Chapter 5 – The Quidditch Practice
Harry wondered why he hadn't seen this coming. Of course there would be a problem for the first scheduled practice of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. They had just barely gotten into the air after a confusing talk from Oliver Wood when a group of Slytherin players walked out onto the pitch and made ready to mount up on their brooms. The Gryffindor team landed immediately and followed Wood as he approached the Slytherins.
[[ "Flint! Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. "This is our practice time! We got especially early! You can clear off now!"
Marcus Flint was even larger than Wood. He had a look of trollish cunning on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."
Angelina, Alicia and Katie had come over too. There were no girls on the Slytherin team, who stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the Gryffindors, leering to a man.
"But I booked the whole 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."
"You've got a new Seeker," said Wood distracted. "Where?"
And from behind the six large figures before them came a seventh, smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Draco Malfoy.
Flint smiled even broader if that was possible. "Let me show you the generous gift that Mr. Malfoy has made to the Slytherin team."
All seven of the Slytherins held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling out the words Nimbus Two Thousand and One gleamed under the Gryffindors' noses in the morning sun. (Ch. 7, HP and the CoS) ]]
The Gryffindors were all angry and upset; both the intrusion and the obvious bribe to get Draco on the team. Ron and Hermione had come over to the confrontation after they saw Harry and the others land. Harry saw Colin Creevy rush down from the stands and hurry back toward school. Ron asked what the Slytherin team was doing there and Draco gloated over his new appointment and the fine gifts his father had given his team.
"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Hermione. "They got in on pure talent."
"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," Malfoy spat out as he shook his broom toward her.
The rest of the Gryffindor team gasped in horror while the Slytherins all laughed at Hermione. Harry didn't know exactly what it meant but he did recognize a terrible insult when he heard it after living with the Dursleys for so long. As the Snakes turned and congratulated Draco and themselves for getting back at the lowly muggleborn witch, Harry decided to do something in retaliation.
"Accio Broom!" Harry's spell caught Draco by surprised and Harry nonchalantly caught his broom as it was summoned to him.
"Give that back Potter!"
"But you were just so proud to show it off to us a few seconds ago. Surely you can't be upset that I'd want to take a closer look at it? Seeing as you're supposed to be flying rings around me once we get to the sky."
Draco was almost foaming at the mouth. He pulled his wand out from his robes and pointed it at his nemesis. "You give that back here. I don't want your filthy half-blood hands soiling my new broom."
"Don't you mean your father's new broom? He's the one that bought all these right. Hey Ron, take a look at this."
Harry launched the 2001 over his shoulder to where he knew his friend was standing. Not doubting Ron's ability to catch it out of midair, Harry instead watched Draco's face as his mouth dropped open in shock as he saw his new prized possession fly out in mid-air.
"Expelliarmus!" Another spell shot out of Harry's wand and it was another second before Draco was totally unhanded. No broom, no wand!
"What do you think you're doing Potter?" Flint yelled as he pulled his own wand out. Fred and George immediately stepped in front of Harry with their wands held out, protecting him.
"Don't get your nargles in a blender" Harry answered back. The Slytherins stopped and you could almost see them trying to make sense out of what the Gryffindor Seeker had just said. It stopped any further escalation of retaliation in Harry's direction. Harry was suddenly glad that he had spent a few minutes with Ginny and her close friend Luna on the Express and during a few minutes free time in the Hogwarts library. Confusion for confusion's sake was certainly a different method of operating.
"I would think you would thank me for what I've just done for your team Flint," Harry said.
"What?" almost screamed out Marcus Flint.
"Didn't you want to find out what kind of reflexes your new Seeker has? I thought that would be a nice gesture on my part. Here Malfoy."
Harry threw the wand he had summoned back at Malfoy making sure that it was just wide enough that Draco had to move to catch it. As Harry expected, Malfoy was not prepared and tripped over his own feet in the lunge to catch the wand that went right by him. The Gryffindors (including Hermione) all broke up laughing and the rest of the Slytherin team looked a little embarrassed at the young wizard's coordination (or lack thereof).
Ron walked past Harry and went halfway between the two lines of teams to lay Malfoy's Nimbus down. "I'd throw it to you Malfoy but I wasn't sure if you would hurt yourself with it or not."
That brought a further smile to Harry and his teammates and Harry saw Hermione give Ron's shoulder a pat as he went back to stand by her.
"My father will hear of this Potter!" Draco was almost spitting mad.
"I'm surprised he hasn't heard of this already. Malfoy's certainly shouting loud enough" Fred (or was it George?) said in a barely disguised stage whisper.
Draco's wand shifted to the twin and one of his new teammates pushed his wand arm down and pointed to where the broom was lying on the field. Draco sullenly went to get it; his eyes never left Harry's face. Seeing as the spot of entertainment was over, the Slytherin team started heading to the field again. This meant that they would have to go around or force their way through where the Gryffindors stood.
