In the Slytherin common room, it was as if the writing on the wall never happened. None of the other Slytherins were particularly worried about it, and I even caught Marcus Flint doing a reenactment of some of the Hufflepuffs being scared of the writing on the wall. Pansy laughed along with the rest of the crowd, even though I remembered seeing her be scared too when we first saw it.
The Slytherin Quidditch match against Gryffindor was coming up soon, and that's what our house decided to put focus on. It was all Draco talked about for weeks leading up to the match. Marcus was leading some pretty intense practices, I overheard Miles Bletchley and Adrian Pucey talking about how Marcus had gone insane and was out for Gryffindor blood.
I only went to one of the practices, to watch Draco along with the rest of our friend group. He was really good, actually. The two Beaters took turns throwing walnuts everywhere and Draco caught every one. Marcus had the other Chasers doing barrel rolls and dives several times. I watched and wished I had been able to try out. Maybe next year, I thought to myself. The two Beaters and Adrian and the other Chaser were all graduating so Marcus would have no choice but do tryouts. I made a mental note to myself that I'd have to start practicing Quidditch.
The Quidditch match was the first weekend in November. I spent that Friday afternoon with Longbottom as we finally started going over the Charms that were taught in second year. Longbottom was pretty good, once he got past his own shyness and nerves about performing magic.
"Soon I won't need you at all." He told me that Friday after our tutoring session.
I gasped way too loudly and placed a hand on my chest. "Longbottom! And I thought we were friends!"
He let out a nervous sounding laugh. "We are friends!" I laughed lightly at him as we gathered our stuff and started for the Great Hall.
Longbottom was nice to be around, I decided. I laughed more when I was with him, a lot more than when I was with Pansy and the others. I sure made a lot more jokes with him than with my Slytherin friends.
"Oh, good luck with the Quidditch game tomorrow." Longbottom said as we rounded the corner to the Great Hall. "I know you don't play, but it is Slytherin playing…" He trailed off, as if the thought escaped him.
I shrugged. "Thanks for that. Though hopefully I can play next year; I think it'll be fun."
Longbottom shook his head. "You do that. I think I'd end up dead if I even tried out for Quidditch. If the game didn't kill me, Gran would."
"Gran sounds strict."
"She is." Longbottom said, giving me a look. "She once grounded me from visiting any relatives for a month because I complained at one of her friends' houses."
Despite the fact that I had seen and heard of worse punishments, I shook my head at the sound of that. "Harsh, Gran." I said. Longbottom let out a small laugh and we separated to go into the Great Hall. I waited for a couple of minutes before going inside after him.
The next day I put on a dark gray hoodie and green and silver Slytherin scarf. Daphne, who was really good at makeup and hair, was offering to curl hair for the game. I watched as she pulled her bright blond hair into a ponytail and curled her hair so that it bounced around with every step she took. Pansy was excited to get her own dark locks curled, and even Millicent was convinced to at least get subtle curls.
"My hair's already curly." I said dryly when Daphne approached me. Daphne narrowed her eyes at the mass of curls on my head and nodded.
"True." Daphne said. "But hold on, come here. If Millie would let me touch her hair, you should too." She didn't bother making my curly hair even curlier, but she did pull it halfway up with a green ribbon. "Now you look like you have house spirit!"
We marched out to the Quidditch pitch together. Pansy walked with Tracey, the two of them talking crap about some of the older Ravenclaw girls who were walking a little ways in front of us. I walked along with Daphne and Millicent, who was telling us about a class we'd be able to take next year.
"Care for Magical Creatures would be awesome." Millicent was saying. "Next year when we get extra classes, I'm for sure taking it."
"D'you know what you want to do after graduating, Millie?" Daphne asked from my other side. "I mean, I know we're only second years but it's never too early to-"
"I want to be a magizoologist." Millicent answered without hesitation. "We went to America last summer for holiday, and we got to see a real life thunderbird! It was…" She trailed off, her eyes bright and I smiled at the passion she had for magical creatures.
Millicent talked more about her trip to America and thunderbirds while we walked up the steps and into our seats at the pitch. "And that's why I want a pet thunderbird." Millicent finished.
"Can I have one of those thunderbirds?" I asked, taking my seat beside Millicent.
She shook her head. "They're a protected species, Heather."
When the stands were filled up, the game began with a flash. I leaned forward in my seat, my eyes following the Chasers from both teams as they zipped across the pitch. Potter and Draco were both flying carefully high above the rest of their teams, both searching for the Snitch. Potter dodged a Bludger a few times and suddenly he was diving away from it.
I frowned up at the Bludger as Potter flew fast away from it. "What in the world?" I muttered, watching the Bludger target only Potter. I wasn't the only one who had noticed; several people were pointing and calling out for him.
Pansy rolled her eyes. "Potter's the center of attention again." She grumbled.
"True but I don't think Bludgers are supposed to be doing that." I said, watching Potter and the Bludger and ignoring the rest of the game going on.
"Somebody tampered with that Bludger!" A boy I didn't know from Ravenclaw shouted.
Potter went into another dive and landed on the terf, holding his hand over his head and showing that he had caught the Snitch. Pansy groaned loudly and I started down the steps with everyone else. The Bludger was still trying to crush Potter.
We got down to the pitch around the time that the Bludger was destroyed and we got close enough to see that Potter's arm had been broken.
"Ha!" Pansy said meanly, earning a sharp elbow from Tracey, who hissed something about not being rude. Rude and Pansy went hand in hand though.
We stayed far enough away as Professor Lockhart rushed forward, loudly proclaiming that he'd be able to help. I frowned as the professor waved his wand with a flash of pale green light. There was a pause before Potter's arm suddenly started flopping around like it was made of rubber. I covered my mouth to hide my laughter as the word spread like wildfire-the bones had been removed from his arm.
"That's awful!" Tracey squealed, covering her eyes. Pansy was doubled over laughing, and didn't bother straightening up when Potter was escorted past by the Gryffindor team. I finished laughing as they passed.
"That's awful but it's kind of funny in a messed up way." I told Tracey. She shrugged and we started back towards the castle.