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THE WEEK FOLLOWING Harry's interview with Rita Skeeter, everyone impatiently waited for the next edition of The Quibbler to be released. However, according to Luna, there was a chance that Rita's piece wouldn't make it until the edition after the next. Rory knew the girl couldn't control what was published and when it was, but she hoped Luna knew how important this was for Harry.
At dinner the following Monday, Dean was awestruck, "Can't wait to see what Umbridge thinks of you going public." And from his other side Neville nodded, "It's the right thing to do, Harry. It must have been . . . tough . . . talking about it. . . . Was it?"
"Yeah, but people have got to know what Voldemort's capable of, haven't they?" Harry asked, and Neville nodded again, "That's right, and his Death Eaters too . . . people should know . . ."
After a while Seamus, Dean, and Neville left for the common room, leaving Harry with Hermione and Rory. As she sat beside him, Cho walked into the Great Hall with her friend, staring her down. She quickly avoided eye contact, drawing her focus back to Hermione.
Hermione glanced between her and Harry, a bright smile forming on her face, "I forgot to ask you, how was your date?" And Rory shrugged, "It was alright. Could've done without all the snogging from others, but the bookstore was nice."
"Yeah, probably my favorite part," Harry agreed. "Madam Puddifoot's looked a bit too much like Umbridge's office."
"A little traumatizing honestly," Rory continued. "I expected Umbridge to jump out of nowhere and yell at Harry and I, but luckily she never did."
Hermione nodded, "Well, I'm glad it wasn't completely horrible. . . . Hey, Rory? Why is Cho Chang glaring at you?"
Rory turned around and made eye contact with said girl, whose face read she was furious, "Uh, I'm not entirely sure. Maybe she's still upset that I told her to not ask Harry to Hogsmeade for Valentine's Day."
"Wait, what?" Harry asked, and Rory looked back at him, "Oh, I thought I told you. . . . Well, on the way to the first Occlumency lesson, Cho asked me to help ask you out for Valentine's Day. Then I told her not to ask because we're dating."
As Rory glanced Cho's way again, Ginny and Ron sat down at the Gryffindor table. The Ravenclaw girl rolled her eyes and stood from her table, rejecting further eye contact with Rory. She sighed, "I never meant to upset her. I just wanted to let her know that Harry's taken, by me."
"You're not in the wrong, Ro," Harry told her, then looked at Ron and Ginny, "How was Quidditch practice?" And Ron groaned, "It was a nightmare."
"Oh, come on," Hermione glanced at Ginny. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad —"
