Harry Potter and Percy Jackson half-blood heroes (Book 5)

Chapter 5

"He says he saw Cedric Diggory murdered. . . ." 

"He reckons he duelled with You-Know-Who. . . ." 

"Come off it. . . ."

 "Who does he think he's kidding?" 

"Pur-lease . . ." 

"What I don't get," said Harry in a shaking voice, laying down hisknife and fork "is why they all believed the story two months ago whenDumbledore told them. . . ." 

"The thing is, Harry, I'm not sure they did," said Hermionegrimly. "Oh, let's get out of here."

"Come on Ron," said Percy 

Ron looked sadly at hishalf-finished apple pie but followed suit. People stared at them all theway out of the Hall. 

"What d'you mean, you're not sure they believed Dumbledore?"Harry asked Hermione when they reached the first-floor landing. 

"Look, you don't understand what it was like after it happened,"said Hermione quietly. "You arrived back in the middle of the lawnclutching Cedric's dead body. . . . None of us saw what happened inthe maze. . . . We just had Dumbledore's word for it that You-know who had come back and killed Cedric and fought you." 

"Which is the truth!" said Harry loudly.

 "I know it is, Harry, so will you please stop biting my head off?"said Hermione wearily. "It's just that before the truth could sink in,everyone went home for the summer, where they spent two monthsreading about how you're a nutcase and Dumbledore's going senile!" 

"Ahe's right," said Percy. "Many people are doubting Dumbledore. Remember Lupin, I agree my godfather is a good teacher but he can pose a risk as a werewolf. And mad eye?"

"Well he was a nutcase but he did teach us something," said Ron

"Mimbulus mimbletonia," said Hermione, before the Fat Ladycould ask. The portrait swung open to reveal the hole behind and thefour of them scrambled back through it. 

The common room was almost empty; nearly everyone was stilldown at dinner. Crookshanks uncoiled himself from an armchair andtrotted to meet them, purring loudly, and when Harry, Percy, Ron, andHermione took their three favourite chairs at the fireside he leaptlightly into Harry's lap and curled up there like a furry gingercushion

"How can Dumbledore have let this happen?" Hermione cried suddenly, making Harry and Ron jump; Crookshanks leapt off her, looking affronted. She pounded the arms of her chair in a fury so that bitsof stuffing leaked out of the holes. "How can he let that terriblewoman teach us? And in our O.W.L. year too!"

"Well, we've never had great Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, have we?" said Harry. "You know what it's like, Hagrid told us,nobody wants the job, they say it's jinxed."

 "Yes, but to employ someone who's actually refusing to let us domagic! What's Dumbledore playing at?" argued Percy

"And she's trying to get people to spy for her," said Ron darkly. "Remember when she said she wanted us to come and tell her if we hearanyone saying You-Know-Who's back?"

 "Of course she's here to spy on us all, that's obvious, why else wouldFudge have wanted her to come?" snapped Hermione. 

"Don't start arguing again," said Harry wearily, as Ron opened hismouth to retaliate. "Can't we just . . . Let's just do that homework, getit out of the way. . . ." 

They collected their schoolbags from a corner and returned to thechairs by the fire. People were coming back from dinner now.

"Shall we do Snape's stuff first?" said Ron, dipping his quill intohis ink. " 'The properties . . . of moonstone . . . and its uses . . . in potion-making . . .' " he muttered, writing the words across the top of hisparchment as he spoke them. "There." He underlined the title, thenlooked up expectantly at Hermione and Percy.