Part Nine

Erin, Ron and Hermione were sitting on a bench out in the sunshine when they saw Oliver and the rest of the Quidditch team, dressed in their robes, come out one of the open hallways and then from the opposite side came Marcus Flint and the Slytherin Quidditch team, dressed in their robes. "I smell trouble." Ron said.

They all got up and went over. They heard Oliver ask, "Where do you think you're going, Flint?"

"Quidditch practice." The troll-like boy said.

"I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today." Oliver said keeping his emotions in check.

"Easy, Wood, I've got a note." He held up the parchment.

Oliver took it and opened it. "I, Professor Severus Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today due to their need to train their new seeker." Oliver looked up. "You've got a new Seeker. Who?"

The team parted and Malfoy stepped forward. "Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"That's right." He smirked. "And that's not all that's new this year." He indicated their brooms.

"Those are Nimbus 2001's." Ron saw in awe. "How'd you get those?"

"A gift from Draco's father." Flint said.

Hermione wasn't impressed. "Well, at least no one on the Gryffindor Team had to buy their way in, they got in on pure talent."

"No one asked you." Malfoy said. "You filthy little Mudblood."

There was no warning; Erin, Fred and George launched themselves on the boy. Flint managed to stop Fred and George by diving in front of Malfoy, but Erin was at a different angle and she landed on him and started punching. Alicia was shrieking, "How dare you?" Katie and Angelina were disgusted beyond anything, Oliver was in shock, and Fred and George were fighting with Flint to get a hold of Malfoy. Everyone was fighting. Ron had drawn his wand. "You'll pay for that, Malfoy!" A loud bang sounded and hit Ron. His wand had backfired. Ron had said something about it getting damaged in the 'fight' with the Whomping Willow.

Everyone stopped fighting at once and Malfoy took the opportunity to crawl behind some of the other Slytherins. Erin, Harry and Hermione hurried over to Ron. He was on his hands and knees. "Ron, are you ok?" Hermione asked and then a slug slid out of his mouth.

"Oh, gross." Erin said.

"Cool! Can you turn him around, Harry?" A small boy was there with a camera. Erin thought he was a Gryffindor…

"Not now, Colin! Get out of the way. Let's get him to Hagrid's, he's closest." Harry said as Erin took Ron's other arm and Hermione hurried ahead to tell Hagrid.

Hagrid gave Ron a bucket. "Nothing we can do, but wait 'til it stops, I'm afraid." He said shaking his head. "Who was he tryin' to curse anyway?"

"Malfoy." Harry said.

"He called Hermione the worst thing he could think of." Erin said sitting there with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. "Well, he won't be able to stand for a week!" She said satisfied. "The idiot."

"What did he call you?" Hagrid asked.

Hermione stood up and looked like she was about to cry. She turned away from the others. "He called be a 'Mudblood'."

"He did not." Hagrid said shocked.

"I don't understand." Harry said. "What's a 'Mudblood'?"

Hermione whirled around. "It means dirty blood. It's a really foul name to call someone that comes from non-magic parents, someone like me."

"Hermione…" Erin began.

Hagrid continued. "There are some families, Harry, like the Malfoy's, that think they are better than everyone because they are what is known as 'pureblood'." Hagrid rolled his eyes.

"Erin, you're pureblood, right?" Harry asked still not totally getting it.

"Yes, Harry, I am, and so's Ron. The point is it's all about thinking you're better than someone else. Harry, your mum was a genius when it came to this stuff and she is what people like the Malfoy's would term a 'Mudblood'. And look at Hermione, they haven't come up with a spell she can't do."

"Erin's parents never cared about all that." Hagrid said. "They were from some of the very last of the 'purebloods' and they didn't care. Erin's mum and yer mum, Harry, were best friends." He turned to Hermione. "Come 'ere." He said and Hermione did so. Hagrid took her hand. "Don't you think on what it for one moment!" He told her. "Being pureblood, being half-blood and being Muggle-born, it's nothing to worry yehself over. Look at all of yeh. I'm proud of yeh. You have Erin, who's as pureblood as they come, Ron, who is also a pureblood, but considered less by those idiots, Harry, who's half-blood and you, and yer Muggle-born. Yeh have all the bases covered with yeh four! And yer best friends!"

Hermione was smiling, even though she looked like she still wanted to cry. "Thanks, Hagrid."

"Don't mention it." He grinned.