The Girl Who Hid | ✓

|83| Snape's Memory

Giving Harry a dirty look, I knew he wasn't practicing his Occlumency. Every time Harry had a vision, no matter how much I practiced, I would feel his pain through my scar and whatever Voldemort felt. Together, we set off for Snape's office after dinner. Halfway across the entrance hall, however, Cho came hurrying up to us.

I gave her an icy glare at her, it was her best friend that got Dumbledore sacked.

"Over here," said Harry, beckoning her across to the corner of the entrance hall where the giant hourglasses stood. Gryffindor's now almost empty. I marched over with them and continued my glare. "Are you okay? Umbridge hasn't been asking you about the D.A., has she?"

"Oh no," said Cho hurriedly. "No, it was only— Well, I just wanted to say— Harry, I never dreamed Marietta would tell—"

"Well, good friends you have," I snapped.

"She's a lovely person really," said Cho. "She just made a mistake —"

Harry looked at her incredulously.

"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 —"

"Actually, I jinxed the list. And good that I did! Your lovely friend is a sneak!" I stomped my foot angrily.

"I think it was a brilliant idea," said Harry coldly.

Cho flushed and her eyes grew brighter.

"Oh yes, I forgot — of course, whether it was darling Hermione's idea or Maisey's —"

"Don't start crying again," said Harry warningly.

"I wasn't going to!" she shouted.

"Could have fooled me," I narrowed my eyes at her.

"I've got enough to cope with at the moment," Harry said awkwardly.

"Go and cope with it then!" she said furiously, turning on her heel and stalking off.

"And you liked her because...?" I said.

Harry turned away from me and fumingly descended the stairs to Snape's dungeon.

"You're both late, Potters," said Snape coldly, as Harry closed the door behind us.

Snape was standing with his back to us, 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 us.

"So," he said. "Have you been practicing?"

"Yes," Harry and I said but I shot Harry a nasty look, knowing he was lying.

"Well, we'll soon find out, won't we?" said Snape smoothly. "Miss Potter, you sit in that chair. Wand out, Potter."

Harry moved into his usual position, facing Snape with the desk between them as I chose the chair furthest from them.

"On the count of three then," said Snape lazily. "One— two—"

Snape's office door banged open and Draco Malfoy sped in.