Glittering.pink.and.silver.winged.piglets.were.now.soaring.past.the.windows.of.Gryffindor.Tower..Harry.lay.and.listened.to.the.appreciative.whoops.of.Gryffindors.in.the.dormitories.below.them..His.stomach.gave.a.sickening.jolt.as.he.remembered.that.he.had.Occlumency.the.following.evening..
*.
Harry.spent.the.whole.of.the.next.day.dreading.what.Snape.was.going.to.say.if.he.found.out.how.much.further.into.the.Departmentof.Mysteries.Harry.had.penetrated.during.his.last.dream..With.a.surge.of.guilt.he.realised.that.he.had.not.practised.Occlumency.once.since.their.last.lesson:.there.had.been.too.much.going.on.since.Dumbledore.had.left;.he.was.sure.he.would.not.have.been.able.to.empty.his.mind.even.if.he.had.tried..He.doubted,.however,.whether.Snape.would.accept.that.excuse..
He.attempted.a.little.last‐minute.practice.during.classes.that.day,.but.it.was.no.good..Hermione.kept.asking.him.what.was.wrong.whenever.he.fell.silent.trying.to.rid.himself.of.all.thought.and.emotion.and,.after.all,.the.best.moment.to.empty.his.brain.was.not.while.teachers.were.firing.revision.questions.at.the.class..
Resigned.to.the.worst,.he.set.off.for.Snape.s.office.after.dinner..Halfway.across.the.Entrance.Hall,.however,.Cho.came.hurrying.up.to.him..
.Over.here,..said.Harry,.glad.of.a.reason.to.postpone.his.meeting.with.Snape,.and.beckoning.her.across.to.the.corner.of.the.Entrance.Hall.where.the.giant.hour‐
glasses.stood..Gryffindor.s.was.now.almost.empty...Are.you.OK?.Umbridge.hasn.t.been.asking.you.about.the.DA,.has.she?..
.Oh,.no,..said.Cho.hurriedly...No,.it.was.only….well,.I.just.wanted.to.say…
.Harry,.I.never.dreamed.Marietta.would.tell…..
.Yeah,.well,..said.Harry.moodily..He.did.feel.Cho.might.have.chosen.her.friends.a.bit.more.carefully;.it.was.small.consolation.that.the.last.he.had.heard,.Marietta.was.still.up.in.the.hospital.wing.and.Madam.Pomfrey.had.not.been.able.to.make.the.slightest.improvement.to.her.pimple..
.She.s.a.lovely.person.really,..said.Cho...She.just.made.a.mistake.‐..
Harry.looked.at.her.incredulously..
.A.lovely.person.who.made.a.mistake?.She.sold.us.all.out,.including.you!..
.Well….we.all.got.away,.didn.t.we?..said.Cho.pleadingly...You.know,.her.mum.works.for.the.Ministry,.it.s.really.difficult.for.her.‐..
.Ron.s.dad.works.for.the.Ministry.too!..Harry.said.furiously...And.in.case.you.hadn.t.noticed,.he.hasn.t.got.sneak.written.across.his.face.‐..
That.was.a.really.horrible.trick.of.Hermione.Granger.s,..said.Cho.fiercely...She.should.have.told.us.she.d.jinxed.that.list.‐..
.I.think.it.was.a.brilliant.idea,..said.Harry.coldly..Cho.flushed.and.her.eyes.grew.brighter..
.Oh.yes,.I.forgot.‐.of.course,.if.it.was.darling.Hermione.s.idea.‐..
.Don.t.start.crying.again,..said.Harry.warningly..
.I.wasn.t.going.to!..she.shouted..
.Yeah….well….good,..he.said..I.ve.got.enough.to.cope.with.at.the.moment...
.Go.and.cope.with.it.then!..Cho.said.furiously,.turning.on.her.heel.and.stalking.off..
Fuming,.Harry.descended.the.stairs.to.Snape.s.dungeon.and,.though.he.knew.from.experience.how.much.easier.it.would.be.for.Snape.to.penetrate.his.mind.if.he.arrived.angry.and.resentful,.he.succeeded.in.nothing.but.thinking.of.a.few.more.things.he.should.have.said.to.Cho.about.Marietta.before.reaching.the.dungeo.door..