Intrinsic ▷ Draco Malfoy

FOUR

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FOUR; QUIDDITCH TRYOUTS

AS IT TURNS OUT, Draco messed up big time. Stella refused to speak to him at dinner, and ignored his pleads all the way back to the common room. He didn't realize just how much Umbridge had pushed her buttons.

"Wow, a whole night. I can't believe it," Blaise muttered on the way to Care of Magical Creatures. Draco was focused on Stella's figure in front of him as she spoke to Pansy animatedly — the two girls clearly making up whatever had upset them before.

"Would you shut it? Stella will come around. She always does." Draco shrugged off his deepest fears lodged inside of his chest.

At this point, he would do absolutely anything to provoke a reaction from his girlfriend. He couldn't stand the obvious silence and her refusal to acknowledge him. Just as Professor Grubbly-Plank and Harry came into view, an idea sparked inside of him. He made a nasty remark about Harry, which caused his Slytherin friends to laugh loudly. The echoes of laughter were enough to make Stella turn her head and glare, but she quickly returned her attention back to Grubbly-Plank.

"Everyone here?" Grubbly-Plank barked at the students gathered around the trestle table. "Let's crack on then — who can tell me what these things are called?"

She motioned to the pile of twigs in front of her, and Hermione's hand shot up in the air. Draco glanced at Stella before he began imitating Hermione's excited nature, jumping up and down. Pansy let out a shriek of laughter, and Stella elbowed her side harshly.

At that moment, the twigs leapt into the air and changed themselves into tiny creatures made of wood. Each had brown arms and legs and flat faces.

Parvati and Lavender cooed in amazement, which seemed to irritate Harry.

"Kindly keep your voices down, girls!" Grubbly-Plank scolded, gathering a handful of what seemed to be brown rice and scattering it for the creatures in front of her. They immediately dived into the food laid out for them. "So, anyone know the names of these creatures? Miss Granger?"

"Bowtruckles," said Hermione. "They're tree-guardians, usually live in wand-trees."

"Five points for Gryffindor," Grubbly-Plank rewarded. "Yes, these are bowtruckles and, as Miss Granger rightly says, they generally live in trees whose wood is of wand quality. Anybody know what they eat?"

"Wood lice," Hermione answered with no hesitation. When Draco leaned in to look closer, he could see the food he mistook for brown rice was actually wood lice. "But fairy eggs if they can get them."

"Good girl, take another five points. So whenever you need leaves or wood from a tree in which a bowtruckle lodges, it is wise to have a gift of wood lice ready to distract or placate it. They may not look dangerous, but if angered they will gouge out human eyes with their fingers, which, as you can see, are very sharp and not at all desirable near the eyeballs. So if you'd like to gather closer, take a few wood lice and a bowtruckle — I have enough here for one between three — you can study them more closely. I want a sketch from each of you with all body parts labeled by the end of the lesson."

Draco immediately took the spot next to Stella, pushing a Gryffindor out of his way. She pretended not to notice he was attempting to catch her attention. Draco frowned, looking up and hearing Harry ask Grubbly-Plank where Hagrid had gone. Another idea stirred in his mind and he grinned devilishly.