Not trusting that further fights weren't going to erupt, Harry called out again. "Mr. Flint, a question if I may?"
Flint held up his hand halting the advance of the green-robed team. "What is it now Potter?"
"I was just wondering. The supposed note from Professor Snape, which you have yet to show us, says you have permission to use the Quidditch field today. Right?"
Flint frown and pulled a folded piece of parchment from a pocket of his robes and thrust it out at Wood. "Here it is if you don't believe me Potter."
"I never said I didn't believe you; I just stated that I hadn't seen the note yet. I see it now and am glad you aren't trying to put one over on us. Does the part about using the pitch today mean the whole day, or just part of the day?"
"Whatever we need to train our new member."
"So you don't necessarily need to be actually out here now do you? You have any part of the day to use this field. So you decided to just chuck us out just to annoy us and keep us from practicing?"
"Hey, that's right Harry!" Wood said. "Come back when we're finished then Flint."
The Slytherin team looked like they were about to throw their brooms down and hex their opponents. They did realize however that they were slightly outnumbered with Ron, Hermione and the now growing crowd of Gryffindors that had come down to watch their team practice.
"We have the note from Professor Snape that gives us the right to use this field whenever we want" Flint growled out.
"I don't think so" Harry said slowly.
"That's five points from Gryffindor for disrespecting a prefect Potter." Flint's smile was slightly scary as he looked around at his teammates.
Harry wasn't done though. "I'm pretty sure you can't do that either Mr. Flint. Hermione, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't prefects loose their privileges to award or deduct house points while they are in their Quidditch uniforms? It precludes them from punishing opponents unfairly."
"That's right Harry" answered the girl. "It's in the Prefects Handbook."
"How do you know what's in the Prefect's Handbook?" one of the Slytherins asked.
"It's in the library so that everyone can read what the Prefects can award or deduct house points for" Hermione said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "Don't you all know that?"
"We're still practicing now!" Draco shouted out.
"Are you sure of that Malfoy?" Harry asked. He knew he was baiting the obnoxious Slytherin but he wouldn't let the insult against his friend Hermione go unchallenged.
"The note from Professor Snape gives us the right to be where we want and when we want." Harry almost hoped the purple face on Flint reflected an oncoming stroke but he knew he wouldn't be so lucky. It had never worked with Uncle Vernon despite the few times Harry had wished for a break from the torture he endured.
"So why does anyone, especially you seven fine upstanding students, think that Professor Snape outranks Professor McGonagall?"
"What?"
There were gasps from almost everyone on the field from Harry's question. The only one that didn't have their mouth open in shock was Hermione who gave Harry a small smile and a nod of her head when he glanced at her. The Slytherins were totally gobsmacked that anyone would dare ask such an outrageous question. The Gryffindors were all wondering if Harry had totally lost his senses or, alternatively, had the stones to confront the Slytherins with such an astonishing query.
After a few moments of shock Captain Flint did scream out a very foul insult and started rushing at Harry. He braced himself for the inevitable beating but just as Flint launched himself at Harry a loud voice came from behind them.
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Harry looked around as Flint was caught up the full-body bind and fell at Harry's feet. Rushing down toward the field was Madame Hooch with Colin Creevey struggling to keep up after her.
"What is the meaning of this?" the flying instructor asked to everyone. Everyone started talking at once but Harry turned and listened as Colin gasped out that he had went and brought back the first teacher he had come across as he knew that there would be a confrontation with the Slytherins.
"Silence! I will talk to the captains who should have maintained order here."
Madame Hooch bent over the stiff figure of Marcus Wood who was grunting rather impressively from his horizontal position. "I will release the spell on you Mr. Flint but you will respond to my questions in a civil manner or you will find yourself suspended for the next game. You have already loss 5 points for attacking a fellow student. Do you agree?"
A grunted reply was the only response and Madame Hooch cancelled the spell on Flint and hauled him to his feet. (Not in itself a small thing as Flint outweighed the diminutive witch by about 4 or 6 stone.) She pulled Flint and Wood aside as the two teams huddled up amongst themselves.
Harry went over and shook Colin's hand as he received pats on the back from the twins and hugs from the three female chasers and Hermione. Colin's face was so red by the time that he finished the hugs that Ron proposed that Colin had met the requirements of becoming an honorary Weasley. Colin didn't appear that he could be any happier whatsoever.
Meanwhile back in the huddle with the two Captains, Madame Hooch had almost finished her stern berating on the behavior of the two teams and the Slytherin leader especially. "Now tell me how all this started" she finally said.
"We were—They wouldn't.." both boys shouted out.
"Stop! Mr. Wood, you go first."
"We were in the middle of our 'scheduled' practice when they barged onto the field and try to kick us off."
