"Come in."
The steady voice from behind the tightly shut wooden door made the three guilty little wizards draw deep breaths in unison. Hermione turned and shot Harry and Ron a warning look, reminding them not to forget the story they had agreed upon, then placed her pale hand on the doorknob.
"Oh, it's you!"
The surprised exclamation came not from Professor Breen, but from Percy, who was sitting on the sofa opposite him. For some reason, Percy's face immediately flushed slightly.
"Why are you here?"
"That's what we should be asking you—"
Years of interacting with his brother made Ron retort instinctively, but when he caught Hermione's narrowed-eyed glare, his expression changed at once. He put on a look of surprise.
"Oh, Percy—cough, cough—you've really surprised me. Shouldn't you be working at the Ministry of Magic? Why are you at Hogwarts?"
Even Harry could tell that Professor Breen, with that unreadable smile at the corner of his lips, had surely guessed what the three of them had come into his office to ask about.
Percy truly did not want anyone interrupting his conversation with Professor Breen, especially not his younger brother. But Ron's question did leave him at a loss for words.
"That has nothing to do with you, Ron!"
After hemming and hawing for a long while, Percy finally stammered, though his tone remained stern.
"You should be friendlier to your brother, Percy."
Amosta said gently, putting an end to the brothers' increasingly confrontational exchange. He looked toward Hermione, who was leading the group and nervously clenching her fists.
"I trust that if you have come to see me instead of enjoying a delicious lunch, it must be for something important, correct?"
"Oh, yes, Professor Breen—"
Hermione pressed her lips together and nodded.
"It's about something Harry experienced.