The Girl Who Fought | h.p |

UmBITCH

When Nova went to her dorm, Lavender and Parvati didn't even speak to her, not that she minded. What made Nova upset were the glances they were giving her. She didn't have the best relationship with the girls, but it still made her heart clench. 

The following morning, Nova and Hermione joined the boys. Nova noted the swirling fire in Harry's eyes. He was upset, but his anger seemed more than it normally was. It could just be his hormones, but with Harry, nothing was so simple. 

She wouldn't lie, Harry's anger was starting to worry her. He was acting irrationally. He has been snippy, and he has been shouting more. 

But she reminded herself that it was Harry. The boy that would sneak down to the kitchens with her at two in the morning because she wanted ice cream. The boy that somehow knew what she needed in the exact moment. The boy that jump through hoops when she was on her period, especially when they were horrific and not one of the calmer ones. 

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked Harry as the two walked down the stairs. "You look- oh for heaven's sake!"

Nova, Ron, and Harry turned to the board where a new page had been posted. 

GALLONS OF GALLEONS!

Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings? 

Like to earn a little extra gold? 

Contact Fred and George Weasley, Gryffindor common room, for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs 

(WE REGRET THAT ALL WORK IS UNDERTAKEN AT APPLICANT'S OWN RISK)

"They are the limit," said Hermione grimly, taking down the sign, which Fred and George had pinned up over a poster giving the date of the first Hogsmeade weekend in October. "We'll have to talk to them, Ron." 

Ron looked positively alarmed."Why?" 

"Because we're prefects!" said Hermione, as they climbed out through the portrait hole. "It's up to us to stop this kind of thing!"

Ron said nothing; Harry could tell from his glum expression that the prospect of stopping Fred and George from doing exactly what they liked was not one that he found inviting. 

"Anyway, what's up, Harry?" Nova continued, as they walked down a flight of stairs lined with portraits of old witches and wizards, all of whom ignored them, being engrossed in their own conversation."You look really angry about something." 

"Seamus reckons Harry's lying about You-Know-Who," said Ron.

"Yes, Lavender thinks so as well," Hermione said gloomily. 

"Been having a nice little chat with her about whether or not I'm a lying, attention-seeking prat, have you?" Harry said loudly. 

"No," Hermione responded calmly, "I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut about you, actually. And it would be quite nice if you stopped jumping down Ron's and my throats, Harry, because if you haven't noticed, we're on your side."

"Sorry," Harry murmured. 

"Harry, I need to speak with you," Nova said both forcefully and suddenly. "You two go ahead, we'll catch up."

Ron and Hermione seemed reluctant but went anyway. 

Nova dragged Harry off to the side of the corridor. Now, they were out of the way and students could see if they were up to anything or not. So they could see they weren't conspiring against the Ministry.