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That was quite good；' Harry lied； but when she raised her eyebrows he said； 'Well； no； it was lousy； but I know you can do it properly； I was watching from over there。'
She laughed。 Her friend Marietta looked at them rather sourly and turned away。
'Don't mind her；' Cho muttered。 'She doesn't really want to be here but I made her e with me。 Her parents have forbidden her to do anything that might upset Umbridge。 You see … her mum works for the Ministry。'
'What about your parents？' asked Harry。
'Well； they've forbidden me to get on the wrong side of Umbridge； too；' said Cho； drawing herself up proudly。 'But if they think I'm not going to fight You…Know…Who after what happened to Cedric …'
She broke off； looking rather confused； and an awkward silence fell between them； Terry Boot's wand went whizzing past Harry's ear and hit Alicia Spinnet hard on the nose。
'Well； my dad is very supportive of any anti…Ministry action！' said Luna Lovegood proudly from just behind Harry； evidently she had been eavesdropping on his conversation while Justin Finch…Fletchley attempted to disentangle himself from the robes that had flown up over his head。 'He's always saying he'd believe anything of Fudge； I mean； the number of goblins Fudge has had assassinated！ And of course he uses the Department of Mysteries to develop terrible poisons； which he secretly feeds to anybody who disagrees with him。 And then there's his Umgubular Slashkilter …'
'Don't ask；' Harry muttered to Cho as she opened her mouth； looking puzzled。 She giggled。
'Hey； Harry；' Hermione called from the other end of the room； 'have you checked the time？'
He looked down at his watch and was shocked to see it was already ten past nine； which meant they needed to get back to their mon rooms immediately or risk being caught and punished by Filch for being out of bounds。 He blew his whistle； everybody stopped shouting 'Expelliarmus' and the last couple of wands clattered to the floor。
'Well； that was pretty good；' said Harry； 'but we've overrun； we'd better leave it here。 Same time； same place next week？'
'Sooner！' said Dean Thomas eagerly and many people nodded in agreement。
Angelina； however； said quickly The Quidditch season's about to start； we need team practices too！'
'Let's say next Wednesday night； then；' said Harry； 'we can decide on additional meetings then。 e on； we'd better get going。'
He pulled out the Marauder's Map again and checked it carefully for signs of teachers on the seventh floor。 He let them all leave in threes and fours； watching their tiny dots anxiously to see that they returned safely to their dormitories： the Hufflepuffs to the basement corridor that also led to the kitchens； the Ravenclaws to a tower on the west side of the castle； and the Gryffindors along the corridor to the Fat Lady's portrait。
'That was really； really good； Harry' said Hermione； when finally it was just her； Harry and Ron who were left。
'Yeah； it was！' said Ron enthusiastically； as they slipped out of the door and watched it melt back into stone behind them。 'Did you see me disarm Hermione； Harry？'
'Only once；' said Hermione； stung。 'I got you loads more than you got me …'
'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 mon 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 acmodate 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 municating the time and date of the next meeting to all the members in case they 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 …'
'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 e 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。 'I 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 the forthing game； the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were taking a lively interes