DRACO'S INSULT
In the following days, Natasha was actively avoiding both Gilderoy Lockhart and Collin Creevy. But the problem was that, Collin was coming to Natasha every now and then asking how she was, and what she was doing. It was borderline stalking and Natasha was really close to shouting at the boy. Her other friends were helping her to avoid both Collin and Lockhart (Except for Hermione who insisted that, Natasha talk more to Gilderoy, and said that a little talk will clear all the doubts that she had about him.). The problem was that Collin seemed to have memorized Natasha's schedule.
Nothing seemed to give Colin a bigger thrill than to say, "All right, Natasha?" six or seven times a day and hear, "Hello, Colin," back, however exasperated Natasha sounded when she said it. Natasha did not want to tell this to the teachers as, it might seem too silly for them. So, she decided that, she will leave it alone for now. Her other classes were like, how it was last year. History of magic was boring as usual. Even Simran who was a bit of a history geek, could be seen sleeping in the class. Ron's wand was still malfunctioning, surpassing itself on Friday morning by shooting out of Ron's hand in Charms and hitting tiny old Professor Flitwick squarely between the eyes, creating a large, throbbing green boil where it had struck. Potions were still interesting, and Professor Snape was being nice to her, and a complete git to the other Gryffindors. Simran turned out to be a little bad in potions, and was targeted by the Professor like other Gryffindors. She hated him like the other Gryffindors and asked Natasha, how she was like that.
So, with one thing and another, Natasha and her friends was quite glad to reach the weekend. The four of them were planning to visit Hagrid on Saturday morning, so that Hagrid would be introduced a bit more to the new girl. Natasha, however, was shaken awake several hours earlier than she would have liked by Katie Bell, fellow team mate of hers in the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
"Whassamatter?", said Natasha groggily.
"Wood has called us for Quidditch practise.", Katie said.
"What?! It is very early in the morning, and it is the weekend!", Natasha said and gave a big yawn.
"Wood is insisting that we come. He wants us to see all the moves that, he made for the matches during the holidays.", Katie said.
Natasha looked at the other friends, and found that they were sleeping. She then reluctantly got up and got dressed to her Quidditch robes. She then took her broom and wrote a quick note to the other two, informing them of where she was. Then she went down into the common room, and found wood and others waiting for her.
"Oliver,", Natasha croaked. "It's the crack of dawn."
"Exactly," said Wood. He was a tall and burly sixth year and, at the moment, his eyes were gleaming with a crazed enthusiasm. "It's part of our new training program.", said Wood heartily. "None of the other teams have started training yet; we're going to be first off the mark this year-"
She had just reached the portrait hole when there was a clatter behind him and Colin Creevey came dashing down the spiral staircase, his camera swinging madly around his neck and something clutched in his hand. Natasha groaned. The boy was really irritating. "I heard someone saying your name on the stairs, Natasha! Look what I've got here! I've had it developed, I wanted to show you-".
Natasha looked bemusedly at the photograph Colin was brandishing under his nose. A moving, black-and-white Lockhart was tugging hard on an arm Natasha recognized as her own. She was pleased to see that her photographic self was putting up a good fight and refusing to be dragged into view. As Natasha watched, Lockhart gave up and slumped, panting, against the white edge of the picture.
"Will you sign it?" said Colin eagerly.
"No Collin. Can you just stop asking me to sign all of your photos?", Natasha said. But Collin seemed to have ignored that. "I have to go for Quidditch practise now.", she added.
She climbed through the portrait hole. "Oh, wow! Wait for me! I've never watched a Quidditch game before!". Colin scrambled through the hole after her. "It'll be really boring,", Natasha said quickly in hopes that he will go away, but Colin ignored her, his face shining with excitement.
"You were the youngest House player in a hundred years, weren't you, Natasha? Weren't you?" said Colin, trotting alongside her. "You must be brilliant. I've never flown. Is it easy? Is that your own broom? Is that the best one there is?". Natasha was finding it difficult to keep track of all the questions he had asked.
"I don't really understand Quidditch," said Colin breathlessly. "Is it true there are four balls? And two of them fly around trying to knock people off their brooms?"
Natasha thought that, the best way of making him go will be to answer him so she started answering the boy's questions. "Yes," said Natasha heavily, resigned to explaining the complicated rules of Quidditch.
"They're called Bludgers. There are two Beaters on each team who carry clubs to beat the Bludgers away from their side. Fred and George Weasley are the Gryffindor Beaters.", Natasha explained.
