"And so students, this was how I finished my year with the Yeti. Now if any of you wish to purchase my fascinating book, signed by me himself, you may speak to me after class..." Lockhart seemed to love the sound of his own voice.

Does he ever stop? Katrina was almost dead from boredom. She glanced at the twins, a row across from her, wondering if they were planning anything. At least it would be more interesting than Lockhart go on about his many travels - quite mind-numbing, and likely all made up. Unfortunately George and Fred looked just as jaded as she was.

Oliver Wood woke all of the team up at the crack of dawn to practice. They sat in the changing room, half-asleep. Wood was the only one who was truly awake. Harry was the last to arrive.

"There you are, Harry, what kept you?" he turned to the board, which was elaborately drawn with a rather complicated diagram. As he launched into a speech about new tactics, Fred's head drooped right onto Katrina's shoulder and he began to snore. Katrina, half dozing herself, barely noticed it. Her head jerked up as Wood finished. She hadn't heard anything.

"Any questions?"

Yeah. What was that part again, the part that went from 'Harry, what kept you?' to 'Any questions'?

George was more awake than she. "I've got a question, Oliver. Why couldn't you have told us yesterday when we were awake?"

Oliver glowered.

Katrina kicked off, her new Cleansweep Eleven maneuvering the sharp turns she loved to make so well. A green flash caught her eye. She spun around in mid-air. Oh, fantastic. Slytherin.

She landed quickly and stood next to Angelina and Katie, staring defiantly at the all-man Slytherin Quidditch team.

"But I booked the pitch! I booked it!" Oliver was shouting at Marcus Flint, the Slytherin captain.

Fred and George ignored everyone else. They were looking with loathing at Nescio Malfoy, who just so happened to be one of Slytherin's Beaters.

"...we need to train our new Seeker!" Flint was saying slyly.

"Seeker? What new Seeker?"

Out behind the six other, larger boys, stepped a small, thin boy with a face that Katrina knew and hated so well.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" Fred asked with distaste.

"Funny you should mention Mr Malfoy." Flint leered at the Gryffindor team. "I want you all to get an eyeful of the generous gift he's given everyone on the team."

Only then did Katrina notice their style of their broomsticks. Sleek and thin, they gleamed with a voraciousness that screamed speed.

"It wipes the floor with the old Cleansweep models," Flint grinned nastily at the twins' and her own broomsticks, all Cleansweeps.

Hermione and Ron had made their way onto the pitch by this time.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," Hermione said sharply, "They got in on pure talent."

Katrina flashed Hermione a grin. She really liked the younger girl, and Hermione was very good in a pinch.

"Why don't you keep your nose out of this?" Draco seethed.

"Filthy little Mudblood," Nescio added, spitting the last word.

Fred, George, Katrina and Oliver launched themselves at various members at the Slytherin Quidditch team at the same time. It took Harry, Katie and Angelina, plus a few of the more decent Slytherins, to hold them back.

Ron whipped out his wand. "You'll pay for that, Malfoy!" he shouted. "Both of you! Eat slugs!"

A loud bang echoed around the stadium, and suddenly Ron was on the ground, belching up slugs. The Slytherin team roared with laughter. Katrina saw red.

"You think you can just waltz onto the pitch during our practise time, insult and laugh at two different second-year students, and think you can just get away with it?" Katrina said shrilly. "I think you've done enough damage for today, don't you? Get lost!"

Flint sized her up. "Yeah, Lupine? Who's gonna make us?"

One minute the Chaser and Slytherin captain were facing off, the next minute he was rolling on the ground, with giant bat ears, steam pouring out of his nose and bright green skin.

"Who's next?" She glared at the Slytherins. "No one? Then I'll thank you to wait your turn for Quidditch practice slots."

The green-and-silver-wearing buffoons got the hell out of there as fast as their little legs could carry them.

Katrina turned to find her team watching her, mouths agape.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side," Oliver said, breaking into an easy smile. "Well done, Katrina. Right, everyone, mount up!"