The Wind Begins to Rise

In truth, as Gryffindor's new Quidditch captain, Harry felt no less heavy inside than Ron did. This was his first match since becoming captain. Katie Bell was still in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and Dumbledore had said she would have to stay there for at least three months. That meant the Gryffindor Quidditch team was missing an experienced starting Chaser, and Dean Thomas, who had come in as a substitute, would need time before he could reach Katie's level and build real chemistry with his teammates.

Dean Thomas was a rather laid-back wizard. He had chosen all his electives by randomly jabbing his wand around—but his seasoned way of handling people was not bad for the team. Back in fifth year, he had several times managed both to preserve his friendship with Seamus and soothe Harry's anger at not being trusted, and he had also joined the D.A. organized by Harry. So at the very least, the other players were quite willing to accept him as Katie's replacement.

Ron, who had started eating breakfast normally in front of him, also reassured Harry a great deal. As the newly appointed Beater, though Ron had not performed as well in training as he had in the Keeper position—when Ron trained as Keeper, as long as there were not too many people watching, no outside interference, and no pressure, his technique was actually excellent. But the moment someone interfered with him mentally...

For now, however, Ron's state of mind before the match did feel much more relaxed than before. A team had two Beaters, who cooperated with each other during play, and the pressure was lighter than on a Keeper. After all, for a Keeper, if a ball got through, it was painfully obvious whose responsibility it was.

"Time's