Fred and James kindly brought me safely back to Ravenclaw tower questioning me on how I did the jinx. I was stunned myself. After I answered the riddle I ran into the common room looking for Abby and Jane, with no sight of them I ran up to our dorm. They were in our dorm on Jane's bed painting their nails with a muggle product Abby had brought from home called nail vanish. Angela and Violet were also there attempting to use the curling charm on their hair.
I quickly went over to them and told them about what I had just done.
"No way!" Abby exclaimed. "You go, Rose!"
Jane looked just as amazed as Abby.
"You did it for the first time in that sort of situation and got it right?!" Jane asked in disbelief. "I probably would've panicked."
"Well I did practise it when I was younger, using sticks I found out in the garden." I said modestly.
"Wait I know Yaxley." Abby said. "I saw him when I went to see the quidditch medals and trophies. He was gloating to everyone about how he going to get one again this year. He told me to leave because I fogging up the glass with my mudblood germs, so I put a Dungbomb that Fred gave me into his bag when he wasn't looking."
"That's brilliant, Abby!" I exclaimed. "I wish I could've seen it!"
"I wish I could've seen it too." Abby said. "But I ran for it, once I put it in there, he would've crushed me like a bug."
"I know he looks like he could lift all the books in the Library!" I agreed.
"It sounds like you saved your cousin from a lot of pain." Jane commented.
I then told them about the rock cakes and Malfoy while Abby painted my nails Ravenclaw colours. They found the story hilarious and joined in with my rant about Malfoy (I rant about Malfoy way too much!). By the end of the story, Angela and Violet were listening too and laughing along with Abby and Jane.
When I was finished dinner was nearly over, so the five of us had to run down to the Great Hall to grab something. When we passed the Gryffindor table a bunch of second years started clapping. I started blushing when I heard James and Fred saying to them "That Rose, my cousin, she the one who impedimented Yaxley."
I curtsey for them and hurried over to the Ravenclaw table to get some food. Afterwards, Abby, Jane and I set out to the Library to get some books to help us with our homework. Only to be kicked out the Library by Madam Pince for giggling too much when Abby tried to remover around a snogging couple who were blocking the book she wanted. Abby somehow managed to send the books from the shelf above to raining down on top of them.
So we left the Library without any books and were subjected to a disproving glare from my cousin Molly, who was watching us from the corner of the Library. We then got, even more, glares from the snogging couple, who got kicked out too because of us.
The next few weeks were mainly doing homework, reading in the Library and going to class. On the weekends and free evenings, I would play Gob-Stones, Wizard's Chess and Exploding Snap with Abby, Jane and sometimes Angela and Violet. I had told an amazed Abby all the tales I knew from the Battle of Hogwarts and other exciting events my mom and dad were a part of.
I had taken Abby and Jane with me (many times) to see Hagrid. Hagrid loved the three of us and found us hilarious together. He loved hearing our stories we told him about our week. Jane used the rock cakes to make models of planets, for an extra credit project for Astronomy and decorated her space in the dorm with them. Albus visited Hagrid but not with me and not as much as me. I hadn't spoken to him in a while. When I spotted him he always seemed to be doing something or not have enough time to talk to me. I'm still trying to stay away from Malfoy, only trouble can come from him.
But something strange happened at breakfast on Saturday morning. Albus seemed to be walking over to the Ravenclaw table. Jane was reading out to us interesting articles in the Daily Prophet (of course not Rita Skeeter's section). She stopped reading when he was behind her. The three of us looked at him.
I smiled at him and said,
"Hi."
I was suspicious of why Albus was here all of a sudden but I didn't let it leak out into my voice.
"Hey, Rose, I was just wondering since we haven't been talking a lot would you like to watch the Slytherin quidditch team practice?" Albus asked.
I was about to answer when Abby chime in. "Can Jane and I come too?"
Albus looked a little taken back. "Sure, why not." He said politely.
"Okay, we'll come." I said trying to friendly to Albus since I missed him.
"It's after breakfast. I'll see you there." Albus said as he walked away.
Jane then asked me suspiciously. "What does watching him practice have to do with you two not talking a lot?"
"Albus is just trying to be nice, relax, Jane." I said.
Abby who was smiling with excitement said. "I can't wait! We're going to see actual quidditch being played on good brooms and on a pitch."
Abby had become interested in quidditch ever since she began to advance really fast in the flying lessons. She was a really good flyer and she enjoyed it. She had recently gone to the Library and read 'Quidditch Through the Ages' cover to cover twice.
Jane then pointed out to Abby. "You could wait a couple of weeks and watch an actual match."
"But now we get to see the behind the scenes part of the action!" Abby said still excited. "Now we'll know the type of effort Slytherin has put in when they go up against Gryffindor."
I laughed at her excitement. "You know quidditch is actually pretty boring so I wouldn't be too excited."
