.Well,..said.Angelina.dully,.pulling.off.her.cloak.and.throwing.it.into.a.corner,
.
.we.ve.finally.replaced.you...
.Replaced.me?..said.Harry.blankly..
.You.and.Fred.and.George,..she.said.impatiently...We.ve.got.another.Seeker!..
.Who?..said.Harry.quickly..
.Ginny.Weasley,..said.Katie..
Harry.gaped.at.her..
.Yeah,.I.know,..said.Angelina,.pulling.out.her.wand.and.flexing.her.arm,..but.she.s.pretty.good,.actually..Nothing.on.you,.of.course,..she.said,.throwing.him.a.very.dirty.look,..but.as.we.can.t.have.you…..
Harry.bit.back.the.retort.he.was.longing.to.utter:.did.she.imagine.for.a.second.that.he.did.not.regret.his.expulsion.from.the.team.a.hundred.times.more.than.she.did?.
.And.what.about.the.Beaters?..he.asked,.trying.to.keep.his.voice.even..
.Andrew.Kirke,..said.Alicia.without.enthusiasm,..and.Jack.Sloper..Neither.of.them.are.brilliant,.but.compared.to.the.rest.of.the.idiots.who.turned.up…..
The.arrival.of.Ron,.Hermione.and.Neville.brought.this.depressing.discussion.to.an.end,.and.within.five.minutes.the.room.was.full.enough.to.prevent.Harry.seeing.Angelina.s.burning,.reproachful.looks..
.OK,..he.said,.calling.them.all.to.order...I.thought.this.evening.we.should.just.go.over.the.things.we.ve.done.so.far,.because.it.s.the.last.meeting.before.the.holidays.and.there.s.no.point.starting.anything.new.right.before.a.three‐week.break.‐..
.We.re.not.doing.anything.new?..said.Zacharias.Smith,.in.a.disgruntled.whisper.loud.enough.to.carry.through.the.room...If.I.d.known.that,.I.wouldn.t.have.come...
.We.re.all.really.sorry.Harry.didn.t.tell.you,.then,..said.Fred.loudly..
Several.people.sniggered..Harry.saw.Cho.laughing.and.felt.the.familiar.swooping.sensation.in.his.stomach,.as.though.he.had.missed.a.step.going.downstairs..
.‐.we.can.practise.in.pairs,..said.Harry..We.ll.start.with.the.Impediment.Jinx,.for.ten.minutes,.then.we.can.get.out.the.cushions.and.try.Stunning.again...
They.all.divided.up.obediently;.Harry.partnered.Neville.as.usual..The.room.was.soon.full.of.intermittent.cries.of..Impedimenta!..People.froze.for.a.minute.or.so,
.during.which.their.partner.would.stare.aimlessly.around.the.room.watching.other.pairs.at.work,.then.would.unfreeze.and.take.their.turn.at.the.jinx..
Neville.had.improved.beyond.all.recognition..After.a.while,.when.Harry.had.unfrozen.three.times.in.a.row,.he.had.Neville.join.Ron.and.Hermione.again.so.that.he.could.walk.around.the.room.and.watch.the.others..When.he.passed.Cho.she.beamed.at.him;.he.resisted.the.temptation.to.walk.past.her.several.more.times..
After.ten.minutes.on.the.Impediment.Jinx,.they.laid.out.cushions.all.over.the.floor.and.started.practising.Stunning.again..Space.was.really.too.confined.to.allow.them.all.to.work.this.spell.at.once;.half.the.group.observed.the.others.for.a.while,.then.swapped.over..
Harry.felt.himself.positively.swelling.with.pride.as.he.watched.them.all..True,
.Neville.did.Stun.Padma.Patil.rather.than.Dean,.at.whom.he.had.been.aiming,.but.it.was.a.much.closer.miss.than.usual,.and.everybody.else.had.made.enormous.progress..