Disclaimer: I own nothing of Joe's. She's the genius behind all of this.

Ch. 9 Slytherin Vs. Gryffindor

'Open your textbooks to page 534.'

So much for a welcome back.

Pansy sighed beside me as she flipped open her book. I threw an arm over her shoulder, warding off a glance from Nott in the row before us.

When Christmas was over… presents and all, we returned to Hogwarts. We returned to this:

'Before you,' Snape's sharp voice explained, 'are fifteen pages of rigorous questions in all the techniques of the Dark Arts,' I heard Weasley whimper pathetically, 'However, they will not be assigned for homework,'

a gasp of joy,

'if,'

another whine,

' you do exactly as I say.'

Suddenly, white writing started to appear on the blackboard beyond the dueling ring.

"If left without a wand, how do you defend yourself?"

Hmmm… interesting, I thought as Pansy glanced up at me. Gregory started guffawing once he finished reading the board, then he suddenly stopped.

'But, I thought Snape doesn't tell jokes.'

Vincent glared, then added, 'Wonder which Gryffindor he'll pick.'

'Potter.'

But, of course, the Boy-Who-Just-Won't-Die.

'Quickly Potter, we don't have all day,' Snape snapped. Shuffling a bit, Potter walked to the front of the class. Out stretching his hand, Snape asked, 'Wand.'

'I left it on my desk,' Potter stated quickly.

'Wand,' Snape repeated.

Digging deep in a shirt pocket, Potter slowly took out his wand. Happily, Snape grabbed it and pocketed it. Turning, he stopped suddenly. He turned back around to face Potter and demanded, 'The other one.'

Sighing in defeat, Potter took out the second wand from his sleeve.

'Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley for assisting Mr. Potter with your wand. And, ten more points from Gryffindor, for lying, Potter.' Smug, Snape locked both wands in his desk drawers where a clatter of many more wands were seen.

This was going to be a fun lesson, after all.

'Potter, try to stay conscious and uninjured for as long as possible.'

It was an honor to snicker loudly for as long as possible with my fellow Slytherins.

Then, Snape attacked. And the action began. First, he aimed a well placed shocking spell, sending Potter flying four feet.

'Wait!' came a shriek from the Mudblood. Professor Snape stopped as Potter got up stiffly.

'What is the point of this exercise, Professor Snape?'

Genuinely smiling – even though it was a rather evil one – Snape answered, 'Mr. Potter, here, will answer that question at the end of the lesson.'

Back on his feet, Potter had to duck, jump, and dodge several quick curses, soon leaving him out of breath. A few minutes later, he was on his back again.

'Professor,' Granger called again, as the Weasel stood to look at his friend, 'Surely, if we were ever left without a wand, we'd have something else?'

'No, not in this situation,' said Snape, 'and if you'd care to interrupt again, ten points will be taken from Gryffindor.' However, turning, Snape – and most of the class – was rather surprised. Potter was no longer before him.

Silence was issued throughout the room. Where was Potter? Quickly skimming the room, Pansy tugged at my sleeve as a feather moved on Snape's desk. How she managed to spot that, I'll never know.

Intrigued, I watched the slight breeze make the feather sway, when a hand suddenly grabbed at the quill. As the quill disappeared underneath the desk, I stood, 'Professor, your desk!'

Turning, Snape saw his whole pot of quills and other materials disappear beneath the desk. 'Potter!' he shouted, 'Get your hands off my things!'

In a word, Snape shot a spell at his desk. The yellow flash of light quickly zoomed across the room. Yet, to everyone's surprise it was deflected by a red ray of light.

Getting up, Potter revealed the wand in his right hand. 'The answer to that question,' Potter stated, pointing to the board where Snape's previous question If left without a wand how do you defend yourself was still written, he answered, 'is to get a wand.'

Surprisingly, Snape put down his wand. 'Ms. Granger,' he asked, begrudgingly, 'how did I answer your first question at the beginning of the lesson?'

'You said that Harry would answer your question at the end of the lesson,' she said, a dawning look of happiness on her face.

With an angry look and turn of his head, Snape said,

'Class Dismissed.'

I stretched my stiff back as I stood in the Slytherin shed below the Quidditch stands. Long fingers gripping the smooth wood of my broom, I listened to the commotion of the crowd above in the dark shed. This is it, I thought, Slytherin's first match against Gryffindor. He had to win.

'This is our first match,' I called out to my team, over my shoulder. 'We have to win.'

The chaser, Charles, mumbled, 'You say that before every game.'

'Ya,' I said, affronted, 'But, this time I mean it. All of you have to work your hardest.'

'Well, it would help if you actually caught the snitch,' said Nott, saucily.

'You think I haven't been thinking about that for the past week?' I snapped, not willing to take any more cheeks from my team mates.

'Sorry,' Nott mumbled, voice low.

'Don't worry about it,' I said, trying to pull the team together, 'but I need some help out there. You,' I looked back at Nott, 'score some goals past that lousy excuse for a Keeper. Brian, you'd make a better Keeper any day.

'And Vincent, Gregory, you two are beaters. Beat!'

'Does that mean we can bend a few rules?' asked Will, the last chaser, hopefully.

'Bend?' I put on a show of thought, 'Break them! There are no rules in this game! In this game, Gryffindor is going down!'

