"Professor why have you requested to see me and Mr. Malfoy?"
"I have been informed that Mr. Malfoy jinxed a student. I have two witnesses that account for what happened."
"It wasn't me. Who ever it is must be mistaken."
"Are you sure about that Mr. Malfoy?"
"Yes Professor Dumbledore."
"Severus I shall give you a moment to speak with Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore said and left his office.
"Draco, I will ask you, were you the one to jinx Roger Davies?"
"No it wasn't me."
"Don't lie to me. If you ever do it again there will be severe consequences. As it is you will serve detention tonight and ten points will be taken from Slytherin."
Draco said nothing and stopped out of Dumbledore's office.
* * * * * * *
After dinner Harry and Ron went on to the common room to wait for Hermione.
"What's Hermione up to?" Ron asked.
"I don't know."
"We will find out in a minute, she's walking over."
"I just over heard a small group of Slytherin's talking with Malfoy. He has detention tonight and ten points taken away."
"Only ten points!"
"Let me finish Ron. Snape took the points away."
"What?" Harry and Ron said.
"You heard me. I don't think that one detention and a few points taken away is enough."
"It should be at least a week of detentions and a lot more points taken away!" Ron exclaimed.
"I know. But at least Snape did take points away though, he's never taken points away from his own house."
"Harry you're awfully quiet."
"Just thinking Ron. With any luck maybe Ravenclaw will slaughter Slytherin or at least win the match."
"I don't know how well Ravenclaw will do in the match. Every thing that has been said and done to the team they might not be on target with their game. Practice might go well but in the actual game."
"Hermione give Ravenclaw some credit."
"Harry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that what Slytherin has said and done to the team I am sure that it has sunk in and they just might be a little scared. I hope that they can pull a win. We will just have to wait and see what happens and hope that Slytherin, meaning Malfoy, doesn't do anything else to Ravenclaw to dampen their spirits more."
Harry, Ron and Hermione talked more about it for about an hour and then retired to bed.
The next several days went by with only verbal comments and threats from Slytherin. Hufflepuff and Gryffindor did all they could to help bring Ravenclaw's spirits up. It did not appear that it was working.
As the match was on the horizon Ravenclaw seemed to be in a better mood and their spirits were up. It was as though nothing had happened to the team; this made the other half of the school hopeful.
The morning of the match the whole school was up early, had breakfast and headed out to the Quidditch pitch.
"On my whistle, three, two, one" Madam Hooch blew the whistle and everyone kicked off the ground and rose into the air.
"And they're off. Ravenclaw with first possession of the quaffle and soaring down the pitch, Bradley passes the quaffle to McDougal and he scores. Pucey hauling up the pitch and Carmichael makes a nice save." The crowed cheered and faintly booed. "Davies with the quaffle and moving down the pitch and again Blaise fails to defend the goal posts making the score Twenty to nil to Ravenclaw."
Slytherin booed the goal as the rest of the crowed cheered as loud as they could and became hopeful with the early lead, though small.
"Pucey moving up the pitch he passes the quaffle to Warrington and back to Pucey to Montague to Warrington and he scores. Davies with the quaffle, Warrington knocks the quaffle out of his arm, Bradley steels the quaffle and soars down the pitch and Blaise makes the save."
An hour later, "Pucey scores, one-ten to fifty, Slytherin with the lead. It looks as thought Chang sees the snitch and Malfoy seems to think so. Malfoy swerves to avoid a bludger and Chang catches the snitch. Two hundred to One hundred and ten, Ravenclaw wins the match."
After dinner as everyone was about to start heading back to their dormitories when Dumbledore stood up, "May I have your attention please."
The dining hall quieted and those that had stood up sat back down and all eyes were on Dumbledore.
"As a result of today's match, Slytherin has tied Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw has tied Gryffindor. There will be two more play off games. The dates will be posted in your common rooms by tomorrow night. Good night to all."
The following night posted in the common rooms were the dates of the next two Quidditch play off games. Harry walked over to the table where Ron and Hermione were sitting.
"So when are the games?" Ron asked
"Slytherin and Hufflepuff face off on the seventh of May. We face off with Ravenclaw on the twenty-first of May."
"At least our team has about a month to get ready."
"You know Ron, if we have a month to get ready so does Ravenclaw." Hermione stated.
"Did you have to mention that?"
"Yes I did Ron. Yes I want our team to win, but I am not going to kid myself into thinking that we have it won before we even play against them."
"It was luck that Ravenclaw won. Malfoy would have had the snitch if not for that bludger causing him to swerve. That allowed Cho to be able to catch the snitch."
