There.was.a.pause.in.which.Harry.glared.at.her,.and.her.eyes.filled.slowly.with.tears..
.You.didn.t.mean.that,..said.Harry.quietly..
.No….well….all.right….1.didn.t,..she.said,.wiping.her.eyes.angrily...But.why.does.he.have.to.make.life.so.difficult.for.himself.‐.for.us?..
.I.dunno.‐..
.Weasley.is.our.King,.Weasley.is.our.King,.He.didn.t.let.the.Quaffle.in,.Weasley.is.our.King….
.And.1.wish.they.d.stop.singing.that.stupid.song,..said.Hermione.miserably,
.
.haven.t.they.gloated.enough?..
A.great.tide.of.students.was.moving.up.the.sloping.lawns.from.the.pitch..
.Oh,.let.s.get.in.before.we.have.to.meet.the.Slytherins,..said.Hermione..
.Weasley.can.save.anything,.He.never.leaves.a.single.ring,.That.s.why.Gryffindors.all.sing:.Weasley.is.our.King..
.Hermione…..said.Harry.slowly..
The.song.was.growing.louder,.but.it.was.issuing.not.from.a.crowd.of.green‐and‐
silver‐clad.Slytherins,.but.from.a.mass.of.red.and.gold.moving.slowly.towards.the.castle,.bearing.a.solitary.figure.upon.its.many.shoulders..
.Weasley.is.our.King,.Weasley.is.our.King,.He.didn.t.let.the.Quaffle.in,.Weasley.is.our.King…..
.No?..said.Hermione.in.a.hushed.voice..
.YES!..said.Harry.loudly..
.HARRY!.HERMIONE!..yelled.Ron,.waving.the.silver.Quidditch.cup.in.the.air.and.looking.quite.beside.himself...WE.DID.IT!.WE.WON!..
They.beamed.up.at.him.as.he.passed..There.was.a.scrum.at.the.door.of.the.castle.and.Ron.s.head.got.rather.badly.bumped.on.the.lintel,.but.nobody.seemed.to.want.to.put.him.down..Still.singing,.the.crowd.squeezed.itself.into.the.Entrance.Hall.and.out.of.sight..Harry.and.Hermione.watched.them.go,.beaming,.until.the.last.echoing.strains.of..Weasley.is.our.King..died.away..Then.they.turned.to.each.other,.their.smiles.fading..
.We.ll.save.our.news.till.tomorrow,.shall.we?..said.Harry..
.Yes,.all.right,..said.Hermione.wearily...I.m.not.in.any.hurry...
They.climbed.the.steps.together..At.the.front.doors.both.instinctively.looked.back.at.the.Forbidden.Forest..Harry.was.not.sure.whether.or.not.it.was.his.imagination,.but.he.rather.thought.he.saw.a.small.cloud.of.birds.erupting.into.the.air.over.the.tree.tops.in.the.distance,.almost.as.though.the.tree.in.which.they.had.been.nesting.had.just.been.pulled.up.by.the.roots..
—.CHAPTER.THIRTY‐ONE.—.
Ron.s.euphoria.at.helping.Gryffindor.scrape.the.Quidditch.cup.was.such.that.he.couldn.t.settle.to.anything.next.day..All.he.wanted.to.do.was.talk.over.the.match,
.so.Harry.and.Hermione.found.it.very.difficult.to.find.an.opening.in.which.to.
mention.Grawp..Not.that.either.of.them.tried.very.hard;.neither.was.keen.to.be.the.one.to.bring.Ron.back.to.reality.in.quite.such.a.brutal.fashion..As.it.was.another.fine,.warm.day,.they.persuaded.him.to.join.them.in.revising.under.the.beech.tree.at.the.edge.of.the.lake,.where.they.had.less.chance.of.being.overheard.than.in.the.common.room..Ron.was.not.particularly.keen.on.this.idea.at.first.‐.he.was.thoroughly.enjoying.being.patted.on.the.back.by.every.Gryffindor.who.walked.past.his.chair,.not.to.mention.the.occasional.outbursts.of..Weasley.is.our.King..‐.but.after.a.while.he.agreed.that.some.fresh.air.might.do.him.good..