𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 (𝖽𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗅𝖿𝗈𝗒 𝗑 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋)

chapter twenty

The next week, it was time for the Slytherin vs Gryffindor Quidditch game. I was both excited and scared to play against Harry.

When I entered the common room with Star, many Slytherins were singing. "Weasley cannot save a thing, he cannot block a single ring, that's why Slytherins all sing: Weasley is our king. Weasley was born in a bin, he always lets the Quaffle in, Weasley will make sure we win, Weasley is our king."

This could only be terrible.

After breakfast, I walked out to the pitch with the team to start getting ready. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were humming the tune to the song from earlier. IN hopes that it was nothing serious, I ignored it and got ready to play.

We walked onto the pitch to feel a light breeze and perfect temperatures for a game of Quidditch. Harry and Marcus Flint, the two teams' captains, shook hands, and we were off.

I flew above the pitch, searching for the tiny golden ball I always needed. The game went on, but I didn't focus on it. All I wanted to pay attention to was finding the Snitch.

The song coming from the Slytherin side of the stands made it hard to focus on the Snitch. They sang, "Weasley is our King," repeatedly until I just blocked out the sound.

As soon as I turned back to the field, a speck of gold near the ground glinted in the sunlight and I dove for it. Harry must have seen me because he did the same, and soon, we were neck and neck, reaching for the tiny Snitch that would determine our score in seconds.

Harry's hand brushed over mine as my fingers wrapped around the winged ball. It stopped for my touch, but something new caught my eyes: A black Bludger aiming straight for my brother.

"Watch out!" I cried.

He ignored me, grunting loudly and falling the five-foot-drop to the ground as the ball hit him. Harry stood up quickly and the game ended as soon as I presented the Snitch to Madam Hooch. She declared Slytherin the winner, and the players were dismissed.

Draco sauntered up to Harry, despite the look of warning I gave him.

"See what we wrote, Potter?" he asked. I walked over to the two boys, scared and curious.

"Why?" Harry asked defensively. "Were you going to write something about me, too?"

"No, but I was going to write about your parents. Sadly, we couldn't find any rhymes for 'useless loser', you see," Draco said with a smirk.

"They're my parents too, Draco," I said, giving him another warning to back off of Harry.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Harry said as Fred and George walked up, both fuming from Draco's song and words.

A group of Gryffindor girls helped hold Fred and George back.

Despite the danger Draco was in, he continued. "Perhaps you can remember what your mother's house stank like, Potter. Does the Weasley's pigsty remind you of it?"

The Gryffindor girls grunted as George pulled out of their grasp and ran at Draco. Harry joined, and I started screaming at them to stop. I grabbed Harry's shoulders, trying to pull him away, but George made up for his absence.

"Miss Potter, get back!" Madam Hooch yelled. "IMPEDIMENTA!"

The boys were separated immediately, all panting with some sort of blood on them. I looked back to see Fred still in the grasp of the Gryffindor girls.

"What do you think you're doing?" screamed Madam Hooch as Harry leapt to his feet. His glasses were shattered, and George's lip was bleeding and swollen.

"I've never seen behaviour like it. Back up to the castle, the three of you, and straight to your Head of House's office! Go! Now!" Madam Hooch shrieked. They left, and she turned to me, her voice calmer. "Miss Potter, please help Mr Malfoy to the Hospital Wing."

"Yes, Ma'am."

I kneeled down and put Draco's arm over my shoulder, walking him to the Hospital Wing. His nose was bleeding, and it seemed to be broken. His right eye was bruising already and his hair was ruffles. He limped as we walked, clutching his stomach and ribs.

"Merlin's beard, what's happened, Miss Potter?" Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, said, rushing over to us.

Before I could explain, she grabbed Draco and put him on a bed.

"He was saying mean things about the Weasley family, so George Weasley and Harry Potter ran after him to hurt him," I said, getting quieter as I spoke.

"Of course. Even at the age of fifteen, so immature!" Madam Pomfrey said and started tending to Draco.

After a long two hours, Draco was mostly healed, and I helped him back to the Slytherin area.

"You shouldn't have picked on Harry," I said, upset.

"I know. I'm sorry," he answered.

"Are you sorry that they retaliated, or are you genuinely sorry for making that stupid song?"

Draco thought for a moment while we walked. "I'm genuinely apologetic," he said. "I'm sorry. I made a promise to you, and I broke it."

"Thank you."

~~~

The day after the Quidditch Match and a wild party for our win, I entered the common room only to be met with silence. Everyone was turned away from me, instead focusing on the fireplace, where Professor Snape stood.

"Professor Umbridge has asked me to tell you all that anyone who would like to join the Inquisitorial Squad, please sign this form and report to her in exactly one week," Snape said, holding up a piece of parchment. "Your privileges for joining will include deducting House points from misbehaving students, giving out detentions, and not following certain Educational Degrees."

My eyes shot to Draco and Star as I noticed their heads jerk up towards Snape.

"When do we need to decide by?" a second-year Slytherin asked, weakly holding up his hand.

"You have until next Friday. Your meeting will be next Saturday, at seven o'clock sharp, in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, " Snape answered, sporting his usual frown. "The sign-up sheet will be up on the board here." He motioned at the board. "It will be taken down after Friday."

Snape left the common room and the students became amble once more. I maneuvered my way to Draco and Star, who were talking to one another.

The twins grinned when they saw me. "How about the Inquisitorial Squad?" Draco asked.

"I mean," I hesitated, "it seems cool, but it's just like being a Prefect."

"Exactly, which means that us actual Prefects will have much less work to do."

I shrugged and turned to Star, awaiting her opinion.

"It's an interesting program," she said. "Do you want to join?"

"I do," Draco answered happily. "I hope you two join as well, but it's alright if you don't, it's up to you," he added, leading us over to the sign-up sheet. Draco signed his name under Blaise Zabini's.

Star followed suit before handing me the quill. I wrote my name quickly and dropped the quill afterwords.