Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
course, Malfoy would spread the story as far and wide as he could, but there
was always a chance it wouldn’t reach too many Gryffindor ears.
He reached across Ron for a couple of chicken legs and a handful of
chips, but before he could take them they vanished, to be replaced with puddings.
“You missed the Sorting, anyway,” said Hermione, as Ron dived for a
large chocolate gateau.
“Hat say anything interesting?” asked Harry, taking a piece of treacle tart.
“More of the same, really... advising us all to unite in the face of our enemies,
you know.”
“Dumbledore mentioned Voldemort at all?”
“Not yet, but he always saves his proper speech for after the feast, doesn’t
he? It can’t be long now.”
“Snape said Hagrid was late for the feast —”
“You’ve seen Snape? How come?” said Ron between frenzied mouthfuls
of gateau.
“Bumped into him,” said Harry evasively.
“Hagrid was only a few minutes late,” said Hermione. “Look, he’s waving
at you, Harry.”
Harry looked up at the staff table and grinned at Hagrid, who was indeed
waving at him. Hagrid had never quite managed to comport himself with
the dignity of Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House, the top of
whose head came up to somewhere between Hagrid’s elbow and shoulder
as they were sitting side by side, and who was looking disapprovingly at
this enthusiastic greeting. Harry was surprised to see the Divination teacher,
Professor Trelawney, sitting on Hagrid’s other side; she rarely left her tower
room, and he had never seen her at the start-of-term feast before. She looked
as odd as ever, glittering with beads and trailing shawls, her eyes magnified
to enormous size by her spectacles. Having always considered her a bit of a
fraud, Harry had been shocked to discover at the end of the previous term
that it had been she who had made the prediction that caused Lord Volde-
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