Malfoy couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that Harry, Evangeline and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful.
Indeed, by the next morning Harry, Evangeline and Ron thought that meeting the three-headed dog had been an excellent adventure, and they were quite keen to have another one. In the meantime, Harry filled Ron in about the package that seemed to have been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need such heavy protection. "It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron. "Or both," said Harry.
But as all they knew for sure about the mysterious object was that it was about two inches long, they didn't have much chance of guessing what it was without further clues.
Neither Neville nor Hermione showed the slightest interest in what lay underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.
Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry, Evangeline and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus. All they really wanted now was a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrived in the mail about a week later.
As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught at once by two long, thin package carried by twelve large screech owls. Harry was just as interested as everyone else to see what was in those large parcels, and was amazed when the owls soared down and dropped it right in front of him and Evangeline, knocking their bacon and toast to the floor. They had
hardly fluttered out of the way when two more owls dropped a letter each on top of the parcels.
Harry and Evangeline ripped open the letters first, which was lucky, because it said: DO NOT OPEN THE PARCEL AT THE TABLE.
It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousands, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you both tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.
Professor McGonagall
Harry and Evangeline had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note to Ron to read.
"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even touched one."
They left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap the broomsticks in private before their first class, but halfway across the entrance hall they found the way upstairs barred by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the packages from Harry and Evangeline felt them.
"That's broomsticks," he said, throwing it back to Harry and Evangeline with a mixture of jealousy and spite on his face. "You'll be in for it this time, Potter, Millenia, first years aren't allowed them."
Ron couldn't resist it.
"It's not any old broomstick," he said, "it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy, a Comet Two Sixty?" Ron grinned at Harry. "Comets look flashy, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus."
"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped back. "I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."
Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.
"Not arguing, I hope, boys?" he squeaked.
"Potter's and Millenia’s been sent broomsticks, Professor," said Malfoy quickly and slyly.
"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Harry and Evangline. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter, Millenia. And what model are they?"
