"Here you go—Lockhart's signed permission slip. Now we can borrow a book from the Restricted Section!"
"Really?" Hermione took the slip from Harry. After studying the enormous, flamboyant signature on it, she opened her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook and compared the two.
"Harry, how did you get it so quickly?" Ron was just as surprised. He even put down his pie.
"Lockhart had me help answer his fan mail last night, so I took the chance to ask him."
"Brilliant! Now we can get into the Restricted Section!"
"Professors won't let students into the Restricted Section," Jerry said, dampening Hermione's excitement. "You give Madam Pince the title, and she goes in to fetch the book for you."
"I thought we'd get to look around in there!"
"You want to see it that badly? I could take you in sometime."
Hermione leaned closer to Jerry and asked quietly, "Jerry, do you mean you have Professor Dumbledore's permission?"
Jerry shook his head. What a joke. Why would he need permission just to enter the Restricted Section?
His grandfather was Albus!
Hogwarts practically belonged to the Dumbledores now!
Since last term, Dumbledore had mostly left him alone. Jerry had gone in and out of the Restricted Section more times than he could count!
"Jerry, you're not planning to sneak me in at night, are you? No, that's too dangerous."
"Don't worry! Have you forgotten I have the Marauder's Map? As long as we don't get caught, it doesn't count as breaking the rules!"
Whenever Hermione had heard Jerry say things like that before, she had thought he was making excuses. Now, though, it sounded almost reasonable.
"No one's there!"
Ron peeked furtively around the corner and reported back to Harry.
"Is this the place? Why would Jerry and Hermione pick