The Mudblood

Chapter 71 : Year 4

"Well, I think you should go to detention with Snape," I advised. "What if he kicks you off the team and then I have to play?"

Bletchley's eyes went wide with horror. "Oh—oh no—we can't have that—"

"There! There he is!" an agitated Ravenclaw boy called from the other side of the library as he pointed accusatively at us. "He's the one that jinxed that girl and bothered me while I was studying!"

Madam Pince's eyes went wide as they locked on her target. "Bletchley!" she bellowed as she came billowing toward us.

"Well, that's my cue to run," Bletchley said breezily before jumping his eyebrows at me and scurrying toward the exit of the library. Madam Pince went rushing by me, screaming in a whisper-like tone as she chased after the culprit.

"Slytherins," I heard the tattling Ravenclaw boy mutter to himself as he returned to studying. For a brief moment, I felt a surge of defensiveness wash through me at the condescending nature of his tone, but then I remembered that most Slytherins earned that scorn.

After finding a book I needed for a Transfiguration research paper, I left the library and hurried down to corridor only to run right into two Gryffindors.

"Oh—sorry, Ron," I said, blinking myself out of a daze as he rubbed his shoulder that I'd just smacked into. "And hello, Harry..."

"What do you want?" Ron snapped as he continued to massage his shoulder with an indignant expression riddling his face. "Want to mock us like every other Slytherin in this school?"

My brow furrowed as I wrapped my arms tighter around the Transfiguration book. "Er—no, I was just saying hello... Why would I want to mock you?"

"You're on the Slytherin Quidditch team, aren't you?" Ron barked, though his awkward posture indicated that he was feeling conflicted.

"Yes...as a reserve," I replied carefully. "Was it you that Bletchley tried to hex yesterday?"

"No, that was George," Ron grumbled, avoiding my eyes. "Just saw that he jinxed Alicia too. On her way to the hospital wing because of that sodding git..."

"Er—how have you been since..." Harry paused uncomfortably, "since...well..."

"Since you kicked me out of the D.A.?" I finished with an eyebrow raise. Harry's lips twitched sheepishly. "Fine. I've been teaching myself a few defensive spells, actually. I've gotten pretty good at Stupefying my pillow, so you two better watch out."

Harry let out an uneasy laugh, though Ron was staring past me with blank terror.

"I'm going to be terrible on Saturday," he blubbered. "We're going to lose."

I pressed my lips together sympathetically. "It won't be too bad, Ron. Montague, Pucey, and Warrington act like they're big and tough, but they're all just—er—well—they're all just..."

"Big and tough?" Harry offered with a bite of sarcasm.

I bit my lip, glancing warily at Ron. "You'll do great, Ron, trust me. I've seen you practice, and you're much better than I am."

"That's not saying much," Ron moaned. "You're the reserve Keeper."

I nodded wryly. "Thanks, Ron, thanks so much."

"You haven't heard anything lately from Lupin or Sirius, have you?" Harry injected before Ron could come up with some baffled retort.

"Er—no...I sent a letter to Remus a few weeks ago but I told him not to reply," I explained, lowering my voice as my eyes scanned for signs of Umbridge. In all of her confusion with her clothes turning black, she'd actually forgotten all about my "delusional" letter to Lupin, and no mention of it had been made over the past two weeks. Remus didn't respond, obviously, because I'd added a brief note at the end that explained how the Ministry was monitoring all of our letters, though I did feel a bit easier knowing that a trusted adult knew about the strange happenings that were occurring in my brain.