The Mudblood

Chapter 98 : Year 5

I was very tempted to give Urquhart a quizzical glance, but I refrained as Darrin stood up straight and walked past me.

"I would say good luck but Slytherins like to believe they win by talent rather than luck," Darrin said to no one in particular. "Try not to mess up, I suppose. I'll be sitting in the stands with your absentminded girlfriend, Brian."

"Girlfriend is a bit of a binding term," Urquhart muttered as his friend strolled out of the locker room. I finally stared over at him with puzzlement, and he just shook his head. "I don't wish to bore you all with some dumb speech like Montague did," he announced to the entire team. "But do know that if we lose this match, you'll all be living through hell in practices until our match against Ravenclaw."

"We're gonna win," Harper scoffed with a dismissive wave. "Potter's a chum."

"Potter has won every match against Slytherin," Urquhart reminded him darkly. "You'll have to be better than Malfoy ever was to beat him. Have fun. Pucey, practice with Baddock for a few minutes before the match starts. Crabbe, Goyle, go practice aiming the Bludgers for a bit, will you? Harper, go puke now so you don't in the air. Vaisey, go back to the hospital wing and whine to Pomfrey instead of us. Fitzroy, walk with me."

Everyone obeyed submissively, filing out of the locker room without a word. Harper caught my eye and tried to give me a reassuring smile, but I did not return it. Now that he was with Melody, he didn't have time for anyone else, therefore I'd barely spoken a word to him since our little squabble in the entrance hall.

"Carl's got a concussion from when Crabbe thumped him in the head with that Bludger last night," Urquhart said to me as we stepped out onto the field. The grass was brittle under our boots, and the chill air tickled my warm skin. "That means we only have two good Chasers, and our lineup's a bit troublesome... Why did Malfoy tell you he was skipping the match?"

"He...didn't," I replied slowly. "Maybe he is ill, but...I doubt it. He's probably just being a mope."

"Yeah, well, you need to straighten him out," he snapped gruffly. "This match is important, and if Harper doesn't pull through, we're done for. He'd better not skip all of the matches. Does he know what will happen if he does?"

"Do you mean did I tell him you're blackmailing us? No, not really. He doesn't know you know at all, actually, so that fact alone would probably send him into turmoil."

"Splendid," Urquhart muttered, biting his lip as hot air exhaled from his open mouth.

"Does Darrin know...does he know that I poisoned him? Accidentally, of course," I added touchily.

"No, he forgot what happened, so I told him the lie that everyone else believes."

"Oh," I blurted, blinking through the shock. "Um—thank you."

He snorted sardonically while looking everywhere but at me. "Sure."

"Does he remember...what I am?" I asked tentatively.

"No, he forgot about most of the day, I think," he informed me blandly. "He knows you wanted lessons but he doesn't remember that we actually had one."

"So...you're the only one who knows," I concluded, staring at the frost-covered ground pensively.

"Yeah, but don't try to murder me," he warned, finally glancing sideways at me with a crooked smirk forming on his lips. "I've got traps set for you, Fitzroy."

"Right," I grunted, but my voice was overpowered by the sudden eruption of cheering from the Slytherin stands.

"Gooooo URQUHART!" a mass of girls sang as they jumped and danced with signs that spelled his name I-R-K-H-E-A-R-T. Even from a far distance I could tell that it was Sadie Morton and her strange friends.