Jupiter | Harry James Potter

lxxxi ; the kind slytherin

    "Umbridge has been reading your mail, Harry. There's no other explanation."

"You think Umbridge attacked Hedwig?" Harry scoffed, outraged.

"I'm almost certain of it," Hermione said grimly. "Watch your frog, it's escaping."

Harry pointed his wand at the bullfrog that had been hopping hopefully toward the other side of the table — "Accio!"— and it zoomed gloomily back into his hand.

Charms was always one of the best lessons in which to enjoy a private chat: There was generally so much movement and activity that the danger of being overheard was very slight. Today, with the room full of croaking bullfrogs and cawing ravens, and with a heavy downpour of rain clattering and pounding against the classroom windows, Harry, Jupiter, Ron, and Hermione's whispered discussion about how Umbridge had nearly caught Sirius went quite unnoticed.

"It was a very, very close call last night," Hermione sighed. "I just wonder if Umbridge knows how close it was. Silencio!"

The bullfrog on which she was practicing her Silencing Charm was struck dumb mid-croak and glared at her reproachfully.

"If she'd caught Snuffles . . ."

Harry finished the sentence for her. "He'd probably be back in Azkaban this morning." He waved his wand without really concentrating; his bullfrog swelled like a green balloon and emitted a high-pitched whistle.

"Silencio!" Jupiter quickly gasped, pointing her wand at Harry's frog, which deflated silently. "Which means he can't ever do it again. We can't risk him going back."

"I just don't know how we're going to let him know. We can't send him an owl." Hermione sighed, her chin resting in her hand.

"I don't reckon he'll risk it again," Ron shrugged. "He's not stupid, he knows she nearly got him. Silencio!"

The large and ugly raven in front of him let out a derisive caw. "Silencio! SILENCIO!"

The raven cawed more loudly.

"It's the way you're moving your wand," Hermione said, watching Ron critically. "You don't want to wave it, it's more a sharp jab."

"Ravens are harder than frogs," Ron muttered testily. Jupiter and Harry both watched them boredly, since their frogs had both been silenced successfully by Jupiter.

It had been a common topic between the two of them; whether or not they Ron and Hermione finally get over their stubbornness and just snog.

"Fine, let's swap," Hermione said, seizing Ron's raven and replacing it with her own fat bullfrog. "Silencio!" The raven continued to open and close its sharp beak, but no sound came out.

"Very good, Miss Granger!" Professor Flitwick's squeaky little voice called and Jupiter, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all jumped. "Now, let me see you try, Mr. Weasley!"

"Wha — ? Oh — oh, right," Ron said, very flustered. "Er — Silencio!"

He jabbed at the bullfrog so hard that he poked it in the eye; the frog gave a deafening croak and leapt off the desk.

It came as no surprise to any of them that Harry and Ron were given additional practice of the Silencing Charm for homework.

-

They were allowed to remain inside over break due to the downpour outside. They found seats in a noisy and overcrowded classroom on the first floor in which Peeves was floating dreamily up near the chandelier, occasionally blowing an ink pellet at the top of somebody's head. They had barely sat down when Angelina came struggling toward them through the groups of gossiping students.