Hermione made no mention of Harry giving Defense Againstthe Dark Arts lessons for two whole weeks after her originalsuggestion. Harry's detentions with Umbridge were finally over, Ron had had four more Quidditch practicesand not been shouted at during the last two, and Percy had stopped falling asleep in Defense against the dark arts and paid attention. Not that he needed to.
"I was wondering," Hermione said suddenly while the four were doing their homework, "whether you'dthought any more about Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry."
" 'Course I have," said Harry grumpily. "Can't forget it, can we,with that hag teaching us —"
"I meant the idea we had" — Ron and Percy cast her an alarmed,threatening kind of look; she frowned at them— "oh, all right, theidea I had, then — about you teaching us.
"Why can't it be Percy," Harry said. "He's much better than me and..."
"Stop," Percy said. "Just stop. Harry, I am not taking that position. It must be you."
Harry did not answer at once. He pretended to be perusing a pageof Asiatic Anti-Venoms.
"Well," he said slowly, "yeah, I — I've thought aboutit a bit."
"And?" said Hermione eagerly.
"I dunno," said Harry. He looked up at Ron.
"I thought it was a good idea from the start," said Ron,
Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair."You did listen to what I said about a load of it being luck, didn't you?"
"Yes, Harry," said Hermione gently, "but all the same, there's no point pretending that you're not good at Defense Against the DarkArts, because you are. You were the only person last year who could throw off the Imperius Curse completely, well you and Percy and both of you can produce Patronuses, you can do all sorts of stuff that full-grown wizards can't, Viktor always said —"
Percy looked around at her so fast he appeared to crick his neck; rubbing it, he said, "Krum? did he say?"
"Ho ho," said Hermione in a bored voice. "He said Harry knew how to do stuff even he didn't, and he was in the final year atDurmstrang. He also was impressed with your swimming."
"You're not still in contact with him, are you?"
"So what if I am?" said Hermione coolly, though her face was a little pink. Ron and Harry looked at both them like a tennis match "I can have a pen pal if I —"
"He didn't only want to be your pen pal," Percy whispered
"What did you say?" Hermione said glaring at him.
"Nothing. Nothing," said Percy raising his hands. Though his red hair said otherwise. "Well, what do you think?Will you teach us?"
"Just you three, yeah?"
"Well," said Hermione, now looking a mite anxious again. "Well. . . now, don't fly off the handle again, Harry, please. . . . But I reallythink you ought to teach anyone who wants to learn. I mean, we'retalking about defending ourselves against V-Voldemort — oh, don'tbe pathetic, Ron — it doesn't seem fair if we don't offer the chance toother people."
Harry considered this for a moment, then said, "Yeah, but I doubtanyone except you three would want to be taught by me. I'm a nutter,remember?"
"Well, I think you might be surprised how many people would beinterested in hearing what you've got to say," said Hermione seriously."Look," she leaned toward him; Percy, who was still watching her witha frown on his face, leaned forward to listen too, "you know the firstweekend in October's a Hogsmeade weekend? How would it be if wetell anyone who's interested to meet us in the village and we can talkit over?"
"Why do we have to do it outside school?" said Ron.
"Because," said Hermione, returning to the diagram of the ChineseChomping Cabbage she was copying, "I don't think Umbridge wouldbe very happy if she found out what we were up to."
"Oh she wouldn't," Percy said shaking his head. "She'll probably kick us out of school or even sentence us to Azkaban for treason."
But there was one more thing. Sirius. Percy knew he won't come but he still worried from time to timethat a great big black dog might throw caution to the winds and turn up anyway.
"Well, you can't blame him for wanting to get out and about," saidRon, when Harry discussed his fears with him, Percy and Hermione. "Imean, he's been on the run for over two years, hasn't he, and I knowthat can't have been a laugh, but at least he was free, wasn't he? Andnow he's just shut up all the time with that lunatic elf."
Hermione scowled at Ron, but otherwise ignored the slight onKreacher.
