‘I have my sources,’ said Filch in a self-satisfied hiss. ‘Now hand over whatever it is you’re sending.’
Feeling immensely thankful that he had not dawdled in posting off the letter, Harry said, ‘I can’t, it’s gone.’
‘ Gone? ’ said Filch, his face contorting with rage.
‘Gone,’ said Harry calmly.
Filch opened his mouth furiously, mouthed for a few seconds, then raked Harry’s robes with his eyes.
‘How do I know you haven’t got it in your pocket?’
‘Because –’
‘I saw him send it,’ said Cho angrily.
Filch rounded on her.
‘You saw him –?’
‘That’s right, I saw him,’ she said fiercely.
There was a moment’s pause in which Filch glared at Cho and Cho glared right back, then the caretaker turned and shuffled back towards the door. He stopped with his hand on the handle and looked back at Harry.
‘If I get so much as a whiff of a Dungbomb ...’
He stumped off down the stairs. Mrs Norris cast a last longing look at the owls and followed him.
Harry and Cho looked at each other.
‘Thanks,’ Harry said.
‘No problem,’ said Cho, finally fixing the parcel to the barn owl’s other leg, her face slightly pink. ‘You weren’t ordering Dungbombs, were you?’
‘No,’ said Harry.
‘I wonder why he thought you were, then?’ she said as she carried the owl to the window.
Harry shrugged. He was quite as mystified by that as she was, though oddly it was not bothering him very much at the moment. They left the Owlery together. At the entrance of a corridor that led towards the west wing of the castle, Cho said, ‘I’m going this way. Well, I’ll ... I’ll see you around, Harry.’
‘Yeah ... see you.’
She smiled at him and departed. Harry walked on, feeling quietly elated. He had managed to have an entire conversation with her and not embarrassed himself once ... you were really brave standing up to her like that ... Cho had called him brave ... she did not hate him for being alive ...