Ella Potter (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter 18

"Slimy gits," Ron muttered as he, Harry, and Hermione turned to face the field again "Ella should sit with us, she's your sister"

Harry glanced back at Draco and Ella, watching them. Draco fixed Ella's locket that got tangled with her hair. Ella was staring into Draco's eyes, damn he looks good.

"I missed you" Draco said holding her hand

"I've missed you too, It's been so boring without you" Ella said "I miss my best friend"

"My owl got hurt and hasn't been able to fly long distances, I'm sorry I haven't written to you" Draco apologized

"Don't worry about it, I'm just happy to be here" Ella smiled "You don't want to know how many times I tripped down your Manor's stairs while you were at school"

Draco laughed a bit. Next moment, Ludo Bagman charged into the box.

"Everyone ready?" he said, his round face gleaming like a great, excited Edam. "Minister - ready to go"

"Ready when you are, Ludo," said Fudge comfortably.

Ludo whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat, and said "Sonorus!" and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling the packed stadium; his voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of the stands.

"Ladies and gentlemen. . . welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The huge blackboard opposite them was wiped clear of its last message and now showed BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce. . . the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval.

"I wonder what they've brought," said Mr. Weasley, leaning forward in his seat. "Aaah!" He suddenly whipped off his glasses and polished them hurriedly on his robes. "Veela!"

"What are veel -?"

But a hundred veela were now gliding out onto the field, and Harry's question was answered for him. Veela were women. . . the most beautiful women Harry had ever seen. . . except that they weren't - they couldn't be - human. 

This puzzled Harry for a moment while he tried to guess what exactly they could be; what could make their skin shine moon-bright like that, or their white-gold hair fan out behind them without wind. . . but then the music started, and Harry stopped worrying about them not being human - in fact, he stopped worrying about anything at all. 

"Draco aren't you in awe of them?" Ella asked her best friend who was just looking at the field with a bored expression

"Why love, they couldn't hold a candle to your beauty" Draco said holding her hand a bit tighter

Ella blushed and turned her head "i-idiot"

Harry was out of his trance hearing those words come out of Draco's mouth. It took so much control to hold back from standing up and punching Draco in the mouth. Angry yells were filling the stadium. The crowd didn't want the veela to go. Ron, meanwhile, was absentmindedly shredding the shamrocks on his hat. Mr. Weasley, smiling slightly, leaned over to Ron and tugged the hat out of his hands.

"You'll be wanting that," he said, "once Ireland have had their say. "

"Huh?" said Ron, staring openmouthed at the veela, who had now lined up along one side of the field.