.Well,.it.does!..she.said.impatiently...It.s.only.a.game,.isn.t.it?..
.Hermione,..said.Harry,.shaking.his.head,..you.re.good.on.feelings.and.stuff,.but.you.just.don.t.understand.about.Quidditch...
.Maybe.not,..she.said.darkly,.returning.to.her.translation,..but.at.least.my.happiness.doesn.t.depend.on.Ron.s.goalkeeping.ability...
And.though.Harry.would.rather.have.jumped.off.the.Astronomy.Tower.than.admit.it.to.her,.by.the.time.he.had.watched.the.game.the.following.Saturday.he.would.have.given.any.number.of.Galleons.not.to.care.about.Quiddich.either..
The.very.best.thing.you.could.say.about.the.match.was.that.it.was.short;.the.Gryffindor.spectators.had.to.endure.only.twenty‐two.minutes.of.agony..It.was.hard.to.say.what.the.worst.thing.was:.Harry.thought.it.was.a.close‐run.contest.between.Ron.s.fourteenth.failed.save,.Sloper.missing.the.Bludger.but.hitting.Angelina.in.the.mouth.with.his.bat,.and.Kirke.shrieking.and.falling.backwards.off.his.broom.when.Zacharias.Smith.zoomed.at.him.carrying.the.Quaffle..The.miracle.was.that.Gryffindor.only.lost.by.ten.points:.Ginny.managed.to.snatch.the.Snitch.from.right.under.Hufflepuff.Seeker.Summerby.s.nose,.so.that.the.final.score.was.two.hundred.and.forty.versus.two.hundred.and.thirty..
.Good.catch,..Harry.told.Ginny.back.in.the.common.room,.where.the.atmosphere.resembled.that.of.a.particularly.dismal.funeral..
.I.was.lucky,..she.shrugged...It.wasn.t.a.very.fast.Snitch.and.Summerby.s.got.a.cold,.he.sneezed.and.closed.his.eyes.at.exactly.the.wrong.moment..Anyway,
.once.you.re.back.on.the.team.‐..
.Ginny,.I.ve.got.a.lifelong.ban...
.You.re.banned.as.long.as.Umbridge.is.in.the.school,..Ginny.corrected.him.
.There.s.a.difference..Anyway,.once.you.re.back,.I.think.
I.ll.try.out.for.Chaser..Angelina.and.Alicia.are.both.leaving.next.year.and.I.prefer.goal‐scoring.to.Seeking.anyway...
Harry.looked.over.at.Ron,.who.was.hunched.in.a.corner,.staring.at.his.knees,.a.bottle.of.Butterbeer.clutched.in.his.hand..
.Angelina.still.won.t.let.him.resign,..Ginny.said,.as.though.reading.Harry.s.mind.
.
.She.says.she.knows.he.s.got.it.in.him...
Harry.liked.Angelina.for.the.faith.she.was.showing.in.Ron,.but.at.the.same.time.thought.it.would.really.be.kinder.to.let.him.leave.the.team..Ron.had.left.the.pitch.to.another.booming.chorus.of..Weasley.is.our.King..sung.with.great.gusto.by.the.Slytherins,.who.were.now.favourites.to.win.the.Quidditch.Cup..
Fred.and.George.wandered.over..
.I.haven.t.even.got.the.heart.to.take.the.mickey.out.of.him,..said.Fred,.looking.over.at.Ron.s.crumpled.figure...Mind.you….when.he.missed.the.fourteenth.‐..
He.made.wild.motions.with.his.arms.as.though.doing.an.upright.doggy‐paddle..
.‐.well,.I.ll.save.it.for.parties,.eh?..
Ron.dragged.himself.up.to.bed.shortly.after.this..Out.of.respect.for.his.feelings,
.Harry.waited.a.while.before.going.up.to.the.dormitory.himself,.so.that.Ron.could.pretend.to.be.asleep.if.he.wanted.to..Sure.enough,.when.Harry.finally.entered.the.room.Ron.was.snoring.a.little.too.loudly.to.be.entirely.plausible..