.You.can.do.a.Protean.Charm?..said.Terry.Boot..
.Yes,..said.Hermione..
.But.that.s….that.s.NEWT.standard,.that.is,..he.said.weakly..
.Oh,..said.Hermione,.trying.to.look.modest...Oh….well….yes,.I.suppose.it.is...
.How.come.you.re.not.in.Ravenclaw?..he.demanded,.staring.at.Hermione.with.something.close.to.wonder...With.brains.like.yours?..
.Well,.the.Sorting.Hat.did.seriously.consider.putting.me.in.Ravenclaw.during.my.Sorting,..said.Hermione.brightly,..but.it.decided.on.Gryffindor.in.the.end..So,
.does.that.mean.we.re.using.the.Galleons?..
There.was.a.murmur.of.assent.and.everybody.moved.forwards.to.collect.one.from.the.basket..Harry.looked.sideways.at.Hermione..
.You.know.what.these.remind.me.of?..
.No,.what.s.that?..
The.Death.Eaters..scars..Voldemort.touches.one.of.them,.and.all.their.scars.burn,
.and.they.know.they.ve.got.to.join.him...
.Well….yes,..said.Hermione.quietly,..that.is.where.I.got.the.idea......but.you.ll.notice.I.decided.to.engrave.the.date.on.bits.of.metal.rather.than.on.our.members.
.skin...
.Yeah….I.prefer.your.way,..said.Harry,.grinning,.as.he.slipped.his.Galleon.into.his.pocket...1.suppose.the.only.danger.with.these.is.that.we.might.accidentally.spend.them...
.Fat.chance,..said.Ron,.who.was.examining.his.own.fake.Galleon.with.a.slightly.mournful.air,..I.haven.t.got.any.real.Galleons.to.confuse.it.with...
As.the.first.Quidditch.match.of.the.season,.Gryffindor.versus.Slytherin,.drew.nearer,.their.DA.meetings.were.put.on.hold.because.Angelina.insisted.on.almost.daily.practices..The.fact.that.the.Quidditch.Cup.had.not.been.held.for.so.long.added.considerably.to.the.interest.and.excitement.surrounding.th.forthcoming.game;.the.Ravenclaws.and.Hufflepuffs.were.taking.a.lively.interest.in.the.outcome,.for.they,.of.course,.would.be.playing.both.teams.over.the.coming.year;
.and.the.Heads.of.House.of.the.competing.teams,.though.they.attempted.to.disguise.it.under.a.decent.pretence.of.sportsmanship,.were.determined.to.see.their.own.side.victorious..Harry.realised.how.much.Professor.McGonagall.cared.about.beating.Slytherin.when.she.abstained.from.giving.them.homework.in.the
week.leading.up.to.the.match..
.I.think.you.ve.got.enough.to.be.getting.on.with.at.the.moment,..she.said.loftily.
.Nobody.could.quite.believe.their.ears.until.she.looked.directly.at.Harry.and.Ron.and.said.grimly,..I.ve.become.accustomed.to.seeing.the.Quidditch.Cup.in.my.study,.boys,.and.I.really.don.t.want.to.have.to.hand.it.over.to.Professor.Snape,.so.use.the.extra.time.to.practise,.won.t.you?..
Snape.was.no.less.obviously.partisan;.he.had.booked.the.Quidditch.pitch.for.Slytherin.practice.so.often.that.the.Gryffindors.had.difficulty.getting.on.it.to.play..He.was.also.turning.a.deaf.ear.to.the.many.reports.of.Slytherin.attempts.to.hex.Gryffindor.players.in.the.corridors..When.Alicia.Spinnet.turned.up.in.the.hospital.wing.with.her.eyebrows.growing.so.thick.and.fast.they.obscured.her.vision.and.obtructed.her.mouth,.Snape.insisted.that.she.must.have.attempted.a.