Today, they suffered three quarters of an hour's droning on the subject of giant wars. Harry heard just enough within the first ten minutes to appreciate dimly that in another teacher's hands this subject might have been mildly interesting, but then his brain disengaged, and he spent the remaining thirty-five minutes playing hangman on a corner of his parchment with Ron, while Hermione shot them filthy looks out of the corner of her eye. 'How would it be,' she asked them coldly, as they left the classroom for break (Binns drifting away through the blackboard),' if I refused to lend you my notes this year?' 'We'd fail our O. W. L. ,' said Ron.' If you want that on your conscience,Hermione…' 'Well, you'd deserve it,' she snapped.' You don't even try to listen to him, do you?' 'We do try,

