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Although Hermione used magic to help secure Ron a place on the Quidditch team, she has apparently fallen back into her usual "follow the rules" way and rebukes Harry for cheating (or so she believes) by giving Ron the Good Luck potion to enhance his game skills. Ron plays brilliantly in the game because he was certain the potion would improve his performance, but Harry never actually gave it to him. When Ron believes in himself, he is capable of performing well in many things.
While Harry wants his two best friends to be happy, he is also concerned abouthas himselfconcerns. If Ron and Hermione shoulddo ever get together asbecome a couple, it could mean he would be left behind or have to take sides if they break up. Harry is beginning to realize just how much he relies on each for their friendship and support, a fact Dumbledore has subtly been impressing upon him for some time. Harry also wrestles with budding romantic feelings for Ginny Weasley, although he brushes this off as "brotherly" concern.
We see that Harry is improving in his's skills inat manipulatingutilizing people's flaws and habits. Harry is awareimproving; thathe knows Hermione will intervene ifin she believes somethingany unethical is happeningbehavior, and that Ron's will tends to resist her. This is why, we believe, he allows Hermione to see the phial of Felix Felicis as ithe passes it over theRon's pumpkin juice Ron is about to drink; Harry knows that, seeing it,if Hermione will assume that Harry has just spiked Ron's drink andwas spiked, she will object. It is uncertain whether Harry is counting on this protest to motivate Ron into drinking it; it is certain that Hermione's protest will lead Ron to believe that he has been given a chance at some liquid luck. This is, in some ways,somewhat similar to how [[Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Lord Voldemort|Voldemort]] usesmanipulates people and their thought patterns to his own advantage. Unlike Voldemort, however, Harry's aim is doingto this more forhelp his friends thenrather than for his own selfish ends.
Also, we see that Harry is working on two fronts simultaneously. The first, mentioned above, is to restore Ron's confidence in himself by showing that he is capable ofcan performingperform well (here, keeping goal at Quidditch) when he believes in himself. In this endeavor, Harry will be successful. Harry's other battle is to reconcile Ron and Hermione. This second plan has failed so far, possibly due to Ron's emotional immaturity relative to the other two, leaving Harry again having two good friends who are not on speaking terms with each other.
Readers should take note of the small girl in the seventh-floor hallway who drops the frog-spawn.
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