"Are you sure about this?" says Professor McGonagall.

"It wasn't really his fault he got banned," says Angelina. "I've decided to forgive him."

"And the rest of the team?"

"Please, God, don't let Jack Sloper back," says Angelina.

"I'll try," says McGonagall.

"No badge?" says Leanne, when Katie comes into their compartment.

"No badge," confirms Katie. She sits down with a short huff. "It's fine. Must have gone to Harry."

"Harry Potter?" says Leanne.

"It's fine," insists Katie. "I'd rather focus on my NEWTs anyway."

"God, don't remind me," says Leanne.

Okay, maybe Katie's a little jealous.

"This is the most chaotic tryout season I've ever seen," says Katie to Ginny, as Harry yells hopelessly at a group of fourth-year girls.

"Nobody's got any dignity anymore," says Ginny. "Throwing themselves at his feet. Especially considering everyone hated his guts last year."

"I guess he's a celebrity now," says Katie.

"Not just a celebrity," says Ginny grudgingly. "He's gotten better-looking, too."

"I mean, I guess," says Katie.

"Hey Demelza!" says Ginny, running up to her on their way to Herbology. "There's an emergency practice on Friday night."

Demelza smirks. "Slughorn's throwing another party?"

Ginny claps Demelza on the shoulder. "See you there."

Outside it is snowing again; inside the mood is rather similar. Quiet and damp. They had taken Katie Bell to St. Mungo's that morning, and most of the team is sitting heaped around the Common Room glumly.

"You'll have to find a reserve Chaser," says Ron.

"Katie will be fine," says Harry. "McGonagall said she'd make a full recovery."

"She didn't say she'd make a fast recovery," says Ron. "You have to find a replacement."

"I don't have to do anything," says Harry.

"How will we-" says Ron, before Ginny cuts in.

"Shut up, Ron."

Ron scowls.

Dean waits until the room is almost empty before he poses the question. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

Seamus scowls in a way that answers the question honestly, then says less honestly "No. Harry picked who he thought was the better flier."

Dean is inclined to disbelieve this; yesterday he'd made the mistake of saying that he was excited to hang out more with Ginny, and Seamus had wolfed down an extra helping of dinner then rushed off to the library, something Dean can't remember ever seeing him do before.

"We better go," says Seamus. "We'll be late for Charms."

"I hate Ron," says Jimmy. Then he glances over his shoulder, just to make sure Ron's still out of earshot, standing back with Harry.

"He's not too bad," says Ritchie uncomfortably. He does not like to badmouth his teammates.

"He's mean," says Jimmy. "And he's a bad player. I wish we'd gotten that McLaggen bloke."

"He fluffed the tryouts," says Ritchie.

"Yeah, and Ron's fluffing the practices," says Jimmy.

Dear Katie,

It's miserable without you playing. We had to get Dean Thomas, and Ron's being a real prat to him. Actually, Ron's been a real prat to everyone lately. He made Demelza cry.

Get well soon! I heard about the new treatment- I hope it goes well. We miss you lots!

Love,

Ginny

"- that slimeball Smith-"

Dean is a tad drunk. On adrenaline, and Ginny's voice, and the party, and the firewhiskey that someone had put in his butterbeer. He grins at Ginny as she continues her rant.

"- glad for it, anyway." She swigs her drink and grins back at him.

There's a roar of applause as the door opens and Harry comes in, a bit bemused by his reception. Dean glances to the side as Seamus worms through the crowd, a butterbeer in each hand.

"Good party," he says.

"Well, you know," says Seamus, obviously pleased.

The cheers amplify and Seamus glances lazily. "Ron's gotten lucky," he remarks.

"Ron's what?"

"Lavender," says Seamus.

Dean takes it in with something like disbelief. Surely Lavender could do better than Ron. But Seamus is whistling through two fingers, and Ginny is laughing about Ron's hypocrisy, so he turns his back and ignores them.

