Harry took to teaching like a moth to a flame, having something new for us every lesson. I helped mostly with those who were struggling, letting myself be used for target practice but it was clear that the practising was exactly what everyone needed, as they all improved in leaps and bounds. Our meetings were irregular due to other commitments, but Hermione passed out gold coins which looked like galleons but were charmed to display the date and time of the next meeting so that everyone would know without us needing to pass a secret meeting around and draw unnecessary attention to ourselves. It was rather ingenious, really.
The next set of troubles came from the upcoming quidditch match against Slytherin. Tensions were high and the Slytherin team started to try and pick off our team members with jinxes and hexes. The twins were almost taken out together by the two new beaters from the Slytherin team, Crabbe and Goyle, but I'd grabbed their heads and pushed them down in time to avoide the hexes before rounding on the beaters. Nothing gave me greater pleasure than deducting points from Slytherin house and putting them both in detention with McGonagall, as I knew she would rip into them for what they had attempted. That was the only time Filch had been on my side, as he'd also witnessed them using magic in the corridor and promptly marched them away to face punishment. It was glorious.
From then on, none of the Slytherins tried anything around me since they'd very idiotically forgotten that I was Head Girl and could literally ban them from playing if I felt like it. It was good to have power, and I fully intended to use it. The one who got it the worst, however was Ron. He looked practically green every time I saw him and I made a point of being nearby wherever he was so that the Slytherins couldn't exactly do much except call out insults and jibes which would allow me to send them scurrying away with points off for every word they spoke. They soon learned their lesson, though it didn't make Ron feel much better. Honestly, I was worried about the match. Ron was a decent keeper, but he panicked often and his severe lack of confidence was a problem. I smacked the twins over their heads every time they tried to make a joke about it, warning them that they weren't helping and for once, they needed to be supportive elder brothers.
On the morning of the match, I was up and down the pitch with my Firebolt in hand and a plan in my head. So long as we could keep the quaffle out of Slytherin hands, they won't be able to score. We'll keep scoring, Harry will catch the snitch, then it'll all be over. We were all rather quiet as we made our way onto the pitch, Slytherin all smirking at us from across the way until we were given the go ahead to get flying, so I pushed off with added force to shoot upwards and snatch the quaffle before anyone else, as mine and Harry's brooms were the fastest and I could get there easily before Slytherin as Lee began to commentate, announcing that I already had the quaffle.
I dodged the two chasers that came at me with flawless rolls and swerves, but then a bludger came at me from behind and hit me in the back but all I could think about was holding onto that quaffle. My broom flipped from the force as I gripped on tightly, hanging upside down for a moment but managed to swing myself back upright whilst I continued to pelt up the pitch. "Ow." I whimpered to myself, feeling a heavy bruise forming on my back. As I was nearing the hoops, I began to realise that Slytherin were all singing. 'Weasley is our King'?
Paying attention to the lyrics, I groaned aloud. This was not going to go down well, I just knew it. With added enthusiasm, I tossed the ball through the hoop after making a feint towards the left, drawing the Slytherin keeper away in order to score, securing the first ten points for Gryffindor. The quaffle passed back to Slytherin and try as we might, none of us chasers could get to it and as the quaffle went soaring towards Ron, the Slytherin spectators all bellowed out the song so loudly it was all we could hear. His arms flailed and missed, earning ten points for Slytherin. "Right. That does it." Pulling my wand free I soared towards the Slytherin stands and streaked over them, waving my wand discreetly with a silencing charm over the whole lot of them. "Silencio!"
It did the trick. The sound cut off and the song died out as the Slytherins all blinked in confusion then soundless started to panic as I laughed, giving a loop in the air for celebration before returning to the game as Lee laughed, unable to even commentate as he'd realised what I'd done. The game was gruelling. There was no other way to describe it. Slytherin kept on getting possession of the quaffle, and no matter how fast I flew, I was always blocked by someone else as there was no lack of beefy players on their side. A couple times Crabbe and Goyle sent bludgers at me when I didn't even have the quaffle, making sure to do it when Madam Hood wasn't looking so I hurled insults at them as best I could.
