Bella and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Chapter Thirty-Three

I went down to breakfast the next morning with the rest of the girls in my Dormitory, all of whom couldn't stop talking about Harry's Firebolt and how it deserved a sort of guard of honour. I saw Harry and Ron at the entrance to the Great Hall so we went in together and heads turned in the direction of the Firebolt, and there was a great deal of excited muttering. I saw, with enormous satisfaction, that the Slytherin team were all looking thunderstruck.

Ha. Losers.

"Did you see his face?" Ron asked gleefully, looking back at Malfoy. "He can't believe it! This is brilliant!"

Wood, too, was basking in the reflected glory of the Firebolt. 

"Put it here, Harry," he said, laying the broom in the middle of the table and carefully turning it so that its name faced upwards. People from the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were soon coming over to look. Cedric Diggory came over to congratulate Harry on having acquired such a superb replacement for his Nimbus, and Percy's Ravenclaw girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, asking if she could actually hold the Firebolt.

"Now, now, Penny, no sabotage!" Percy said heartily, as she examined the Firebolt closely. "Penelope and I have a bet on," he told us. "Ten Galleons on the outcome of the match!"

Penelope put the Firebolt down again, thanked Harry and went back to her table.

"Harry - make sure you win," Percy said, in an urgent whisper. "I haven't got ten Galleons. Yes, I'm coming, Penny!" And he bustled off to join her in a piece of toast.

I laughed. The Weasley's are unique.

"Sure you can manage that broom, Potter?" a cold, drawling voice asked.

Malfoy. He had arrived for a closer look, Crabbe and Goyle right behind him.

"Yeah, reckon so," Harry answered casually.

"Got plenty of special features, hasn't it?" Malfoy said, eyes glittering maliciously. "Shame it doesn't come with a parachute - in case you get too near a Dementor"

Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. Oh, Malfoy. When will you learn?

"Pity you can't attach an extra arm to yours, Malfoy," I said, smirking. "Then it could catch the Snitch for you"

The Gryffindor team laughed loudly. Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed, and he stalked away. We watched him rejoin the rest of the Slytherin team, who put their heads together, no doubt asking Malfoy whether Harry's broom really was a Firebolt. 

At a quarter to eleven, we set off for the changing rooms. The weather couldn't have been more different from our match against Hufflepuff. It was a clear, cool day, with a very light breeze; there would be no visibility problems this time, and even though I was nervous, I was starting to feel the excitement only a Quidditch match could bring. I could hear the rest of the school moving into the stadium beyond. I took off my black school robes, shoved my hair into a ponytail, removed my wand from my pocket, and stuck it inside the T-shirt I was going to wear under my Quidditch Robes. I hoped I wouldn't need it. I suddenly wondered whether Professor Lupin was in the crowd, watching. 

"You know what we've got to do," Wood said, as we prepared to leave the changing rooms. "If we lose this match, we're out of the running. Just - just fly like you did in practice yesterday, and we'll be OK!"

We walked out onto the pitch to tumultuous applause. The Ravenclaw team, dressed in blue, were already standing in the middle of the pitch. Their Seeker, Cho Chang, was the only girl on their team. She was shorter than Harry by about a head, and I couldn't help noticing that she was really pretty. I glanced at Harry, he was staring at her and blushing. Great. I frowned. She smiled at Harry as we faced each other behind our captains and I glared at her.