A Girl's Worries

"Are you mad?"

Harry looked at the delighted Hermione and said, incredulous but somewhat pleased, "I'm keeping it. I made up my mind long ago—"

He pulled the old copy of Advanced Potion-Making from his bag, tapped the cover with his wand, and said, "Diffindo!"

The cover immediately fell off.

He did the same to the new book.

Then Harry swapped the two covers, tapped them again, and said, "Reparo!"

The Prince's copy was thus disguised as a new book, while the new one that had just arrived from Flourish and Blotts looked battered and worn, exactly like a secondhand copy.

"I'll give the new book back to Slughorn. He can't complain. It cost me nine Galleons."

Hermione pressed her lips together, her face full of anger and displeasure. Of course, it was only an act; she did not care about this at all.

When someone had more important things to do, who would care whether others were busy with trivial matters?

Still, this had something to do with Dumbledore. Jon had told her before how important Potions grades were to Harry, so Hermione was merely putting on a show. She would not truly oppose Harry keeping the Half-Blood Prince's book.

The situation had merely become a little awkward, because now she could only keep staring at it.

Fortunately, just then, a third owl landed before her with that day's The Daily Prophet, naturally drawing her attention away.

She hurriedly opened the paper and scanned the front page.

"Has anyone we know died?"

Ron asked in a deliberately casual tone. Every time Hermione opened the newspaper, he asked that question.

"No, but there's another report of a Dementor attack," Hermione said. "And someone's been arrested."

"Brilliant. Who?"

Harry asked, thinking of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Stan Shunpike," Hermione said.

"What?" Harry was