Having only worked in Greenhouse One before, everyone in Slytherin and Ravenclaw was interested in what they were going to do. This greenhouse housed far more interesting and dangerous plants. It had to be locked with keys only Professor Sprout and Hagrid had, and the lock was very large. The inside was damp with an earthy scent with a floral undertone.
Professor Sprout walked to one of the corners of the greenhouse, standing behind a strange bench with strangely coloured earmuffs."We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"
No one put their hand up. Rebekah nudged Draco in the side to move over a little, catching Professor Sprout's attention.
"Potter,"
Rebekah sighed. "Mandrake, a powerful restorative used to return those who have been transfigured, cursed, or otherwise changed to their original state. The plural is mandrakes but there are three different types. Its actual name is Mandragora. It is used to make most antidotes and so it is essential for Potioneers. The harvester must be careful when handling such a plant."
"Ten points to Slytherin," She said, then asked Rebekah again, "Why are they dangerous, Miss Potter?"
"Their cry is fatal, however, the cry of a young Mandrake will only make the listener pass out for several hours." Rebekah made a face at one of the Ravenclaws that laughed at her words.
"Have another ten points," Sprout said and clutched a hand to a pair of earmuffs. "We have very young Mandrakes to move into new pots today. I had the other class do half of them, so we only have to do around two each. Get a pair of earmuffs and place them snugly over your ears."
Everyone ran to get a pair that wasn't pink, or fluffy, or pink and fluffy.
"Can we use our own if we have them?" Rebekah said instantly after seeing the worn earmuffs.
"Are they from Herb's Herbology store?" Rebekah nodded. "Then yes, you can use your own. Only if they are from that shop."
Rebekah quickly snapped her plain black earmuffs on, shutting all the sounds out. Sprout rolled her sleeves up to her elbows, placed the fluffy pink earmuffs on, and firmly yanked a Mandrake from his home.
The Mandrake was quite a sight; an extremely ugly and muddy baby had leaves growing out of its green skin. It screamed with all of its might and didn't want to go back into a new pot when Sprout presented it with one. It swarmed but eventually went in and quietened when Sprout covered it with fresh soil.
Professor Sprout gave them the signal and removed her earmuffs. "Our Mandrakes are seedlings, their cries won't kill yet but, as Miss Potter said, they will knock you out for several, long hours. Earmuffs on securely and start repotting these plants.
She made it look so easy but it really wasn't. Rebekah quickly found that they were like birds, they calmed quickly if their eyes were covered. Rebekah and Pansy worked together to get the plants into their new home, one held the plant and covered its eyes while the other covered it in Dragon dung compost. They thought it would take a long time but it didn't, not with their way. They were finished within half an hour and then helped the whole group.
Everyone went back to their dorms to get washed up and get themselves ready for dinner. Rebekah and Draco both had a light but healthy meals to get their energy up for the trials.
At ten to five, Rebekah, Draco and any other Slytherin that wanted to be part of the Quidditch team made their way to the Quidditch pitch. The two Second years were the only ones to have a Nimbus Two Thousand and One. Rebekah held her broom in her hand but she had her Nimbus Two Thousand on her bracelet as a backup.
No girls were trying out for Quidditch besides Rebekah, so all of the boys towered over her but she wasn't intimidated in the least. There were twenty people in total, excluding the team from last year. All the team members from last year donned their uniform, while everyone else wore a similar one without a number and their name.
"Alright," Flint started, grumbling at the sight of people. "New people, two laps around the pitch. No complaining!"
Rebekah stuck her tongue out mischievously as Draco mounted his broom. Twenty people zoomed around the Quidditch pitch as Flint addressed the former team.
"Terence Higgs graduated last year so the Seeker position is open. Potter said she has an interest in it. Is everyone else going for the same position as last year?" They nodded but continued to watch the boys zoom around the pitch. "What you think, Potter, does Malfoy deserve to be a Seeker?"
"I wouldn't know…." She said as Draco weaved through the group in the air, his broom was much faster than theirs. They tried to knock him off of his broom. "He'd make a good Chaser or a Good Seeker, he's doing quite well dodging them. I don't know how his catching skills are though."
"We'll see." Flint then raised his voice. "Right, get your arses down here! Split into the positions, Chasers by Pucey, Beaters by Bole and Derrick, Keepers by Bletchley, Seekers by me. Everyone to the stands unless you're trying for Chasers."
Rebekah convinced Draco to try out for the Chaser position, saying how good he was doing at the Malfoy Manor when they were playing. She was being a bit mischievous, she wanted the Seeker position quite badly and she wasn't above manipulation. She didn't really have a reason for wanting to be a Seeker but being a Chaser wasn't too exciting either.