"And what are the other balls for?" Colin asked, tripping down a couple of steps because he was gazing open-mouthed at Natasha. She was getting more and more uncomfortable.
"Well, the Quaffle - that's the biggish red one - is the one that scores goals. Three Chasers on each team throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through the goal posts at the end of the pitch - they're three long poles with hoops on the end.", Natasha said.
"And the fourth ball-"
"- is the Golden Snitch," said Natasha, "and it's very small, very fast, and difficult to catch. But that's what the Seeker's got to do, because a game of Quidditch doesn't end until the Snitch has been caught. And whichever team's Seeker gets the Snitch earns his team an extra hundred and fifty points."
"And you're the Gryffindor Seeker, aren't you?", said Colin in awe.
"Yes," said Natasha as they left the castle and started across the dew-drenched grass. "And there's the Keeper, too. He guards the goal posts. That's it, really.". Natasha was desperate now. She just wanted the kid to stop irritating her all the time. But Colin didn't stop questioning Natasha all the way down the sloping lawns to the Quidditch field, and Natasha only shook him off when she reached the changing rooms; Colin called after her in a piping voice, "I'll go and get a good seat, Natasha!" and hurried off to the stands.
She was glad to finally get away from Collin. The rest of the Gryffindor team were already in the changing room. Wood was the only person who looked truly awake. Fred and George Weasley were sitting, puffy-eyed and tousle haired, next to fourth year Alicia Spinnet, who seemed to be nodding off against the wall behind her. Her fellow Chasers, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, were yawning side by side opposite them. Natasha was also feeling really drowsy, and sat down next to Alicia.
"There you are, Natasha, what kept you?" said Wood briskly. Before Natasha could give any explanation, Wood continued, "Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field, because I spent the summer devising a whole new training program, which I really think will make all the difference..."
Wood was holding up a large diagram of a Quidditch field, on which were drawn many lines, arrows, and crosses in different colored inks. He took out his wand, tapped the board, and the arrows began to wiggle over the diagram like caterpillars. As Wood launched into a speech about his new tactics, Fred Weasley's head drooped right onto Alicia Spinnet's shoulder and he began to snore. Natasha had kept her eyes completely closed during most of Wood's lecture. Her mostly attentive behaviour in all her classes was not present as, she was totally uninformed of Wood's plans.
The first board took nearly twenty minutes to explain, but there was another board under that, and a third under that one. "So," said Wood, at long last, jerking Natasha from a wistful fantasy about what she could be eating for breakfast at this very moment up at the castle. Natasha was sure that, she was even dreaming for some time. "Is that clear? Any questions?", Wood asked.
"I've got a question, Oliver," said George, who had woken with a start. "Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake?".
Wood wasn't pleased. "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-". Natasha knew what wood was talking about. He was talking about her, as the Quidditch final of the first year was lost by the Gryffindor house, really badly as Natasha was lying in the hospital wing, after the Quirrel incident.
Wood took a moment to regain control of himself. Their last defeat was clearly still torturing him. "Hell! It was torturing everyone in the team.", Natasha thought. "So, this year, we train harder than ever before... Okay, let's go and put our new theories into practice!" Wood shouted, seizing his broomstick and leading the way out of the locker rooms. Stiff-legged and still yawning, his team followed.
They had been in the locker room so long that the sun was up completely now, although remnants of mist hung over the grass in the stadium. As Natasha walked onto the field, she saw Ron, Simran and Hermione sitting in the stands. Ron was looking a bit paler than he usually does, when he wakes up really early. "Waking up early in the first weekend of school must be really tiring.", Natasha thought.
"Aren't you finished yet?" called Ron in a tired voice.
"Haven't even started," said Natasha, looking jealously at the toast and marmalade her three friends had brought out of the Great Hall. "Wood's been teaching us new moves.", she added. She mounted her broomstick and kicked at the ground, soaring up into the air. The cool morning air whipped her face, waking him far more effectively than Wood's long talk. It felt wonderful to be back on the Quidditch field. She soared right around the stadium at full speed, racing Fred and George.
"What's that funny clicking noise?" called Fred as they hurtled around the corner. Natasha looked into the stands. Colin was sitting in one of the highest seats, his camera raised, taking picture after picture, the sound strangely magnified in the deserted stadium. "Look this way, Natasha! This way!", he cried shrilly. "That boy is following you everywhere, isn't he?", George asked.
