Ne Lâche Pas || A Draco Malfoy Fan-Fiction

Part 6 - DADA with Snape

The school has only been talking about Sirius Black for the next past few days. People have been coming up with rather foolish theories and Malfoy still hasn't stopped whining about his arm.

The Fat Lady's ripped canvas has been taken away and has been replaced with Sir Cadogan and his fat grey pony who has not been doing an excellent job. He's been spending half the fine challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changes at least twice a day.

"He's barking mad," says Seamus Finnigan angrily to Percy. "Can't we get anyone else?"

"None of the other picture wanted the job," says Percy. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer.

The weather has been getting wetter as well. I really don't understand why people dislike rain. It sounds nice and smells nice. There's nothing better than staying inside on a rainy day, drinking tea infront of a hot fire. Well maybe the rain can be a bad thing when you have an upcoming Quidditch match.

Oliver Wood comes stomps to us looking furious on our last training session before the big day.
"We aren't playing Slytherin!" he says, angrily "We're playing Hufflepuff instead!"

"Why?" everyone choruses.
"I've been to Flint and his excuse is that their Seeker's arm is still injured." he grinds his teeth furiously. I clench my fists. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances..."

"There is nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" I exclaim furiously. "He's faking it!"

"I know that but we can't prove it," says Wood bitterly.
"Yes I can! I healed him myself while Madame Pomfrey was busy!"

"Did you?" Angelina asks. "Why?"

Wood sighs. "Even if you did heal him it's too late to tell them. We've been practising all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory-"

Angelina and Alicia suddenly giggle.
"What?" asks Wood, frowning at their light-hearted behaviour.

"He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" says Angelina.

"Can you stop swooning over some boy for a minute? Are you going to be ogling at him through-out the whole match?" I say annoyedly.

"Have you seen him before?" Angelina says.
"He's strong and silent." Katie says, dreamily. They start giggling again and I scoff.

"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," Fred says, impatiently. "I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff are a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the snitch in about five minutes, remember?"

"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Oliver shouts. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin are trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"

"Oliver, calm down! says Fred, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff seriously. Very seriously."

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The day before the match, the wind starts to howl and rain is falling harder. They same intensity that takes place before every match hangs in the air.

The Slytherins are looking very smug indeed, and none more so than Malfoy.

"Ah. if only my arm was feeling a bit better!" he fake sighs everytime we walk past. I would hurt it myself if I weren't so nice. Oliver Wood has been coming up to us in between lessons to give us tips. Harry and I are walking out Charms when he runs up to us. We realise that he's been speaking to us for ten minutes and run to to Defense Against the Dark Arts.