Getaway Car

In the Hog's Head.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in the small, dingy, and very dirty room that smelled strongly of goats that was known as The Hog's Head. The bay windows were so encrusted with grime that very little daylight could permeate the room, which was lit instead with the stubs of candles sitting on rough wooden tables. The floor seemed at first glance to be earthy, though it took one step to realize there was stone beneath what seemed to be accumulated filth of centuries.
The door of the pud opened. A thick band of dusty sunlight split the room in two for a moment and then vanished, blocked by the incoming rush of a crowd of people.
First came Neville with Dean and Lavender, who were closely followed by Parvati and Padma with Chija, Cedric Diggory, and one of Chija's giggling girlfriends, then (on her own and looking so dreamy that she might have walked in by accident) Luna Lovegood; then Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, and Angelina Johnson, Colin and Dennis Creevy, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, and a Hufflepuff girl with a long braid down her back whose name Harry did not know; three Ravenclaw boys he was pretty sure were called Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, and Terry Boot; Ginny, followed by a tall skinny blond boy with an upturned nose whom Harry recognized vaguely as being a member of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, Fred, George, and Lee, all three of whom were carrying large paper bags crammed with Zonko's merchandise, came next; a band of Slytherins consisting of three girls and two boys brought up the rear.
Hermione and Harry were unbothered by them, for they were decently familiar with one or multiple of them. Ron, however, gaped at the two of them, wondering when they would say something. Slytherins being present was not Harry's main concern.

"A couple of people?" said Harry hoarsely to Hermione. "A couple of people?"

"Yes, well, the idea seemed quite popular," said Hermione happily. "Ron, do you want to pull up some more chairs? Let's see, where's (Y/n)?"

"The Slytherins?" Ron cried.

"Hm, yes. Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, Lorenzo Berkshire, Mattheo Riddle, and Winter... Something," Hermione listed off. "I'm assuming (Y/n) invited them... They were Cassius's friends, Ron, and I'm sure (Y/n) will have an explanation... Where is she—" The door was pushed open and (Y/n)'s eyes flew around the room before she shot Neville a very short look of annoyance. She jogged over to Harry, Ron, and Hermione with multiple shopping bags in her hands and joined their table.

"Sorry I'm late," (Y/n) apologized. "I fell asleep in, uh, what was it? I can't remember but Neville brought me there... Anyways! I hope you don't mind I invited them," she said, vaguely waving her hand towards the Slytherins who people were either eyeing cautiously or ignoring entirely.

"It's all good. I figured at least a couple of Slytherins would be interested after one of their own was killed," Harry said. 

"But Riddle, (Y/n)? Really?" Ron tried protesting.

"It's okay. He's staying with Andromeda Tonks and hates Umbridge," (Y/n) said, glancing around the room. "Hey, what's Dennis doing here? He's a second year." Hermione's head shot in Dennis's direction and, as though sensing them looking at him, he ducked down. "Leave it, 'Mione."

"But we're prefects!" Hermione said heatedly.

"And if we report him being at Hog's Head, a professor's going to come down and see us all here," (Y/n) said.

"You're right," Hermione sighed. "I'll allow it just this once... It's just one, right? Astoria's in..."

"Third year," (Y/n) answered. Hermione nodded. After concluding no one else was coming, Fred went up to the bar, counting his companions quickly.

"Hi," said Fred, reaching the bar, "could we get... thirty-two butterbeers, please?"
The barman glared at him for a moment, then, throwing down his rag irritable as though he had been interrupted in something very important, he started passing up dusty butterbeers from under the bar.
"Cheers," said Fred, handing them out. "Cough up, everyone, I haven't got enough gold for all of these..."
Harry watched numbly as the large chattering group took their beers from Fred and rummaged in their pockets to find coins. He could not imagine what all these people had turned up for until the horrible thought occurred to him that they might be expecting some kind of speech, at which he rounded on Hermione.