MANIA - HJP

CHAPTER V

Seconds later, or so it seemed to Harry, the door burst open, waking him up with what sounded like cannon fire. The blinding sunlight seemed to jab him hard in both eyes as he sat straight upright, hearing the rasp of the drapes being pushed back. He shielded them with one hand while frantically searching for his spectacles with the other.

 "Wuzzgoinon?" he asked, his voice coming out deep and raspy.

"We didn't know you were here already!" said a loud and excited voice, and he received a sharp blow to the top of the head.

"Ron, don't hit him!" said a girl's voice reproachfully, whilst laughter could be heard in the background. 

Harry's hand found his glasses and he pushed them on, despite the fact that the light was so intense that he couldn't see. For a brief moment, a long, overhanging shadow quivered in front of him; Harry blinked, and Ron Weasley appeared, beaming down at him.

"All right?"

"Never been better," said Harry, rubbing the top of his head and slumping back onto his pillows. "You?"

"Not bad," said Ron, pulling over a cardboard box and sitting on it. "When did you get here? Mum's only just told us!"

"About one o'clock this morning. "

"Were the Muggles all right? Did they treat you okay?"

"Same as usual," said Harry, as Hermione perched herself on the edge of his bed, "they didn't talk to me much, but I like it better that way. How're you, Hermione, Altalune?"

"Oh, I'm fine," said Hermione, who was scrutinizing Harry as though he was sickening for something. He thought he knew what was behind this, and he had no wish to discuss Sirius's death or any other miserable subject at the moment.

"What time is it, by the way? Have I missed breakfast?"

"Don't worry about that, Mum's bringing you up a tray; she reckons you look underfed," said Ron, rolling his eyes. "So, what's been going on?"

"Nothing much, I've just been stuck at my aunt and uncle's, haven't I?"

"Come off it!" said Ron. "You've been off with Dumbledore!"

"It wasn't that exciting. He just wanted me to help him persuade this old teacher to come out of retirement. His name's Horace Slughorn. "

"Oh," said Ron, looking disappointed. "We thought--"

Hermione flashed a warning look at Ron, and Ron changed tack at top speed.

"-- we thought it'd be something like that. "

"Oh?" Harry replied, smirking. "You did?" 

"Yeah. . . yeah, now Umbridge has left, obviously we need a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, don't we? So, er, what's he like?"

"He looks a bit like a walrus, and he used to be Head of Slytherin," said Harry. "Something wrong, Hermione?"

She was watching him as though expecting unusual symptoms to manifest themselves at any moment. She shifted her features hurriedly in an unconvincing smile.

"No, of course not! So, um, did Slughorn seem like he'll be a good teacher?"

"Dunno," said Harry. "He can't be worse than Umbridge, can he?"

"I know someone who's worse than Umbridge," said a voice from the doorway. Ron's younger sister slouched into the room, looking irritable. "Hi, Harry. "

"What's up with you?" Ron asked.

"It's her," said Ginny, plonking herself down on Harry's bed. "She's driving me mad. "

"What's she done now?" asked Hermione sympathetically.

"It's the way she talks to me. . . you'd think I was about three!"

"I know," said Hermione, dropping her voice. "She's so full of herself."