Um, YES. It would have been ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE to distract Patil, given that she was under a love potion that was making her CLING TO DRACO'S LEG.
Which is why I find it baffling that her friends couldn't tell. Or maybe they could, but were perfectly happy to see her humiliated because secretly they can't stand her either. (And SERIOUSLY you're going to lecture us on humiliating Patil? The people in the challenge are supposed to be AUDITIONING TO BE DEATH EATERS, humiliating a vicious pureblooded mean girl at a party is ... just about the least-awful thing Ron could have done without failing this challenge outright. He needs to fail 'gracefully' and I think some people in the Order are not aware of just how delicate a balance that is.)
no subject
Which is why I find it baffling that her friends couldn't tell. Or maybe they could, but were perfectly happy to see her humiliated because secretly they can't stand her either. (And SERIOUSLY you're going to lecture us on humiliating Patil? The people in the challenge are supposed to be AUDITIONING TO BE DEATH EATERS, humiliating a vicious pureblooded mean girl at a party is ... just about the least-awful thing Ron could have done without failing this challenge outright. He needs to fail 'gracefully' and I think some people in the Order are not aware of just how delicate a balance that is.)