O, CURSED CHILD. ﹙ harry potter ﹚

LXXXIX ; green light

            "Baubles," said Ron confidently, when they reached the Fat Lady, who was looking rather paler than usual and winced at his loud voice. 

            "No," she said.

            "What d'you mean, 'no'?" 

            "There is a new password," she said. "And please don't shout." 

            "But we've been away, how're we supposed to — ?" 

            "Lara! Harry! Ginny!" Hermione was hurrying toward them, very pink-faced and wearing a cloak, hat, and gloves. "I got back a couple of hours ago, I've just been down to visit Hagrid and Buck — I mean Witherwings," she said breathlessly. "Did you have a good Christmas?"

            "Yeah," said Ron at once, "pretty eventful, Rufus Scrim —" 

            "I've got something for you, you two," said Hermione to Elara and Harry, neither looking at Ron nor giving any sign that she had heard him. "Oh, hang on — password. Abstinence." 

            "Precisely," said the Fat Lady in a feeble voice, and swung forward to reveal the portrait hole. 

            "What's up with her?" asked Elara. 

            "Overindulged over Christmas, apparently," said Hermione, rolling her eyes as she led the way into the packed common room. "She and her friend Violet drank their way through all the wine in that picture of drunk monks down by the Charms corridor. Anyway . . ." 

            She rummaged in her pocket for a moment, then pulled out a scroll of parchment with Dumbledore's writing on it. 

            "Great," said Harry, unrolling it at once to discover that their next lesson with Dumbledore was scheduled for the following night. "Lara and I've got loads to tell him — and you. Let's sit down —" 

            But at that moment there was a loud squeal of "Won-Won!" and Lavender Brown came hurtling out of nowhere and flung herself into Ron's arms. 

            Several onlookers sniggered, including Elara; Hermione gave a tinkling laugh and said, "There's a table over here. . . . Coming, Ginny?" 

            "No, thanks, I said I'd meet Dean," said Ginny, though Elara could not help noticing that she did not sound very enthusiastic. 

            Leaving Ron and Lavender locked in a kind of vertical wrestling match, Elara led Harry and Hermione over to the spare table. 

            "So how was your Christmas?" 

            "Oh, fine," she shrugged. "Nothing special. How was it at WonWon's?"

            "I'll tell you in a minute," said Harry. "Look, Hermione, can't you — ?"

            Elara already knew what Hermione was going to say. 

            "No, I can't," she said flatly. "So don't even ask."

            "I thought maybe, you know, over Christmas —"