It was the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff game. It was also the first game in which Harry, Fred, and George would not be participating. Ravenclaw was divided in its support. Luna still wore her lion hat and Isabella borrowed Ginny Weasley's Gryffindor scarf and hat, but Morgan and Alex were supporting Hufflepuff. Well, as much as Alex would support Quidditch. Usually Alex was pretty good about looking interested when it came to Ravenclaw games, but that was only because Isabella was playing.
Now however, she had one over on Isabella as far as Quidditch was concerned. Gryffindor played horribly. Ron couldn't block a single goal; it might have been funny if it weren't so pathetic. One of the new Gryffindor Beaters accidentally hit Angelina in the head while swinging at a Bludger. By the time that the other Beater nearly fell off his broom when Zacharias Smith zoomed past, Isabella was really wishing she could Vanish Ginny's hat and scarf.
Ginny finally managed to catch the Snitch and Gryffindor only lost by ten points, two-hundred and forty to two-hundred and thirty. As Isabella left the pitch with the other Ravenclaws she caught sight of Fred and George.
They were looking miserable, trudging through the mud to the castle. Isabella nudged Morgan and the two of them followed the morose twins.
"Hey," Fred said glumly as the two girls caught up. "I see you made the mistake of supporting Gryffindor."
"Come on, it wasn't...um," Morgan trailed off.
"A complete disaster?" George laughed humorlessly. "Weren't you watching?" He waved his arms as though dog-paddling in a cruel but good imitation of Ron.
"Well, Ginny caught the Snitch," Isabella said bracingly.
"Yeah, whoop-dee-do," Fred held up a finger and twirled it lazily. Isabella slapped him and then George. Morgan giggled slightly at the shocked look on their faces.
"I knew she was going to do that," she confessed, green eyes sparkling. "She can't stand moping."
"Ginny did an amazing job!" Isabella hissed. "She's your sister! Go congratulate her!" Fred held a hand to his stinging face and looked at George, who grinned a little.
"Better than being turned into a bunny, I suppose," Fred smiled. "How come you always get us to see sense?"
"Look, if you're really that upset about not being allowed to play," Isabella said, her voice softening slightly. "My grandfather, Leonardo, could pull a few strings. Roberto is already on Padua Panthers."
It was the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff game. It was also the first game in which Harry, Fred, and George would not be participating. Ravenclaw was divided in its support. Luna still wore her lion hat and Isabella borrowed Ginny Weasley's Gryffindor scarf and hat, but Morgan and Alex were supporting Hufflepuff. Well, as much as Alex would support Quidditch. Usually Alex was pretty good about looking interested when it came to Ravenclaw games, but that was only because Isabella was playing.
Now however, she had one over on Isabella as far as Quidditch was concerned. Gryffindor played horribly. Ron couldn't block a single goal; it might have been funny if it weren't so pathetic. One of the new Gryffindor Beaters accidentally hit Angelina in the head while swinging at a Bludger. By the time that the other Beater nearly fell off his broom when Zacharias Smith zoomed past, Isabella was really wishing she could Vanish Ginny's hat and scarf.
Ginny finally managed to catch the Snitch and Gryffindor only lost by ten points, two-hundred and forty to two-hundred and thirty. As Isabella left the pitch with the other Ravenclaws she caught sight of Fred and George.
They were looking miserable, trudging through the mud to the castle. Isabella nudged Morgan and the two of them followed the morose twins.
"Hey," Fred said glumly as the two girls caught up. "I see you made the mistake of supporting Gryffindor."
"Come on, it wasn't...um," Morgan trailed off.
"A complete disaster?" George laughed humorlessly. "Weren't you watching?" He waved his arms as though dog-paddling in a cruel but good imitation of Ron.
"Well, Ginny caught the Snitch," Isabella said bracingly.
"Yeah, whoop-dee-do," Fred held up a finger and twirled it lazily. Isabella slapped him and then George. Morgan giggled slightly at the shocked look on their faces.
"I knew she was going to do that," she confessed, green eyes sparkling. "She can't stand moping."
"Ginny did an amazing job!" Isabella hissed. "She's your sister! Go congratulate her!" Fred held a hand to his stinging face and looked at George, who grinned a little.
"Better than being turned into a bunny, I suppose," Fred smiled. "How come you always get us to see sense?"
"Look, if you're really that upset about not being allowed to play," Isabella said, her voice softening slightly. "My grandfather, Leonardo, could pull a few strings. Roberto is already on Padua Panthers."
"Nah, that's all right," George shrugged. "We weren't looking for careers as Beaters, or anything. Though it's good to see we are irreplaceable." He winced, recalling the two new Gryffindor beaters.
"Good morning," Luna said dreamily, sitting down at the Ravenclaw table.
"Morning, Luna," Isabella replied. Alex was too busy scribbling footnotes on her arithmancy essay to notice Luna's arrival.
"Would any one like a Quibbler?" Luna asked, holding up a stack of the magazines. Morgan politely said no, but Isabella took one look at the front cover and practically grabbed it from Luna.
A picture of Harry grinned sheepishly up at her from the front cover. In large letters across the top were the words:
HARRY POTTER SPEAKS OUT AT LAST:
THE TRUTH ABOUT HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED
AND THE NIGHT I SAW HIM RETURN
"Luna did you do this?" Isabella asked, flipping open the magazine and finding the article.
"Oh yes, Daddy printed it," Luna said proudly. "It's gotten even more attention than the crumpled-horn snorkaks! Imagine that!" Isabella did not want to say that this was rather easier to imagine than as to why anyone would even consider reading the Quibbler on a normal basis.
When Isabella first tried to help Luna hand out copies, she mostly got laughed at. But by mid-morning enormous signs had been put up all over school.
BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS
Any student found in possession of the magazine The Quibbler will be expelled.
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-seven.
Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor.
Suddenly all twenty copies Isabella had been trying to hand out vanished. She barely had time to save her own copy from being taken. This last rather battered copy of the Quibbler she bewitched to look like an extract from her Ancient Runes textbook.
"Daddy will have to reprint!" Luna said happily, but a little surprised. "No issue has ever sold faster!"
"That's great, Luna," Alex assured her happily.
"Stop right there!" The four of them froze. Professor Umbridge's face was a splotchy purple color that really clashed with her green tweed suit.
"Turn out your pockets!" the professor demanded. They hesitated, giving each other long sidelong looks. "Your pockets!" Professor Umbridge was practically screaming.
They pulled out quills, forgotten sweets, and pieces of lint. Luna's pockets included some strange bead-like objects and a few plimpies.
"The bags too!" Professor Umbridge demanded. Alex, Morgan, Luna, and Isabella opened their bookbags. The professor went through them carefully, picking up each book and flipping through it as though expecting a Quibbler to fall out.
It was lucky that Alex had suggested Luna hide all of her old copies of the Quibbler up in their dorm room, because Professor Umbridge paid particular attention to Luna's things. When she discovered a large onion-like plant at the bottom of Luna's bag, Professor Umbridge squirmed a little and let them go to Herbology.
"That was close," Isabella said under her breath as they crossed to the greenhouses. She shoved her Arithmancy book further into her bag as they apologized to Professor Sprout about being late. The teacher was in a good mood though, and randomly awarded Ravenclaw ten points when Luna passed her the dragon dung fertilizer.