"Yeah. I really don't know, what to do with him. He sometimes is really creepy, following me everywhere.", Natasha said.
"Looks like you have got one die hard fanboy here.", Fred said grinning.
"I hate that!", Natasha said sadly.
"What's going on?" said Wood, frowning, as he skimmed through the air toward 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 program."
Wood was getting really paranoid, so Natasha said, "He's in Gryffindor."
"Slytherins does not need a spy anyways.", George said. "They are here in person"
Several people in green robes were walking onto the field, broomsticks in their hands. "I don't believe it!" Wood hissed in outrage. "I booked the field for today! We'll see about this!". Wood shot toward the ground, landing rather harder than he meant to in his anger, staggering slightly as he dismounted. Natasha, Fred, and George followed along with the other girls. Natasha saw that, all of her team members were really angry. "Flint!" Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!". Marcus Flint was even larger than Wood. He had a look of trollism cunning on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."
"But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!"
"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. 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'. "
Natasha knew that, the Slytherin seeker had graduated last year and they were in need of them. Natasha wondered who the new seeker was. "You've got a new Seeker?" said Wood, distracted. "Where?".
Then Draco Malfoy came forward, so that all of them could see him. Natasha was not at all surprised as she knew that, Draco was at least a good flyer, as she had seen from last year. He was the few people who had the broom in his hands, in the first try. Natasha smiled at Draco, as a small congrats to him. Draco just nodded.
"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" said Fred, looking at Malfoy with dislike.
"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the whole Slytherin team smiled still more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team.". All seven of them held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling the words Nimbus Two Thousand and One gleamed under the Gryffindors' noses in the early morning sun. Natasha was surprised, and for a moment wondered if Draco bribed his way in. She was a bit angry as, she was sure that, he would have gotten in even if that did not happen.
"Very latest model. Only came out last month," said Flint carelessly, flicking a speck of dust from the end of his own. "I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps" - he smiled nastily at Fred and George, who were both clutching Cleansweep Fives -" sweeps the board with them.". None of the Gryffindor team could think of anything to say for a moment. Malfoy was smirking so broadly his cold eyes were reduced to slits.
"Oh, look," said Flint. "A field invasion."
Ron, Simran and Hermione were crossing the grass to see what was going on. "What's happening?" Ron asked Natasha. "Why aren't you playing? And what's he doing here?". He was looking at Malfoy, taking in his Slytherin Quidditch robes.
"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Malfoy, smugly. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my fathers bought our team.". Ron gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in front of him. "Good, aren't they?" said Malfoy smoothly. "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them.".
Now Natasha was getting really angry. She just glared at Draco. Draco was not even making an eye contact with her. She just wanted to shout at him, but couldn't find appropriate words. "At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Hermione said sharply. "They got in on pure talent.". The smug look on Malfoy's face flickered. "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood.", he spat.
Natasha knew that, this was an insult though she did not know that was its meaning. There was an instant uproar at his words. Flint had to dive in front of Malfoy to stop Fred and George jumping on him. Simran looked at the angry expressions of her schoolmates, and realized that, the blond boy had called Hermione something really bad. Alicia shrieked, "How dare you!" and Ron plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" and pointed it furiously under Flint's arm at Malfoys face.
Natasha angrily made her way through the Slytherins somehow, and punched Draco on his face and said, "I hate you! I thought that you were better than this.". Draco put his hands on his nose, and looked at Natasha with a really shocked face, as she was dragged away by her team mated.
"Eat slugs Malfoy!", Ron said again with a wand towards Draco. A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out of the wrong end of Ron's wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backward onto the grass.
"Ron! Ron! Are you all right?", squealed Hermione and Simran. Even Natasha went to see what happened to Ron. Her reaction to Draco's insult was forgotten by all, as they went to look at what happened to Ron. Draco was still clutching his nose, and was really shocked by that. He never expected that reaction from Potter. But he knew that, she was a girl who hated this. Ron opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap. Draco was now filled with laughter along with the rest of the team, as they watched more and more slugs coming out of Weasley's mouth.
Flint was doubled up, hanging onto his new broomstick for support. Malfoy was on all fours, banging the ground with his fist. The Gryffindors were gathered around Ron, who kept belching large, glistening slugs. Nobody seemed to want to touch him. "We'd better get him to Hagrid's, it's nearest," said Natasha to Hermione, who nodded bravely, and the pair of them pulled Ron up by the arms. Simran carried Natasha's broom with her, and she followed the other three.