Five people tried out for the Chaser position. Flint had Rebekah and Pucey show them a simple drill and then had them copy, then they went against Rebekah and Pucey. Only about two of them got more than five goals, Draco and a Fifth year. The former went against Pucey and scored six goals, while the Fifth year only got in two against Rebekah.
There were also five people trying out for the Keeper position and so Rebekah had to stay on her broom. She threw in the Quaffle aggressively since she just wanted to do her part and then leave. Then the Beaters were done, beating the Bludger towards the three official Chasers as they dodged and got hit. None of them were that good, definitely not good enough to replace Bole and Derrick.
"Seekers, on the pitch," Flint watched as nine people stood before him. He already knew some of the older years were too big to be a Seeker but he couldn't just dismiss them. "Starting with the oldest, I'll release the Snitch and you have to catch it. If you cannot do it under fifteen minutes, you are dismissed straight away. Lowest time will be considered for the position."
Within the next two hour, four out of the nine people were dismissed. Rebekah went last as she was the youngest. Draco did well, he got it within ten minutes but it escaped his grip several times
"Eh, now that's not fair!" A boy snapped and pointed at Rebekah's broom.
"What is it, Boorman?" Finch snapped at him.
"She's got a Two Thousand and One, that ain't fair!" Rebekah gave him an 'Are you serious?' look.
"Fine, will a Two Thousand work instead?" Rebekah blinked, giving Draco her broom to hold.
"Yeah, sure," He said, holding his own broom.
"Good, start the time, Flint," Rebekah started to jog to the middle of the pitch, quickening her pace into a sprint as her Nimbus Two Thousand grew from her bracelet. She mounted it midstep and hurled herself from the ground.
"Time starts…. NOW!"
The wings of the Snitch unfolded and swung it upwards, whizzing away from the box of Quidditch balls. It went this way and that way, going high and low as Rebekah tried to find the golden ball with her eyes. She found it by the Hufflepuff stands and that was on the other side of the pitch.
It took her broom much longer than she would have liked to reach the Snitch. It zipped down aggressively and then zipped down again, Rebekah stayed a few metres above the Snitch as it whizzed around the outside edge of the pitch. It rushed upwards and Rebekah caught it in her joined hands. Her broom suddenly turned and was making its way to the group.
"Four minutes, seven seconds, good. That concludes the tryouts," He shuffled the team over to one side. "Malfoy as the new Chaser or Seeker?"
"Chaser." The boys said together but Rebekah stayed quiet.
"Yeah? What about you, Potter?" Flint scrunched his nose. "Do you want the Chaser or Seeker position?"
"Preferably the Seeker," She said and cracked her sore knuckles one by one.
"Good, you were the fastest and Malfoy got distracted a little too easily up there," Flint turned back to the group of twenty. "Alright, you're dismissed. All of you besides Malfoy. You're our new Chaser."
The group grumbled, whined and yelled. They believed they should have been chosen, not some Second year. Flint threatened to send a hex at them if they didn't leave. They thought he was bluffing and then went running when Flint sent several short hexes at their feet, making them jump and run faster.
"What about Rebekah then? I thought she was the Chaser,"
"Na, she's our new Seeker. Be up and ready by six, I'll get permission from Snape to use the pitch tomorrow. That'll piss Wood right off!"
And the next morning, Pansy knocked at Rebekah's door. Draco had gotten up early, all excited and it annoyed all of the year. Pansy swore she would hex them both if Rebekah didn't get going. Rebekah got up and changed into her Quidditch kit, stashing her broom away until they got to the pitch and were ready to fly.
None of the team had any breakfast as Flint huddled them down the worn path and up to the Quidditch pitch. It was a clear day, perfect to do some Quidditch practise. Flint grinned as he saw the Gryffindor Team in the air on the pitch.
Gryffindor's Captain, Wood, was extremely angry. He took one look at the approaching Slytherin team and hurled his broom to stop in front of them. All of his team landed around him.
"This is our practice time, Flint!" Wood raised his voice in anger at the Slytherin Captain. "I've booked the whole pitch. We got up early just for practice today."
"So?" Flint said, shrugging. "We can share the pitch."
"No, I've booked it in advance,"
"I've got a note from Professor Snape," Flint said and showed him it. "See? 'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker and Chaser.'"
"You've got a new Seeker and Chaser?" Wood said, glaring at the team. "I can't seem 'em. I thought Potter was your Chaser, she got onto the team last year."
