September 5th 1992
It was Saturday. They had made it to the weekend and the four of them couldn't be more thankful. The only problem was that Oliver wood had woken them bright and early so they could practice Quidditch. For that they silently plotted his demise.
Hope looked up, barely awake just in time to see Harry enter the changing rooms. Fred and George were sitting, puffy-eyed, next to Cassie, who seemed to be nodding off against the wall behind her.
"There you are, Harry, what kept you?" Wood asked briskly. "Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the pitch, because I spent the summer devising a whole new training programme, which I really think will make all the difference…."
Wood held up a large diagram of a Quidditch pitch, on which many lines, arrows and crosses in different colour inks. He took out his wand, tapped the board and the arrows began to wiggle over the diagram. As Wood launched into a speech about his new tactics, Fred's head dropped right onto Cassie's shoulder and he began to snore.
The first board took about twenty minutes to explain, but there was another board under that, and a third under that one. Wood droned on and on for what seemed like forever.
"So," Wood stated. "Is that clear? Any questions?"
"I've got a question," Cassie said as she woke with a start. "Why couldn't you have told us all of this yesterday when we were all awake?"
Wood was not happy.
"Now, listen here, you lot," he said, glowering at them all, "we should have won the Quidditch Cup last year. We're easily the best team. But unfortunately, owing to circumstances beyond our control…." He took a moment to regain control of himself, the defeat clearly still torturing him.
"So, this year, we will train harder than ever before ...ok, let's go and put our new theories into practice."
The tired team made their way out onto the pitch, they had been in there so long that the sun had fully risen, as it was barely up when they were woke up this morning. Up in the stands were Ron and Hermione along with first year, Colin Creevey, who had developed an obsession with Harry.
"How long have been in there?" Hope asked as they mount their brooms. "It feels as though it's been hours."
"Merlin knows. For all we know it's been days," Cassie replied sarcastically as they kick off from the ground. Cassie and Hope race around the pitch, racing with Fred and George, soon joined by Harry.
"What's that funny clicking noise?" Fred called as they hurtle around the corner. Up in the stands Colin was in one of the highest seats, clicking picture after picture. He spots Harry and calls for him to look his way.
"Who's that," Fred asked.
"No idea," Harry lied as he gets faster to get away from Colin.
"What's going on?" Wood asked, frowning, as he skimmed through the air towards them. "Why's that first-year taking pictures? I don't like it. He could be a Slytherin spy, trying to find out about our new training programme."
"He's in Gryffindor," Harry informed him quickly.
"And the Slytherin's don't need a spy," George commented.
"What makes you say that?" Wood asked testily.
"Because they're here in person," Hope replied, pointing at the Slytherin team walking onto the pitch.
"I don't believe it!" Wood hisses in outrage. "I booked the pitch for today! We'll see about this!"
Hope, Cassie, the twins and Harry followed Wood to the ground as he angrily shot off towards them. "Flint!" Wood yelled. "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!"
"Plenty of room for all of us, Wood," Marcus Flint said with a smirk.
"But I booked the pitch!" Wood spits with rage. "I booked it!"
"Ah," Flint replies, "but i've got a specially signed note from Professor Snape. I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch pitch, owing to the need to train their new seeker."
"You've got a new Seeker?" Wood asked, distracted. "Where?"
From behind the six large figures before them came a seventh, smaller boy with a smirk planted firmly on his pointed face. It was Draco Malfoy. Flint went on to brag about how Draco's father had bought the whole team the newest brooms going. It was at that point Ron and Hermione came down from the stands to see what was going. The Slytherins were howling with laughter at one of Draco's comments when Hermione spoke.
"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," she said sharply. "They got in on pure talent."
Cassie and Hope snort, amused by the comment, even more when they saw the smug look on Draco's face flicker. "No one asked for your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat.
At his words there was an instant uproar, Flint had to dive in front of Draco to stop Fred and George jumping on him. Ron angrily pulled out his wand ready to curse him but the curse backfired, hitting Ron in the stomach.
The Slytherins roared in laughter as slugs dribbled down Ron's chin. Harry and Hermione pulled him up, "take him to Hagrid, he's closest," Cassie told them. "We'll come with you."
Cassie and Hope follow them down to Hagrid's hut, leaving the Slytherin team laughing on the pitch. As they near Hagrid's, Lockhart emerges from the hut causing them to duck behind a nearby bush. "It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing!" Lockhart was telling Hagrid loudly. "If you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book - I'm surprised you haven't already got one. I'll sign one tonight and send it over! Well, goodbye!" And he strode away towards the castle.
Once he was out of sight they pulled Ron towards the front door, knocking urgently. Hagrid appeared at once, looking quite grumpy, but his expression brightened when he saw who it was. "Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me - come in, come in - thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again."
Once inside Hagrid didn't seem perturbed by Ron's problem, which Harry hastily explained. "Better out than in," Hagrid said cheerfully, plonking a large basin in front of him. "Get 'em all up, Ron."
"What did Lockhart want with you?" Hope asked curiously as she scratched Fang's ears.
"Givin' me advice on gettin' kelpies out of a well," Hagrid growled in reply. "Like I don' know. An' bangin' on about some Banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat my kettle."
"I think you're being a bit unfair. Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best mad for the job -" Hermione tried to reason.
"He was the only man for the job," Cassie explained knowing that it was the only option. Hagrid nods in agreement.
"An' she means the on'y one. Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job. People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' ter think it's jinxed. No one's lasted long fer a while now. So tell me," said Hagrid as he looks to Ron, "who was he tryin' ter curse?"
"Malfoy called Hermione something. It must've been really bad, because everyone went mad," Harry explains.
"It was bad," Hope states.
"Malfoy called her a 'Mudblood'," Cassie finishes, both girls wearing a look of distaste and anger whilst Ron continues throwing up.
"He didn't!" Hagrid growled in anger.
"He did," she replied. "But I don't know what it means. I could tell it was really rude, of course…."
"It's about the most insulting thing he could think of," Cassie explains. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who was Muggle-born. There are some wizards - like Malfoy's family - who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood."
Finally Ron comes up for some air finishing for Cassie, "the rest of us know it doesn't make any difference at all. Look at Neville Longbottom - he's pure-blood and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up."
"An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can't do," Hagrid added proudly, making Hermione go a brilliant shade of red.
"It's a disgusting thing to call someone," Hope added. "Dirty blood, see. Common blood. It's mad. Most wizards these days are half blood anyway. If we hadn't married Muggles we'd have died out."
"We'd best go, my Mum wanted to see us today," Cassie said as she and Hope stand up. "See you later, Hagrid."
"See yer."