The two Hufflepuffs made it to the greenhouse. The Hufflepuff boy wrenched open doors and walked in with Kirra trotting miserably behind him.
Sprout noticed the two Hufflepuffs entering and a bright, kind smile was brought to her face "good afternoon dears, what can I do for the two of you?" Kirra smiled softly back, the fear of getting expelled was still prominent in her mind and she didn't think she would be able to bare the disappointment on Sprout's face when she found out what Kirra had done
"Excuse me, Professor Sprout, but I just came to tell you that I did it! I finally found the perfect seeker for our team!" Blythe said and Sprouts smile got even wider, though she was slightly unsure due to the age of the girl standing next to the Hufflepuff team captain.
But then again... she was sure that Kirra Potter had the potential to be a perfect seeker.
"Are you sure, Mr Blythe?" Sprout asked while Kirra just stood there looking beyond confused, though she kept silent, not wanting to interrupt or increase her chances of getting expelled.
"Absolutely," said Blythe crisply. "The girl's a natural, seems like her brother is too. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?" Kirra nodded silently. She didn't have a clue what was going on, but she didn't seem to be being expelled, and some of the feeling started coming back to her legs.
"She caught a tiny little hair pin in her hand after a fifty-foot dive," Blythe told Sprout with excitement and awe radiating off of him. "Didn't even scratch herself. I've never seen a seeker at Hogwarts like it, I recon shed be able to make the big leagues after a few years of practice here."
Blythe was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once. "Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" he asked excitedly as he looked down at the short, messy-haired girl that was standing next to him.
"Blythe's captain of the Hufflepuff team," Professor Sprout explained and Kirra nodded her head softly, still not understanding what the hell was going on.
"She's just the build for a Seeker, too," said Blythe, now walking around Kirra and staring at her.
"Light —speedy — we'll have to get her a decent broom, Professor — a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say." Blythe said as if it were nothing. But Kirra who had seen the prices, knew that it was far from nothing.
"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we have a beautiful team but we need a better team than last year" Sprout said and then looked down at the 11 year old girl with a warm smile, "Your father and god mother would have been proud," she said and Kirra felt her insides warm at her words. "They were excellent Quidditch player's themselves."
Kirra had no idea who her god mother was but the mention of her father had clearly brought her mood up, "You're joking." Excitement was radiating off the girl as she thought about her dad racing around on a broom.
"I'm Gilbert Blythe by the way, im the head of the Hufflepuff quidditch team and I'm also one of the chasers for the team. I'm in my 4th year " Blythe said as he shook the 11 year olds hand with a smile, and as he looked down at the girl, he knew that things were about to change for the better for Hufflepuff.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was dinnertime and Kirra had just finished telling JJ and Maxine what had happened when she'd left the grounds with Gilbert Blythe, the older Hufflepuff boy. JJ had let out an excited cry and Maxine had a piece of steak and kidney pie halfway to her mouth, but she'd forgotten all about it and it dropped out of her mouth onto the plate.
"no way! A Seeker?" she said as she looked at the girl next to her in complete amazement, after all she had always loved quidditch and she herself had wanted to be a seeker, she was ecstatic to hear that her best friend had got the position, especially considering the fact that she was only in her first year.
JJ who had been reading all about quidditch and other Magic stuff due to the fact that he was a muggleborn, had his mouth open wide in shock and excitement "But first years never — you must be the youngest house player in about —"
" — a decade," said Maxine with a grin on her face, she reached over and grabbed a chip of Kirras plate and shoved it into her mouth, earning a small glare from the potter girl, "and you know it has only happened two other times in the last century, both of those times being Hufflepuff girls in their first year too! Its a shame we don't know anything about them, you could have asked them for some pointers!"
JJ nodded, "I just cant believe it, and the fact that your brother got the position too on the Gryffindor team, that's going to make the games even more interesting especially at Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor games, I wouldn't be surprised if half the school started placing bets on who would catch the snitch first in the game."
JJ and Maxine along with a few Hufflepuffs that were around them at the table who had heard their conversation were so amazed, so impressed, they just sat and gaped at Kirra who was beginning to feel uncomfortable and nauseous under their gaze.
