Slytherin Princess | ✓

twenty-one

"Adelaide!" I heard my name being called from the common room. "Adelaide Faye Ward, come down! I have a surprise for you. You'll love it."

Draco's voice sounded too delighted for my liking and I knew he had done something I'd scold him for. Running down the stairs, I met Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Crabbe, and Goyle in the common room. There were a few other Slytherins in the common room, but none of them in the little circle my friends were in.

On the table, in the middle of them, sat a decent sized box with glowing circular pin-able buttons in it. Picking one up, it read:

Support CEDRIC DIGGORY—

The REAL Hogwarts Champion!

"Push it," Pansy instructed, laughing.

I did and the message upon it vanished, to be replaced by another one, which glowed green:

POTTER STINKS

"You had me and now you lost me," I sighed. "I think the pins are brilliant until you press it. Must you always make things about Harry?"

"Not my fault he needed all the attention he could get," Draco scoffed. "Now, he'll have loads of it."

Rolling my eyes, I pinned the button onto my robes, earning a cheer from my friends, only to appease my best friend. I didn't like the pins much, but I knew I'd have to hear Draco until I gave in, regardlessly.

It was after lunch when we finally were able to see Harry and his friends, though only Granger accompanied him. Draco was handing out buttons to passing students and telling them to support Diggory and not Harry.

As Harry walked towards us, I noticed him staring at the button on my chest. Draco noticed him as well and walked up in front of me, puffing his own chest out.

"Like them, Potter?" said Draco loudly. "And this isn't all they do— look!"

He pressed the badge to make it switch into the other message. The other Slytherins howled with laughter as I sighed softly. Each of them pressed their badges too until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry.

"Oh, very funny," Kemper said sarcastically to Pansy and our gang of Slytherin girls, who were laughing harder than anyone, "real witty."

"Shut up, Kemper," I said, rolling my eyes. "No one asked for your opinion."

"Want one?" said Draco, holding out a badge to her. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."

I could practically see fumes coming out of Harry's ears as he reached for his wand. People all around us scrambled out of the way, backing down the corridor.

"Don't you dare, Harry," I warned.

"Harry!" Granger and Kemper chorused.

"No, no, let him," Draco said quietly, drawing out his own wand. "Moody's not here to look after you now — do it, if you've got the guts —"

For a split second, they looked into each other's eyes, then, at exactly the same time, both acted.

"Spiculum!" Harry yelled.

"Densaugeo!" screamed Draco.

Jets of light shot from both wands, hit each other in midair, and ricocheted off at angles — Harry's hit me in the face, and Draco's hit Granger's. I bellowed out in pain and tried to scratch at all the places where hot needles were poking my skin.

"Hermione!"

"Adelaide!"

Weasley had hurried forward to see what was wrong with her as Draco turned to see what had happened to me. Purple spikes erupted all over my face— Harry hit me with the bloody Sea Urchin Jinx.