Dawn Rivera

Halloween

Neither me, Neville nor Hermione show the slightest interest in what lays under the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cares about is never going near the dog again.

Me and Hermione are now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron. It doesn't seem to matter to them. All Harry and Ron really care about is a way of getting back at Malfoy, and to their great delight, just such a thing arrives in the mail about a week later.

As the owl's flood into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention is caught at once by a long, thin package carried by six large screech owls. I am just as interested as everyone else to see what's in this large parcel, and am amazed when the owls soar down and drop it right in front of Harry, knocking his bacon to the floor. They have hardly fluttered out of the way when another owl drops a letter on top of the parcel.

Harry rips open the letter first.

Harry passes the note to Ron.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moans enviously. "I've never even touched one."

They leave the hall quickly.

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"So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" I say in an angry voice behind Harry and Ron. Me and Hermione are stomping up the stairs, looking disapproving at the package in Harry's hand.

"I thought you weren't speaking to us?" says Harry.

"Yes, don't stop now," says Ron. "It's doing us so much good."

Me and Hermione march away with our noses in the air.

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On Halloween morning we wake to the delicious smell of baking pumpking wafting through the corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announces in Charms that he thinks we are ready to start making objects fly, something we've all been dying to do since we saw him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick puts the class in pairs to practice. Harry's partner is Seamus Finnigan. Ron, however, is to be working with me and Hermione - as our class is an odd number, we must work in a three. It is hard to tell whether me, Ron or Hermione is angrier about this. We haven't spoken to either Harry nor Ron since the day Harry's broomstick arrived.

It is very difficult. I can see Harry and Seamus swish and flick, but the feather they are supposed to be sending skyward just lays on the desktop. Seamus gets so impatient that he prods it with his wand and sets fire to it - Harry has to put it out with his hat.

Ron, with me and Hermione at the next table, isn't having much luck.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouts, waving his long arms like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Hermione snaps. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"You do it then, if you're so clever," Ron snarls.

Me and Hermione roll up the sleeves on our robes, flick our wands, but Hermione leaves me to say, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The feather rises off the desk and floats about four feet over our heads.

"Oh, well done!" cries Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Rivera's done it!" I set the feather back down and nod to Hermione. She then also successfully performs the spell. Professor Flitwick looks like he could die of happiness, Ron, however, looks furious.

Ron is in a very bad mood by the end of class. "It's no wonder no one can stand her," I hear Ron say to Harry as we push our way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."