"First Katie, now Ron," says Jimmy.

"You didn't even like Ron," says Ritchie.

"But I liked Katie," says Jimmy. "Who do you reckon is next?"

"I dunno," says Ritchie. "What makes you think there's gonna be another attack?"

"I dunno," says Jimmy.

Ritchie sighs.

"Harry, can I have a word?" says Cormac McLaggen over Romilda Vane's head.

"Oh no," says Harry. It is too late to run.

"Oh no," says Hermione, and she makes herself scarce.

"I've just got to-" says Cormac, then squeezes between two chairs and sits in Hermione's vacated chair. "I had some more thoughts about the Beaters. I don't think they're doing a good job-"

"They've got terrific aim," says Harry dully.

"They've got mediocre aim. I think you ought to work them through more drills. And Coote's got a funny swing- he's not getting as much power out of his bat as he should be."

"McLaggen, I'm the captain of the-"'

"And you have to do something about those Chasers. Two of them seem to only make eyes at each other. Don't know what that's about."

Harry has a good idea of who those two Chasers are, and even though McLaggen is right, he does not want to give him that impression. "McLaggen, I'll tell you if I want your input."

"And you have to spend less time watching the team," says McLaggen. "You're the Seeker, you're supposed to-"

"I'm the goddamn captain," grits Harry.

"I wish we'd just gotten McLaggen," Ritchie says, his voice pitched up to Jimmy's range. "Bet you wish you could take that back."

"I didn't know," scowls Jimmy. "I take it back."

Ritchie hits Jimmy lightly on the shoulder. "Too late, Peakes. Too goddamn late."

"God, am I glad to have you back," says Harry, when Katie pulls her broom next to his. "You've no idea how bad it got."

"Ginny wrote me about McLaggen," she replies.

"You still have no idea," says Harry. "Katie, never, ever, ever date someone on your Quidditch team."

"Oh," she says. "Dean and Ginny were a problem too?"

"You have no idea," says Harry. "I'm so glad you're back." He pats her on the back and dismounts.

It is the best practice anybody has had in a while; as the team heads back into the locker rooms, Ginny pushes Jimmy playfully into Ron. Demelza and Ritchie are singing "Weasley Is Our King" good-naturedly.

"It's good to be back," says Katie, and she throws one arm over Harry's shoulders.

"We should have known," says Jimmy.

"What, that Harry was going to get detention for the rest of his life?" says Ginny sourly.

"No," says Jimmy. "Just that he would miss the last game. He always does."

"He does not," says Katie, and she quickly runs through the last six years in her head. "He made it in 1994."

"Just one year out of six," says Jimmy, and he shrugs suggestively. "See?"

"You're all horrible," says Ginny. "It isn't funny."

Taking their lessons from her very loud row with Dean Thomas after the Hufflepuff match, the team quiets down and slouches.

There is a rush of cheers midway through Seamus's party, and Katie spins around to see Harry coming in, looking, as normal, totally bemused.

Jimmy hauls Harry into the Common Room by his arms as Ron fights through the crowd, holding aloft the Quidditch Cup. "We won!" says Ron. "Four hundred and fifty to one hundred and forty-"

There are more cheers then, and then Ron realises that it's his sister who's just kissed Harry, and that Harry is kissing back.

There is a long silence, and then uncomfortable whistling and laughter, and then Harry finds Ron again, gives him a weird look, and Ron, unable to respond any other way, jerks his head to the side. If it had to be anybody, at least it is Harry, and Ginny surely doesn't seem to mind.

"Absolute hypocrite," he hears from behind him, and as Harry and Ginny turn back to each other, laughing, Ron turns to see Katie Bell beaming with amusement, one arm around Leanne's waist, a bottle in her hand. Ron, who feels like he's been hit with a Bludger, blinks at her in confusion.

"Never, ever, ever date someone on your Quidditch team, my arse," says Katie.