The Forbidden Forest

In the Forbidden Forest

"She said," Harry said, lifting his eyes from his phone screen, "Vivi, don't tell anyone I was the one who suggested it."

Vivi laughed softly.

She set down her teacup, picked up the Gingerbread Cookie, and took another small bite.

"She dismantled the Magic Array in Fahmy's office, saved Egypt a compensation payment, thought ahead and split the money saved among the third batch of countries, and then specifically told you not to say it was her suggestion?"

"That's how she's always been," Harry said.

"I know." Vivi swallowed the cookie and lightly flicked the crumbs from her fingertips. "Back at Hogwarts, every time she helped correct your hand movements in Charms Class, she'd add, 'Don't tell anyone I taught you,' wouldn't she? A little private fun that belonged to the two of you."

"You really do hold grudges." Harry put his phone back into his pocket. "Cassandra had one more thing to say. She asked whether you were still staying up late reading draft letters. If you were, she suggested you give half of the third batch of countries' letters to Ms. Rosier to review, because Ms. Rosier's grammar proofreading ability is at least two levels higher than yours."

Vivi paused at first, then burst out laughing.

"She even guessed that. I really was going through the wording of the third batch of letters line by line last night, and when I got to India's, I found two grammar issues. Ms. Rosier had already corrected them for me at dawn. At the time, I thought I was the only person in all of Hogsmeade still awake, but at three forty in the morning, my phone screen lit up beside my pillow, and Ms. Rosier sent over the fourth proofread version of the third letter from