6

They stayed and watched the other teams play. Harry looked at all the keepers. There was only one person that was just as good as Ron. That was Dylan Quapulse. A tall, dark haired surly sixth year. Harry knew that he should be thinking and hoping that Ron would be their next keeper but he couldn't help but notice that Dylan was better. Hermione had noticed too.

"Look at Quapulse…" said Hermione in Harry's ear.

Later professor McGonagall and Madame Hooch were discussing who is going to be on the team. After about fifteen minutes or so they made their discission.

"Madame Hooch and I have made our choices and would like to thank all those who participated and put in all their effort. Madame Hooch would you like the pleasure to announce who had made it on the Gryffindor quidditch team?"

"Thank you professor McGonagall. The two chasers are-" Madame Hooch looked down at a piece of paper. "The two new chasers will be Seamus Finnigan and Linda Waldenberg. And the keeper will be Dylan Quapulse!"

Everyone applauded.

"Congratulations" said Ron miserably to Linda.

"That wasn't fair! How could they not put my Ronnikin Pumpkin in the team? I'm going to go and talk to professor McGonagall and Madame Hooch! You just wait here with your widdle friends!" Professor Dolly seemed furious.

"No!" Ron said grabbing his aunt's robes. "It's alright. I'm fine. He obviously was a better keeper than I was." he said not looking like he meant one word.

Ron was not his usual self that night. He was low-spirited and depressed.

Ron was still gloomy no matter how hard the three of them tried to cheer Ron up. He just said he wanted to go sleep early.

"I do hope he'll brighten up tomorrow." said Hermione with a bit of Ron's sadness rubbed onto her.

Over the next few days Ron was still down in the dumps but he did manage a weak chuckle in transfiguration when Linda was supposed to turn a piece of bark into a clam, but instead "accidentally" turned it into a hopping gnome, it hopped on professor McGonagall's head and wouldn't come off.

One morning Harry was woken up by George telling him to go to the quidditch pitch for quidditch practise. Harry got dressed and went down. Everyone was there already. Professor McGonagall is there as well.

"I will be watching today's practise and decide who would be the new captain."

The practise with the new team went very well. His Snitch Pointer amused the whole team. Harry caught the snitch three times before practise was over.

"I've decided that the new captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team will be your choice. When you've all decided then the new captain will come and see me in my office."

She left with those words. The whole team looked puzzled.

"She's never done that before!" said Alicia.

"Well we could just vote. Majority wins." Linda suggested.

The team all agreed.

Linda carried on, "First who wants to be captain?"

There were only one person's hands in the air. It was Dylan Quapulse. Harry couldn't think how he could be captain. He was the quietest person there. Harry hasn't even heard his voice yet. But he was a very good keeper.

"OK…well there's no point in voting is there?" Linda was looking around making sure there were no more hands. "Alright then! The new captain is Dylan!"

Dylan showed a little smile then strode off to professor McGonagall's office.

A few more days passed nothing happened except if you call Linda setting a whole cage full of billywigs in Care of Magical Creatures and getting the whole class getting stung and everyone levitating eventful. Ron was no longer gloomy. The first quidditch match against the Slytherins was coming closer and closer. Dylan wasn't a bad captain at all, even though his talking was very minimal. At every practise he would have new information on the next team they would be playing against next, at that time it was the Slytherin team. Harry also found his tips very useful. Strangely George would always rush to the bludger that is near Linda. Harry didn't realise himself being suspicious and wishing he could be a beater. The weather was becoming more and more windy. There hadn't been any rain and Harry was worried that there would be a big storm on the day of the match.

*

That weekend they had their trip to Hogsmeade. Linda and Ron spent half their money in Honeydukes and the other half in Zonko's Joke Shop. They both only had a knut left for The Three Broomsticks, so Harry decided he would buy them all butterbeer.

"Harry!" it was Hagrid.

"Hi Hagrid!"

"Why haven't yeh all been teh visit me at me cabin?" Hagrid sat down taking two seats next to Hermione.

"Sorry Hagrid." Ron said taking a sip of butterbeer.

"Yeah we've never really found the time." Harry explained.

"Ah it's alrigh'." Hagrid said giving Ron a smack on his back that almost made him spit all the butterbeer out. "Look I better get goin' now. Yeh all will come visit soon righ'?"

"Yeah" All of them nodding.

"I've gotta go back the school an' help Filch work ou' som'in. Bye!" then he walked out.

A few minutes passed then Fred and George walked in. George was carrying a kitten. It was very little and had a soft red coat. They had worried looks on their faces.

"Oh cute!" squealed Linda. "Is it yours?" patting the little kitten.

"Yea…sorta…"

"What is it called?" asked Hermione joining Linda patting and wooing the kitten.

"Ah… Ginny…"

"Never knew you liked our lil' sister that much" joked Ron.

"Um…it…well we didn't name it…"

Ron looked back and forth finally catching on, "that's Ginny? What did you guys do to her?"

The kitten was meowing wildly like it was trying to tell them something.

"Well… it all started with one of our trick food…it was our newest invention." said George still holding the kitten who stopped meowing.

"Meowlk!" Fred said looking excited more than worried. "It was a special milk that transforms the drinker into a cat, temporarily!"

"Then what is there to be worried about? It's going to come off isn't it?" said Linda casually.

"Yeah it was supposed to come off in about an hour or two," then George lowered his voice into a whisper. "but she's been like that for two days!"

"Boy is mum going to slaughter you two!" Ron said tutting.

Harry wondered if this was something like the finger thing they did.

"I think I might know a solution." Linda was looking up in the air and tapping her chin with a finger. "Did you guys use Horn of a Bicorn for you main ingredient or Lionfish?"

"Horn of a Bicorn." both of them said together.

"And you put in milk?"

"Yeah. We had to."

"Oh no! That's where you went wrong! Horn of a Bicorn can't be mixed with milk or it could be permanent."

"There's no solution?" Fred was starting to look worried as well.

"Nope!" shaking her head.

"How come I've never heard about that?" said Hermione trying very hard to try and remember if she's read it somewhere.

"Oh no! Mum is going to slaughter us!"

"Come George! Let's go use up all of our dung bombs and filibuster firework so they don't go to waste before we die." Fred said miserably.

Then with Ginny, they left. Ron was looking very concerned. Not long after they headed back to Hogwarts. After two games of chess and five games of exploding snap they went down to dinner.

"Hey!" Hermione said excitedly and pointing. "There's Ginny!"

Ron went ran and hugged Ginny.

"Ron! Get off me!"

"Oh Ginny how did they do it?"

"Ron! You're really freaking me out!" she looked at Ron like he was a stranger. "What are you talking about?"

Harry saw Fred and George sniggering at the opposite end of the table.

"Ah…Ron?" Linda said tapping on Ron's shoulder. "That kitten thing…you didn't really believed Fred and George did you?" said Linda in an awkward voice.

"What? Oh! Of course I knew! I didn't believe a word!" Ron blushed and let go of Ginny.

Hermione was blushing a bit too

"Roony Ronny!" Dolly Weasley shouted from the staff table. The Hall filled with hilarity and as always, she didn't notice. "Have you tried the yummy wummy plum pie?"

Harry thought the laughter couldn't get louder but somehow it managed. Some very unnaturally forced ones came from the Slytherin table.