Stay - Theodore Nott

How's Your Nose?

"Flint!" Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. The Weasley twins made eye contact with the Hufflepuff girl as she pushed her way through and stood between the two of them. "This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!" Marcus Flint was even larger than Wood.

He had a look of trollish cunning on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood." Angelina, Alicia, and Katie had come over, too. There were no girls on the Slytherin team, who stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the Gryffindors, leering to a man.

"But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. Kirra was deeply aware of how much quidditch had meant to Wood, "I booked it!"

"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from professor Snape. 'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker and beater.'"

"You've got a new Seeker and Beater?" said Wood, distracted. "Where?" And from behind the five large figures, before them came a sixth and seventh, smaller set of boys, Draco was smirking all over his pale, pointed face while Theodore had a blank look on his face, which many found intimidating.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" said Fred, looking at Malfoy with dislike and he scowled at Theodore, his strong hatred for the boy showing on his face as he and George both moved in front of the Hufflepuff girl who had been standing in between them.

"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the whole Slytherin team smiled still more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team." All seven of them held out their broomsticks.

Seven highly polished, brand-new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling the words Nimbus Two Thousand and One gleamed under the Gryffindors' noses in the early morning sun. "Very latest model. Only came out last month," said Flint carelessly, flicking a speck of dust from the end of his own.

"I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps" — he smiled nastily at Fred and George, who were both clutching Cleansweep Fives — "sweeps the board with them."

None of the Gryffindor team could think of anything to say for a moment but Kirra stood forward and opened her mouth to say something but was pulled back by the twins, the two of them still glaring at Nott who was smirking at the Hufflepuff, waiting for her to retaliate like she normally did.

Malfoy was smirking so broadly his cold eyes were reduced to slits. "Oh, look," said Flint. "A field invasion." Ron and Hermione were crossing the grass to see what was going on.

"What's happening?" Ron asked Harry. "Why aren't you playing? And what are those two doing here?" He was looking at Malfoy and Nott, taking in their Slytherin Quidditch robes.

"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker, Weasley," said Malfoy, smugly.

"And i'm the new beater" Theodore said and then smirked up at the twins, not intimidated by them at all. Theodore was one of the tallest in their year and it was very obvious, Jasper was also very tall. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team." Ron gaped, openmouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in front of him.

"Good, aren't they?" said Malfoy smoothly, causing the Hufflepuff to roll her eyes at the boy who was constantly taunting everyone.

Theodore then cut in and smirked at the youngest Weasley boy, "But perhaps the Gryffindor team will be able to raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You couldraffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them."