"I start training next week," said Kirra and then she turned to look at all of the Hufflepuffs around them and gave them a pleading look, though she had happened to come close with a lot of the people in her house considering most of them were very kind "Only don't tell anyone, Blythe wants to keep it a secret."
Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Kirra, who they had come quite fond of due to her helping them with their pranks and hurried over. "Well done," said George in a low voice.
"We heard Wood and Blythe arguing down in the corridors near the bathroom on the 6th floor, they were arguing over which Potter would be the better seeker, don't worry, we will be placing our bets on you. We're on the Gryffindor team with your brother, so it wont be easy for you since we're Beaters."
"I tell you, you might catch the snitch before Harry but we're going to win that Quidditch cup for sure this year," said Fred and gave her a playful grin as she looked up at the twins with wide smiles.
"Thanks boys, but I think that we will just have to see about that won't we?" she taunted them playfully with a giant smile on her face as they wrapped their arms around her shoulders and messed up her already messy hair
"ooh, its on Potter" the twins said with a grin as they practically push JJ and Maxine over so that they could sit on either side of the Potter girl. The two Hufflepuffs rolled their eyes but refrained from saying anything to the twins, not wanting to have to suffer getting pranked for the rest of their lives
"We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant" George continued as he grabbed some of the food off Kirra's plate and shoved it into his mouth.
"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school." Fred said to the girl with a grin "hopefully we will see you again soon and you can help us with our next prank"
"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you." Fred and George had hardly disappeared when a group of people who were far less welcome turned up: Mattheo and Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.
"Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?" Mattheo taunted, a smirk on his face as he looked down at the Hufflepuff girl
"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," said JJ coolly as he glared up at the Slytherin boys who didn't seem affected by his words. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.
"I'd take Poter on anytime on my own," said Mattheo as he looked down at her with a smug look on his face, his eyes didn't leave hers as she stared up at him.
"She doesn't wan-" Maxine started but was cut off by Kirra
"I'll do it" She spat out quickly, not breaking eye contact with the boy, his chocolate brown eyes burned into her ocean blue ones and his smirk grew at her words, refraining from letting his eyes open slightly from the small shock he felt when the Hufflepuff had agreed to fight him.
Draco then spoke up "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only — no contact. I just so happen to be versing your brother too, so I guess it'll be a party? What's the matter? Are you worried that you're going to lose or is it the fact that your trashy older brother is about to get his ass beat just like you are?"
"I'd be careful of what you say," JJ growled, wheeling around and then looked up at Mattheo. "I'm her second, who's yours?" Mattheo looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up and rolled his eyes slightly. "Crabbe's Malfoy's so Goyle is mine," he said.
"Midnight all right? We'll meet you and your brother in the trophy room; that's always unlocked." Malfoy said and gave the Hufflepuff trio one last sneer before he and his friends walked off
When the Slytherins had gone, Kirra, JJ and Maxine looked at each other.
"What is a wizard's duel?" said Kirra. "And what do you mean, you're my second?"
"Well I read up on it, a second's there to take over if you die," said JJ casually, getting started at last on his cold pie "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Riddle'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."
"And what if she waves her wand and nothing happens?" Maxine asked and raised her eyebrows at the pair who shrugged
"Throw it away and punch him on the nose," -
"I'll throw it away and punch him in the nose" they answered at the same time
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Half-past eleven," Maxine muttered at last and the two of them pulled themselves of Kirra's bed which they had both been sitting on patting whiskers, the cat that Hagrid had gotten the Potter girl for her birthday, "we'd better go."
They pulled on their bathrobes, picked up their wands, and crept across the basement, they met JJ in the common room. A few embers were still glowing in the fireplace, turning all the armchairs into hunched black shadows, yet somehow the room seemed so peaceful and warm.
They had reached the tunnel and climbed through the hole and then the three of them began to make their way to where she would be dueling none other than, Mattheo Riddle.
They flitted along corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. At every turn the Hufflepuffs checked where they were going as they expected to run into Filch or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room.
Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there yet but they noticed that Harry was there along with Hermione, Ron and Neville. The crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. Cups, shields, plates, and statues winked silver and gold in the darkness.
"They still aren't here?" Kirra whispers as she walks up the her brother and his housemates, her brother shakes her head.
They edged along the walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Harry took out his wand in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once but Kirra decided to keep her wand in her pocket. The minutes crept by.
"They are late, maybe they chickened out," Ron whispered. Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak — and it wasn't Malfoy. "Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner." It was Filch speaking to Mrs. Norris.
Horror-struck, Harry and Kirra waved madly at the other five to follow them as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door, away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room. "They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding."
"We need to split up" Kirra whispered to her brother as their house areas were nowhere near each others, he nodded his head and then turned to look at the Gryffindors "This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor.
Kirra nodded towards her friends and then the three of them took off down the halls. They could hear Filch getting nearer. "There you are, I've got you now" the foul voice of Filch growled as he got closer, they could tell he had almost caught up to them
"You two hurry and go back to the common room, I'll lead Filch down this way" Kirra quickly told her friends as they turned a corner
"no way" Maxine scolded softly
"We aren't going to leave without you" JJ added as he looked at her as if she were insane for even thinking that they would leave her there to deal with Filch
"It's my fault we are out here and don't worry, I'm not going to get caught, the twins showed me a bunch of secret passageways," she quickly said to them but the two of them still looked unconvinced
"RUN!" Kirra whisper yelled, and then finally the two Hufflepuffs let out a sigh and nodded their heads and then took off down another hallway while Kirra began to bang on the walls and hit things as she ran down the hallways, leading Filch after her.
She ran down the dark corridors, her breath getting heavier as she ran and ran but suddenly she was sent flying back onto the floor as she ran into something hard. She let out a loud grunt but stopped instantly as she heard a grunt come from whatever she had run into.
"You idiot, watch where you're going" the boy growled and quickly stood up and began to brush off his robes. She stared at the boy with disbelief, he was mad at her when he was basically the reason that Filch was after her in it the first place
"I cant believe you and Malfoy did that, you set us up" she exclaimed, visibly annoyed and upset as she glared at him, he rolled his eyes and let out a scoff
"Whatever, it was a joke, its not my fault you and your foul brother actually fell for it" Mattheo said harshly as he finished brushing off his robes
"there you are" they heard and Filch was only a few meters in front of them, they were grateful that it had been dark as they were sure Filch didn't recognise them
Mattheo began to ran, leaving the Hufflepuff girl there, she quickly got to her feet and began to run after the Slytherin, she definitely didn't want to be caught by Filch
Sure she was fast, but due to her height, she did have quite a disadvantage "Dammit Riddle," she scolded out as she struggled to keep up with him
"See you later Potter" he said and sent her a smirk before running off faster, leaving the girl to run away from the caretaker call by herself, Filch had almost caught up to her but suddenly someone threw their arm around her and threw her over their shoulder
"well well well,"
"would you look who it is,"
"running in the corridors late at night,"
"how disappointing,"
"right you are Georgie,"
Fred ran as fast as he could with the girl chucked over his shoulder, though he wasn't weighed down much due to how small she was. George ran slightly ahead, checking all of the corridors as they ran through them, making sure that there weren't any teachers near by.
George suddenly stopped outside of a statue and Fred put the girl down on the floor as the twins pushed the Statue to the side, revealing an opening, the three of them ran in and the statue moved by itself back to where it was originally.
It was dark for a moment before the twins pulled out their wands (that's what she said btw) and whispered the word 'lumos' and the secret passage was suddenly lit up. The youngest Potter who was still trying to piece together everything that had just happened, was now face to face with the twins
"thanks guys" she muttered out as she looked up at them gratefully "Filch was going to catch me for sure, and stupid Riddle left me there even though it was his fault that Filch was after me"
"I suggest you stay away from that bunch" Fred said as he sat down and leaned against the wall. Kirra went and sat next to him and then George sat down next to her
"especially Malfoy and Riddle and their two big goons that follow them around like lost puppies" George added.