"All right you two, enough."
Ron and Hermione stopped arguing about Quidditch. Harry looked around and noticed that they were the only three still in the common room.
"Do either of you realize what time it is? I am going up to bed. Good night." Harry said and then took the stairs two at a time.
Ron and Hermione quickly went up to their respective dormitories.
A week went by without incident. As the match drew nearer the tensions were high with Slytherin. Hufflepuff was relaxed and looking forward to the match. They were not un-nerved by Slytherins taunting, jeering, snide comments and minor threats.
"Have you noticed how calm and collected the Hufflepuff team is?" Hermione asked
"I have noticed. Slytherin can't get to them. Hufflepuff isn't letting anything bother them. I watched them during practice yesterday and I am glad that we're not playing against Hufflepuff. They have a good shot at taking Slytherin out. Although if Slytherin plays as nasty as they have been it could be a close game."
"Harry you know Slytherin is going to play nasty, they always do."
"I know. With everything that Slytherin has said it hasn't affected Hufflepuff in the slightest bit. I wish you and Hermione could have seen Hufflepuff practicing. I honestly don't think that it will matter whether or not Slytherin plays nasty, Hufflepuff is ready to take on anything."
"As long as Summers and Hopkins are on top of it, no one should get hurt. They just have to pay attention, do their job and keep an extra eye out for the rest of the team."
"That doesn't sound easy, Ron."
"I never said it would be easy. How else are they going to beat Slytherin?"
"By using their talent. I can't even find the words to describe the practice I watched. All Slytherin has is their jeering, crude comments, threats and attacking the opponent. They have no, decent, talent."
"They must have been really good in that practice. The way you talk about it and mostly the look on your face, I wish I as well as Hermione could have seen the practice too."
A few days later after classes Harry told Ron and Hermione that he would meet them by the lake under the tree.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked
"I need to talk to Dumbledore real quick."
Harry sprinted off towards Dumbledore's office. As he approached the office Harry slowed down to a brisk walk.
"Potter, what are you doing over here?"
"Professor McGonagall, I need to have a quick work with Professor Dumbledore. Is he here?"
"No he is not. Can I help you with something?"
"Uh…no but thank you anyway."
Harry turned and headed back the way he came and to meet his friends.
"Harry, you might want to hurry. Ron and Draco are getting into it."
"Thanks Neville." Harry said as he took off in dead run.
As Harry neared where Ron and Draco were he could hear what was being said.
"At least Hufflepuff has pure talent."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Hufflepuff has talent when it comes to Quidditch. All you and the rest of Slytherin only have the talent off cheating by threats and attacking your opponent."
Draco lunged himself at Ron who stepped out of the way causing Draco to fall flat on his face on the ground. Draco got up and walked towards Ron.
"At least my mother isn't a cow."
That was the last straw for Ron. His face was nearly purple from anger and all of a sudden Ron swung his fist at Draco and connected with Draco's nose. Draco quickly responded with his own fist swinging and only caught Ron on the arm. Ron turned to hit Draco again but he deflected Ron's hit causing Ron to drop his wand. Draco picked up Ron's wand and snapped in two. Ron marched over and punched Draco in the face again and turned to walk off. Draco raised his wand arm with wand in hand but before he could do anything his wand went flying up in the air and landed in Harry's wand free hand.
"I don't think so Malfoy. You are not going to curse, hex, jinx or stun any one who has their back to you and unarmed. You know I should really break your wand in two but I won't because I refuse to sink down to your level. Instead I am sure that the Headmaster would really like to know what you have done, I am sure that your head of house won't be too pleased."
"Go ahead and break it, it's not like I can't get a new one unlike Weasley."
"What in the name of Merlin is going on here?" Asked Professor McGonagall.
"Draco and Ron were having words, the punched each other, Draco broke Ron's wand in two and was about to do something, curse, hex, jinx or stun I don't know but Ron had his back to Draco. I disarmed Draco before he could cast what ever he was about to do."
"Mr. Weasley is this true?'
"Yes Professor."
"Well, Mr. Potter, Miss. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger, Mr. Longbottom, Miss. Lovegood, Mr. Davies, Miss. Chang, Mr. Goldstein and Mr. Malfoy follow me please."
All ten students followed McGonagall to her office.
"Professor Sprout, so nice to see you. Could you please give me a hand with this group? I will be talking to each and every one of them individually. I would like you to watch the rest of them in the hall to be sure that what was going on just now out side does not continue."
"Not a problem Professor McGonagall."
