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ly aware of what the others were doing。 It was his job to recapture the tiny fluttering golden ball that was worth a hundred and fifty points to the Seeker's team and doing so required enormous speed and skill。 He accelerated； rolling and swerving in and out of the Chasers； the warm autumn air whipping his face； and the distant yells of the Slytherins so much meaningless roaring in his ears： but too soon； the whistle brought him to a halt again。
'Stop … stop … STOP！' screamed Angelina。 'Ron … you're not covering your middle post！'
Harry looked round at Ron； who was hovering in front of the left…hand hoop； leaving the other two pletely unprotected。
'Oh： sorry：'
'You keep shifting around while you're watching the Chasers！' said Angelina。 'Either stay in centre position until you have to move to defend a hoop； or else circle the hoops； but don't drift vaguely off to one side； that's how you let in the last three goals！'
'Sorry：' Ron repeated； his red face shining like a beacon against the bright blue sky。
'And Katie； can't you do something about that nosebleed？'
'It's just getting worse！' said Katie thickly； attempting to stem the flow with her sleeve。
Harry glanced round at Fred； who was looking anxious and checking his pockets。 He saw Fred pull out something purple； examine it for a second and then look round at Katie； evidently horror…struck。
'Well； let's try again；' said Angelina。 She was ignoring the Slytherins； who had now set up a chant of 'Gryffindor are losers； Gryffindor are losers；' but there was a certain rigidity about her seat on the broom nevertheless。
This time they had been flying for barely three minutes when Angelinas whistle sounded。 Harry； who had just sighted the Snitch circling the opposite goalpost； pulled up feeling distinctly aggrieved。
'What now？' he said impatiently to Alicia； who was nearest。
'Katie；' she said shortly。
Harry turned and saw Angelina； Fred and George all flying as fast as they could towards Katie。 Harry and Alicia sped towards her； too。 It was plain that Angelina had stopped training just in time； Katie was now chalk white and covered in blood。
'She needs the hospital wing；' said Angelina。
'We'll take her；' said Fred。 'She … er … might have swallowed a Blood Blisterpod by mistake …'
'Well； there's no point continuing with no Beaters and a Chaser gone；' said Angelina glumly as Fred and George zoomed off towards the castle supporting Katie between them。 'e on； let's go and get changed。'
The Slytherins continued to chant as they trailed back into the changing rooms。
'How was practice？' asked Hermione rather coolly half an hour later； as Harry and Ron climbed through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor mon room。
'It was …' Harry began。
'pletely lousy；' said Ron in a hollow voice； sinking into a chair beside Hermione。 She looked up at Ron and her frostiness seemed to melt。
'Well； it was only your first one；' she said consolingly； 'it's bound to take time to …'
'Who said it was me who made it lousy？' snapped Ron。
'No one；' said Hermione； looking taken aback； 'I thought …'
'You thought I was bound to be rubbish？'
'No； of course I didn't！ Look； you said it was lousy so I just …'
'I'm going to get started on some homework；' said Ron angrily and stomped off to the staircase to the boys' dormitories and vanished from sight。 Hermione turned to Harry。
'Was he lousy？'
'No；' said Harry loyally。
Hermione raised her eyebrows。
'Well； I suppose he could've played better；' Harry muttered； 'but it was only the first training session； like you said：'
Neither Harry nor Ron seemed to make much headway with their homework that night。 Harry knew Ron was too preoccupied with how badly he had performed at Quidditch practice and he himself was having difficulty in getting the 'Gryffindor are losers' chant out of his head。
They spent the whole of Sunday in the mon room； buried in their books while the room around them filled up； then emptied。 It was another clear； fine day and most of their fellow Gryffindors spent the day out in the grounds； enjoying what might well be some of the last sunshine that year。 By the evening； Harry felt as though somebody had been beating his brain against the inside of his skull。
'You know； we probably should try and get more homework done during the week；' Harry muttered to Ron； as they finally laid aside Professor McGonagall's long essay on the Inanimatus Conjurus Spell and turned miserably to Professor Sinistra's equally long and difficult essay about Jupiter's many moons。
'Yeah；' said Ron； rubbing slightly bloodshot eyes and throwing his fifth spoiled bit of parchment into the fire beside them。 'Listen： shall we just ask Hermione if we can have a look at what she's done？'
Harry glanced over at her； she was sitting with Crookshanks on her lap and chatting merrily to Ginny as a pair of knitting needles flashed in midair in front of her； now knitting a pair of shapeless elf socks。
'No；' he said heavily； 'you know she won't let us。'
And so they worked on while the sky outside the windows became steadily darker。 Slowly； the crowd in the mon room began to thin again。 At half past eleven； Hermione wandered over to them； yawning。
'Nearly done？'
'No；' said Ron shortly。
'Jupiter's biggest moon is Ganymede； not Callisto；' she said； pointing over Ron's shoulder at a line in his Astronomy essay； 'and it's Io that's got the volcanoes。'
Thanks；' snarled Ron； scratching out the offending sentences。
'Sorry； I only …'
'Yeah； well； if you've just e over here to criticise …'
'Ron …'
'I haven't got time to listen to a sermon； all right； Hermione； I'm up to my neck in it here …'
'No … look！'
Hermione was pointing to the nearest window。 Harry and Ron both looked over。 A handsome screech owl was standing on the windowsill； gazing into the room at Ron。
'Isn't that Hermes？' said Hermione； sounding amazed。
'Blimey； it is！' said Ron quietly； throwing down his quill and getting to his feet。 'What's Percy writing to me for？'
He crossed to the window and opened it； Hermes flew inside； landed on Ron's essay and held out a leg to which a letter was attached。 Ron took the letter off it and the owl departed at once； leaving inky footprints across Ron's drawing of the moon lo。
That's definitely Percy's handwriting；' said Ron； sinking back into his chair and staring at the words on the outside of the scroll： Ronald Weasley； Gryffindor House； Hogwarts。 He looked up at the other two。 'What d'you reckon？'
'Open it！' said Hermione eagerly； and Harry nodded。
Ron unrolled the scroll and began to read。 The further down the parchment his eyes travelled； the more pronounced became his scowl。 When he had finished reading； he looked disgusted。 He thrust the letter at Harry and Hermione； who leaned towards each other to read it together：
Dear Ron；
I have only just heard （from no less a person than the Minister for Magic himself； who has it from your new teacher； Professor Umbridge） that you ha