Abby shrugged her shoulders and said. "Jane finds Astronomy interesting but I don't."
As soon as breakfast was finished we headed towards the Quidditch Pitch. When we got there was no one on the pitch yet, but there were a couple of people in the stands talking to their friends. With Abby leading us we climbed the steps up to one of the populated stands. When we got up to the stand I immediately wanted to go back down again. I saw Malfoy with his gang sitting in the back row. Malfoy gave me his usual expression when he saw me, something between a smirk and sneer.
I about to turn around, but then I realised Abby didn't care about the Slytherins group and was already choosing a seat in the front row. Jane nudged me forward when Malfoy asked me.
"What are you doing here, Weasley?"
I glared at him.
"This is the last place I would expect to see you." He continued snidely. "I thought broomsticks were your mortal enemies."
The usual loud laughter from Slytherin gang followed.
"No, Malfoy." I spat. "You are."
Malfoy laughed cruelly. "No, Weasley, you're mine, I ended up in the Hospital Wing with a broken tooth because of you."
I laughed cruelly back at him. "Not my fault you're weak, it's just rock cakes!"
A chorus of ooohhhs came from the Slytherin gang.
Jane who was behind me said in a low voice that only I could hear. "Stop it, Rose. You're sinking to his level."
"I heard you did the impediment jinx on Yaxley." Malfoy said putting on an innocent voice which I knew was totally fake.
"Yeah, I did." I said crossing my arms getting ready for what he was about to say next.
"So you know how to duel?" Malfoy said still innocently.
"Yeah, Malfoy."
I felt Jane behind me nudging me, we both knew what he was about to say next.
"Then why don't you prove that you are just as tough as you think you are and duel me. Right now!"
I didn't think, I just said. "Bring it on, Malfoy!"
"Follow me, then." Malfoy said getting up followed by his gang.
"Rose, no. You don't know what type of jinxes and hexes he might know!" Jane said in low voice urgently.
"Well, I can't back out now." I said as I followed the group down the stairs Jane followed me.
As I walked down the stairs I tried to think of all the spells I could do. Sure I knew a lot of spells in theory but not in practice. I became worried, I thought what if nothing comes out of my wand and I am just stranded defenseless in front of Malfoy.
I quickly calmed myself and started to narrow down my choices of spells to my three strongest ones Petrificus Totalus, Flipendo and Expelliamus. Those were the spells I thought would give me the most edge without being predictable. I could use Protego, if he fires something really nasty at me that I can't dodge, but I only started practicing it.
My thoughts were interrupted when I saw the Slytherin group who were in front of Jane and I had stopped. We were standing in an area covered in grass behind the stands. Malfoy's gang of friends had spread out making a circle around us. I pushed Jane away from me giving her a reassuring smile. She joined the outskirts of the circle.
Malfoy was standing a great deal away from me with his wand in his hand by his side. I grabbed mine from my pocket ready to strike.
"It's not too late to back out now, Weasley." Malfoy said in an intimidating tone. "I am a skilled duellist."
I didn't react, I just glared at him in the eyes. It was probably a lie I told myself, he probably even less experienced than me. Anyhow Malfoy is not going to win.
"I've sent people to the Hospital Wing." I said trying to be intimidating. Well, that wasn't a lie, I had sent Malfoy with a broken tooth to the Hospital Wing.
Then there was silence. We both glare at each other with pure hatred.
Aren't we suppose to bow? I thought, but then I came to my senses, I wouldn't dream of bowing to Malfoy.
It took me a second to realise what was actually happening, Malfoy had raised his wand in a swift motion and was yelling out.
"TARANTALLEGRA!"
I jumped out of the way. I had narrowly missed the dancing feet spell. I quickly pointed my wand at Malfoy and yelled out.
"EXPELLIAMUS!"
Malfoy dived and narrowly missed it.
I tried again. "EXPELLIARMUS!"
But Malfoy had yelled at the same time.
"LOCOMOTOR MORTIS!"
I didn't have time to move. The curse hit me making my legs stick together. Luckily I had disarmed Malfoy. He turned his back to me while looked for his wand (what an idiot!).
Before I lost my balance I aim my wand at Malfoy and I yelled out.
"FLIPENDO!"
Malfoy was thrown backwards by the jinx. When I fell over I quickly pointed my wand at my leg murmured the counter-curse (that thankfully I knew). My legs were then free again. I quickly stood up to see Malfoy picking up his wand and jumping up again.
I knew I had to bring him down, then I remembered a delightful story, my dad, story me about the slug-vomiting charm. I remembered how to do the charm and pointed my wand and cried out "EAT SLUGS, MALFOY!" but at the same time, Malfoy said his.
I was knocked backwards with powerful force. I felt my head bang hard against the ground. Then everything went black.
