Draco Malfoy and the Chamber of Secrets (BOOK 2 of 7)

Chapter 5-Mudbloods and Murmurs

Draco was satisfied with his teammates' thankfulness for the brooms. The previous night, Blaise had said, "If I was on the team, I could've got one too. Hey, maybe you can get you father to get me one!"

To this, Draco had replied, "Oh yeah! Great idea! Then I would be able to figure out if he prefers to use the Cruciatus or the Bat-Bogey Hex. Anyways, you're rich enough to get one."

As the Slytherin team walked onto the pitch early that morning, so did the Gryffindor team.

"Where do you think you're going, Flint?" said Oliver Wood, keeper, Draco remembered.

"Quidditch practice," Flint replied.

"I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today."

"Easy, Wood, I've got a note."

Wood took the note from Flint and read, "I, Professor Severus Snape, hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practice today, owing to the need to try out their new brooms."

Draco and his teammates all moved their brooms to rest on their right shoulders as each player smirked, watching the other team gawk.

"Those are Nimbus 2001s!" exclaimed Weasley. What?

Draco frowned. "When did you get here?" It was more to himself.

"How did you get those?" Weasley asked.

"A gift from Draco's father," Flint responded.

"See, Weasley," Draco started, "unlike some, my father can afford the best."

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," Granger said. "They got in on pure talent."

Draco stepped forward, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He said, "I got in on the team last year because of my pure talent. So don't go shouting about your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."

Draco heard a pin drop, and no one said anything except...

"You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" Weasley said, glaring. "Eat slugs!" He struck his wand towards Draco, but the caster fell back instead.

The Slytherin team laughed as the Gryffindors rushed forward. After a moment, Draco heard a retching noise followed by groans of disgust. Soon, Potter and Granger left with Weasley looking like he was going to throw up...

...again, by the looks of it. There were a couple of slugs on the ground that weren't there before.

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Harry and Hermione took Ron to Hagrid's to figure out how his slug attack would stop. Once there, Hagrid gave Ron a bucket and told them there was nothing to do but wait until it was over.

"Who was Ron trying to curse, anyway?" Hagrid asked.

"Malfoy," Harry answered. "He called Hermione a- a- well, I don't know exactly what it means."

Hermione crossed her arms and rose, walking to a corner of the room. "He called me a Mudblood," she finally said.

Hagrid gasped. "He did not."

"What's a Mudblood?" Harry asked.

"It means dirty blood," Hermione said, tears in her eyes. "'Mudblood' is 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 civilized conversation."

"But I thought your parents were squibs," Harry said, confused. "I mean, they are non-magic, but Lucius Malfoy said that the Grangers were a respected pureblood family."

Hagrid stepped in to explain. "See, the thing is, Harry, there are some wizards, like the Malfoy family, who think they're better than everyone else because they're pureblood. In these families, anyone who marries a Muggle-born is disowned. Most squibs are disowned. Not Hermione's, if I am correct, but most purebloods are keen on keeping magic to themselves. They think that only they should be allowed because of their heritage."

"That's horrible!" Harry said.

Ron threw up another slug and said, "That's disgusting."

"And it's codswallop to boot. 'Dirty blood'. Why, there isn't a wizard alive today that's not half blood or less. More ter the point, they've yet to think of a spell that our Hermione can't do. Come here."

When Hermione did, Hagrid continued, "Don't you think on it for one minute. There's no such thing as dirty blood - all blood's the same! Besides, you're pureblood, too, so if he tries ter call yeh that again, you can tell him to shove off."

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After dinner, Draco (along with the rest of the school) headed to bed. However, he stumbled across something odd. There, on the wall was written in blood, "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware. A cat was hanging nearby, and the Golden Trio was right in the middle.

Draco searched Potter's face. He looked like he knew something, so to provoke him, Draco read the second line out loud before saying, "You'll be next, Mudbloods!"

If he was lucky, Potter would figure out some way to approach and question him, thus allowing Draco to find out what the other was up to.

Just then, Filch, the caretaker, arrived and saw his cat.

"You've murdered my cat," he said to Potter who tried to deny it. Draco smirked, but he knew Potter was too "good" to kill even a cat.

Filch threatened to kill Potter, but Dumbledore arrived, shooing everyone but the Troublesome Trio away. Draco, however, stayed behind, telling the others he had to go get something.

He hid in the shadows and listened to Dumbledore tell Filch that his cat had only been Petrified. Lockhart, of course, said he knew exactly how he could've saved her, and judging by what Draco could see on the others' faces without giving himself away, they thought Lockhart was rubbish, too.

Dumbledore wondered aloud how the cat had been Petrified and Filch accused Potter, who denied it.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Argus," Dumbledore said and when Filch insisted on punishment, the former continued, "We will be able to cure her, Argus. As I understand it, Madame Sprout has a very healthy growth of Mandrakes. When matured, a potion will be made which will revive Mrs. Norris. And in the meantime, I strongly recommend caution...to all."

Draco remained hidden until all the others had gone before distantly following the other three second-years, without their knowledge, of course. He followed them until they went around a corner towards the staircase, but before Draco could leave, the others had begun to converse. Draco frowned at one point and then heard footsteps go up the stairs.

So Potter could hear voices? If anyone, it should have been Dumbledore he told. Although Draco didn't have much faith in the old man (or in anyone), he knew that Potter should have told so that at least Dumbledore was aware of it. For all they knew, someone could have made sure only Potter could hear the voice.

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