While Barty Crouch Sr. and Vaughan were going over the procedures, the outside world was also thrown into a frenzy by the impending WAC convention.
Early in the morning, the Daily Prophet's owls swept across the sky in flocks.
Freshly printed newspapers carried the news into every home, allowing all the gossip-hungry folk unable to make it to London to get a taste of the heated atmosphere before the convention began.
The Grangers received the paper as well.
Hermione was woken by tapping at her window. When she opened her eyes, the owl delivering the Daily Prophet was standing outside, viciously pecking at the glass with its beak, its round eyes glaring at her in displeasure.
"Sorry, I didn't know you'd come so early."
Hermione apologized as she hurriedly opened the window.
The cool morning air drifting in from outside made the girl, clad only in thin pajamas, shiver.
After letting the irritated owl in, she hastily found a coat and her shoulder bag.
"Five Knuts, here... Sorry, your colleague finished the last of the owl treats yesterday. There's still some cat food left. What do you think...?"
The owl froze when it saw the cat food the girl offered it.
It widened its round eyes and stared at Hermione's head for a long while, perhaps wondering what kind of substance could possibly be inside it that made her think it ate cat food.
That was disgusting stuff only lowly cats ate!
The owl snatched up the Knuts and flew off in a huff. Hermione was a little disappointed that she had failed to sell the cat food, but her attention soon shifted elsewhere.
Just like the past few days, the front page of today's Daily Prophet was still about WAC.
But its contents were no longer arguments between supporters