Chapter 188: Hogs Head (1/2)

”Do you think people will actually want to be taught by me?” Chris asked Luna sitting in the library on a blustery evening at the end of September. Ginny and Colin were also there. They all were working on their Astronomy essay.

”Don't worry, they will be glad to have you,” Luna smiled.

But Chris didn't feel so happy. Though she agreed to teach, the thought that people think she's a dark witch and a fourteen years old girl, made her laugh at Hermione's idea.

Hermione was the one who first came up with this idea and as soon as Chris agreed on this, she met Cedric and explained to him about it. Cedric thought it was a great idea. He felt that by this the different houses can actually work together for a common cause. Ginny declared that Cedric, Harry and Chris will be the ones leading the group, though most of the work was done by her and Hermione. They had planned the date and place of the first meeting, also had informed all the students who want to come. They were going to use their first Hogsmeade visit.

”Have you talked to Jason about it?” Luna asked getting back Chris's attention.

”Yeah, I have. He thinks this is slightly stupid,” Chris said with a sigh. ”He always thought risking your neck for others is a very stupid idea.”

”He couldn't be a Slytherin otherwise,” Ginny said, without looking up from her book. ”So I guess he is not coming?”

”No idea,” Chris said. ”He said he will try.”

”Susan and her friends are very excited about this,” Colin said grinning.

”What about Michael?” Luna asked.

”He is coming and planning to bring his friends,” Ginny said looking indifferent.

”Well, I was meaning to ask, Gin,” Chris sat up straight and Ginny looked up from her book. ”What you and Hermione are planning to keep our meeting a secret?”

”What do you mean?”

”I mean we need to keep it a secret from Umbridge, right? The entire thing. So what are you planning? How are we going to do it?”

”Hmm, Hermione suggested Hog's Head rather than three broomsticks for the meeting and she said she will put a jinx on the page and the quill in which the club members will write their names.”

”Good idea. I will meet up with Hermione to make sure the jinx works brutally,” Chris said seriously. ”I hate those people who betray for their own gain.”

The morning of the Hogsmeade visit dawned bright but windy. After breakfast, they queued up in front of Filch, who matched their names to the long list of students who had permission from their parents or guardian to visit the village.

Ginny decided to with Michael and his Ravenclaw friends, and Colin said he will arrive later. So Chris and Luna left without them.

They walked down the main street past Zonko's Joke Shop, the post office, and turned up a side street at the top of which stood a small inn. A battered wooden sign hung from a rusty bracket over the door, with a picture upon it of a wild boar's severed head leaking blood onto the white cloth around it. The sign creaked in the wind as they approached.

It was not at all like the Three Broomsticks, whose large bar gave an impression of gleaming warmth and cleanliness. The Hog's Head bar comprised one small, dingy, and very dirty room that smelled strongly of something that might have been goats. The bay windows were so encrusted with grime that very little daylight could permeate the room, which was lit instead with the stubs of candles sitting on rough wooden tables. The floor seemed at first glance to be earthy, though as Chris stepped onto it she realized that there was stone beneath what seemed to be the accumulated filth of centuries.

Chris looked around and realized that hiding faces were kind of fashion in Hog's head. There was a man at the bar whose whole head was wrapped in dirty grey bandages, though he was still managing to gulp endless glasses of some smoking, fiery substance through a slit over his mouth. There were two people wearing cloaks like Dementors and a heavily veiled witch.

”Charming,” Chris muttered to Luna. ”Hermione choose this place?”

Luna laughed.

The barman sidled toward them out of a back room. He was a grumpy-looking old man with a great deal of long grey hair and beard. He was tall and thin and looked vaguely familiar.