Dudley had his first practice session with the team on Wednesday. The weather had cleared up and, although overcast, it wasn't raining.
"Right," said Angelina, all businesslike when the team had gathered. "I've found Cho's team out. She had to bring in quite a few new players because many graduated, so I don't know how good they are. It's her as seeker—we all know that she's quite skilled, so Ron—you need to be at the top of your game."
Ron nodded.
"Sue Li in goal—anyone know her?" Angelina asked.
"She's that tiny little girl isn't she?" said Ron. "The shortest in the year."
"Keepers are usually bigger, but she must be skilled if Cho picked her," said Angelina.
"Or the competition was rubbish," Ron said.
Angelina glared at him. "That's the sort of attitude that may cost us the match. Don't underestimate them!"
Ron looked abashed and Angelina continued.
"Padma Patil, Leon Bradley and Melanie Chambers are seekers," said Angelina. "Anybody know them?"
"Chambers in my year—she's a cow," said Ginny.
"We once switched Leon Bradley's shampoo with hair-removing potion," said Fred.
"Padma's Parvati's sister," Dudley supplied.
"Anybody know anything useful about them?"Angelina said, sarcastically.
Nobody answered.
"Ron, you're going out with Cho," Angelina said.
"Yeah," Ron looked proud and really, Dudley couldn't blame him. Cho was the best looking girl in school.
"Can't you find out what they're like?" Angelina asked.
'There's an idea," said Katie.
"Like a spy, you mean?" Ron asked. "I dunno, she's my girlfriend. I don't think I can spy on her."
"Well, just, sort of, let me know if she lets anything slip … she's bound to vent if Sue Li is useless or mention if Bradley's shots always go to the left."
"I suppose," said Ron, a little reluctantly.
Noticeably happier, Angelina started the practice. It went quite well, Dudley thought. He made a good save to deny Ginny, but he flapped one of Angelina's shots straight at Katie who scored.
"You need to order some proper gloves," Angelina decided. Dudley had been wearing an old pair of Wood's which were left in the changing rooms. "They'll help you grip the quaffle better."
Angelina was just as demanding a captain as Wood, if not worse, drilling them constantly whenever they made a mistake. She called Ginny out for always trying the same shot, Ron for losing concentration and Dudley for his poor handing. Fred and George got a telling off for hitting the bludger at each other instead of at the chasers.
"Overall, that was good," Angelina said, once practice was over. "I think we've got a good chance against Ravenclaw."
As they trooped back to the castle, Ginny and Cho were waiting for them outside.
"Good practice?" Cho asked, brightly.
"Yeah, it went well," said Ron. He glanced across at Angelina. "Erm …. How are yours going? Is Leon Bradley any good?"
Ginny sighed. "About as subtle as a brick through the window," she muttered to Dudley.
Cho immediately looked suspicious. "Not bad," she said, evasively. "Now, come on, we're going to feed the giant squid."
'I want to see if it'll eat dried doxies," Luna said, shaking the box she was holding.
Dudley hadn't known that Cho and Luna were friends now, but he supposed since he and Ron were best friends, spending time with each other that way had gotten the two to make some sort of connection.
The giant squid, it turned out, did eat dried Doxies. Luna stood at the shop, placing them into its large feelers while Dudley sat next to her, his feet in the water. Ron and Cho were cuddling and sharing a box of cauldron cakes that Cho had brought.
"Professor Grubbly-Plank taught us about the squid in the last lesson," said Luna. "I'm surprised Hagrid never shown us. He likes monsters and things."
"Yeah, well, last year he was too focused on those stupid Skrewts."
"He's not a very good teacher is he?' said Luna. "I'm glad Grubbly-Plank's back."
"He was good in his first year," Dudley said, fairly. "But yeah, last year was awful. He did show us a dragon though—that was cool."
"I wonder if he's having any luck with the giants?" Luna said, giving the last doxy to the squid. "They'd be handy to have. Daddy told me all about the Giant and Wizard Wars—and in the last war, he used them against muggles."
Dudley had never seen a giant. He imagined something like from the story Jack and the Beanstalk stomping around and eating people. Hagrid getting the giants on Dumbledore's side could only be a good thing.
They joined Cho and Ron on the grass. Dudley grabbed a cauldron cake for himself and Luna. Ron and Cho were talking about wizarding music—Ron was complaining bitterly about Celestina Warbeck who his mum loved, apparently. Cho had the same problem.
"She's so … old fashioned! I don't know how anyone can stand her,' Cho was saying. 'Every Christmas we have to listen to her wailing on."
