Silent Riot | Regulus Black

FORTY

It was the Monday of the following week when all their hopes of winning against Gryffindor were crushed. 

They'd been practising twice a day for the past week, and Regulus had become relentless in his drilling; Gemma and Ted rather enjoyed this, but Snyde had ended up threatening to bash Regulus' head in if he didn't give them Sunday off.

Mulciber and Avery's replacements were, as predicted, awful. Gemma found herself coming close to ripping her fellow beater's head off, and Gemma, Regulus, Ted and Snyde were the only half decent players left on the team, with Jules' abilities slipping as he spent more time ogling at his girlfriend Sadie in the stands than actually trying. 

'We're never going to win at this rate,' Gemma said lowly at dinner that fateful day. 'We suck too bad.'

'We don't suck,' Ted argued. 'We're amazing.'

'But the whole Gryffindor team is amazing too,' she pointed out. 'We only have like, three decent players left.'

'It'll be enough,' Ted said confidently. 'Just try to kill the other team with the bludgers.'

'Sure, if Tipstaff doesn't kill me by accident first,' she said, glaring daggers at her second year beater companion, who blushed when he noticed her scrutiny. 

'Its just dumb quidditch,' Iz said, rolling her eyes. 

'Blasphemer!' Ted gasped, pointing at her, and she rolled her eyes. 

'There are more important things than sports,' Iz said, rolling her eyes. 'For example, this...' She pulled out of her bag a bright pink bottle of something, and placed it on the table.

'What's that?' Luke asked disinterestedly, not looking up from his book.

'Put the book away, Luke,' She snapped dramatically. 'Because this is my latest invention!'

'Er... but what is it?' Gemma dared to ask.

'You'll see!' She replied gleefully. She grabbed Luke's hand and poured a small drop into his palm. He pulled away, but it was too late. 

Luke yelped as his nails began growing and polishing themselves, until they were fully manicured to perfection.

'It worked!' Iz said excitedly. Just as she said that however, they all noticed that Luke's nails would not stop growing. Within ten seconds, they were longer than a werewolf's. 

'Oh no!' She fretted. 'I forgot to put a cap on how long they should grow to!'

Luke calmly muttered some counter spell, and his nails shrank back down do their normal size. 

'You'll get it right next time,' he reassured her, but she was past reassuring, as she slumped against him dramatically. 

'I can't believe it failed!' She wailed. 'Oh noo!' She pretended to faint. 

She didn't move even when they finished eating, which was incredible considering her short attention span. Ted ended up carrying her all the way to the Common Room, because they wanted to leave and she wouldn't get up, attracting a lot of stares. 

They were on their way when they ran into Potter and Black Sr. They were in their red Gryffindor quidditch clothes. 

'Fifth year Slytherin Gemma Aston!' They both cheered in unison, and she rolled her eyes. 

'Alright?' Black asked cheerfully. 

'Um, is she alright?' Potter asked, gesturing to Iz. 

'Think she fainted from our hotness, Pongs?' Black said laughing.