"Mr. Flint – your side?"
"We have this letter from Professor Snape, our sponsor to train our seeker and have the field."
"For Today!" ground out Wood, trying to control his temper.
"Let me see this note" Madam Hooch demanded.
Flint produced the crumpled piece of parchment from his pocket and gave it to the person that refereed all the school matches. She read it and handed it back to the bigger flier.
"That is all right and proper but nowhere in that permission slip does it say that you may usurp the Gryffindor's practice."
"But Madame Hooch we have to train Malfoy as he's our new seeker" Flint argued.
"And there are a number of hours left in today that you can do that; so you will take you team off the pitch Mr. Flint."
"But…"
"Three more points from Slytherin for arguing with an instructor … and disregarding the written rules."
"What rules Madame Hooch?"
Madame Hooch sighed. "I knew I should have reviewed some things with you at the end of last year Mr. Wood. The winner of the Quidditch cup always has first say on when they practice over the other teams. A factor Mr. Flint here has conveniently forgotten but used to his own advantage for many years in the past."
Flint flinched at the words but Wood got a strange gleam in his eye as he thanked Madam Hooch for the information.
"You will take your team from the field Mr. Flint and Mr. Wood - you may have an extra half hour of practice to make up from the time you loss with the disruption."
"But Potter insulted our Head of House. What about that Madame Hooch?"
"Go back to your teams and standby. Mr. Potter – front and center!"
Harry passed Oliver Wood on his way to report to Madame Hooch and Wood gave him an encouraging nod. Harry went and stood a little nervously in front of the instructor.
"Flint, excuse me, Mr. Flint says you insulted Professor Snape. Is that true?"
"No Madame Hooch. I merely asked Flint and the rest of his team why they automatically thought that Professor Snape outranked Professor McGonagall. That's when he attacked me; you saw it. I made no hostile move nor raised my wand. Besides Malfoy and his team called Miss Granger…"
"Called Miss Granger…?"
"Called her a…. mudblood Madame Hooch. I wouldn't, couldn't take that but I never made an insult about Professor Snape directly.
Madame Hooch shook her head. "That's three points from Gryffindor for Potter antagonizing a whole Quidditch team!" she said that rather loudly so the green-robes could hear that and celebrate just a little.
Madame Hooch then shuffled sideways so the Slytherins couldn't see her mouth. She lowered her voice. "And take five points for being loyal to a friend Mr. Potter. You know this could have ended much worse, don't you?"
"Yes ma'am and I'm sorry for letting this get so out of hand."
"We encourage questions Mr. Potter but you have to become aware of what form some of the answers may take."
"Yes Madame Hooch; I'll try to think of the consequences before I open my big mouth the next time."
"Don't worry about that Mr. Potter. Some questions begged to be asked and should be asked to clear the air. Your House Head outranks Professor Snape in matters of school hierarchy and policy but in regards to the Quidditch teams they are even. I will try to make Mr. Flint and his colleges aware of that as I send them back to the school."
"Thank you Madame Hooch."
"Back to your team and practice then Mr. Potter. Please send Miss Spinnet back over here for a question or two if you would."
"Yes ma'am!" Harry rushed back to take his broom from Ron who had been holding it for him and told Alicia that Madame Hooch wanted to see her for a moment. She hurried over to Madame Hooch's spot as Harry mounted up and took to the skies with the rest of the team. He made a lap of the pitch and hovered next to Oliver Wood as they watched Hooch and Alicia talk for a few moments. Alicia mounted her broom and launched upwards while Madame Hooch went over to where the Slytherin team was still glaring upwards at the two Gryffindors.
Whatever Madame Hooch had to say to the Slytherin team had them staring at her and Malfoy voluntarily throwing his broom down in disgust.
"Methinks their Seeker has received some more detentions" Wood quietly said next to Harry.
"Couldn't happen to a nicer bloke in my estimation" Harry said back.
Both watched until Malfoy picked up his broom and the Slytherin team left the area. Harry noticed that they were both arguing amongst themselves and glaring back at him when they thought no one was looking at them.
Madame Hooch watched them leave and then surprisingly joined the students in the stands. She waved up at the team and then circled her index finger as if telling them to get on with it.
Wood clapped Harry on the shoulder so hard that it almost knocked him off his broom. "We'd best get to our practice then Potter. The Snakes will be out for both our heads when we meet them again. I suspect more than a few students will congratulate you for taking their team down a notch and lowering Professor Snape's position of invincibility."
Harry turned his broom sideways and rocketed down the field, He heard the clapping and shouts that came from the stands as the fliers took up their formations and wondered when Malfoy or Snape would try to exact their revenge.
'All over a few simple questions' he thought. A bludger went by Harry's head and he looked down to see the twins saluting him with their beater bats. Harry laughed and then turned to dive-bomb the pair.
Back to a normal practice.