"The trouble is," she said to Harry, "until V-Voldemort — oh forheaven's sake, Ron — comes out into the open, Sirius is going to haveto stay hidden, isn't he? I mean, the stupid Ministry isn't going to realize Sirius is innocent until they accept that Dumbledore's beentelling the truth about him all along. And once the fools start catching real Death Eaters again it'll be obvious Sirius isn't one . . . I mean,he hasn't got the Mark, for one thing."
"I don't reckon he'd be stupid enough to turn up," said Percy. "Dumbledore'd go mad if he did and Sirius listens to Dumbledore even if he doesn't like his ideas."
When Harry continued to look worried, Hermione said, "Listen,Ron, Percy and I have been sounding out people who we thought mightwant to learn some proper Defense Against the Dark Arts, and thereare a couple who seem interested. We've told them to meet us inHogsmeade."
"Right," said Harry vaguely.
"Don't worry, Harry," Hermione said quietly. "You've got enoughon your plate without Sirius too."
After breakfast, they queued up in front of Filch, who matched theirnames to the long list of students who had permission from their parents or guardian to visit the village
When Harry reached Filch, the caretaker gave a great sniff asthough trying to detect a whiff of something from Harry. Then hegave a curt nod that set his jowls aquiver again and Harry walked on,out onto the stone steps and the cold, sunlit day.
"Er — why was Filch sniffing you?" asked Ron, as he, Percy, Harry, andHermione set off at a brisk pace down the wide drive to the gates.
"I suppose he was checking for the smell of Dungbombs," saidHarry with a small laugh. "I forgot to tell you . . ."
And he recounted the story of sending his letter to Sirius and Filchbursting in seconds later, demanding to see the letter. To everyone's surprise, Hermione found this story highly interesting.
"He said he was tipped off you were ordering Dungbombs? Butwho had tipped him off?".
"I dunno," said Harry, shrugging. "Maybe Malfoy, he'd think it wasa laugh."
"Could be..." Percy said drifting off.
They walked between the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars and turned left onto the road into the village, the wind whipping their hair into their eyes.
"Malfoy?" said Hermione, very sceptically. "Well . . . yes . . .maybe . . ."
And she remained deep in thought all the way into the outskirts ofHogsmeade.
"Where are we going anyway?" Harry asked. "The Three Broomsticks?"
"Oh — no," said Hermione, coming out of her reverie, "no, it's always packed and really noisy. I've told the others to meet us in theHog's Head, that other pub, you know the one, it's not on the mainroad. I think it's a bit . . . you know . . . dodgy . . . but students don'tnormally go in there, so I don't think we'll be overheard."
Percy checked whether he had his wand.
They walked down the main street past Zonko's Joke Shop, wherethey were unsurprised to see Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, past thepost office, from which owls issued at regular intervals, and turned upa side street at the top of which stood a small inn. A battered woodensign hung from a rusty bracket over the door, with a picture upon it ofa wild boar's severed head leaking blood onto the white cloth aroundit. The sign creaked in the wind as they approached. All four of themhesitated outside the door.
"Right, very dodgy," Percy said leading. "Well, come on,"
It was not at all like the Three Broomsticks, whose large bar gave animpression of gleaming warmth and cleanliness. The Hog's Head barcomprised one small, dingy, and very dirty room that smelled stronglyof goats. The room was lit with stubs of candles sitting on roughwooden tables. The floor looked earthly, but when Percy stepped on it, there was stone beneath.
There was a man at the bar whose whole head was wrapped indirty grey bandages, though he was still managing to gulp endlessglasses of some smoking, fiery substance through a slit over his mouth and two hooded figures talking in strong Yorkshire accents; in a shadowy corner beside the fireplace.
"I don't know about this, Hermione," Harry muttered, as theycrossed to the bar. He was looking particularly at the heavily veiledwitch. "Has it occurred to you Umbridge might be under that?"
"Umbridge is shorter than that woman," she said quietly. "Andanyway, even if Umbridge does come in here there's nothing she cando to stop us, Harry, because I've double- and triple-checked theschool rules. We're not out-of-bounds; I specifically asked ProfessorFlitwick whether students were allowed to come in the Hog's Head,and he said yes, but he advised me strongly to bring our own glasses.And I've looked up everything I can think of about study groups andhomework groups and they're definitely allowed. I just don't think it'sa good idea if we parade what we're doing."
