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〃I can have it back？〃 Harry said weakly。 〃Seriously？〃
〃Seriously；〃 said Professor McGonagall； and she was actually smiling。 〃I daresay you'll need to get the feel of it before Saturday's match； won't you？ And Potter…do try and win； won't you？ Or we'll be out of the running for the eighth year。 in a row； as Professor Snape was kind enough to remind me only last night。。。〃
Speechless； Harry carried the Firebolt back upstairs toward Gryffindor Tower。 As he turned a corner； he saw Ron dashing toward him； grinning from ear to ear。
〃She gave it to You？ Excellent！ Listen； can I still have a go on it？ Tomorrow？〃
〃Yeah。。。 anything；〃 said Harry； his heart lighter than it had been in a month。 〃You know what…we should make up with Hermione。。。 She was only trying to help。。。〃
〃Yeah； all right；〃 said Ron。 〃She's in the mon room how working； for a change …〃
They turned into the corridor to Gryffindor Tower and saw Neville Longbottom； pleading with Sir Cadogan； who seemed to be refusing him entrance。
〃I wrote them down！〃 Neville was saying tearfully。 〃But I must've dropped them somewhere！〃
〃A likely tale！〃 roared Sir Cadogan。 Then； spotting Harry and Ron： 〃Good even； my fine young yeomen！ e clap this loon in irons。 He is trying to force entry to the chambers within！〃
〃Oh； shut up；〃 said Ron as he and Harry drew level with Neville。
〃I've lost the passwords！〃 Neville told them miserably。 〃I made him tell me what passwords he was going to use this week； because he keeps changing them； and now I don't know what I've done with them！〃
〃Oddsbodikins；〃 said Harry to Sir Cadogan； who looked extremely disappointed and reluctantly swung forward to let them into the mon room。 There was a sudden； excited murmur as every head turned and the next moment； Harry was surrounded by people exclaiming over his Firebolt。
〃Where'd you get it； Harry？〃
〃Will you let me have a go？〃 〃Have you ridden it yet； Harry？〃
〃Ravenclaw'll have no chance； they're all on Cleansweep Sevens！〃
〃Can I just hold it； Harry？〃
After ten minutes or so； during which the Firebolt was Passed around and admired from every angle； the crowd dispersed and Harry and Ron had a clear view of Hermione； the only person who hadn't rushed over to them； bent over her work and carefully avoiding their eyes。 Harry and Ron approached her table and at last； she looked up。
〃I got it back；〃 said Harry； grinning at her and holding up the Firebolt。
〃See； Hermione？ There wasn't anything wrong with it！〃 said Ron。
〃Well…there might have been！〃 said Hermione。 〃I mean； at least you know now that it's safe！〃
〃Yeah； I suppose so；〃 said Harry。 〃Id better put it upstairs。〃
〃I'll take it！〃 said Ron eagerly。 〃I've got to give Scabbers his rat tonic。〃
He took the Firebolt and； holding it as if it were made of glass； carried it away up the boys' staircase。
〃Can I sit down； then？〃 Harry asked Hermione。
〃I suppose so；〃 said Hermione； moving a great stack of parchment off a chair。
Harry looked around at the cluttered table； at the long Arithmancy essay on which the ink was still glistening； at the even longer Muggle Studies essay （〃Explain Why Muggles Need Electricity〃 and at the rune translation Hermione was now poring over。
〃How are you getting through all this stuff？〃 Harry asked her。
〃Oh； well…you know…working hard；〃 said Hermione。 Close…up； Harry saw that she looked almost as tired as Lupin。
〃Why don't you just drop a couple of subjects？〃 Harry asked； watching her lifting books as she searched for her rune dictionary。
〃I couldn't do that！〃 said Hermione； looking scandalized。
〃Arithmancy looks terrible；〃 said Harry； picking up a very plicated…looking number chart。
〃Oh no； it's wonderful！〃 said Hermione earnestly。 〃It's my favorite subject！ It's …〃
But exactly what was wonderful about Arithmancy； Harry never found out。 At that precise moment； a strangled yell echoed down the boys' staircase。 The whole mon room fell silent； staring； petrified； at the entrance。 Then came hurried footsteps； growing louder and louder…and then Ron came leaping into view； dragging with him a bedsheet。
〃LOOK！〃 he bellowed； striding over to Hermione's table。
〃LOOK！〃 he yelled； shaking the sheets in her face。
〃Ron； what …？〃
〃SCABBERS！ LOOK！ SCABBERS！〃
Hermione was leaning away from Ron； looking utterly bewildered。 Harry looked down at the sheet Ron was holding。 There was something red on it。 Something that looked horribly like …
〃BLOOD！〃 Ron yelled into the stunned silence。 〃HE'S GONE！ AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR？〃
〃N…no；〃 said Hermione in a trembling voice。
Ron threw something down onto Hermione's rune translation。 Hermione and Harry leaned forward。 Lying on top of the weird； spiky shapes were several long； ginger cat hairs。
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
GRYFFINDOR VERSUS RAVENCLAW
It looked like the end of Ron and Hermione's friendship。 Each was so angry with the other that Harry couldn't see how they'd ever make up。
Ron was enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshanks's attempts to eat Scabbers seriously； hadn't bothered to keep a close enough watch on him； and was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting that Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys' beds。 Hermione； meanwhile； maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers； that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas； and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since Crookshanks had landed on Ron's head in the Magical Menagerie。
Personally； Harry was sure that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers； and when he tried to point out to Hermione that the evidence all pointed that way； she lost her temper with Harry too。
〃Okay； side with Ron； I knew you would！〃 she said shrilly。 〃First the Firebolt； now Scabbers； everything's my fault； isn't it！ just leave me alone； Harry； I've got a lot of work to do！〃
Ron had taken the loss of his rat very hard indeed。
〃e on； Ron； you were always saying how boring Scabbers was；〃 said Fred bracingly。 〃And he's been off…color for ages； he was wasting away。 It was probably better for him to snuff it quickly…one swallow…he probably didn't feel a thing。〃
〃Fred！〃 said Ginny indignantly。
〃All he did was eat and sleep； Ron； you said it yourself；〃 said George。
〃He bit Goyle for us once！〃 Ron said miserably。 〃Remember； Harry？〃
〃Yeah； that's true；〃 said Harry。
〃His finest hour；〃 said Fred； unable to keep a straight face。 〃Let the scar on Goyle's finger stand as a lasting tribute to his memory。 Oh； e on； Ron； get yourself down to Hogsmeade and buy a new rat； what's the point of moaning？〃
In a last…ditch attempt to cheer Ron up； Harry persuaded him to e along to the Gryffindor team's final practice before the Ravenclaw match； so that he could have a ride on the Firebolt after they'd finished。 This did seem to take Ron's mind off Scabbers for a moment （〃Great！ Can I try and shoot a few goals on it？〃） so they set off for the Quidditch field together。
Madam Hooch； who was still overseeing Gryffindor practices to keep an eye on Harry； was just as impressed with the Firebolt as