Dodging another bludger and a Slytherin, I charged forwards to follow after Pucey, who currently had the quaffle and flew underneath him, drawing up level before I then rolled upside down, frowning up at him as Pucey then looked down in surprise. He gave such a start that his grip slackened off the quaffle so I let go with my feet and swung myself up with all the momentum I could carry, practically doing a handstand on my broom before swinging my foot and kicking the quaffle right out of his arms and straight to Angelina who had moved into position. Grinning, I unfurled myself and resumed my seat on my broom, kissing the handle quickly before flying after Angelina.
I blocked Montague, keeping him from reaching Angelina and she scored, bringing up the points by another ten, though Slytherin were still in the lead. We could really do with Harry catching the snitch, if I'm honest. Almost as soon as I'd thought it, I saw Harry go into a dive. We all waited and watched breathlessly, seeing nothing more than a couple of blurs as Harry and Malfoy chased after the snitch, their hands outstretched until Harry pulled up with a triumphant grin, something small and fluttering caught in his hand. "Yes! YES!" I cheered, punching the air and was about to fly to Harry when without warning, Crabbe whacked a bludger and it hit Harry in the back. "No!"
The entire team dove as Harry came off his broom, hitting the ground hard but still kept his fist tightly closed around the snitch. "Harry!" I cried out, landing on the ground with one leg already swung over my broom and raced to him as he groaned. Angelina was already helping him to his feet, concerned but unable to help but smile.
"It was that thug, Crabbe, he whacked the bludger at you the moment he saw you'd got the snitch, but we won, Harry! We won!" Behind us came a snort.
"Saved Weasley's neck, haven't you? I've never seen a worse keeper, but then he was born in a bin, did you like my lyrics, Potter?"
"You're one to talk, Malfoy." I promptly answered, shoving Harry behind me before he could try to spring on Malfoy. "Your keeper couldn't save anything either. I doubt he'd be able to catch a cold even if you sneezed on him, and you have never caught the snitch in a single match against us. How many times have you actually managed to win, Malfoy? Is it…three times since you started?" His eyes bulged in fury at me, growing even paler as I smirked. Turning away, we all walked over towards the rest of the team in order to celebrate, though Ron was now walking off by himself.
"We wanted to write another couple of verses!" Malfoy yelled after us, but I continued to ignore him. "But we couldn't find rhymes for fat and ugly – we wanted to sing about his mother, see…" That got my attention, making me freeze and tense up but Angelina snapped her hand around my wrist to grab on, wanting to make sure I didn't do anything as she saw my expression.
"Talk about sour grapes."
"We couldn't fit in useless loser either, for his father, you know." Now Fred and George had caught onto what Malfoy was talking about and I'd never seen their faces drop from a smile so fast. "But you like the Weasleys, don't you Potter? Spend holidays there and everything, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by muggles, even the Weasleys' hovel smells okay." Harry smartly grabbed hold of George whilst I helped Angelina and Katie wrestle Fred into submission as both of them tried to get to Malfoy. We can't rise to it, we have to keep a low profile, we just can't. "Or perhaps, you can remember what your mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it."
That's when Harry lost control. I shouted, tried to grab the two of them as they both dived for Malfoy and I managed to seize the back of their robes, but not before they'd both punched Malfoy. Once in the stomach, and once in the face. Seizing them both I tried to drag them backwards on my own as Fred continued to fight against the other two girls. Where's Ron when you need him? "Calm down! Calm down! STOP IT BOTH OF YOU! LET ME DEAL WITH IT! MALFOY!" I bellowed over the ruckus, struggling as I literally leaned backwards to keep both the boys from breaking free. "Twenty points from Slytherin and detention three times a week for a month! AND NO HOGSMEADE TRIPS!"
I tried everything, but it was no use, they were completely wild. I lost my grip on Harry, who returned to pummelling Malfoy in an admittedly rather satisfying display, but at that point Madam Hooch had seen what was happening. She used the Impediment Jinx on Harry and landed with an angry shout, demanding to know what was going on. "I've never seen behaviour like it, back up to the castle, both of you, and straight to your Head of House's office, now!" I'd never seen Hooch this angry. Releasing George, his robes now considerably stretched from where I'd been holding him back, and watched as he marched off the pitch with Harry with a sense that they regretted nothing. I turned to Fred.
"Fred, please calm down. Take a deep breath." I directed him so he stopped struggling and began to breathe more deeply so that I could turn to Madam Hooch and tell her what happened, repeating the things Malfoy had said. She was appalled, but firmly stated that it did not excuse violence. She had Malfoy taken up to the hospital wing, leaving the rest of us now in considerably lower spirits than before.