They.don.t.exist,.Neville,..said.Hermione.tartly..
.Oh,.yes,.they.do!..said.Luna.angrily..
.I.m.sorry,.but.where.s.the.proof.of.that?..snapped.Hermione..
There.are.plenty.of.eye‐witness.accounts..Just.because.you.re.so.narrow‐minded.you.need.to.have.everything.shoved.under.your.nose.before.you.‐..
.Hem,.hem,..said.Ginny,.in.such.a.good.imitation.of.Professor.Umbridge.that.several.people.looked.around.in.alarm.and.then.laughed...Weren.t.we.trying.to.decide.how.often.we.re.going.to.meet.and.have.defence.lessons?..
.Yes,..said.Hermione.at.once,..yes,.we.were,.you.re.right,.Ginny...
Well,.once.a.week.sounds.cool,..said.Lee.Jordan..
.As.long.as.‐..began.Angelina..
.Yes,.yes,.we.know.about.the.Quidditch,..said.Hermione.in.a.tense.voice..Well,
.the.other.thing.to.decide.is.where.we.re.going.to.meet…..
This.was.rather.more.difficult;.the.whole.group.fell.silent..
.Library?..suggested.Katie.Bell.after.a.few.moments..
.1.can.t.see.Madam.Pince.being.too.chuffed.with.us.doing.jinxes.in.the.library,.
.said.Harry..
.Maybe.an.unused.classroom?..said.Dean..
.Yeah,..said.Ron,..McGonagall.might.let.us.have.hers,.she.did.when.Harry.was.practising.for.the.Triwizard...
But.Harry.was.pretty.certain.that.McGonagall.would.not.be.so.accommodating.this.time..For.all.that.Hermione.had.said.about.study.and.homework.groups.being.allowed,.he.had.the.distinct.feeling.that.this.one.might.be.considered.a.lot.more.rebellious..
.Right,.well,.we.ll.try.to.find.somewhere,..said.Hermione...We.ll.send.a.message.round.to.everybody.when.we.ve.got.a.time.and.a.place.for.the.first.meeting...
She.rummaged.in.her.bag.and.produced.parchment.and.a.quill,.then.hesitated,
.rather.as.though.she.was.steeling.herself.to.say.something..
.I.‐.I.think.everybody.should.write.their.name.down,.just.so.we.know.who.was.here..But.I.also.think,..she.took.a.deep.breath,..that.we.all.ought.to.agree.not.to.shout.about.what.we.re.doing..So.if.you.sign,.you.re.agreeing.not.to.tell.Umbridge.or.anybody.else.what.we.re.up.to...
Fred.reached.out.for.the.parchment.and.cheerfully.wrote.his.signature,.but.Harry.noticed.at.once.that.several.people.looked.less.than.happy.at.the.prospect.of.putting.their.names.on.the.list..
.Er…..said.Zacharias.slowly,.not.taking.the.parchment.that.George.was.trying.to.pass.to.him,..well….I.m.sure.Ernie.will.tell.me.when.the.meeting.is...
But.Ernie.was.looking.rather.hesitant.about.signing,.too..Hermione.raised.her.eyebrows.at.him..
.I.‐.well,.we.are.prefects,..Ernie.burst.out...And.if.this.list.was.found….well,.I.mean.to.say….you.said.yourself,.if.Umbridge.finds.out.‐..
.You.just.said.this.group.was.the.most.important.thing.you.d.do.this.year,..Harry.reminded.him..
.I.‐.yes,..said.Ernie,..yes,.I.do.believe.that,.it.s.just.‐..
.Ernie,.do.you.really.think.I.d.leave.that.list.lying.around?..said.Hermione.testily..
.No..No,.of.course.not,..said.Ernie,.looking.slightly.less.anxious...I.‐.yes,.of.course.I.ll.sign...
Nobody.raised.objections.after.Ernie,.though.Harry.saw.Cho.s.friend.give.her.a.rather.reproachful.look.before.adding.her.own.name..When.the.last.perscfri.‐