Chapter Ten
The next morning, I was awaked by Angi, shaking me hard; I pulled the cover over my head. When this did not work; she pulled the cover off me. I glanced out of the window and spotted the faint pink and gold sky lying beyond the mist of the morning air.
"Bloody hell, Ange! It's Saturday! It is the crack of dawn. What are you playing at waking me up at sun set?"
"Quidditch practice"
"I'll kill Wood!" I sighed, rolling out bed and shivered as my feet hit the wooden panelled floor of the dorm, shuffling over to the bathroom and disappeared beyond it to shower and change. After getting changed into my quidditch gear, I went down the spiral staircase into the common room, meeting the rest of the team there. I noticed I was not the last one down.
"Finally," Ollie said as Harry finally showed up.
"Any particular reason you wanted us to practice at dawn?" Fred asked surpassing a yawn, as Ollie led us through the enclosed courtyard towards the front lawn.
"I spent most of the summer devising a whole new Quidditch programme. We're going to train earlier, harder and longer. None of the other teams have started training yet, we are going to be the first off the mark this year…"
As we stepped out onto the green, I noticed a bunch of green robes trudging towards us. It was only when Ollie asked, "Where do you think you are going, Flint?" that I noticed it was the Slytherin Quidditch team.
"Quidditch practice," Flint answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and clearly from what they were wearing, it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I have booked the pitch for Gryffindor today," Ollie responded as the two teams stopped in front of one another.
"Easy Wood; I have got a note." He held up a roll of parchment which Ollie took, unrolled and read it out loud, as I peered over his arm at the small curved writing. "I, Professor Severous Snape, hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch pitch, owing to the need to train their new seeker."
"You have got a new seeker? Who? Thought you were happy with Higgs?" I snapped at him.
"You are not the only team that makes replacements, Dixon." Flint sneered.
"Yeah. But Higg's father also cannot afford to buy the entire team new broomsticks, can he?" I bit back coolly.
"It is pretty obvious who your new seeker is." Phe piped up from the side. I did not notice that she turned up.
The Slytherin's smirked and from behind the six large figures before us came a seventh, smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face. It was Draco Malfoy.
"You are too good for your own good, Blackheart!" the blonde drawled.
"And you are just a spoilt little dragon who has nothing better to do then attempt to torment those you consider beneath you!" Phe hissed.
Draco smirked again and I could sense that Phe wanted to continue with this, so I decided to change the topic slightly. "Nimbus 2001's? You really think they are going to help you win in next month's game?"
"Yeah," Draco nodded "Potter will never be able to out fly me on his downgraded broomstick."
Most of the team scoffed at this. "Maybe not. But it is not about how fast you fly; it is about the skill you have to catch the Snitch. Unfortunately for you, you have neither."
The Gryffindor's sniggered as Draco's glare hardened. "What are you riding? A Comet 360?"
The Slytherin's smirked.
"Oh, sweetheart," Phoebe tutted while shaking her head "Lie's broom not even sold in the United Kingdom yet. And it could out fly both you and Harry in under a second."
Draco stared speechless.
Phoebe and I grinned at the lack of a response.
"There is only one broom that I have heard of that is faster than a Nimbus 2001," Adrian Pucey commented causing us to glance in his direction "and that's the Chocolate Swiss."
His team frowned at him.
"The Salem Warriors have just invested in them for the next World Cup," Adrian answered, before turning back to Phoebe "The question remains: How she managed to get one? They were designed for Professional Quidditch players."
The young Gryffindor shrugged "I guess when you're related to an ex-Professional Quidditch player you get free merchandise once in a while."
I decided to continue, "My grandfather was sent a Chocolate Swiss and he gave it to me for my birthday, an early present so to speak." I smiled smugly, I felt an arm snake its way round my waist, turning I saw Fred smiling down at me. If possible the Slytherin's looked impressed.
"This proves nothing..." Draco sneered obviously peeved.
Hermione -who had arrived with Ron - spoke "It proves everything. It proves that no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got in on pure talent"
Time seemed to freeze as Draco turned slowly towards Hermione the smug look on his face flickered. "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat.
At once the atmosphere changed. Flint dived in front of Malfoy to prevent Fred and George from attacking him, Alicia screeched "How dare you!" at the top of her voice, Ron plunged his hand into his robes and grasped his wand and I did everything in my power to stop Phe from doing anything to the younger boy.
"You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" Ron yelled pointing his wand furiously under Flint's arm at Malfoy's face.
There was a loud bang 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 backwards.
"Ron! Ron! Are you all right?" squealed Hermione.
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 the lawn.
While the Gryffindor's gathered around Ron, the Slytherin team were paralyzed with laughter. Flint was doubled up; hanging on to his new broomstick for support and Malfoy was on all fours, banging the ground with his fist.
Ron burped up another slug as the Gryffindor's backed away from him. It seemed nobody wanted to touch him.
"Wow, can you turn him around, Harry?" Colin Creevey asked as he joined his house team, and snapped a picture.
"No Colin, get out of the way!" Harry answered helping Ron to his feet along with Hermione "Let's take him to Hagrid's; he'll know what to do."
Hermione nodded bravely, and the pair of them pulled Ron up by the arms. Supporting Ron between them both Harry and Hermione rushed out onto the grounds and towards Hagrid's hut.
Phoebe, meanwhile, stayed where she was glaring daggers at Malfoy, before any of us knew; "Hey, Malfoy!" she called. Draco looked up. "Laugh at this -" and whipped out her wand she yelled "Reducto! Furunculous!"
There was a split second pause as both teams watched the two curses collide with Malfoy, knock him backwards through the air and the moment he landed the Gryffindor's howled with laughter as painful looking boils sprouted all over the blonde's face.
"Have fun, pretty boy." Phoebe smirked before walking off with the Gryffindor team.
Leaving the Slytherin's and Draco looking bewildered.
Later that evening, I was enjoying my dinner, and talking with Alicia, Katie and Ange about this year's Quidditch season was destined to be when our conversation was cut short.
"Hello there," Fred said as he squeezed himself between Katie and I.
"Hi," I grumbled as I made room for him.
"What have you got there?" He asked, peering at her plate.
"Mashed potatoes."
"Don't mind if I do," he said before taking his spoon and scooping up half of my potatoes and placing them on his own plate.
"I was planning on eating those," I scoffed.
"Everything tastes better when it's shared," he teased.