"So homework group then?" Percy asked
"No," said Harry dryly, "especially as it's not exactly a homeworkgroup you're planning, is it?"
The barman sidled toward them out of a back room. He was agrumpy-looking old man with a great deal of long grey hair andbeard. He was tall and thin and looked like Dumbledore to Percy.
"What?" he grunted.
"Four butterbeers, please," said Hermione.
The man reached beneath the counter and pulled up three verydusty, very dirty bottles, which he slammed on the bar.
"Eight Sickles," he said.
The barman's eyes travelled over Harry, resting for a fraction of a second on hisscar. Then he turned away and deposited Harry's money in an ancientwooden till. Percy got the drinks and he, Harry,Ron and Hermione retreated to the farthest table from the bar andsat down, looking around.
"You know what?" Ron murmured, looking over at the bar withenthusiasm. "We could order anything we liked in here, I bet thatbloke would sell us anything, he wouldn't care. I've always wanted to try fire whisky."
"You're a prefect Ron" Percy reminded him.
"Oh. yeah." said Ron crestfallen.
"But me on the other hand." said Percy rubbing his hands.
"Percy don't you even think about !" snarled Hermione
"Alright. Alright," said Percy in mock surrender
"So who did you say is supposed to be meeting us?" Harry asked,wrenching open the rusty top of his butterbeer and taking a swig.
"Just a couple of people," Hermione repeated, checking her watchand then looking anxiously toward the door. "I told them to be hereabout now and I'm sure they all know where it is — oh look, thismight be them now —"
The door of the pub had opened. A thick band of dusty sunlightsplit the room in two for a moment and then vanished, blocked by theincoming rush of a crowd of people.First came Neville with Dean and Lavender, who were closely followed by Parvati and Padma Patil with Cho and one of her usually giggling girlfriends, then Luna Lovegood; then Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, and Angelina Johnson, Colin and Dennis Creevey, four Hufflepuff; three Ravenclawboys Percy was pretty sure were called Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, and Terry Boot; Ginny, followed by a tall skinny blond boy withan upturned nose whom Percy recognized vaguely as being a memberof the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, and bringing up the rear, Fred andGeorge Weasley with their friend Lee Jordan, all three of whom werecarrying large paper bags crammed with Zonko's merchandise.
"A couple Hermione?" Percy whispered to Hermione. But Harry's voice was much of a whisper.
"Yes, well, the idea seemed quite popular," said Hermione happily."Ron, do you want to pull up some more chairs?"
The barman had frozen in the act of wiping out a glass with a ragso filthy it looked as though it had never been washed. Possibly he hadnever seen his pub so full.
"Hi," said Fred, reaching the bar first and counting his companionsquickly. "Could we have . . . twenty-five butterbeer, please?"
The barman glared at him for a moment, then, throwing downhis rag irritably as though he had been interrupted in something veryimportant, he started passing up dusty butterbeer from under thebar.
"Cheers," said Fred, handing them out. "Cough up, everyone, Ihaven't got enough gold for all of these. . . ."
"Don't worry everyone," Percy said taking out three galleons. The barman took them and handed him a sickle. "Drinks are on me. Thank you for coming."
"What have you been telling people?" Percy said in a low voice. "Whatare they expecting?"
"I've told you, they just want to hear what you've got to say," said Hermione soothingly; but Harry continued to look at her so furiously that she added quickly, "You don't have to do anything yet, I'll speak to them first."
"Hi, Harry," said Neville, beaming and taking a seat opposite Harry.
Harry tried to smile but couldn't.
In twos and threes the new arrivals settled around Harry, Ron, andHermione, some looking rather excited, others curious, Luna Lovegood gazing dreamily into space. When everybody had pulled up achair, the chatter died out. Every eye was upon Harry.
"Er," said Hermione, her voice slightly higher than usual out ofnerves. "Well — er — hi."
The group focused its attention on her instead.
