Harry.got.into.bed,.thinking.about.the.match..It.had.been.immensely.frustrating.watching.from.the.sidelines..He.was.quite.impressed.by.Ginny.s.performance.but.he.knew.if.he.had.been.playing.he.could.have.caught.the.Snitch.sooner…
.there.had.been.a.moment.when.it.had.been.fluttering.near.Kirke.s.ankle;.if.Ginny.hadn.t.hesitated,.she.might.have.been.able.to.scrape.a.win.for.Gryffindor..
Umbridge.had.been.sitting.a.few.rows.below.Harry.and.Hermione..Once.or.twice.she.had.turned.squatly.in.her.seat.to.look.at.him,.her.wide.toad.s.mouth.stretched.in.what.he.thought.had.been.a.gloating.smile..The.memory.of.it.made.him.feel.hot.with.anger.as.he.lay.there.in.the.dark..After.a.few.minutes,.however,
.he.remembered.that.he.was.supposed.to.be.emptying.his.mind.of.all.emotion.before.he.slept,.as.Snape.kept.instructing.him.at.the.end.of.every.Occlumency.lesson..
He.tried.for.a.moment.or.two,.but.the.thought.of.Snape.on.top.of.memories.of.Umbridge.merely.increased.his.sense.of.grumbling.resentment.and.he.found.himsel.focusing.instead.on.how.much.he.loathed.the.pair.of.them..Slowly,.Ron.s.snores.died.away,.to.be.replaced.by.the.sound.of.deep,.slow.breathing..It.took.Harry.much.longer.to.get.to.sleep;.his.body.was.tired,.but.it.took.his.brain.a.long.time.to.close.down..
He.dreamed.that.Neville.and.Professor.Sprout.were.waltzing.around.the.Room.of.Requirement.while.Professor.McGonagall.played.thebagpipes..He.watched.them.happily.for.a.while,.then.decided.to.go.and.find.the.other.members.of.the.DA..
But.when.he.left.the.room.he.found.himself.facing,.not.the.tapestry.of.Barnabas.the.Barmy,.but.a.torch.burning.in.its.bracket.on.a.stone.wall..He.turned.his.head.slowly.to.the.left..There,.at.the.far.end.of.the.windowless.passage,.was.a.plain,
.black.door..
He.walked.towards.it.with.a.sense.of.mounting.excitement..He.had.the.strangest.feeling.that.this.time.he.was.going.to.get.lucky.at.last,.and.find.the.way.to.open.it….he.was.feet.from.it,.and.saw.with.a.leap.of.excitement.that.there.was.a.glowing.strip.of.faint.blue.light.down.the.right‐hand.side….the.door.was.ajar…
.he.stretched.out.his.hand.to.push.it.wide.and.‐.
Ron.gave.a.loud,.rasping,.genuine.snore.and.Harry.awoke.abruptly.with.his.right.hand.stretched.in.front.of.him.in.the.darkness,.to.open.a.door.that.was.hundreds.of.miles.away..He.let.it.fall.with.a.feeling.of.mingled.disappointment.and.guilt..He.knew.he.should.not.have.seen.the.door,.but.at.the.same.time.felt.so.consumed.with.curiosity.about.what.was.behind.it.that.he.could.not.help.feeling.annoyed.with.Ron….if.only.he.could.have.saved.his.snore.for.just.another.minute..
*.
They.entered.the.Great.Hall.for.breakfast.at.exactly.the.same.moment.as.the.post.owls.on.Monday.morning..Hermione.was.not.the.only.person.eagerly.awaiting.her.Daily.Prophet:.nearly.everyone.was.eager.for.more.news.about.the.escaped.Death.Eaters,.who,.despite.many.reported.sightings,.had.still.not.been.caught.
.She.gave.the.delivery.owl.a.Knut.and.unfolded.the.newspaper.eagerly.while.Harry.helped.himself.to.orange.juice;.as.he.had.only.received.one.note.during.the.entire.year,.he.was.sure,.when.the.first.owl.landed.with.a.thud.in.front.of.him,.that.it.had.made.a.mistake..