Snickering, I led the Slytherin team speeding out onto the pitch, a new speed about us. I glanced out amongst the crowds and saw the Slytherin stands shrieking their cheers. Rounding about the pitch, I turned to the middle to shake hands with the Gryffindor captain.

Looking Potter in the eye, I mocked, 'Ready to loose, Potter? I hear you have to get ready for these things, mentally.'

'Right, Malfoy,' he smiled, 'We'll loose, like every time, right?'

I gripped hands with scarhead, then flew up.

And the whistle blew.

Elevating myself to a safe height above the zooming players, I looked down to watch the first move of the game. A Gryffindor girl, chaser, had stolen the Quaffle and was off towards the Slytherin end. Only seconds later, Nott had knocked into her and viciously taken the Quaffle.

A roar of disapproval sounded from the Gryffindor stands. It gave me great pleasure to smirk as they unsuccessfully called for a foul.

My eyes shifted around the field. Still, no sign of the snitch.

Focusing on the game again, I saw Gregory hit a bludger strongly towards the younger chaser on the team, nearly knocking him off his broom.

'Hang on, Smith,' I head Potter call, looking anxiously towards his teammate.

'Yes, do hang on, you wouldn't want to fall, now would you?' I looked towards Potter, 'Teaching them to fall, are you, Potter?'

I received a look of disgust, before Potter looked down to continue watching the game.

Then, I saw it.

There was the snitch, a golden light glimmering by the Gryffindor goals. Fighting off the urge to fly straight towards it, I thought for a moment. In this position, I would never get it. Potter was closer to the Gryffindor end. Potter would surely get it.

And, we couldn't let that happen, now could we?

So, instead, I sped off towards the Slytherin goals at breakneck speed. Commotion from the crowd was immediately created. Before I knew it, Potter zipped behind me. I circled a goal post, angry to still find Potter keeping up. Testing his skill, I pulled a Wronski Feint and only pulled out from the dive, a few feet from the ground. Potter did so as well, though not a bit more clumsily.

Rising up above the Slytherin crowd, I smirked at Potter, who looked up angrily for the goose chase. Quickly, I spotted Pansy –obvious in the pink she was wearing – to distract Potter.

'Hey Potty!' came the loud squeal of her voice.

As inconspicuously as possible, I drifted off towards the Gryffindor end. Quickly scanning the skies for the golden glint of the snitch, I blessed my luck as I saw it but one hundred meters before me.

Forgetting all subtleties, I raced towards the gold. This was mine; there was no other chance to get it. And annoyingly enough, as though seeing me coming, the snitch turned from it's path and sped back towards the Gryffindor goals.

Breath quickening, I ducked below a series of players and followed as quickly as my broom would allow. Yet, the noise from the crowds, drew the attention of Potter, who was already following. Annoyed, I felt him coming up on my left sleeve.

'Nice cheat, Malfoy,' Potter breathed.

'About time, Potter,' I still managed to smirk, 'remember, no matter how much time you spend around her, she still wears my ring.'

'No worries, Malfoy,' said Potter, breathlessly, 'you keep Parkinson. Who else'd want her?'

Feeling an uncharacteristic growl in my throat, I replied, 'Just people smart enough to keep a woman.'

'Shut it, Malfoy,' said Potter, hotly, - much to my satisfaction - , 'Let me get this snitch,' he said, hand out.

'Too late, Potter, ' I said, hand out as well, 'it's already got my initials on it.'

Suddenly, the snitch took a sudden turn around the right goal hoop. Quickly adjusting my broom, I turned. Potter, only a little farther, put his hand down to adjust the slight bump that went through his broom.

I was so close to the snitch, I could see the intricate designs on the ball. The flutter of the wings. Throwing my second hand out, I strived to make my reach just a little more. As Potter, done adjusting, bumped into my left as he threw his hand out, I felt the smooth golden metal slide into my palm.

As though hanging on for life, my hand closed tightly around the Snitch. Breathlessly, I kept hold of the struggling ball.

Holding my hand up high, I heard the roars from the Slytherin stands, shrieking in ecstasy. All shouts of disapproval was unheard over the shrieks from Slytherin. In a daze, I kept my hand up, as I landed. Immediately surrounded by my teammates, I realized that I had actually caught the snitch.

With everyone jumping and shouting, Charles shouted, 'I always knew you could do it,' the lie was emphasized with a punch on the back. Then, in a sudden huff, I was being carried above the crowd on Gregory's shoulders.

My wide smirk, widened yet as I looked over to Gryffindor. Potter was walking towards the castle, shaking off disheartened fans.

Pansy, using her ways, was soon up on my level. Grinning, she hugged me to her and cried, 'You won! You won! Slytherin,' she announced, 'Party!'

Yep, things were definitely looking up for Slytherin, I thought looking at the crowd.

It never felt better to be a winner, I thought as my team laughed.

And as I looked at Pansy, I thought,

It never felt better to be a Malfoy.

Author's Note: Ok, really sorry everyone. I know that took forever and it's even not that long. So, I have good and bad news.

Good: I'll update again extremely soon.

Bad: It's summer time, so I'm traveling.

Don't be too discouraged though, this story has been completely planned out and will surely end. So, you know when I get back, all you have to do is review smiles happily and then click the box next to 'Author Alert'. (Oh, and you have to be signed in!) That button emails you when I next update.

Well, have a nice summer and look forward to my next chapter!