Ron laughed. "Me too."
Dudley didn't know much wizarding music except for the Weird Sisters, who he didn't really like much. Luna, it turned out was a fan of The Hobgoblins. She had a ludicrous theory that Sirius Black was actually Stubby Boardman and was still alive. Considering Dudley had seen Sirius Black get the Dementor's Kiss, Dudley thought was more twaddle.
"How about you, Dud? Who do you like?" asked Cho.
Dudley wracked his brains for a song or band he liked. "Oasis," he decided. He didn't have much interest in music, but he had listened to some Oasis tracks before during his summer break at Gordon's house.
"Who?" Ron looked confused.
"Muggle band,' Dudley said.
"Oh," Ron didn't seem too interested. He had never shown much interest in music either. Cho, however, seemed to be a fan. She liked a wizard singer called Horatio Herb. All Dudley could think about was his stupid name.
With half an hour until curfew, they headed back to the castle. Ron was yawning. "Just have time to get Tonks' homework done before bed," he decided.
Another positive about Tonks' class was that her homework was fairly short and simple and only usually took half an hour to complete. Unlike Snape, whose essays could take hours.
The next morning, at breakfast, Hermione issued a gasp of surprise. "Lockhart's moved on Yaxley!" she said, holding out her issue of the Daily Prophet so they could all see.
YOU-KNOW-WHO'S SPY APPREHENDED
Minister Gilderoy Lockhart yesterday announced the arrest of senior Department for Magical Law Enforcement employee and former ministerial candidate Corban Yaxley. "I had my eye on Yaxley from the start," Minister Lockhart said in a statement. "It was just a matter of gathering the evidence needed to make an arrest." When asked how this evidence was gathered, Minister Lockhart gave our reporter his trademark wink. "That would be telling, but let it be known, the Ministry has eyes and ears everywhere!"
The arrest took place in the early hours of Monday morning. The operation was led by Head Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was joined by his protégé Cedric Diggory, Auror Penelope Flint and her protégé Marcus Flint.
"It was a well-planned operation," Minister Lockhart said. "I would happily led the arrest myself, but I was getting my hair curled—I have it curled every Monday. I need to look my best."
"I am pleased to put Yaxley behind bars," said Head Auror Shacklebolt. "He was You-Know-Who's spy in the Ministry and a very dangerous individual. We will root out any and all Death Eaters, no matter where they appear."
Minister Lockhart also added that this operation was further proof of the success of the Auror Initiative, pointing out that two trainee Aurors, Cedric Diggory and Marcus Flint, took part.
"Lockhart's doing a good job as Minister, isn't he?" Dudley said, smirking as he glanced at Ron. Ron didn't exactly despise Lockhart now, but he still thought him a prat.
"Dumbledore probably did all the work," Ron said, eating his porridge.
They had herbology first thing. Dudley noticed that Lavender looked a little sad during the class.
"Well of course she is," Hermione said as she potted her self-fertilizing shrub. "This was Neville's best class, wasn't it? I expect it reminds her a lot of him." Dudley nodded, that made sense. He looked over at Lavender. She was working diligently with Parvati, the way she always did, but she wasn't really speaking and was focused on her work. In fact, Dudley had only just noticed now, but she seemed to have grew up over the summer. In the past three eyars, both her and Parvati had been very giggly and annoying—he hadn't liked them much at all. Now, Lavender was quiet and more focused on her work.
Ever since Dudley thanked Draco, they had existed in an uneasy silence, both flat out ignoring the other. Dudley actually preferred it to the usual open antagonism. Usually, he, Ron, Dean or Hermione couldn't walk past Malfoy and his gang without him sneering something or making a comment or making a rude hand gesture. Now, they just ignored each other. Malfoy kept with his gang of friends—Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, Blaise and Millicent. Dudley stuck with his own group.
The same couldn't be said about Tracey Davies, however. At their next Care of Magical Creatures class, she invited herself to join Dudley's group and hung by his arm, chattering away about quidditch. Dudley tried to ignore Ron's curious and perturbed glances and Hermione's giggling as he tried to select a diet for a bowtruckle.
"I tried out for the Slytherin team, but didn't make it. Only the best get selected—you must be a really good flyer," Tracey said.
"Not that," Dudley said, grabbing Tracey's hand to stop her grabbing the raisins. "Bowtruckles don't eat them. They like woodlice, mushrooms and berries." He said, guiding her hand over to them. Care of Magical Creatures was one of his best subjects, though he tended to prefer creatures a bit more exciting.
He didn't notice the look on Tracey's face when he grabbed her hand and he turned and rejoined Hermione, Ron and Dean.