"Well . . . erm . . . well, you know why you're here. Erm . . . well,Harry here had the idea — I mean" — Harry had thrown her a sharplook — "I had the idea — that it might be good if people whowanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts — and I mean, reallystudy it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing withus" — (Hermione's voice became suddenly much stronger and moreconfident) — "because nobody could call that Defense Against theDark Arts" — "Hear, hear," said Anthony Goldstein, and Hermionelooked heartened — "well, I thought it would be good if we, well,took matters into our own hands."
She paused, looked sideways at Harry, and went on, "And by that Imean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory butthe real spells —"
"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. toothough, I bet?" said Michael Corner.
"Of course I do," said Hermione at once. "But I want more thanthat, I want to be properly trained in Defense because . . . because . . ."She took a great breath and finished, "Because Lord Voldemort'sback."
The reaction was immediate and predictable. Cho's friend shriekedand slopped butterbeer down herself, Terry Boot gave a kind of involuntary twitch, Padma Patil shuddered, and Neville gave an odd yelpthat he managed to turn into a cough. All of them, however, lookedfixedly, even eagerly, at Harry.
"Well . . . that's the plan anyway," said Hermione. "If you want tojoin us, we need to decide how we're going to —"
"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" said the blond Hufflepuff player in a rather aggressive voice.
"Well, Dumbledore believes it —" Hermione began.
"You mean, Dumbledore believes them," said the blond boy, nodding at Harry and Percy.
"What's your name kiddo?" Percy asked narrowing his eyes.
"Zacharias Smith," said the boy, "and I think we've got the right toknow exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."
"Oh I'm sorry your highness." Percy said in a mocking tone ignoring the snickers. "But that's really not whatthis meeting was supposed to be about —"
"It's okay, Percy," said Harry.
"What makes both of us say You-Know-Who's back?" he asked, looking Zacharias straight in the face. "I saw him. But Dumbledore told thewhole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."
Zacharias said dismissively, "All Dumbledore told us last year wasthat Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that youbrought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us details,he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd alllike to know —"
"Listen you prat." Percy said in an aggressive voice standing up. "Did you just came to get details on Voldemort murdering someone? Well news flash, He can't help you. So get out or stop asking questions. All of you."
But none of them left their seats, not even Zacharias Smith.
"So," said Hermione, her voice very high-pitched again. "So . . .like I was saying . . . if you want to learn some defense, then we needto work out how we're going to do it, how often we're going to meet,and where we're going to —"
"Is it true," interrupted the girl with the long plait down her back,looking at Harry, "that you can produce a Patronus?"
There was a murmur of interest around the group at this.
"Yeah," said Harry slightly defensively.
"A corporeal Patronus?"
"Er — you don't know Madam Bones, do you?" he asked
The girl smiled."She's my auntie," she said. "I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So — is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"
"Yes," said Harry.
"Blimey, Harry!" said Lee, looking deeply impressed. "I never knew that!"
"Mum told Ron not to spread it around," said Fred, grinning atHarry. "She said you got enough attention as it was."
"She's not wrong," mumbled Harry and a couple of people laughed.
"And did you fight a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" demanded Terry Boot. "That's what one of the portraits on thewall told me when I was in there last year. . . ."
"Er — yeah, I did, yeah," said Harry.
Justin Finch-Fletchley whistled, the Creevey brothers exchangedawestruck looks, and Lavender Brown said "wow" softly
"And in our first year," said Neville to the group at large, "he savedthat Sorcerous Stone —"
"Sorcerer's," hissed Hermione.
"Yes, that, from You-Know-Who," finished Neville.
Hannah Abbott's eyes were as round as Galleons.
"And that's not to mention," said Cho, "all the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournamentlast year — getting past dragons and merpeople and acromantulas andthings. . . ."
There was a murmur of impressed agreement around the table.
"Look," Harry said and everyone fell silent at once, "I . . . I don't wantto sound like I'm trying to be modest or anything, but . . . I had a lotof help with all that stuff. . . ."
"Not with the dragon, you didn't," said Michael Corner at once."That was a seriously cool bit of flying. . . ."
"Yeah, well —" said Harry
"And nobody helped you get rid of those dementors this summer,"said Susan Bones.
"No," said Harry, "no, okay, I know I did bits of it without help,but the point I'm trying to make is —"
"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" saidZacharias Smith.
