The Half-Blood Prince

           HarryandRonmetHermioneinthecommonroombeforebreakfastnextmorning.Hopingforsomesupportinhistheory,HarrylostnotimeintellingHermionewhathehadoverheardMalfoysayingontheHogwartsExpress.

           "ButhewasobviouslyshowingoffforParkinson,wasn’the?"interjectedRonquickly,beforeHermionecouldsayanything.

           "Well,"shesaiduncertainly,"Idon’tknow.ItwouldbelikeMalfoytomakehimselfseemmoreimportantthanheis...butthat’sabiglietotell..."

           "Exactly,"saidHarry,buthecouldnorpressthepoint,becausesomanypeopleweretryingtolistenintohisconversation,nottomentionstaringathimandwhisperingbehindtheirhands.

           "It’srudetopoint,"Ronsnappedataparticularlyminusculefirst-yearboyastheyjoinedthequeuetoclimboutoftheportraithole.Theboy,whohadbeenmutteringsomethingaboutHarrybehindhishandtohisfriend,promptlyturnedscarletandtoppledoutoftheholeinalarm.Ronsniggered."Ilovebeingasixthyear.Andwe’regoingtobegettingfreetimethisyear.Wholeperiodswhenwecanjustsituphereandrelax."

           "We’regoingtoneedthattimeforstudying,Ron!"saidHermione,astheysetoffdownthecorridor.

           "Yeah,butnottoday,"saidRon."Today’sgoingtobearealloss,Ireckon."

           "Holdit!"saidHermione,throwingoutanarmandhaltingapassingfourthyear,whowasattemptingtopushpastherwithalime-greendiskclutchedtightlyinhishand."FangedFrisbeesbanned,handitover,"shetoldhimsternly.