Orli started in alarm. She had indeed arranged for Rita Skeeter to begin publishing articles in The Quibbler, but she'd only instructed Rita to submit through normal channels—she'd never contacted Luna privately. How could she possibly know?
Harry had also spotted Rita Skeeter's name and shot Orli a questioning glance. Orli nodded almost imperceptibly. After hastily scanning the magazine, she glimpsed some of the content: Rita Skeeter's article about Avery's biography, a satirical cartoon mocking Fudge, and an advertisement for some broom that could allegedly fly to the moon.
"This is yours," Luna said, pointing at Rita Skeeter's byline before repeating herself. She pulled the magazine back and continued reading with evident fascination.
"This is Luna—Luna Lovegood," Ginny introduced them. "She's in Ravenclaw."
"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," Luna intoned in a dreamy sing-song voice.
The train thundered forward, carrying them into vast, open countryside.
When the lunch trolley passed, Ron and Hermione still hadn't appeared. It wasn't until afternoon—after Orli, Harry, and Ginny had finished their pumpkin pasties—that the compartment door finally slid open. Ron and Hermione entered, Crookshanks padding alongside them.
"I'm absolutely starving," Ron declared, snatching a Chocolate Frog from Harry's pile and squeezing into the seat beside him. He tore open the wrapper, bit off the frog's head, then leaned back with closed eyes as though he'd endured the most exhausting morning of his life.
"There are two fifth-year prefects from each House," Hermione said sourly, settling beside Orli. "One boy, one girl."
"Guess who the Slytherin prefects are?" Ron asked, eyes still shut.
"Malfoy," Harry said without hesitation.
"Obviously," Ron said with bitter resignation, cramming the rest of his Chocolate Frog into his mouth before reaching for another.
"And that ghastly Pansy Parkinson," Hermione added with undisguised hostility.
"What about the Hufflepuff prefects?" Orli inquired.
"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott," Ron replied.
"Padma's the Ravenclaw girl prefect," Hermione supplemented.
"You invited Padma to the Yule Ball," came Luna's dreamy voice from the window. Everyone turned toward Luna, who was gazing vacantly at Ron over her magazine. Ron unconsciously swallowed his mouthful of chocolate.
"Yeah, I know I did," Ron said, looking mildly bewildered.
"She didn't enjoy it much," Luna informed him matter-of-factly. "She thinks you treated her rather poorly because you wouldn't dance with her. Though I expect if it had been me, I wouldn't have minded," she added after thoughtful consideration. "I don't particularly enjoy dancing."
She vanished behind her magazine again. Ron's mouth dropped open, his eyes went blank, and he looked desperately around at Ginny for some explanation. But Ginny had clamped her fingers over her mouth to suppress her laughter.
Ron shook his head in bewilderment, then checked his watch.
"We should patrol the corridors. We can dish out punishments if we catch anyone misbehaving. I can't wait to nail Crabbe and Goyle for something..."
"You cannot abuse your position, Ron!" Hermione said sharply.
"Right, because Malfoy would never abuse his position," Ron said with heavy sarcasm.
"So you're going to sink to his level?" Hermione challenged.
"No, I'm just making sure I get his cronies before they get mine," Ron said with grim determination.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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