"Do us a favour Smith and get out of here," Percy growled.
"Here's a better idea," said Ron loudly, "why don't you shut your mouth?"
Zacharias flushed. "Well, we've all turned up to learn from him, and now he's tellingus he can't really do any of it," he said.
"That's not what he said," snarled Fred Weasley.
"Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" inquiredGeorge, pulling a long and lethal-looking metal instrument from inside one of the Zonko's bags.
"Or any part of your body, really, we're not fussy where we stickthis," said Fred.
"Yes, well," said Hermione hastily, "moving on . . . the point is, arewe agreed we want to take lessons from Harry?"
There was a murmur of general agreement. Zacharias folded hisarms and said nothing.
"Right," said Hermione, looking relieved. "Well, then, the next question is how often we do it.I really don't think there's any point in meeting less than once aweek —"
"Hang on," said Angelina, "we need to make sure this doesn't clashwith our Quidditch practice."
"No," said Cho, "nor with ours."
"Nor ours," added Zacharias Smith.
"I'm sure we can find a night that suits everyone," said Hermione,slightly impatiently, "but you know, this is rather important, we'retalking about learning to defend ourselves against V-Voldemort'sDeath Eaters —"
"Well said!" barked Ernie Macmillan. "Personally I think this is really important, possibly more important than anything else we'll do this year,even with our O.W.L.s coming up!"
"And our NEWTS." Percy added.
He looked around impressively, as though waiting for people to cry,
"Surely not!" When nobody spoke, he went on, "I, personally, am at aloss to see why the Ministry has foisted such a useless teacher upon usat this critical period. Obviously they are in denial about the return ofYou-Know-Who, but to give us a teacher who is trying to actively prevent us from using defensive spells —"
"We think the reason Umbridge doesn't want us trained in DefenseAgainst the Dark Arts," said Hermione, "is that she's got some . . .some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the schoolas a kind of private army. She thinks he'd mobilize us against theMinistry."
Nearly everybody looked stunned at this news; everybody except Luna Lovegood, "Well, that makes sense. After all,Cornelius Fudge has got his own private army."
"What?" said Harry, completely thrown off by this information.
"Yes, he's got an army of heliopaths," said Luna solemnly.
"No, he hasn't," snapped Hermione.
"Yes, he has," said Luna.
"What are heliopaths?" asked Neville, looking blank.
"They're spirits of fire," said Luna, her protuberant eyes wideningso that she looked madder than ever. "Great tall flaming creatures thatgallop across the ground burning everything in front of —"
"They don't exist, Neville," said Hermione tartly.
"Oh yes they do!" said Luna angrily.
"I'm sorry, but where's the proof of that?" snapped Hermione.
"There are plenty of eyewitness accounts, just because you're sonarrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nosebefore you —"
"Alright." Percy said raising his hands. "I'm sure we're all interested in these titan spirits. Whatever they are. But let's decide how often we're going to meet and getDefense lessons"
"Yes," said Hermione at once, "yes, we were, you're right. . . ."
"Well, once a week sounds cool," said Lee Jordan.
"As long as —" began Angelina.
"Yes, yes, we know about the Quidditch," said Hermione in a tensevoice. "Well, the other thing to decide is where we're going tomeet. . . ."
This was rather more difficult; the whole group fell silent.
"Library?" suggested Katie Bell after a few moments.
"I can't see Madam Pince being too chuffed with us doing jinxes inthe library," said Harry.
"Maybe an unused classroom?" said Dean.
"Yeah," said Ron, "McGonagall might let us have hers, she didwhen Harry was practicing for the Triwizard. . . ."
But Percy was pretty certain that McGonagall would not be so accommodating this time
"Right, well, we'll try to find somewhere," said Hermione. "We'llsend a message round to everybody when we've got a time and a placefor the first meeting."
She rummaged in her bag and produced parchment and a quill
"I-I think everybody should write their name down, just so weknow who was here. But I also think," she took a deep breath, "thatwe all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if yousign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge — or anybody else — whatwe're up to."