Hermione gave a small shake of her head.
"What?" he said, puzzled.
"You touched her hand," Hermione said.
"Yeah, so—I was helping her get the right food," Dudley said, defensively.
"So, she's going to see that as a sign that you like her," said Hermione.
Ron looked up from his work. His bowtruckle was refusing to eat the mushrooms he had selected.
"Come off it, Dudley's going with Luna. He doesn't like Tracey … does he?" Ron said uncertainly.
'Of course not," said Dudley. "Well, she's pretty … but I'm with Luna, aren't I?"
"Hi Dudley," Tracey said from behind him. "I brought you more berries," she added them to Dudley's pile.
She looked pleased, and Dudley really hoped she hadn't heard him call her pretty. That might just make things worse …
Tracey Davies
He thought she was pretty! Tracey could barely contain her glee as she worked next to Dudley. Sure, him saying that he was going out with Luna was annoying and had made her want to find Luna and shove a handful of woodlice down the back of her robes. But that was a minor inconvenience. Sooner or later, Dudley would surely see that he was too good for Loony Lovegood. Or, if he didn't, she would make him see that.
As she handed a woodlouse to her bowtruckle she thought hard. Dudley had a lot of pride, she didn't know how he could stand to be seen with Luna. The girl was an embarrassment. Maybe she could make Dudley realise how much of a loser she was? She looked over at Pansy and Milicent … could they be brought into a plan to humiliate Lovegood? Surely Dudley wouldn't want to be seen going out with a girl who was humiliated in front of the whole school, would he?
Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort was furious. He still hadn't uncovered the Ministry spy. He had interrogated everyone who seemed suspicious in any way, and yet nothing. Now, the spy had given Lockhart information that had led to the arrest of his spy in the Ministry of Magic, Corban Yaxley. Yaxley had been useful. He had had plans for Yaxley to influence Lockhart, and now, those plans were foiled.
He glared at the door, wondering if he should call back Lucius and crucio him again. This was his fault. Lucius Malfoy had insisted—insisted—that Lockhart was a fraud and a fool and not a threat at all, and yet, Lockhart was managing to thrawt him at every turn. Lucius had severely underestimated the new Minister.
"Lucius, come here …" he called, drawing his wand. He would crucio him, Voldemort decided. Lucius deserved it because of his failings.
Dolohov and Rowle
"Crucio!"
Dolohov laughed at his friend, Thorfinn Rowle tortured the muggle. They had selected the house at random, cast a silencing charm upon it and decided to have some fun. A few days ago, Lord Voldemort had told them to start a campaign of terror—Belaltrix Lestrange had taken command of that little assignment.
She was ruthless, Dolohov admitted, and smart in an insane way. Rather than attack at random, she had assigned a night of muggle killing—each pair of Death Eaters would target a single house, kill the occupants and leave the Dark Mark behind.
"My turn," Dolohov said, pushing Rowle aside. He leveled his wand at the muggle—a middle-aged man with long hair who lived alone. "Crucio!"
The Aurors
"This is it, the start of his campaign of terror," Shacklebolt addressed the gathered Auror. "We're receiving reports of the Dark Mark in the air of five muggle towns and villages. Myself and Diggory will take Scunthorpe. Flint and Flint, head to Gillingham. Dawlish and Clearwater—check out Luton. Proudfoot and Maxwell, to Burton. Savage and Merryfeather—Penzance. This may be a trap so be wary."
"Could this ne a distraction?" Dawlish asked. "Draw us away while they strike at Diagon Alley or St. Mungo's."
"It's possible," Shacklebolt admitted. "But there are Auror teams on duty at all likely locations and we have quick-response teams in reserve here at the Ministry."
Dawlish nodded, satisfied that the wizarding world's defences weren't been ignored.
"You all have your orders—now, go," Shacklebolt said, dismissing his squads.
This was a mess, he thought. Five attacks on muggles in one night. There could be more to come, the night was still young. Even worse, there wasn't anything to be done. The Aurors couldn't be everywhere. The Death Eaters could arrive, murder and leave before the Aurors mobilized. Even with the Auror Initiative and Lockhart lowering entry standards and bringing in members of the DFDL to help, members were still too low.
He would have to speak to Lockhart about perhaps using the Law Enforcement Patrol to randomly patrol different muggle towns and villages, he decided. The defence of muggles had been completely ignored, and, to be fair, not just by Lockhart. Shackleboly, too, realized that he had never brought it up. Now, with five attacks in one night, that negligence had come back to haunt them.