Chapter 15
"Is your team quite ready Weasley?" Daphne Greengrass hissed coolly, her arms crossed menacingly over her chest. The rest of the Slytherin team stood behind her, all with their chests puffed out and their chins raised. Harry faintly recognized most of the players, with the exception of a short, squat, brunette who looked no older than twelve. "Or do you need more time to practice?" She raised a condescending eyebrow, and Harry watched as Ginny struggled to keep calm. If he had learned anything from his years knowing Ginny, it was that she hated to be patronized.
"We don't need any more time," she responded through gritted teeth. "As long as you're ready to lose."
"I wouldn't count on it." Greengrass smirked. Harry shifted his eyes to see Malfoy standing near the back of the Slytherin cluster. He stood slightly apart from the other players, his noble face reflecting Greengrass' arrogance. Harry couldn't help but notice how tall he was; of course, he'd always known Malfoy was taller than most of the boys at Hogwarts, but he'd never really thought about it until now.
"I brought Luna here to judge and make sure that there's no dirty playing." Ginny eyed Greengrass suspiciously and gestured to the stands, where a lone Luna Lovegood sat and waved towards the players. Greengrass scoffed and looked like she was about to object when Malfoy interrupted her.
"No offense," Malfoy stepped forwards, pushing past two surly Slytherin boys in the middle of the group. The Slytherin team watched him, their eyes narrowing. It was then that Harry realized Malfoy really hadn't been exaggerating about the Slytherin house being wary of him. "But do you really think Luna is qualified to referee?" It did not escape Harry's, or Ginny's, notice that Malfoy referred to Luna by her first name.
"And what is it exactly that you are trying to imply about Luna?" Ginny placed emphasis on her friend's name, her tone dangerous. All of the other players on the field tensed at the sound of Ginny's bubbling anger, but Malfoy didn't even flinch.
"Relax Weaslette," The use of that particular nickname did not help to calm Ginny down. "I'm merely saying that she's not really an expert when it comes to Quidditch. Not to mention the fact that she's hardly impartial."
"And I'm sure you have plenty of friends in the other houses that could referee instead?" Ginny said, glaring at Malfoy. His eyes narrowed and Greengrass began to speak before he could respond.
"Whatever, Weasley." Malfoy returned to his spot in the back of the group. "Let's just get started."
The teams assembled into position. Ginny beckoned Luna over to the pitch, and she ambled over obligingly. She adjusted her spectrespecs, which were beginning to dangle off the tip of her nose.
"Good afternoon everyone," Luna said dreamily, her eyes floating over the crowd. "Lovely day, isn't it?" The players shifted uncomfortably, impatiently waiting for her to blow the whistle that would signal the start of the game. Luna's eyes wandered over to the Slytherin team, and she seemed to ponder them for a minute. When she did finally speak again, Harry was surprised to hear her say Malfoy's name: his first name.
"Draco," Luna leaned towards the Slytherins and Harry saw her squint behind her tinted glasses. "Did you know you have quite a few Wrackspurts buzzing around your head? You should probably do something about that." Malfoy didn't respond, but Luna didn't seem particularly bothered by this. "You all are probably waiting for me to start the game, aren't you?" Everyone nodded.
"That'd probably be best Luna, if you could just-" Ginny was interrupted by Luna's loud whistle, and as soon as the players heard the sound, they were flying up into the air.
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Harry Potter and The Boy Who Had No Choice
Fanfiction"Face it Malfoy, you're a bloody coward." Harry's smile was gone, replaced by a menacing scowl. While he was talking, he had made his way back to Malfoy, who was now standing in front of him, seething with anger. "I. Am. Not. A. Coward," Malfoy sa...
