The meeting times were unpredictable, because of the teams' Quidditch practices. It was better this way, as it would be even harder to catch them at a meeting.
Hermione and Grace, together, didn't take long to invent a method that would make it easy to set the day and time of each meeting, without it looking suspicious for a group of students to keep meeting in the Great Hall. The two of them gave each D.A. member a fake Galleon.
"You see the numerals around the edge of the coins?" Grace said, holding up a coin. "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." Hermione added.
And a silence settled among the group members.
"Well — we thought it was a good idea," Grace said. ""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?" Terry Boot asked, surprised.
"Yes," Hermione answered.
"But that's... that's N.E.W.T. standard, that is," he said weakly.
"Yes, I suppose it is," Grace said, trying to look modest.
"How come you two are not in Ravenclaw?" he demanded. "With brains like yours?"
"Well, the Sorting Hat did seriously consider putting me and Grace in Ravenclaw during our Sorting," Hermione spoke. "but it decided on Gryffindor in the end, and it also decided to put Grace in Slytherin."
"So does that mean we're using the Galleons?" Grace asked.
There was a murmur of assent and everybody moved forward to collect one from the basket. Harry, who was standing between Hermione and Grace, whispered to both of them, "You know what these remind me of?"
"No, what's that?" they both asked.
"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," Grace said quietly. "That is where I got the idea... Hermione suggested the galleons after I remembered about the scars."
"you'll notice I decided to engrave the date on bits of metal rather than on our members' skin..." Hermione said.
"Yeah... I prefer your way," Harry said, grinning. "I suppose the only danger with these is that we might accidentally spend them."
"Fat chance," Ron said. "I haven't got any real Galleons to confuse it with."
The meetings were suspended as the first Quidditch game of the season approached, Gryffindor vs Slytherin. Snape had reserved the field for Slytherin so often that the Gryffindors had difficulty finding it free for practice.
The Slytherin line-up was: Malfoy as Seeker, Grace, Montague and Warrington as Chasers, Crabbe and Goyle as Beaters, and Miles Bletchley as Keeper. The lineup for Gryffindor was: Harry as Seeker, Angelina, Alicia and Katie as Chasers, Fred and Jorge as Beaters, and Rony as Keeper. It was Rony's first game.
Madame Hooch blew the whistle and the game began.
"And it's Johnson, Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me —" Lee narrated.
"JORDAN!" McGonagall yelled.
"Just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest — and she's ducked Warrington, she's passed Montague, she's — ouch — been hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe... Grace catches the Quaffle, heading back up the pitch and... 10 points to Slytherin!"
Everyone in the Slytherin crowd was shouting throughout the stadium. The game continued.
"— Alicia dodges Warrington, avoids a Bludger — close call, Alicia — and the crowd are loving this, just listen to them, what's that they're singing?"
And Lee began to listen to Slytherin cheering.
Weasley cannot save a thing,
He cannot block a single ring,
That's why Slytherins all sing:
Weasley is our King.
Weasley was born in a bin,
He always lets the Quaffle in,
Weasley will make sure we win,
Weasley is our King.
"— and Alicia passes back to Angelina!" Lee shouted. "Come on now, Angelina — looks like she's got just the Keeper to beat! — SHE SHOOTS — SHE — aaaah..."
Bletchley, the Slytherin Keeper, had saved the goal; he threw the Quaffle to Grace, who threw to Warrington, who sped off with it, zigzagging in between Alicia and Katie.
Weasley is our King,
Weasley is our King,
He always lets the Quaffle in,
Weasley is our King.
"— and it's Warrington with the Quaffle, Warrington heading for goal, he's out of Bludger range with just the Keeper ahead — so it's the first test for new Gryffindor Keeper, Weasley, brother of Beaters, Fred and George, and a promising new talent on the team — come on, Ron!"
But Warrington score another goal to Slytherin.
"Slytherin score! So that's ten-nil to Slytherin — bad luck, Ron"
The Slytherins sang even louder.
"— and Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell tanking up the pitch —"
WEASLEY WILL MAKE SURE WE WIN,
WEASLEY IS OUR KING...
But unfortunately for Slytherin, Harry catched the Snitch and managed to get it before Malfoy did.
Grace missed the fight between Malfoy, Harry and George, because she was already in the changing room with Montague and Warrington.
Just then Draco arrives in the changing room.
"What's up?" Warrington asked.
"Potter and one of the twins are in trouble." Draco said, with an evil smile on his face.
Grace just listened to the conversation.
"I told Weasley the truth." Malfoy said.
Draco's noticed that Grace was listening. "And what are you still doing here listening to other people's conversations?" he asked her. "She hasn't helped the team at all and is still nosy."
"Didn't I help at all? I scored a goal at least, what about you? As far as I know, the one who catched the Snitch was Harry." Grace hissed.
Malfoy, who was already stressed because of the game, set out to yell at the girl, but she interrupted him first, "I don't even want to know what you have to yell at me about. Whatever your problem is with me, save your yelling. I don't care about you anymore, Malfoy." she left the changing room and walked to her dorm.
Draco hadn't expected this, Grace had never called him Malfoy before. Calling him Malfoy was something Harry or any other student of Gryffindor called him, it was like a nickname that only his enemies used.
He even took a step to go after her, but Montague, realizing the situation, forbade him to run after the girl.