Fred reached out for the parchment and cheerfully put down hissignature, several people looked lessthan happy at the prospect of putting their names on the list.
"Er . . ." said Zacharias slowly, not taking the parchment thatGeorge was trying to pass him. "Well . . . I'm sure Ernie will tell mewhen the meeting is."
But Ernie was looking rather hesitant about signing too.
"I — well, we are prefects," Ernie burst out. "And if this list wasfound . . . well, I mean to say . . . you said yourself, if Umbridge findsout . . ."
"You just said this group was the most important thing you'd dothis year," Harry reminded him.
"I — yes," said Ernie, "yes, I do believe that, it's just . . ."
"Ernie, do you really think I'd leave that list lying around?" saidHermione testily.
"No. No, of course not," said Ernie, looking slightly less anxious."I — yes, of course I'll sign."
Nobody raised objections after Ernie, though Percy saw Cho's friend Marietta Edgecombe give her a rather reproachful look before adding her name.When the last person — Zacharias — had signed, Hermione tookthe parchment back and slipped it carefully into her bag.
"Well, time's ticking on," said Fred briskly, getting to his feet."George, Lee, and I have got items of a sensitive nature to purchase,we'll be seeing you all later."
In twos and threes the rest of the group took their leave too.
"Well, I think that went quite well," said Hermione happily, as she, Percy, Harry, and Ron walked out of the Hog's Head into the bright sunlighta few moments later, Harry and Ron still clutching their bottles ofbutterbeer.
"That Zacharias bloke's a wart," said Ron, who was glowering afterthe figure of Smith just discernible in the distance.
"I don't like him much either," admitted Hermione, "but he overheard me talking to Ernie and Hannah at the Hufflepuff table and heseemed really interested in coming, so what could I say? But the morepeople the better really — I mean, Michael Corner and his friendswouldn't have come if he hadn't been going out with Ginny —"
Ron, who had been draining the last few drops from his butterbeerbottle, gagged and sprayed butterbeer on Percy's face.
"Damn you Ron." Percy said wiping his face.
"He's WHAT?" said Ron, outraged, his ears now resembling the color of raw beef. "She's going out with — my sister's going — what d'youmean, Michael Corner?"
"Well, that's why he and his friends came, I think — well, they'reobviously interested in learning defense, but if Ginny hadn't toldMichael what was going on —"
"When did this — when did she — ?"
"They met at the Yule Ball and they got together at the end of lastyear," said Hermione composedly. They had turned into the HighStreet and she paused outside Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, where therewas a handsome display of pheasant-feather quills in the window."Hmm . . . I could do with a new quill."
She turned into the shop. Harry and Ron followed her.
"Which one was Michael Corner?" Ron demanded furiously.
"The dark one," said Hermione.
"I didn't like him," said Ron at once.
"Big surprise," said Percy and Hermione.
"But," said Ron, following Hermione along a row of quills in copper pots, "I thought Ginny fancied Harry!"
Hermione looked at him rather pityingly and shook her head."Ginny used to fancy Harry, but she gave up on him months ago.Not that she doesn't like you, of course," she added kindly to Harrywhile she examined a long black-and-gold quill.
"So that's why she talks now?" Harry asked Hermione. "She never usedto talk in front of me."
"Exactly," said Hermione. "Yes, I think I'll have this one. . . ."
She went up to the counter and handed over fifteen Sickles and twoKnuts, Ron still breathing down her neck.
"Ron," she said severely as she turned and trod on his feet, "this isexactly why Ginny hasn't told you she's seeing Michael, she knewyou'd take it badly. So don't harp on about it, for heaven's sake."
"What d'you mean, who's taking anything badly? I'm not going toharp on about anything . . ."
"You sprayed butterbeer on me and you just said you hate Michael Corner. What part of not harping do you understand?" Percy asked.
Ron continued to chunter under his breath all the way down thestreet. Hermione and Percy rolled their eyes at Harry and then said in an undertone, while Ron was muttering imprecations about Michael Corner,"And talking about Michael and Ginny . . . what about Cho andyou?"
"What d'you mean?" said Harry quickly.
"Well." Percy said grinning. "She just couldn't keep hereyes off you, could she?"
