Entanglement

Friendship

Pansy couldn't believe her eyes when she saw that Elena and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but cheerful. By next morning Elena and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure and they were keen to have another one. In the meantime, Elena filled Hermione in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection.

Hermione didn't want to hear it after some time, so Elena found herself confiding in Ron.
"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.
"Or both," said Elena.
But all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.
Neither Neville or Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again. Elena could respect that.

Hermione was now refusing to speak to Elena and Ron, but Ron saw this as an added bonus. Elena was upset her friend wasn't talking to her- or someone who she had wanted to be friends with. All they wanted now was a way of getting back at Pansy and Malfoy, and to their delight, just such a thing arrived with the post a week later.

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by a long thin package carried by six large screech owls. Elena was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in this large parcel and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of her, knocking her strawberry to the floor. They had hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl dropped a letter on top of the parcel.
Elena ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:

DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.
It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. George Weasley will meet you tonight on the Quidditch pitch at seven o'clock for your first training session.
Professor M. McGonagall

Elena had difficulty hiding her glee as he handed the note to Ron to read.
"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one."
They left the Hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomstick in private before their first lesson, but halfway across the Entrance Hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Elena and felt it.
"That's a broomstick," he said, throwing it back to Elena with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be for it this time, Potter, first years aren't allowed them." Malfoy smirked to Harry, who looked at Elena with confusion and concern. She didn't answer his glance like she used to.
Ron couldn't resist it.

"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Elena. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."
"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up, twig by twig."
Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.
"Not arguing, I hope?" he squeaked.
"Potter's been sent a broomstick, Professor," said Malfoy quickly.
"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Elena. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Miss Potter. And what model is it?"
"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir," said Elena, fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. "And it's really thanks to Malfoy here that I've got it," she added.
Elena and Ron headed upstairs, smothering their laughter at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion.
"Well, it's true," Elena giggled as they reached the top of the marble staircase. "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Rememberall I wouldn't be on the team..."
"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs looking disapprovingly at the package in Elena's hand.
"I thought you were upset with us?" said Elena.
"Yes, don't start speaking to us now," said Ron, "it's doing us so much good."
Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.
Elena had a lot of trouble keeping her mind on lessons that day. It kept wandering up to the dormitory, where her new broomstick was lying under her bed, or straying off to the Quidditch pitch where she'd be learning to play that night. She bolted her dinner that evening without noticing what she was eating and then rushed upstairs with Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand at last. She met him in the common room, sitting in a closet.
"Wow," Ron sighed, as Elena held the broomstick, and she let the boy hold it.
Even Elena, who knew nothing about the different brooms, thought it looked wonderful. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tail of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top.
As seven o'clock drew nearer, Elena left the castle and set off towards the Quidditch pitch in the dusk. She'd never been inside the stadium before. Hundreds of seats were raised in stands around the pitch so that the spectators were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the pitch were three golden poles with hoops on the end. They reminded Elena of the little plastic sticks Muggle children blew bubbles through, except that they were fifty feet high.