.I.did.not.only.get.you.once,.I.got.you.at.least.three.times.‐..
.Well,.if.you.re.counting.the.one.where.you.tripped.over.your.own.feet.and.knocked.the.wand.out.of.my.hand.‐..
They.argued.all.the.way.back.to.the.common.room,.but.Harry.was.not.listening.to.them..He.had.one.eye.on.the.Marauder.s.Map,.but.he.was.also.thinking.of.Cho.saying.he.made.her.nervous..
—.CHAPTER.NINETEEN.—.
The.Lion.and.the.Serpent
Harry.felt.as.though.he.were.carrying.some.kind.of.talisman.inside.his.chest.over.the.following.two.weeks,.a.glowing.secret.that.supported.him.through.Umbridge.s.classes.and.even.made.it.possible.for.him.to.smile.blandly.as.he.looked.into.her.horrible.bulging.eyes..He.and.the.DA.were.resisting.her.under.her.very.nose,.doing.the.very.thing.she.and.the.Ministry.most.feared,.and.whenever.he.was.supposed.to.be.reading.Wilbert.Slinkhard.s.book.during.her.lessons.he.dwelled.instead.on.satisfying.memories.of.their.most.recent.meetings,
.remembering.how.Neville.had.successfully.disarmed.Hermione,.how.Colin.Creevey.had.mastered.the.Impediment.Jinx.after.three.meetings..hard.effort,
.how.Parvati.Patil.had.produced.such.a.good.Reductor.Curse.that.she.had.reduced.the.table.carrying.all.the.Sneakoscopes.to.dust.
He.was.finding.it.almost.impossible.to.fix.a.regular.night.of.the.week.for.the.DA.meetings,.as.they.had.to.accommodate.three.separate.team.s.Quidditch.practices,
.which.were.often.rearranged.due.to.bad.weather.conditions;.but.Harry.was.not.sorry.about.this;.he.had.a.feeling.that.it.was.probably.better.to.keep.the.timing.of.their.meetings.unpredictable..If.anyone.was.watching.them,.it.would.be.hard.to.make.out.a.pattern..
Hermione.soon.devised.a.very.clever.method.of.communicating.the.time.and.date.of.the.next.meeting.to.all.the.members.in.case.thy.needed.to.change.it.at.short.notice,.because.it.would.look.suspicious.if.people.from.different.Houses.
were.seen.crossing.the.Great.Hall.to.talk.to.each.other.too.often..She.gave.each.of.the.members.of.the.DA.a.fake.Galleon.(Ron.became.very.excited.when.he.first.saw.the.basket.and.was.convinced.she.was.actually.giving.out.gold)..
.You.see.the.numerals.around.the.edge.of.the.coins?..Hermione.said,.holding.one.up.for.examination.at.the.end.of.their.fourth.meeting..The.coin.gleamed.fat.and.yellow.in.the.light.from.the.torches...On.real.Galleons.that.s.just.a.serial.number.referring.to.the.goblin.who.cast.the.coin..On.these.fake.coins,.though,.the.numbers.will.change.to.reflect.the.time.and.date.of.the.next.meeting..The.coins.will.grow.hot.when.the.date.changes,.so.if.you.re.carrying.them.in.a.pocket.you.ll.be.able.to.feel.them..We.take.one.each,.and.when.Harry.sets.the.date.of.the.next.meeting.he.ll.change.the.numbers.on.his.coin,.and.because.I.ve.put.a.Protean.Charm.on.them,.they.ll.all.change.to.mimic.his...
A.blank.silence.greeted.Hermione.s.words..She.looked.around.at.all.the.faces.upturned.to.her,.rather.disconcerted..
.Well.‐.I.thought.it.was.a.good.idea,..she.said.uncertainly,..I.mean,.even.if.Umbridge.asked.us.to.turn.out.our.pockets,.there.s.nothing.fishy.about.carrying.a.Galleon,.is.there?.But….well,.if.you.don.t.want.to.use.them.‐..