In the Hog's Head (OP)
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In the Hog's Head is the sixteenth chapter of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Contents |
Lessons
Hermione doesn't bring up the subject of Harry teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts for two weeks after her suggestion (OP15). The boy's detentions with Umbridge are over; Ron is improving at Quidditch, and all three now know Vanishing Spells (the boys can Vanish mice; Hermione, kittens).
At the end of September, Hermione approaches Harry once more when the Trio is sitting in the library researching ingredients for Potions. He skims through a page of Asiatic Anti-Venoms, wondering what his answer should be. He has given the matter a great deal more thought than he would admit, and the idea has grown on him.
Ron starts participating in the conversation when he catches the hint that Harry will not react explosively. Hermione further cajoles Harry by pointing out that he was the only student capable of throw off the Imperius Curse in their fourth year (GF12); he alone in their year can produce a Patronus (PA13). Viktor Krum has always said that Harry knows things he doesn't—and he's in the final year at Durmstrang.
Ron asks Hermione whether she is still in contact with Krum. She coolly replies that she can have a pen-pan if she so wishes, but Ron doesn't believe that that was all Viktor Krum wanted.
Hermione turns her attention to Harry once more. She mentions (stuttering when mentioning the Dark Lord by name, but doing so all the same, and berating Ron for shuddering) that she's been thinking of offering the chance to learn Defence to people other than Ron and herself. Harry reminds her that people think he's insane.
Hermione sets a date: the first weekend of October will be a Hogsmeade weekend, and they'll spread the word. Glancing back at her diagram of the Chinese Chomping Cabbage, she says Umbridge won't be very happy if she finds out.
Sirius
Before the trip to Hogsmeade, Harry spends some time dwelling on Sirius' silence. They have not talked since the fireplace episode (OP14), and Harry fears that Sirius will decide to come to Hogwarts on a whim.
Hermione (once more mentioning Voldemort's name) points out that Sirius will have to stay hidden until the Dark Lord comes out in the open; people will then realise that Dumbledore has been saying the truth all along. Ron says Sirius isn't stupid enough to do otherwise and risk provoking Dumbledore's anger.
Hermione mentions that she's started talking to a couple of people who might be interested in learning Defence. She's arranged a meeting.
Keeping up
Harry has been having a hard time keeping up with his homework, even though his schedule has improved significantly since he stopped having daily detentions with Umbridge (OP13). Ron is even further behind: in addition to Quidditch practice, which they both had twice a week, he has prefect duties to attend.
Hermione, of course, is taking more subjects than both and still manages to not only finish her homework in time but also knit more elf clothes.
Hogsmeade
The morning of the Hogsmeade visit, all students queued up in front of Filch, who checks whether they have permission from their guardians to leave the school (PA1). When Harry approaches him, the caretaker sniffs him, searching for the stench of Dungbombs (OP14).
The Trio goes part the gates; Harry tells Ron and Hermione what happened at the Owlery, and the three wonder who could have tipped Filch off. Harry suggests Draco, but Hermione is sceptic.
Hermione announces that the meeting is scheduled to take place in the Hog's Head, dodgier but less packed with students than The Three Broomsticks. The walk down the main street, passing by Zonko's (where they see Fred, George and Lee Jordan) and the post office; they turn up a side street and find the inn. A wooden sign above it portrays a wild boar's severed head, wrapped in a bloody white cloth.
The Hog's Head
The pub is dingy and smells strongly of goats (GF24). The windows are dirty, and the floor is covered with several years' worth of accumulated dirt.
Harry suddenly understands why Hagrid didn't find it odd that the stranger who gave him the dragon egg (which would hatch to become Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback) kept his face hooded (PS16). Several people do precisely that, including a witch with a thick veil that falls to her toes.
The teenager asks Hermione how she can be sure that, for instance, Hermione isn't hiding behind that veil. Hermione replies that Umbridge is shorter than the veiled witch; regardless of that, they are outside the school grounds and there is nothing that the High Inquisitor.
Hermione even asked Flitwick whether students are allowed in the pub (he advised her to bring her own glasses). Study groups are allowed—it's simply not wise to advertise what they are doing.
The grumpy barman approaches them. He is tall, and has long grey hair and beard; he looks vaguely familiar (OP9). Hermione orders three Butterbeers (the three dusty bottles cost six Sickles). Aberforth places the money Harry hands to him in a till whose drawer slides open to receive it.
The three teenagers sit down as far from the bar as possible. Ron excitedly wonders if the barman would oppose to selling him Firewhisky. Hermione reminds him that he is a Prefect. She checks her watch; the "couple of people" she's invited are bound to arrive soon.
A couple of people
The following students enter the pub:
- Neville, with Dean and Lavender;
- Parvati, Padma and Cho with her friends (including one with curly reddish-blond hair, who does not seem to wish to be there at all);
- Luna Lovegood;
- Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson;
- Colin] and Dennis Creevey;
- Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott and another Hufflepuff girl;
- Ravenclaws Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner and Terry Boot;
- Ginny and a skinny blond boy from the Hufflepuff Quidditch team;
- Fred, George and Lee (with large bags of Zonko's items).
Fred orders twenty-five Butterbeers. Aberforth seems shocked to see his pub this full.
Harry is stunned to realise that all these people probably expect some sort of speech. Hermione tries to comfort him by pointing out that she can talk first.
