star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER FIVE

A month later, Arabella sat with Ron and Hermione in the courtyard. She and Hermione were reading while Ron was sitting there looking rather bored.

They had been sitting there only a few minutes when the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams were standing across from each other not that far away from them. They seemed to be having an argument.

"Uh oh. I smell trouble," Ron said. Arabella and Hermione set their books down and the three of them got up to see what was going on.

"'...permission to practice today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker,'" Oliver Wood, Gryffindor's captain, read. He looked up at Slytherin's captain, Marcus Flint. "You've got a new Seeker. Who?"

Draco Malfoy moved to stand with the Flint with a smug look on his face.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"That's right," Draco said. "And that's not all that's new this year."

Everyone looked at the shiny new broomsticks the entire Slytherin team was holding.

"Those are Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones!" Ron said. "How did you get those?"

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

"You see, Weasley, unlike some, my father can afford the best," Draco boasted. Hearing him making fun of her family's lack of money yet again, Arabella found herself getting angry.

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

Draco moved so that he was standing directly in front of her, glowering. "No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood."

Arabella's mouth almost dropped open in shock. She couldn't believe he had just called Hermione such a terrible name in front of so many people.

"You'll pay for that one, Malfoy," Ron said, taking his broken wand out of his robes. "Eat slugs!"

There was a flash of green light and Ron was thrown backward. He landed a few feet away on his back, and Arabella, Hermione, and the Gryffindor team ran to him.

"You okay, Ron?" Hermione asked.

Ron turned and held himself up but did not answer.

"Ron?" Arabella asked hesitantly. She had a bad feeling that the curse had rebounded.

"Say something," Hermione said.

He didn't say anything but instead threw up a slug. Arabella had been right.

Colin Creevey had shown up. "Can you turn him around, Harry?" he asked, wanting to get a picture of Ron throwing up a slug.

"No, Colin, get out of the way!" Harry said. He and Hermione helped Ron up. "Let's take him to Hagrid's. He'll know what to do."

Arabella followed the three, but when they passed the Slytherin team and heard their laughter, she had had enough. Fuming, she turned around and glared at Draco. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at him, causing his eyes to widen. "Locomotor Wibbly," she muttered, cursing Draco with the Jelly-Legs Curse. He collapsed, as his legs were useless now, and Arabella smirked to herself as she put her wand away and followed her friends.