.It.s.good,.isn.t.it?..said.Luna.happily...I.wanted.to.have.it.chewing.up.a.serpent.to.represent.Slytherm,.you.know,.but.there.wasn.t.time..Anyway….good.luck,
.Ronald!..
She.drifted.away..They.had.not.quite.recovered.from.the.shock.of.Luna.s.hat.before.Angelina.came.hurrying.towards.them,.accompanied.by.Katie.and.Alicia,
.whose.eyebrows.had.mercifully.been.returned.to.normal.by.Madam.Pomfrey..
.When.you.re.ready..she.said,..we.re.going.to.go.straight.down.to.the.pitch,.check.out.conditions.and.change...
.We.ll.be.there.in.a.bit,..Harry.assured.her...Ron.s.just.got.to.have.some.breakfast...
It.became.clear.after.ten.minutes,.however,.that.Ron.was.not.capable.of.eating.anything.more.and.Harry.thought.it.best.to.get.him.down.to.the.changing.rooms..As.they.rose.from.the.table,.Hermione.got.up,.too,.and.taking.Harry.s.arm.she.drew.him.to.one.side..
.Don.t.let.Ron.see.what.s.on.those.Slytherins..badges,..she.whispered.urgently..
Harry.looked.questioningly.at.her,.but.she.shook.her.head.warn‐ingly;.Ron.had.just.ambled.over.to.them,.looking.lost.and.desperate..
.Good.luck,.Ron,..said.Hermione,.standing.on.tiptoe.and.kissing.him.on.the.cheek...And.you,.Harry.‐..
Ron.seemed.to.come.to.himself.slightly.as.they.walked.back.across.the.Great.Hall..He.touched.the.spot.on.his.face.where.Hermione.had.kissed.him,.looking.puzzled,.as.though.he.was.not.quite.sure.what.had.just.happened..He.seemed.too.distracted.to.notice.much.around.him,.but.Harry.cast.a.curious.glance.at.the.crown‐shaped.badges.as.they.passed.the.Slytherin.table,.and.this.time.he.made.out.the.words.etched.on.to.them:.
Weasley.is.our.King
With.an.unpleasant.feeling.that.this.could.mean.nothing.good,.he.hurried.Ron.across.the.Entrance.Hall,.down.the.stone.steps.and.out.into.the.icy.air..
The.frosty.grass.crunched.under.their.feet.as.they.hurried.down.the.sloping.lawns.towards.the.stadium..There.was.no.wind.at.all.and.the.sky.was.a.uniform.pearly.white,.which.meant.that.visibility.would.be.good.without.the.drawback.of.direct.sunlight.in.the.eyes..Harry.pointed.out.these.encouraging.factors.to.Ron.as.they.walked,.but.he.was.not.sure.that.Ron.was.listening..
Angelina.had.changed.already.and.was.talking.to.the.rest.of.the.team.when.they.entered..Harry.and.Ron.pulled.on.their.robes.(Ron.attempted.to.do.his.up.back‐
to‐front.for.several.minutes.before.Alicia.took.pity.on.him.and.went.to.help),
.then.sat.down.to.listen.to.the.pre‐match.talk.while.the.babble.of.voices.outside.
grew.steadily.louder.as.the.crowd.came.pouring.out.of.the.castle.towards.the.pitch..
.OK,.I.ve.only.just.found.out.the.final.line‐up.for.Slytherin,..said.Angelina,
.consulting.a.piece.of.parchment...Last.year.s.Beaters,.
Derrick.and.Bole,.have.left,.but.it.looks.as.though.Montague.s.replaced.them.with.the.usual.gorillas,.rather.than.anyone.who.can.fly.particularly.well..They.re.two.blokes.called.Crabbe.and.Goyle,.I.don.t.know.much.about.them.‐..
.We.do,..said.Harry.and.Ron.together..
.Well,.they.don.t.look.bright.enough.to.tell.one.end.of.a.broom.from.the.other,.