Chapter Twenty-Three, Slurs and Quidditch

A few weeks had passed since the term started and Izzy and her friends had fallen into a routine they were happy with, except Izzy and Ron had detentions coming up soon. But today that was the last thing on her mind as it was the first Quidditch practice of the season.
"I spent the summer deciding on a whole new Quidditch program." Oliver stated, as he led the team towards the Quidditch pitch. All of them dressed in their Quidditch robes and carrying their brooms, the beater bats and the crate containing the balls would be dropped off at the pitch by Madam Hooch, who kept it locked in her office to avoid any tampering.
"We're gonna train earlier, harder and longer. What -? I don't believe it!" Oliver complained, spotting the Slytherin Quidditch team up ahead in the courtyard led by their captain Marcus Flint.

"Where do you think you're going, Flint?" Oliver demanded hotly.
"Quidditch practice." Flint replied mockingly.
"No! I booked the pitch for Gryffindor today." Oliver protested.
"Easy, Wood. I've got a note." Flint said, smirking as he handed Oliver the note as the two teams surrounded their Captains.
Ron, who was sitting on a bench completing homework with Hermione, Neville and Luna as it was a nice day suddenly looked up at the sudden noise in the courtyard.
"Uh oh! I smell trouble." Ron muttered, causing the others to look up. Quickly they put their books aside and ran over to the Gryffindor team standing beside Izzy who gave them a soft smile but kept her eyes trained on the Slytherins in front of her.

"'I Professor Severus Snape, do hereby give the Slytherin team permission to practise today, owing to the need to train their new Seeker.'" Oliver read the note aloud. "You've got a new Seeker? Who?" Oliver asked, Flint and the others just smirked and parted ways, allowing none other than Draco Malfoy to come to the front to stand besides Flint and opposite Izzy.
"Malfoy?" Izzy questioned.
"That's right. And that's not all that's new this year." Draco smirked, moving the broom in his hand, along with the others and drawing everyone's attention to the brooms.
"Those are Nimbus 2001s! How'd you get those?" Ron questioned, shocked.
"A gift from Draco's father." Flint bragged.

"You see, Weasleys, unlike some, my father can afford the best without adopting an Heiress of a Noble house!" Draco sneered, causing Angelina, Alicia and Katie to yell at him.
"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in. They got in on pure talent!" Hermione said sassily.
"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood!" Draco sneered.
"How dare you!" The three Chasers shouted, while Oliver, Fred and George looked mad, Luna looked angry, Izzy angry but confused and Neville and Ron looked outraged.
"That's a despicable thing to say!" Luna shouted.
"You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" Ron and Neville shouted, drawing their wands.

"Slugulus Erecto!" They shouted at the same time, but someone on the Slytherin team had shouted, "Protego!" causing the spells to bounce back and hit Ron and Neville sending them harshly to the ground. Izzy, Luna, Hermione and the rest of the Gryffindor team ran over to the two boys on the ground who were slowly turning over looking very pale and very green.
"Ron! Neville! Are you okay?" Izzy asked.
"Say something!" Hermione and Luna cried, when neither answered only for the two boys to vomit up a slug each. The three Chasers let out sounds of disgust while Fred and George scrunched their noses but crouched down behind their brother and Neville wanting to help but unsure how when a flash suddenly went off.
"Wow! Can you turn them around, Izzy?" Colin Creevey asked excitedly, a First year Gryffindor.

"No, Colin, now is not the time." Izzy said sharply, while still trying to be gentle as she and Fred were helping Neville to his feet and Hermione and Luna were helping Ron to his feet with George collecting up all of their belongings and was keeping Colin back, only to send a nod to Oliver to come get the First year.
"Let's take them to Hagrid's. He'll know what to do." Izzy said to the others, who all voiced agreements as they helped the two vomiting boys down the large slopes to Hagrid's.

***

After their slow half run-walk they finally made it to Hagrid's and explained what had happened to the two boys. Immediately he passed Ron and Neville a large metal bucket each and stepped back so the group could enter his house.
"There's nothing to do but wait until it stops I'm afraid." Hagrid apologised, making them all a cup of tea which they gratefully accepted, except Ron and Neville. "Who was Ron and Neville cursing anyway?" He asked curiously.
"Malfoy. He called Hermione a - well, I don't really know what it means." Izzy trailed off confused, a blush appearing on her cheeks due to the adoring look Fred was giving her.
"He called me a Mudblood." Hermione was thoroughly upset.

"He did not!" Hagrid gasped outraged.
"He did! We wanted to Hex the little ferret -" Fred revealed angrily, he might have gotten off to a bad start with Hermione last year on how she treated Izzy, but no one deserved that and she's been okay to Izzy so far.
"- but the Slytherin Quidditch team had Protegos covering the little ferret." George finished.
"What's a - what does that mean?" Izzy asked, confused.
"It's a dirty word used for children born to non-magical parents. Like your mother, Hermione, Colin etc. It's a horrible word and it means 'dirty blood'." Luna explained.
"That's horrible!" Izzy exclaimed, her hair going blood red with anger as she rubbed Ron's back and Luna rubbed Neville's.

"It's not a term one usually hears in civilised conversation." Hermione muttered upset.
"See, the thing is Izzy, some families like the Malfoy's, think they're better than everyone else because they're Pure-blood." Hagrid scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"That's horrible. They sound like..." Izzy trailed off, not wanting to mention her uncle's name but everyone understood who she was talking about and became angry for a whole other reason.
"It's disgusting." Ron and Neville muttered, talking about those types of wizard families and about bringing up the slugs.
"And it's codswallop to boot. Dirty blood." Hagrid scoffed.

"There's not a witch or wizard alive that's not Half-blood or less. More to the point they've yet to think of a spell that our Hermione can't do. That any of you can't do. Come here." Hagrid said, beaming over at Hermione and taking her small hands gently in his larger ones. "Don't you think about it for one minute, Hermione. Don't you think about it for one minute. Heh?" Hagrid asked, getting a tearful smile from Hermione. If there's one thing that everyone knew was that if you were upset you can always rely on Hagrid to cheer you up.