ICARUS ↝ H. GRANGER

[8]

"The Quaffle is released..." Lee Jordan spoke excitedly into the enchanted microphone, his words reverberating around the stands packed tightly with students of all house colors, not only red and green, eagerly awaiting the events of the day's Quidditch match. "...and the game begins!"

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen!" Will called to the hollering Slytherin spectators from where he stood at the very front of the stands, the sea of green students booing as Angelina Johnson stole the Quaffle from Adrian Pucey and skyrocketed in the direction of the opposing team's goal where Miles Bletchley was eagerly awaiting her arrival, an eager sneer etched onto his face, as it was most days. "A one, a two, a one, two, three!"

"Weasley cannot save a thing," the serpents began to sing in unison as Will directed them, as if they were a new branch of the school's Frog Choir, though the majority of the students bellowed the words extremely off-key, jeering and laughing at the Gryffindor students who seemed outraged at the song, causing it to sound rather rough and discordant as it echoed through the stands. "He cannot block a single ring, that's why the Slytherins all sing: Weasley is our king!"

To Rigel's own surprise, he found himself mouthing along to the words as the song progressed, though he couldn't find his own voice to speak them. Instead, he began to find the words to the song to be a bit annoying. Nevertheless, the boy's green robes donned a silver button in the shape of a crown adorned with the words Weasley is Our King, as did the rest of Slytherin house, the matching pins glinting softly in the light. He watched as the effects of the lyrics successfully began to take their toll on Weasley, the redheaded Keeper hovering nervously in front of the three rings of the goalpost. The boy reached behind him, scratching the back of his neck nervously and noticing all too late that Graham Montague was racing towards him with the Quaffle, throwing the ball and Rigel watched as it sailed through the left hoop, the green sea of Slytherin students in the stands yelling and jeering with pride.

"Ten points for Slytherin," Lee mused into the microphone, an angry tone lacing his voice. "Slytherin leads Gryffindor ten to zero!"

"That's what I'm talking about!" Will cheered, turning back to the group. "Second verse, let's go!"

"Weasley was born in a bin," the Slytherin section sang as Weasley flew to retrieve the fallen Quaffle, tossing it to Katie Bell so the game could resume, and even from where Rigel stood in the stands he could see the embarrassed flush that colored the boy's cheeks brightly enough to match his fiery hair, which was only slightly visible underneath the helmet he was wearing. "He always lets the Quaffle in, Weasley will make sure we win, Weasley is our king!"

Rigel's eyes wandered across the stands as the song progressed, attention long gone from the Quidditch match as his eyes locked with Granger's where she stood between Longbottom and a girl dressed in yellow robes, looking absolutely furious at the Lestrange boy. Almost on instinct, the boy stopped mouthing the words, his face falling as he found himself unable to look away from her. He could vaguely hear Lee Jordan proclaiming that Gryffindor had scored a goal, but the match was now the last thing on Rigel's mind.

"What are you doing?" Will asked, impatiently nudging Rigel and pulling him from his thoughts and back to the match happening around them, and the boy finally looked away from Granger's icy stare and launched himself back into the taunting song.

"Nothing," Rigel said, shaking his head and finally regaining his voice as he bellowed the last verse to the song with his fellow Slytherin housemates. "Weasley is our king, Weasley is our king, he always lets the Quaffle in, Weasley is our king!"

Rigel had only looked back at the rest of Slytherin house for a moment, a cocky smile etched onto his face before the crowd was on their feet, cheers echoing through the stands as Lee Jordan's voice broke through the noise.

"Harry Potter has caught the Snitch!" Lee exclaimed victoriously, and Madame Hooch's whistle screeched through the air, causing Rigel to wince slightly at the splitting sound.

"Gryffindor wins!" Madame Hooch proclaimed, causing boos to echo through the Slytherin end of the stands.

"Poor Draco," Pansy cooed, draping her arms over Rigel and Will's shoulders, causing the Lestrange boy to roll his eyes slightly. "But wonderful job with the song, boys. We really messed with Weasley's head today!"

"Oi, Rigel!" Blaise exclaimed, gesturing for the boys to join him where he stood and pointing to the middle of the Quidditch Pitch. "Kordin, you boys should see this."

Rigel shrugged off Pansy's arm as he crossed the small distance to where Blaise stood watching something taking place on the ground, following the boy's gaze to where Draco was stalking after Potter, yelling something that Rigel couldn't quite make out, except for a few words here and there. Words such as Weasleys, stink, and muggles made their way to Rigel's ears before the word mother had Potter rushing back in Draco's direction with one of the Weasley twins, fury evident in both boys' eyes as they began to attack Draco. Both boys managed to land a couple punches before Umbridge's shrill voice cut through the air, shouting for the Gryffindor boys to follow her to her office, the second twin included.

"Wow," Will chuckled. "I really didn't think Weasley had it in him."

"Can't say Malfoy didn't deserve it." Blaise said as the boys watched Madame Pomfrey cross the Quidditch Pitch with Professor Snape to where Draco was standing with a bloody nose and blackened eye, and the Hogwarts matron proceeded to cast healing spells on the boy.

"Come on," Rigel said, looking in the direction of the Gryffindor student section once more and seeing that Granger had already left before shaking his head and leading the other two boys out of the stands and back towards the castle with the rest of the student body. "Let's see what sort of trouble Draco's gotten himself into this time."