before.Harry.could.speak,..why.don.t.you.shut.your.mouth?..