The Mudblood

Chapter 31 : Summer

As I predicted, Viktor Krum caught the Snitch, but Ireland won the Quidditch World Cup. Malfoy was utterly furious when this happened because he'd been bragging to everyone about how Ireland's Seeker was so much better than Krum and that he was the reason that Ireland would surely win. I made a mad dash away from the Slytherins as soon as the match concluded so that Malfoy wouldn't be able to slaughter me.

Luckily, I ran into the Weasleys when I got to the stairway, and they all seemed quite concerned about me.

"Lainey! We thought you got lost!" Ginny cried the moment she saw me. "Where have you been?"

"The Slytherins forced me to sit with them—but what a match! The players are so fast—"

"Oh don't try to brush the results under the rug, Fitz," Fred scoffed as we descended the stairs.

"Yeah—there's something fishy about how you knew exactly what would happen," George agreed, eyeing me skeptically.

"Especially since you know nothing about either of these teams—"

"Hey—I know some things!" I insisted, trying to sound offended. Ginny was grinning mischievously at me, knowing the truth.

Fred ignored me as he pressed on. "How'd you know, Fitz? Are you some kind of Seer or something?"

"Maybe I'm just especially good at guessing," I replied with a nonchalant shrug.

Fred narrowed his eyes at me with a glint of suspicion. "You were so sure about the outcome, though—"

"We don't believe you," George added.

"And we're going to find out what you're hiding—"

"Ginny will tell us eventually anyway—"

"I will not! This is not my secret to tell," Ginny said.

"So there is a secret," Fred mused, stroking his chin as he pondered.

"Thanks, sis," George added, punching her lightly on the arm. She scowled at the twins before giving me an apologetic look.

"Isn't Krum amazing!" Ron was saying in front of us. "I've never seen a Seeker that good—he could even beat you, Harry!"

"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "You don't know that that's true! Harry is the best Seeker Hogwarts has ever seen—"

"Harry's certainly better than Malfoy," I added, earning a few snickers from most of the Weasleys.

When we got back to the campsite, Arthur, Percy, Bill, and Charlie went right into the smaller tent while Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, the twins, and I chose the bigger tent. Hermione wanted to read in our room—of course—so Ginny and I went to Harry and Ron's room right across the tent and played cards for at least an hour. We used the Self-Shuffling Playing Cards that Ron had given me for my birthday last year, and it was actually quite fun. Harry and Ron would win every time, though, and Ginny and I were convinced that Ron had fixed the cards.

When we finally got tired, Ginny and I left the two boys to go to sleep, and as we walked back into the common area, I spotted George standing mysteriously by himself next to one of the walls.

"Lainey," he hissed, beckoning with his hand for me to come over.

I gave Ginny a strange glance. "I'll meet you in the room in a minute."