"Yeah, she was but now she's our Seeker," The group of older Slytherins stepped aside as Rebekah and Draco got in front. "He's replacing Potter who's replacing Higgs."
"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" One of the Weasley twins said and glanced Draco down.
"Funny that," Flint said, making the whole team grin broadly. "He gave the Slytherin team all a generous gift."
Every member of the team, excluding Rebekah, grinned again and lifted their brand new brooms. Cleanly polished, fine gold letterings spelt Nimbus Two Thousand and One. The early morning sun made the already shiny brooms seem to shine even more as the sun rose.
"Newest model. It's not even been released for a month yet. Brand-spanking-new. Faster than the Two Thousand by a lot, and as for the old Cleansweeps, we'll be leaving dust in our wakes."
"What about her?" Wood nodded to Rebekah. "Is dear old daddy too prejudiced to give her one?"
"I can afford my own, brand new broom any time I want," Rebekah rebutted.
"My father knows the good people from the riff-raff," Draco gave her a pained look but it disappeared as he looked at the girls on the Gryffindor teams. "We don't associate with those kinds of people."
"And what kind is that, Malfoy?" The oldest girl narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Your kind," He glared. "Filthy Mudbloods."
Rebekah flinched as he spat the word, it struck a sour chord within her. She knew it was an extremely nasty word to be called, Nott's father had called Aunt Petunia and her that. He was quickly escorted out of the ice cream shop for saying it. It was to say that someone's blood heritage was worth less than the dirt under their boot.
Flint stood in front of Draco as the Weasley twins went to lunge at him. Draco just grinned as he watched the Gryffindor Team baulk at his words. He didn't see Rebekah behind him looking at him in disbelief and sorrow. Tears welled in her eyes but didn't fall as she sucked her teeth for a second. She quickly looked away as she tried to force the sadness and the overall shock she felt at his words. She actually thought that he was above such prejudices but she was sorely mistaken.
The apple never fell far from the tree.
"Enough!" Rebekah snarled, fueling her hurt and anger into her voice. "We came here to practise, not to call each other names. I did not get woken up to argue."
"Fine," Wood said, jabbing a finger into Flint's chest. "Keep your team in check and you can have half the pitch."
Rebekah was still hurt so she concentrated on the Snitch as soon as Flint had let it go. She didn't want to let her mind wander back to what Draco said, she didn't need to. For the next three hours, she chased the Snitch around and practised her balance. It took her a few tries but now she could hang on the broom with a leg hooked a certain way. It would take her many, many more hours of practising before she could use it during a match.
When Flint announced that practice was over and done, it was almost ten. Rebekah made her way back to the common room with the rest of the team. They all cackled and laughed about the confrontation between them and the Gryffindors. Rebekah went straight to her room and kicked her bed frame, her chest heaving in anger.
"I'm-I'm gonna go see Harmoni, Zastiti and Haos," Rebekah said to her Familiar as he grew large and encircled her trembling form. "Talpey, can-can you bring me a glass of water, please? A large one?"
The House-Elf gave her a curious look as he handed her the glass. "Are you feeling okay, Miss Potter? Do I need to inform Madam Pomfrey?"
"No, I'm fine. I'm just really, really angry is all." Rebekah said and the House-Elf nodded then popped away.
She changed into jeans and a tank top, throwing her school robe over it. She pulled boots on and mounted her broom as Emperor shrunk down and sat in her pocket. Her hand touched the glass and it gave way as the water moved away from it. She kicked off and went straight for Hagrid's Hut.
"'Ello, Rebekah," He said after he opened the door. "What's wrong with yeh?"
"Are you busy?" She said as she dismounted, Emperor crawled up to her arms and she clutched him there. "I've had a rough day and I'd like to see boys."
"Nope, come in an' I'll get my things," Hagrid welcomed her in. "What happened?"
"Nothing much, just the rest of the last few days came," She tried to dismiss it but Hagrid gave her a pointed look that made her break. "Draco Malfoy called one of Gryffindor girl's a name. He called her a Mudblood and he was smiling like he was proud of himself! It's so stupid for him to be proud. Last summer, my aunt and I were at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Minding our own business, Nott's dad comes up to us and tells us to leave. He was calling us such names I wouldn't be allowed to repeat. Nott heard my last name and completely changed! Mr Fortescue explained what Mudblood meant and he promptly shoved Nott and that lot out of the shop."
Hagrid was shocked, he muttered under his breath about improper people. He didn't like how the PureBloods were beginning to treat the HalfBloods and MuggleBorns. He quickly got his stuff together, a satchel full of fresh meat for the Thestrals, and they left.