"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."
Harry immediately knew something awful had been said by everyone's reaction. Flint had to dive in front of Malfoy to try and protect him from Fred and George, and Ron raised his wand at Malfoy, his face hot with fury and declared "You'll pay for that one Malfoy."
But before he could ever get the spell out there was a loud smack as Malfoy was knocked on his ass by Hermione.
"Oh, I know you didn't just call me a Mudblood, Malfoy, you didn't dare just get racial with me," Hermione snapped, wagging her finger aggressively. "You call me that again I will smack your skinny white ass so hard you ain't never gonna ride that broomstick again, ya hear me?"
It was quite a comical scene – Malfoy lay out on the grass with bloody nose staring up at Hermione in horror while both Gryffindors and Slytherins looked on in shock. Ron still stood with his wand raised as if frozen mid-spell. Finally George Weasley broke the silence with, "You go girlfriend."
Hermione suddenly rounded on him. "Don't you start with me Fred Weasley – you think yo momma is scary, wait until I'm through with you."
"Actually -" Fred began with a cheesy grin, but his smile was quickly smacked off his face. Hermione stormed off with an exasperated huff. Harry grabbed Ron by the arm and made to chase after her.
"Hermione, that was bloody brilliant," Ron said once they had caught up to her. Hermione did look slightly flustered, though not at all pink.
"Malfoy just makes me so mad," Hermione said, turning around so quickly that Harry and Ron nearly clattered into her.
"What was that? That word?" Harry asked.
"It was a racial slur, Harry," Hermione explained. "My whole life I've been called all sorts of horrible things by my classmates in the Muggle world, imagine how it feels that my wizarding classmates have a racial slur for me as well."
"That must be horrible," Harry agreed, though still not really sure what it meant – the only racial slurs he'd ever heard were used by his Uncle Vernon, and only then when they weren't in public.
"Well, I'm going to so something about it," Hermione said.
"Like what?"
"I'll start a campaign," she said. "I'll have a petition, and badges, and we'll have a march. I'll write a speech about how I dream of a world were Purebloods and Halfbloods and Mudbloods can live side by side."
"Hermione!" Ron gasped. "You can't say that."
"What, Mudblood?" she asked. Ron flinched. "And why not? I'm re-appropriating it. I'm a Mudblood and proud."
The first march of the Mudblood Re-appropriation Society was the next day in the Entrance Hall. It wasn't a great turnout, it was really just Hermione and a handful of Gryffindors that had shown up, but it was enough to draw the attention of Professor Dumbledore, who had abandoned his porridge to see what the commotion was about.
"We are protesting against the derogatory use of the word Mudblood at Hogwarts," Hermione told him. "I and my fellow Mudbloods are demanding an answer from the Hogwarts Board of Governors on how racism can be allowed to run rampant through our schools. Mudblood power!"
"Mudblood power!" Dean Thomas agreed.
"Mudblood power!" Colin Creevey added.
Harry watched the whole thing in complete confusion.
"Hermione, I'm still not sure I understand what this is all about," Harry said.
"Honestly Harry," she said hotly. "It's about challenging old prejudices in the wizarding world."
"No, I just don't get what it means," he said. "You and Dean Thomas can use the word, and I can't – which is fine, I get that. But Colin Creevey is allowed to use the word? I don't understand, is Mudblood not the same as nig-"
Harry was interrupted by a smack across the jaw.
"Don't you dare finish that sentence Harry Potter," Hermione warned him. "Even if you are half-Mudblood."
Harry staggered backwards as Hermione stormed off, followed closely by most of the MRS. Harry looked desperately at Dean Thomas, the only one who had stayed to make sure Harry was alright.
"Half-Mudblood?" he asked. "Dean, am I black?"
"No, but you are an idiot."