CHAPTER NINETEEN year and above were permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade. Hermione told Harry that it would do him good to get away from the castle for a bit, and Harry didn’t need much persuasion. “What about Ron, though?” he said. “Don’t you want to go with him?” “Oh . . . well . . .” Hermione went slightly pink. “I thought we might meet up with him in the Three Broomsticks. . . .” “No,” said Harry flatly. “Oh Harry, this is so stupid —” “I’ll come, but I’m not meeting Ron, and I’m wearing my Invis- ibility Cloak.” “Oh all right then . . .” Hermione snapped, “but I hate talking to you in that cloak, I never know if I’m looking at you or not.” So Harry put on his Invisibility Cloak in the dormitory, went back downstairs, and together he and Hermione set off for Hogsmeade. Harry felt wonderfully free under the cloak; he watched other students walking past them as they entered the village, most of them sporting Support Cedric Diggory! badges, but no horrible re- marks came his way for a change, and nobody was quoting that stupid article. “People keep looking at me now,” said Hermione grumpily as they came out of Honeydukes Sweetshop later, eating large cream- filled chocolates. “They think I’m talking to myself.” “Don’t move your lips so much then.” “Come on, please just take off your cloak for a bit, no one’s go- ing to bother you here.” “Oh yeah?” said Harry. “Look behind you.” Rita Skeeter and her photographer friend had just emerged from ‘ 318 ‘