Ginny, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Roger, Cho and Anthony all told McGonagall everything that they had seen and heard. McGonagall then called Harry to have him retell what he had seen and heard and did.
After she spoke with Ron and Draco she had made he decision about what to do with the two students.
Ron walked through the portrait hole solemnly.
"Don't tell me you're being sent home?" Hermione asked
"No, but I do have detention for punching Malfoy."
"Did you happen to hear what happened to Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"Something about suspension."
"He's getting suspended!" Exclaimed Hermione while stifling a laugh.
As Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione were walking to the dining hall Cedric caught up to them.
"Harry. Ron. Ginny. Hermione."
The four of them stopped and looked behind them to see Cedric running towards them.
"Cedric?" Harry said
"Dumbledore asked me to find the four of you. He would like a word with all of you."
"When did he get back? I went looking for him earlier and he wasn't here."
"I don't think that he has been here long. Just before he asked me to find the four of you I saw Professor McGonagall talking with him. It might have something to do with what happened earlier."
"I wouldn't be surprised if it is. Thank you Cedric."
"No problem Harry."
Cedric continued on his way to the dining hall. Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione went to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore spoke to each one privately, talking to Harry last.
As Harry and Dumbledore were finishing up their conversation there was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
Lucius Malfoy walked in looking angry. Dobby the house elf on his heals.
"Why has my son been suspended?" Lucius demanded.
"He was in a fight earlier to day, broke another students wand and attempted to curse the same student who was walking away from him. Be thankful that Draco is not being expelled."
"And for how long is he suspended?"
"Until the sixteenth of May. Yes, your son will not participate in the upcoming Quidditch match. I will not tolerate your son's actions."
"And the other student, what is his punishment?"
"Detention for the rest of the school year."
"Why isn't he suspended as well? You said there had been a fight. Why is my son the only one suspended?"
"As I said you son broke the other students wand and attempted to curse him. If not for Mr. Potter here, your son surely would have been expelled."
Lucius stormed out of the office, kicking Dobby out ahead of him.
"Professor may I have the diary? I can't prove it but I do know that the diary belongs to him. It's not that I want to give it back to Mr. Malfoy, I want to do something else."
Dumbledore pulled open a drawer and handed the diary to Harry. Once he had the diary he ran out of the office, stopped a short distance a way and took off again.
"Mr. Malfoy!"
"What do you want?"
"Here. I believe this belongs to you. I also believe that you somehow slipped into Ginny Weasley's books."
"That is not mine."
"Yes it is. Just because I can't prove it doesn't mean that I don't know. There are a lot of things that I know that would make your toes curl." Harry said as he thrust the dairy into Lucius Malfoy's hands.
Lucius then proceeded to thrust the diary at Dobby, turned and stopped off.
Harry quietly told Dobby to open the book.
"Master has set Dobby free. Master has given Dobby a sock. I am free."
Lucius stopped walking and turned around to see Dobby holding the diary in one hand and a sock in the other.
"What? I never….I only handed you that…." Lucius trailed off and looked at Harry who had a smirk on his face.
"How dare you! You tricked me. Dobby come."
"It won't work Mr. Malfoy. Weather or not you intended to give Dobby clothes, you still did and that is all that matters."
Lucius turned purple, nearly the shade that Harry's Uncle Vernon would turn when extremely angry.
As Lucius raised his wand arm with wand in hand Dobby put up his hand to stop Lucius just as Harry, who was ready for this, had his wand pointed at Lucius while non-verbally cast 'Expelliarmus'. Lucius flew back with such force that when he hit the wall behind him a small crack appeared. Lucius also had difficulty standing up and staggered off.
"How can Dobby every repay Harry Potter?"
"That is not necessary Dobby. I do not need any repayment."
"Dobby will always remember this. And Dobby will always be there for Harry Potter for should you ever need any help."
"Thank you Dobby. Maybe I'll see you around. Bye."
"I would very much like to see you again Harry Potter. Bye." With a 'pop' sound Dobby had vanished from sight.
Harry ran all the way to the dining hall.
"What took so long Harry? Each of us were only with Dumbledore for a short time."
"Lucius Malfoy showed up wanting to know why his son was suspended. I tricked him into setting Dobby, his house-elf, free."
Hermione and Ginny grinned at Harry. Ron just rolled his eyes.
The news of Draco being suspended traveled through the school like wild fire. Slytherin's captain Montague tried to have the match rescheduled for when Draco could play but was unsuccessful.
Slytherin was not happy that they had to use their replacement seeker, Terence Higgs.