Ginny.skimming.along.over.the.stands.and.felt.a.horrible.pang.that.he.was.not.up.there.with.them..
.You.really.miss.it,.don.t.you?..said.Cho..
He.looked.round.and.saw.her.watching.him..
.Yeah,..sighed.Harry...I.do...
.Remember.the.first.time.we.played.against.each.other,.in.the.third.year?..she.asked.him..
.Yeah,..said.Harry,.grinning...You.kept.blocking.me...
.And.Wood.told.you.not.to.be.a.gentleman.and.knock.me.off.my.broom.if.you.had.to,..said.Cho,.smiling.reminiscently...1.heard.he.got.taken.on.by.Pride.of.Portree,.is.that.right?..
.Nah,.it.was.Puddlemere.United;.I.saw.him.at.the.World.Cup.last.year...
.Oh,.I.saw.you.there,.too,.remember?.We.were.on.the.same.campsite..It.was.really.good,.wasn.t.it?..
The.subject.of.the.Quidditch.World.Cup.carried.them.all.the.way.down.the.drive.and.out.through.the.gates..Harry.could.hardly.believe.how.easy.it.was.to.talk.to.her.‐.no.more.difficult,.in.fact,.than.talking.to.Ron.and.Hermione.‐.and.he.was.just.starting.to.feel.confident.and.cheerful.when.a.large.gang.of.Slytherin.girls.passed.them,.including.Pansy.Parkinson..
.Potter.and.Chang!..screeched.Pansy,.to.a.chorus.of.snide.giggles...Urgh,.Chang,.I.don.t.think.much.of.your.taste….at.least.Diggory.was.good‐looking!..
The.girls.sped.up,.talking.and.shrieking.in.a.pointed.fashion.with.many.exaggerated.glances.back.at.Harry.and.Cho,.leaving.an.embarrassed.silence.in.their.wake..Harry.could.think.of.nothing.else.to.say.about.Quidditch,.and.Cho,
.slightly.flushed,.was.watching.her.feet..
.So….where.d.you.want.to.go?..Harry.asked.as.they.entered.Hogsmeade..The.High.Street.was.full.of.students.ambling.up.and.down,.peering.into.the.shop.windows.and.messing.about.together.on.the.pavements..
.Oh….I.don.t.mind,..said.Cho,.shrugging...Urn….shall.we.just.have.a.look.in.the.shops.or.something?..
They.wandered.towards.Dervish.and.Banges..A.large.poster.had.been.stuck.up.in.the.window.and.a.few.Hogsmeaders.were.looking.at.it..They.moved.aside.when.Harry.and.Cho.approached.and.Harry.found.himself.staring.once.more.at.the.pictures.of.the.ten.escaped.Deth.Eaters..The.poster,..By.Order.of.the.Ministry.of.Magic.,.offered.a.thousand‐Galleon.reward.to.any.witch.or.wizard.with.information.leading.to.the.recapture.of.any.of.the.convicts.pictured..
Tt.s.funny,.isn.t.it,..said.Cho.in.a.low.voice,.gazing.up.at.the.pictures.of.the.Death.Eaters,..remember.when.that.Sirius.Black.escaped,.and.there.were.Dementors.all.over.Hogsmeade.looking.for.him?.And.now.ten.Death.Eaters.are.on.the.loose.and.there.are.no.Dementors.anywhere…..
.Yeah,..said.Harry,.tearing.his.eyes.away.from.Bellatrix.Lestrange.s.face.to.glance.up.and.down.the.High.Street...Yeah,.that.is.weird...
He.wasn.t.sorry.that.there.were.no.Dementors.nearby,.but.now.he.came.to.think.of.it,.their.absence.was.highly.significant..They.had.not.only.let.the.Death.Eaters.escape,.they.weren.t.bothering.to.look.for.them….it.looked.as.though.they.really.were.outside.Ministry.control.now..
The.ten.escaped.Death.Eaters.were.staring.out.of.every.shop.window.he.and.Cho.passed..It.started.to.rain.as.they.passed.Scrivenshaft.s;.cold,.heavy.drops.of.water.kept.hitting.Harry.s.face.and.the.back.of.his.neck..