“A lovely person who made a mistake? She sold us all out, including you!”
“Well… we all got away, didn’t we?” said Cho pleadingly. “You know, her mum works for the Ministry, it’s really difficult for her—”
“Ron’s dad works for the Ministry too!” Harry said furiously. “And in case you hadn’t noticed, he hasn’t got sneak written across his face—”
“That was a really horrible trick of Hermione Granger’s,” said Cho fiercely. “She should have told us she’d jinxed that list—”
“I think it was a brilliant idea,” said Harry coldly. Cho flushed and her eyes grew brighter.
“Oh yes, I forgot—of course, if it was darling Hermione’s idea—”
“Don’t start crying again,” said Harry warningly.
“I wasn’t going to!” she shouted.
“Yeah… well… good,” he said. “I’ve got enough to cope with at the moment.”
“Go and cope with it then!” Cho said furiously, turning on her heel and stalking off.
Fuming, Harry descended the stairs to Snape’s dungeon and, though he knew from experience how much easier it would be for Snape to penetrate his mind if he arrived angry and resentful, he succeeded in nothing but thinking of a few more things he should have said to Cho about Marietta before reaching the dungeon door.
“You’re late, Potter,” said Snape coldly, as Harry closed the door behind him.
Snape was standing with his back to Harry, removing, as usual, certain of his thoughts and placing them carefully in Dumbledore’s Pensieve. He dropped the last silvery strand into the stone basin and turned to face Harry.
“So,” he said. “Have you been practising?”
“Yes,” Harry lied, looking carefully at one of the legs of Snape’s desk.
Harry moved into his usual position, facing Snape with the desk between them. His heart was pumping fast with anger at Cho and anxiety about how much Snape was about to extract from his mind.
“On the count of three then,” said Snape lazily. “One—two—”
Snape’s office door banged open and Draco Malfoy sped in.
“Professor Snape, sir—oh—sorry—”
Malfoy was looking at Snape and Harry in some surprise.
“It’s all right, Draco,” said Snape, lowering his wand. “Potter is here for a little remedial Potions.”