Hermione says, "Well ... erm ... well, you know why you're here. Erm ... well, Harry here had the idea — I mean, I had the idea — that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defence Against the Dark Arts — and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us — because nobody could call that Defence Against the Dark Arts —" ("Hear, hear," says Anthony Goldstein) "Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands. And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just in theory but doing the real spells —"
Michael Corner interrupts her, confirming that Hermione wants to pass her Defence OWL too, as well. She acquiesces. "But more than that, I want to be properly trained in defence because ... because ... because Lord Voldemort is back (GF32)."
Harry's tale
Zacharias pipes up and asks Harry to explain why he believes that You-Know-Who has returned. The Gryffindor then understands that some of the attendees were there to hear the story firsthand. At the end of the previous year, Dumbledore told them only that Cedric Diggory had been murdered by Voldemort. Zacharias states that they all want to know precisely what happened.
Harry angrily replies that he will not reveal details about the murder; he does not wish to talk about Cedric.
Susan Bones asks him if it is true that Harry can produce a corporeal Patronus (PA21). He guesses that she is related to Amelia Bones (OP8), and Susan confirms that Amelia is her aunt. This revelation provokes admiration in several students.
Terry Boot mentions that one of the portraits in the Headmaster's office told him that Harry killed a Basilisk with Godric Gryffindor's sword (CS17) when Terry went there the previous year. Even more students are astounded.
Neville reminds everyone that Harry saved the Philosopher's Stone in their first year from Voldemort (PS17). Cho mentions the Triwizard Tournament tasks: the dragon (GF20), the merpeople (GF26) and the maze (GF31).
Harry embarrassedly points out that he had help with most of those achievements. Michael Corner hurries to reply that Harry flew on his own against the Hungarian Horntail.
Harry does not refuse to acknowledge that he did some achievements without help. Zacharias asks whether he is trying to "weasel out" of showing them impressive bits of magic. Ron—possibly angered by the usage of the word 'weasel'—tells Smith to shut up. Zacharias flushes and complains that they all came to learn from Harry, and are now being told that he is unable to do anything.
"That's not what he said," Fred says.
"Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" George offers, fetching a long metal instrument from his Zonko's bags.
"Or any part of your body, really, we're not fussy where we stick this."
Hermione intervenes, asking everyone to confirm that they want lessons from Harry. The issue of scheduling is then addressed, with players from the three Quidditch teams (Angelina, Cho and Zacharias) stressing that meetings cannot clash with practice. She is taken aback, and reminds them that this is important, and Ernie voices his agreement, wondering why the Ministry has allowed them to have this useless a professor in such a critical period.
Hermione guesses that the Ministry fears that Dumbledore may use the students as a private army of sorts. Most people look stunned, with the exception of Luna, who points out that that makes sense, considering Fudge has his own private army of Heliopaths (spirits of fire: tall, flaming creatures that gallop across the ground burning everything) as well. Hermione annoyedly snaps that Heliopaths do not exists; there is no proof. Luna replies, "There are plenty of eye-witness accounts. Just because you're so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you—"
Ginny immitates Umbridge's cough ("Hem, hem") so perfectly that several people look around, alarmed. Everyone starts discussing the schedule again. Lee Jordan says that once a week is all right. The next issue is where to meet, a significantly more difficult choice. Katie suggests the library (Harry doesn't like the idea); Dean wonders if perhaps an unused classroom may be useful (Harry does not think McGonagall would appreciate the possibility).
Hermione postpones the decision, and asks everyone to write their names down on a parchment. She stresses that no one should divulge what they're doing. Fred is the first to sign, but lots of people look uneasy at the prospect of writing their names down. Zacharias is one; Ernie is another (he claims that he's a prefect), but he does sign. Cho's friend glares at her before signing. Hermione puts the parchment in her bag.
The twins and Lee leave first, and are followed by the rest in small groups of two or three. Cho tries to stall, but her friend is obviously impatient, so she does. Before leaving, she turns and waves to Harry.
Ginny
The Trio are the last to go. Ron complains about Zacharias, and Hermione admits that he only came because he overheard her talking to Ernie and Hannah. She also mentions that Michael Corner and his friends would not have come if Michael weren't been going out with Ginny.
Ron chokes on his Butterbeer, and seems outraged. Hermione explains that the two met at the Yule Ball and got together at the end of the year.
Hermione enters Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, hoping to acquire a new quill. Harry and Ron follow suit, and the latter demands to know who Michael Corner was. "The dark one," Hermione replies.
"I didn't like him," he retorts.
"Big suprise," Hermione mutters.
Ron is visibly confused. He says that he thought Ginny fancied Harry. Hermione absent-mindedly says that Ginny gave up on that months ago (HBP30)—"not that she doesn't like you, of course," she adds to Harry. The boy only now realises the reason the Weasley girl talks to him these days.
Hermione buys a long black and gold quill for fifteen Sickles and two Knuts. She snaps at Ron, pointing out that his overreacting is precisely the reason that Ginny hasn't told him anything. She then turns to Harry and asks about him and Cho. "What'd you mean?" Harry asks.
She smiles. "Well, she just couldn't keep her eyes off you, could she?"
The statement makes Harry feel very giddy.
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| The Hogwarts High Inquisitor | In the Hog's Head | Educational Degree Number Twenty-four |
