Peeves.floated.over.them.on.his.stomach,.peashooter.at.the.ready;.automatically.all.three.of.them.lifted.their.bags.to.cover.their.heads.until.he.had.passed..
.Let.s.get.this.straight,..said.Harry.angrily,.as.they.put.their.bags.back.on.the.floor,..Sirius.agrees.with.us,.so.you.don.t.think.we.should.do.it.any.more?..
Hermione.looked.tense.and.rather.miserable..Now.staring.at.her.own.hands,.she.said,..Do.you.honestly.trust.his.judgement?..
.Yes,.I.do!..said.Harry.at.once...He.s.always.given.us.great.advice!..
An.ink.pellet.whizzed.past.them,.striking.Katie.Bell.squarely.in.the.ear.
.Hermione.watched.Katie.leap.to.her.feet.and.start.throwing.things.at.Peeves;.it.was.a.few.moments.before.Hermione.spoke.again.and.it.sounded.as.though.she.was.choosing.her.words.very.carefully..
.You.don.t.think.he.has.become….sort.of….reckless….since.he.s.been.cooped.up.in.Grimmauld.Place?.You.don.t.think.he.s….kind.of….living.through.us?..
.What.d.you.mean,..living.through.us.?..Harry.retorted..
.I.mean….well,.I.think.he.d.love.to.be.forming.secret.Defence.societies.right.under.the.nose.of.someone.from.the.Ministry….I.think.he.s.really.frustrated.at.how.little.he.can.do.where.he.is….so.I.think.he.s.keen.to.kind.of….egg.us.on...
Ron.looked.utterly.perplexed..
.Sirius.is.right,..he.said,..you.do.sound.just.like.my.mother...
Hermione.bit.her.lip.and.did.not.answer..The.bell.rang.just.as.Peeves.swooped.down.on.Katie.and.emptied.an.entire.ink.bottle.over.her.head..
*.
The.weather.did.not.improve.as.the.day.wore.on,.so.that.at.seven.
^o.clock.that.evening,.when.Harry.and.Ron.went.down.to.the.
^uidditch.pitch.for.practice,.they.were.soaked.through.within.min‐ates,.their.feet.slipping.and.sliding.on.the.sodden.grass..The.sky.
pwas.a.deep,.thundery.grey.and.it.was.a.relief.to.gain.the.warmth.and.light.of.the.changing.rooms,.even.if.they.knew.the.respite.was.only.temporary..They.found.Fred.and.George.debating.whether.to.use.one.of.their.own.Skiving.Snackboxes.to.get.out.of.flying..
.….but.I.bet.she.d.know.what.we.d.done,..Fred.said.out.of.the.corner.of.his.mouth...If.only.I.hadn.t.offered.to.sell.her.some.Puking.Pastilles.yesterday...
.We.could.try.the.Fever.Fudge,..George.muttered,..no.one.s.seen.that.yet.‐..
.Does.it.work?..enquired.Ron.hopefully,.as.the.hammering.of.rain.on.the.roof.intensified.and.wind.howled.around.the.building..
.Well,.yeah,..said.Fred,..your.temperature.ll.go.right.up...
.But.you.get.these.massive.pus‐filled.boils,.too,..said.George,..and.we.haven.t.worked.out.how.to.get.rid.of.them.yet...
.I.can.t.see.any.boils,..said.Ron,.staring.at.the.twins..
.No,.well,.you.wouldn.t,..said.Fred.darkly,..they.re.not.in.a.place.we.generally.display.to.the.public...
.But.they.make.sitting.on.a.broom.a.right.pain.in.the.‐..
.All.right,.everyone,.listen.up,..said.Angelina.loudly,.emerging.from.the.Captain.s.office...I.know.it.s.not.ideal.weather,.but.there.s.a.chance.we.ll.be.playing.Slytherin.in.conditions.like.this.so.it.s.a.good.idea.to.work.out.how.we.re.going.to.cope.with.them..Harry,.didn.t.you.do.something.to.your.glasses.to.stop.the.rain.fogging.them.up.when.we.played.Hufflepuff.in.that.storm?..