"What happened, Natasha? What happened? Is he ill? But you can cure him, can't you?" Colin had run down from his seat and was now dancing alongside them as they left the field. Ron gave a huge heave and more slugs dribbled down his front. Natasha did not want the boy, to take a picture of Ron, as she knew that it would be really humiliating. "Oooh," said Colin, fascinated and raising his camera. "Can you hold him still, Natasha?"
"Get out of the way, Colin!" said Natasha angrily. She and Hermione supported Ron out of the stadium and across the grounds toward the edge of the forest, with Simran behind them.
"Nearly there, Ron," said Hermione as the gamekeeper's cabin came into view. "You'll be all right in a minute - almost there-". They were within twenty feet of Hagrid's house when the front door opened, but it wasn't Hagrid who emerged. Gilderoy Lockhart, wearing robes of palest mauve today, came striding out.
"Quick, behind here," Natasha hissed, dragging Ron behind a nearby bush. She did not want Lockhart seeing Ron. Hermione followed, somewhat reluctantly along with Simran. "It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing!" Lockhart was saying loudly to Hagrid. "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, good-bye!"
"So, this is Hagrid's cabin?", Simran asked quietly. Natasha nodded. They waited until Lockhart was out of sight, then pulled Ron out of the bush and up to Hagrid's front door. They knocked urgently. Hagrid appeared at once, looking very 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-".
Natasha and Hermione supported Ron over the threshold into the one-roomed cabin, which had an enormous bed in one corner, a fire crackling merrily in the other. Hagrid didn't seem perturbed by Ron's slug problem, which Natasha hastily explained as he lowered Ron into a chair. Simran looked at the house in wonder, and she felt it was a nice one, though it was small and she sat in another chair and placed the broom near her.
"Better out than in," he said cheerfully, plunking a large copper basin in front of him. "Get em all up, Ron. Then Hagrid turned to Simran and said with a smile, "Good to see you again, Simran". Simran nodded and said, "Good to see you too."
"I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop," said Hermione anxiously, watching Ron bend over the basin. "That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand-"
Hagrid was bustling around making them tea. His boarhound, Fang, was slobbering over Natasha. "What did Lockhart want with you, Hagrid?" Natasha asked, scratching Fang's ears. "Givin'me advice on gettin' kelpies out of a well," growled Hagrid, moving a half-plucked rooster off his scrubbed table and setting down the teapot. "Like I don'know. An'bangin'on about some banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat my kettle."
It was most unlike Hagrid to criticize a Hogwarts' teacher, and Natasha looked at him in surprise. Hermione, however, said in a voice somewhat higher than usual, "I think you're being a bit unfair. Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job-". Simran looked at Hermione and said, "You still think that git is genuine? Look at the way he is teaching. He has not thought us any spells!"
"He was the on'y man for the job," said Hagrid, offering them a plate of treacle fudge, while Ron coughed squelchily into his basin. "An'I mean 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, jerking his head at Ron. "Who was he tryin' ter curse?"
"Malfoy called Hermione something - it must've been really bad, because everyone went wild."
"It was bad," said Ron hoarsely, emerging over the table top looking pale and sweaty. "Malfoy called her Mudblood,' Hagrid-". Ron dived out of sight again as a fresh wave of slugs made their appearance. Hagrid looked outraged.
"He didn'!" he growled at Hermione.
"He did,", she said. "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," gasped Ron, coming back up. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born - you know, non-magic parents. There are some wizards - like Malfoy's family - who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood." He gave a small burp, and a single slug fell into his outstretched hand. He threw it into the basin and continued, "I mean, 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."
Simran felt uncomfortable as she was also of muggle parentage, and she knew many people hated her because of that. "An'they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can'do," said Hagrid proudly, making Hermione go a brilliant shade of magenta. Natasha was really happy that Hagrid was saying such encouraging words. "It's a disgusting thing to call someone," said Ron, wiping his sweaty brow with a shaking hand. "Dirty blood, see. Common blood. It's ridiculous. Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway. If we hadn't married Muggles we'd've died out."
He retched and ducked out of sight again. "Well, I don'blame yeh fer tryin'ter curse him, Ron," said Hagrid loudly over the thuds of more slugs hitting the basin. "Bu' maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired. Spect Lucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son. Least yer not in trouble.".
