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October arrived, spreading a damp chill
over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was
kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students.
Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker
smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Ginny Weasley, who
had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Percy. The
steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her
whole head was on fire.
Raindrops the size of bullets
thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake rose, the
flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled
to the size of garden sheds. |
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Oliver Wood's enthusiasm for regular training sessions, however, was not dampened, which was why Harry was to be found, late one stormy Saturday afternoon a few days before Halloween, returning to Gryffindor Tower, drenched to the skin and splattered with mud.
Even aside from the rain and wind it
hadn't been a happy practice session. Fred and George, who had been
spying on the Slytherin team, had seen for themselves the speed of
those new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. They reported that the
Slytherin team was no more than seven greenish blurs, shooting
through the air like missiles.
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