It was getting late. They had to return to their dormitories before Filch discovered them.
Harry pulled out the Marauder's Map, carefully checking that the eighth-floor corridors were empty before opening the door and letting three or four people leave the Room of Requirement together in groups. After they left, Harry kept watching the map until the Hufflepuffs had returned underground, the Ravenclaws had crossed the bridge back to the west side of the castle, and the Gryffindors had returned to the Fat Lady's portrait. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"I told you, you really are suited to be a leader," Orli said encouragingly, patting his back. "Look—conscientious, responsible, and you care about the group members' safety."
Harry's ears turned red, his face flushing slightly.
"Do you really think it should be me..."
"I really do," Orli said with a laugh, nodding firmly.
Over the next two weeks, they met three more times. Apart from owl post arriving at lunch instead of breakfast and notices covering the corridors, their lives seemed largely unaffected.
Harry had changed, though it was for the better. He no longer received anonymous letters—Orli suspected Umbridge was intercepting and destroying them all. But he stood straighter, and whenever they encountered a group member in the corridors, Harry's eyes would light up.
After several practice sessions, some people's Patronuses were beginning to take shape. Just the night before, Hermione had been the first to produce a corporeal Patronus—an adorable otter.
Everyone was enthusiastic about the meetings, but it was difficult to fix them on any particular evening because they had to avoid the three Quidditch teams' training schedules. These training times often changed due to the recent terrible weather. Ron complained once that the coin in his pocket had heated up three times in a single day, meaning the time had been changed three times in a row.
As the first Quidditch match of the season approached—Gryffindor versus Slytherin—the D.A. meetings had to be temporarily suspended because Angelina demanded almost daily practice. Since there had been no Quidditch all fourth year, every House was taking this season extremely seriously. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were equally invested in the first match's outcome, since they would face each other in the spring.
Professor McGonagall and Snape exchanged polite greetings each morning, but privately they were locked in fierce competition. Professor McGonagall's determination to beat Slytherin was so strong that she even canceled all Gryffindor homework the week before the match.
"I think you've been busy enough lately, students," she said. "The Quidditch Cup has been sitting in my office for two years now. I've grown quite fond of it and really don't want to hand it over to Professor Snape." She lifted her chin proudly while everyone exchanged glances, hardly believing their ears. "So please use the extra time for more training!"
Snape's bias was equally obvious: he constantly booked the pitch for Slytherin, making it difficult for the Gryffindor team to find training time. He also turned a blind eye to Slytherin players' underhanded tactics against Gryffindor players in the corridors.
Orli found it hard to say which side she actually wanted to win, though she had to fight back laughter whenever she saw either professor.
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