Sirius's son

EDUCATIONAL DECREE NUMBER TWENTY-FOUR

"Oooh, who tried to get upstairs?" they giggled happily, leaping to their feet and ogling Rigel, Harry, and Ron.

"Me," said Ron, who was still rather disheveled. "I didn't realize that would happen. It's not fair!" he added to Harry, as the girls headed off for the portrait hole, still giggling madly. "Hermione's  allowed in our dormitory and Eliza always crashes in ours, how come we're not allowed — ?"

"Well, it's an old-fashioned rule," said Hermione, as she and Eliza slide neatly onto a rug in front of them and were now getting to her feet," but it says in Hogwarts, A History that the founders thought boys were less trustworthy than girls. Anyway, why were you trying to get in there?"

"To see you — look at this!" said Ron, dragging her over to the notice board. Hermione's eyes slid rapidly down the notice. Her expression became stony.

"Someone must have blabbed to her!" Eliza said angrily.

"They can't have done," said Hermione in a low voice.

"You're so naive," said Ron, "you think just because you're all honorable and trustworthy —"

"No, they can't have done because I put a jinx on that piece of parchment we all signed," said Hermione grimly. "Believe me, if anyone's runoff and told Umbridge, we'll know exactly who they are and they will really regret it."

"What'll happen to them?" said Rigel eagerly

"Well, put it this way," said Hermione, "it'll make Eloise Midgen's acne look like a couple of cute freckles. Come on, let's get down to breakfast and see what the others think. . . . I wonder whether this has been put up in all the Houses?"

When they entered the Great Hall, Umbridge's sign had not only appeared in Gryffindor Tower. There was a peculiar intensity about the chatter and an extra measure of movement in the Hall as people scurried up and down their tables conferring on what they had read. Percy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had barely taken their seats when Neville, Dean, Fred, George, and Ginny descended upon them.

"Did you see it?"

"D'you reckon she knows?"

"What are we going to do?"

They were all looking at Harry. He glanced around to make sure there were no teachers near them.

"We're going to do it anyway, of course," he said quietly.

"Knew you'd say that," said George, beaming and thumping Harry on the arm.

"The prefects as well?" said Fred, looking quizzically at Rigeland Hermione.

"Definitely," Rigel said.

"Of course," said Hermione coolly.

"Here comes Ernie and Hannah Abbott," said Ron, looking over his shoulder. "And those Ravenclaw blokes and Smith . . . and no one looks very spotty."

Hermione looked alarmed."Never mind spots, the idiots can't come over here now, it'll look really suspicious — sit down!" she mouthed to Ernie and Hannah, gesturing frantically to them to rejoin the Hufflepuff table. "Later! We'll — talk — to — you — later!"

"I'll tell Michael," said Ginny impatiently, swinging herself off her bench. "The fool, honestly . . ."

But the full repercussions of the sign were not felt until they were leaving for the first class.

"Guys! "

It was Angelina and she was hurrying toward them looking perfectly desperate.

"It's okay," Harry said quietly when she was near enough to hear him. "We're still going to —"