"Not just that! Natasha punched him on his face!", Simran said laughing.
Hagrid started laughing and said, "Di' yeh really? Yeh mus' be careful. His father is powerful."
Natasha blushed slightly and said, "He deserved it! I thought that he might be a good guy, but I was wrong."
"Natasha," said Hagrid abruptly as though struck by a sudden thought. "Gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin' out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?"
Furious, Natasha wrenched her teeth apart. "I have not been giving out signed photos,", she said hotly. "If Lockhart's still spreading that around-". But then she saw that Hagrid was laughing. "I'm on'y jokin'," he said, patting Natasha genially on the back and sending her face first into the table. "I knew yeh hadn't really. I told Lockhart yeh didn'need teh. Yer more famous than him without tryin'."
"Bet he didn't like that," said Natasha, sitting up and rubbing her chin.
"Don'think he did," said Hagrid, his eyes twinkling. "An'then I told him I'd never read one o'his books an' he decided ter go. Treacle fudge, Ron?" he added as Ron reappeared. "No thanks," said Ron weakly. "Better not risk it."
"Come an'see what I've bin growin'," said Hagrid as the three girls finished the last of their tea. In the small vegetable patch behind Hagrid's house were a dozen of the largest pumpkins Natasha had ever seen. Each was the size of a large boulder. "Gettin'on well, aren't they?" said Hagrid happily. "Fer the Halloween feast... should be big enough by then."
"What've you been feeding them?" said Natasha. Hagrid looked over his shoulder to check that they were alone.
"Well, I've bin givin' them - you know - a bit o'help-"
Natasha noticed Hagrid's flowery pink umbrella leaning against the back wall of the cabin. Natasha had had reason to believe before now that this umbrella was not all it looked; in fact, she had the strong impression that Hagrid's old school wand was concealed inside it. It was nearly lunchtime and as Natasha had only had one bit of treacle fudge since dawn, she was keen to go back to school to eat. They said good-bye to Hagrid and walked back up to the castle, Ron hiccoughing occasionally, but only bringing up two very small slugs.
The rest of the evening was spent by playing chess with Ron. To Natasha's surprise, Ron lost to both Hermione and Simran. Natasha thought that, the slug incident must have shaken him. After dinner, Hermione said that she was not feeling well, and Simran wanted to play more chess. Natasha decided that, she will take a book from Library, and went. On the way, she met Professor Snape, who stopped her and asked asked, "I heard that, you slapped Mr. Malfoy today, during the Quidditch practise today. Can you care to explain?"
Natasha was scared a bit at first, but decided to tell him the truth, "I did it because he did something really bad, sir.", she said with a stern voice.
"What did he do?", Snape asked,
"He called my friend Hermione a 'Mudblood', sir.", Natasha said.
The expression on the Professors face changed into something Natasha could not place. He for a moment looked shocked, and then angry. But Natasha could say that, it was not towards her. She thought, that Professor was remembering something in the past, as his eyes flickered somewhere for a moment. Then he turned to Natasha and said, "I see… I will talk to Mr. Malfoy about this.". Then he just turned and walked away. Natasha just could not understand her professor's behaviour. "He is a really strange man.", Natasha thought.
She then went to the library and took a book, and got the book to her. She sat in the Library for nearly two hours. Madam Pince called her at nine saying that, it was already curfew time and she should go back. Natasha knew that, she had to go fast. Just then Simran and Hermione came into the Library. "Natasha! What are you doing here for so long?", Hermione asked.
"I am coming. I am coming.", she said and went with the two. "Where is Ron?", she asked.
"We all went to the dormitories 30 minutes ago, Ron said he was not feeling sleepy and stayed back. He must have gone to sleep, as we did not find him when we were coming.", Simran said. They were literally running back to the common room, when Natasha heard a really strange voice. It was a voice, a voice to chill the bone marrow, a voice of breath taking, ice-cold venom.
"Come... come to me... Let me rip you... Let me tear you... Let me kill you..."
"What?", Natasha asked loudly freezing in her tracks.
"What? What happened?", Hermione asked.
"That - that voice that said - didn't you hear it?", Natasha asked.
Both the girls shook their heads. Natasha thought that she must be imagining things, she was really tired. But the funny thing was that, the voice felt very real.
"it must be my imagination. Let's go, I am really tired,", Natasha said.
They just walked back into the common room, and found it empty. They climbed up into the dormitory, and fell on their beds. It really was a tiring day for all of them.