A Hogwarts Rose Year 2

Chapter 8

The next day was Saturday and I spent the morning reading outside in the courtyard until I saw the Gryffindor and Slytherin quidditch teams look like they were going to start fighting and I walked over to see what was wrong. Wood was reading out a note of some sort.

'I Professor Severus Snape, do here by give the Slytherin team permission to practise today in order to train their new seeker. You've got a new seeker, who?' Wood asked the captain of the Slytherin team. The captain, Marcus Flint, moved aside to reveal.......

'Malfoy?' Harry scoffed. Mione and Ron appeared next to me, apparently I was the only one who thought trouble might be brewing.

'That's right and that's not all that's new this year.' He said and they showed off their new sleek black brooms.

'Those are Nimbus 2001's.' Ron said in awe. 'How'd you get those?'

'A gift from Draco's father.' Flint replied smugly.

'You see Weasley, unlike you my Father can afford the best.' Malfoy sneered.

'At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in, they all got in on pure talent.' Hermione replied. Malfoy turned to Hermione and came to stand in front of her.

'No one asked for your opinion, filthy little mudblood.' Draco spat. Hermione eyes darkened as she glared at him angrily.

'You'll pay for that one Malfoy.' Ron said and het got out his wand. 'Eat slugs!' He pointed his wand at Malfoy and a green light came out of the wand where it had been broken after the flying car incident and went backwards at Ron, sending him flying until he hit the ground flat on his back. Then the entire Gryffindor team along with Hermione ran over to see if he was alright while the Slytherins laughed.

'Ron may not like me, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to stand up for him.' I said to Malfoy and I took my own wand out of my sleeve. Malfoy stared at me shocked. 'Eat slugs!' I said and the spell hit him replicating what happened to Ron. Then I went over to where all the Gryffindor's were just in time to see Ron vomit up a slug onto the grass. 'Gross.' I said quietly, laughing to myself at the fact the Malfoy was no doubt doing the same thing. Then we helped Ron up and took him to Hagrid, hoping he'd no what to do. When we got to Hagrid's hut and he let us in we sat on the lounge while Hagrid got Ron his "specialist equipment" which unfortunately turned out to be nothing more than a bucket.

'Nothing to do, but wait 'till it stops I'm afraid.' Hagrid explained handing Ron the bucket. I turned away as Ron threw up another slug into the bucket. 'Better out than in.' Hagrid said. 'Who was Ron trying to curse anyway?'

'Malfoy.' Harry replied. 'He called Hermione a........... Well, I'm don't know exactly what he called her.' Hermione got up and walked slowly across the room with her arms crossed and faced away from us.

'He called me a mudblood.' She replied. Hagrid gasped.

'He did not.'

'What's a mudblood?' Harry asked. Hermione turned around to face us, her eyes were starting to tear up.

'It means dirty blood, Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is muggle born, someone with non magic parents. Someone like me. It's not a term one usually hears in a civilised conversation.' She explained.

'You see Harry some wizarding families, like the Malfoy family, think they're better than everyone because they're what pure blood.' Hagrid explained the term sarcastically.

'That's horrible.' Harry said shocked. We fell into an awkward silence as Ron vomited another slug.

'That's disgusting.' He said repulsed.

'Well Ronald, you should know that Malfoy is now doing exactly the same thing that you are.' I said proudly.

'What do you mean?' Harry asked.

'Well when everyone went over to see if Ron was alright I threw the same spell at Malfoy making him "eat slugs".' I said grinning.

'Well done Stephanie.' Hagrid smiled cheekily then he turned back to Hermione. 'That blood status is all codswallop, "dirty blood". Pfft, why there isn't a wizard alive today who's not half blood or less. More to the point they're yet to think of a spell our Hermione can't do.' Hermione smiled slightly with watery eyes. 'Come here.' Hagrid said, Hermione came forward and he gently held her hand. 'Don't you think on it Hermione, don't you think on it for one minute. Hey?'

Hermione smiled happily and we continued to talk for a while until we had to go to lunch in the Great Hall. By then Ron had stopped vomiting slugs and was glad to be eating again. I sat alone again and ate my fill, I noticed that Malfoy kept looking at me, but not with hatred or anger, in fact I couldn't quite tell what he was thinking so I let it go.

Later I went back up to the Tower and stared out my window with Mabel before playing a game with my hair tie, when I spin it around on the floor until it gets really fast and I let it go, then it slides across the floor and Mabel kicks it around using her front paws. About halfway through our game an owl came to window and delivered a letter I opened it, allowing Mabel to continue playing on her own.

Dear Stephanie,

I'm sorry I didn't tell you that you were adopted, your real parents told me not to when I took you in. If want to know who your real parents are I'm sure the Headmaster will know as I never found out the names of your real parents. I hope you can forgive me.

From Mrs Partridge.

Once I finished reading the letter I fell sad and angry at the same time, sad because my Mum thought I'd be upset with her (which I was to a certain extent) and angry because Snape had told her to keep it a secret from me.

I went back to playing with Mabel, deciding not to respond to the letter, or at least not now and Mabel and I played together until it was time for dinner.