.You.are.trying.to.block.your.mind,.aren.t.you?..said.Hermione,.looking.beadily.at.Harry...You.are.keeping.going.with.your.Occlumency?..
.Of.course.I.am,..said.Harry,.trying.to.sound.as.though.this.question.was.insulting,.but.not.quite.meeting.her.eye..The.truth.was.he.was.so.intensely.curious.about.what.was.hidden.in.that.room.full.of.dusty.orbs,.that.he.was.quite.keen.for.the.dreams.to.continue..
The.problem.was.that.with.just.under.a.month.to.go.until.the.exams.and.every.free.moment.devoted.to.revision,.his.mind.seemed.so.saturated.with.information.when.he.went.to.bed.he.found.it.very.difficult.to.get.to.sleep.at.all;.and.when.he.did,.his.overwrought.brain.presented.him.most.nights.with.stupid.dreams.about.the.exams..He.also.suspected.that.part.of.his.mind.‐.the.part.that.often.spoke.in.Hermione.s.voice.—.now.felt.guilty.on.the.occasions.it.strayed.down.that.corridor.ending.in.the.black.door,.and.sought.to.wake.him.before.he.could.reach.the.journeys.end..
.You.know,..said.Ron,.whose.ears.were.still.flaming.red,..if.Montague.doesn.t.recover.before.Slytherin.play.Hufflepuff,.we.might.be.in.with.a.chance.of.winning.the.Cup...
.Yeah,.I.s.pose.so,..said.Harry,.glad.of.a.change.of.subject..
.I.mean,.we.ve.won.one,.lost.one.‐.if.Slytherin.lose.to.Hufflepuff.next.Saturday.‐..
.Yeah,.that.s.right,..said.Harry,.losing.track.of.what.he.was.agreeing.to..Cho.Chang.had.just.walked.across.the.courtyard,.determinedly.not.looking.at.him..
*.
The.final.match.of.the.Quidditch.season,.Gryffindor.versus.Ravenclaw,.was.to.take.place.on.the.last.weekend.of.May..Although.Slytherin.had.been.narrowly.defeated.by.Hufflepuff.in.their.last.match,.Gryffindor.were.not.daring.to.hope.for.victory,.due.mainly.(though.of.course.nobody.said.it.to.him).to.Ron.s.abysmal.goal‐keeping.record..He,.however,.seemed.to.have.found.a.new.optimism..
.I.mean,.1.can.t.get.any.worse,.can.I?..he.told.Harry.and.Hermione.grimly.over.breakfast.on.the.morning.of.the.match...Nothing.to.lose.now,.is.there?..
.You.know,..said.Hermione,.as.she.and.Harry.walked.down.to.the.pitch.a.little.later.in.the.midst.of.a.very.excitable.crowd,..I.think.Ron.might.do.better.without.Fred.and.George.around..They.never.exactly.gave.him.a.lot.of.confidence...
Luna.Lovegood.overtook.them.with.what.appeared.to.be.a.live.eagle.perched.on.top.of.her.head..
.Oh,.gosh,.I.forgot!..said.Hermione,.watching.the.eagle.flapping.its.wings.as.Luna.walked.serenely.past.a.group.of.cackling.and.pointing.Slytherins...Cho.will.be.playing,.won.t.she?..
Harry,.who.had.not.forgotten.this,.merely.grunted..
They.found.seats.in.the.topmost.row.of.the.stands..It.was.a.fine,.clear.day;.Ron.could.not.wish.for.better,.and.Harry.found.himself.hoping.against.hope.that.Ron.would.not.give.the.Slytherins.cause.for.more.rousing.choruses.of..Weasley.is.our.King...
Lee.Jordan,.who.had.been.very.dispirited.since.Fred.and.George.had.left,.was.commentating.as.usual..As.the.teams.zoomed.out.on.to.the.pitch.he.named.the.players.with.something.less.than.his.usual.gusto..