Chapter 59 - Millicent's "First Battle"

Praeris had a mountain of books in front of her, materials for seven core subjects, three electives, two interest courses, plus her personal potions study and research notes: two thick volumes.

She flipped through pages at intervals, her green quill moving rapidly across the parchment with a soft, steady scratch.

Her study schedule was already planned through the summer holidays. Most people would have found that unbearable long ago. She reveled in it. Countless pieces of knowledge surged into her mind like rivers, building her fortress higher, making it sturdier and vaster and more reliable with every passing hour.

When a person is truly immersed in study, their hands and mouth stop behaving. They can't help touching something, chewing on something. Several times she nearly gnawed on her quill, until she remembered how expensive it was.

Only a rich young lord like Draco, who had never managed a household in his life, would give a flashy collectible as a practical gift.

And when the recipient was Praeris, this box of quills was destined to toil alongside her rather than sit pretty on a shelf.

Praeris surfaced from the book pile and took the teacup Millicent offered, glancing at it. "Leaf shapes. What did you divine?"

Millicent scratched her head. "The third question on the homework, my fortune for the near future. Let me look up what leaves mean..."

Millicent was still buried in her book, flipping pages, when Praeris said without looking up, "Wrong page. Middle of page two. Leaves represent new turning points, new opportunities."

Millicent immediately put quill to parchment. "Mm, in the near future, my life will undergo a massive change, and I'll receive new opportunities." She glanced up. "With all those books, can you actually finish them?"

Praeris patted the stack on her left. "These, already done. One review before finals and that's it."

She patted the stack on her right. "As for these, finishing them is only the beginning."

Millicent rested her chin in her hand. "Oh. I often suspect we don't actually attend the same school. You're always so busy it makes me feel like I'm doing absolutely nothing."

Praeris turned a page. "Millie, everyone cares about different things. What I want to do requires a great deal from me, so no matter how much time and energy it takes, I keep going."

"I don't know what I want to do. I don't know what I'm good at." Millicent looked a little lost. "I don't even have any hobbies. Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass at least care about nice clothes, but I don't like anything. What do you think I should do?"

Praeris set her quill down and closed her eyes. "Let me think."

Like a film enthusiast scrubbing through footage frame by frame, she pulled up her memories of Millicent and rewound them, searching for anything that had sparked interest.

About 10 seconds passed.

Praeris opened her eyes. "Do you like Quidditch?"

"A bit." Millicent's expression turned thoughtful. "I know what those Gryffindor boys call me, a hag. And I'm strong. Do you think I'd be suited to try out for the team?"

She turned it over. "I don't know if Chaser would suit me. I've never played with anyone before. Keeper's obviously wrong, Miles is very competent at that. Seeker is already Draco's spot, and Beaters almost never take girls. Except Stewart. She's an exception."

"You could try," Praeris said, looking at her steadily. "But I have another suggestion." She smiled. "Quidditch commentator. Lee Jordan is far too biased toward Gryffindor. Why can't we have our own voice? You could do it well, you were capable of it back in first year. Why not go for it?"

"This, this, I never even thought of that!" Millicent's face was all astonishment. "I need to think this over."

"Your commentary skills are already there," Praeris said. "And maybe you don't need to favor Slytherin the way Lee Jordan favors Gryffindor. Just maintain a rational, neutral perspective. That alone would make you a better fit than him."

"Like you, most of the time?" Millicent asked.

Praeris found this a little amusing. "Of course I favor Slytherin in my heart. But my way of doing it is different. Making Slytherin better doesn't require tearing down other houses, and I'm capable of that."

Millicent nodded slowly. "Right. Compared to a commentator who favors Gryffindor and despises Slytherin, if the new one is just neutral, that's already progress for us. Merlin, I'm actually thinking as cleverly as you! A huge step forward, Millicent. Well done!"

She couldn't wait. She stood up at once and declared with conviction, "I'm going to find Professor Snape right now. I will beat Lee Jordan and get the professors to support me as the new commentator."

"Remember, fairness," Praeris said. "It'll win you more support, even if that's not what's in your heart."

"Keep up appearances?" Millicent smiled knowingly.

Praeris smiled back. "Always."

Praeris walked Millicent to the common room entrance and high-fived her. "I believe you can do it!"

"I believe in myself too!"

Millicent ran a couple of steps, then remembered that Filch didn't allow running in the corridors, stopped herself, and strode briskly forward instead. She walked and paused, walked and paused, then turned back and pumped her fist at Praeris.

Praeris watched her go with a beaming smile, then turned to head back to the dormitory and her books, and heard furious cursing from somewhere down the corridor.

"Damn Potter!"

Draco and his two companions were covered head to toe in mud, looking like they had crawled out of a bog.

When he saw Praeris standing at the entrance frowning at them, Draco went completely still.

Praeris looked all three of them up and down. "Forgive me for failing to understand your new hobby. Are you particularly keen on wallowing in the mud like pigs?"

Goyle and Crabbe paid no mind to her sarcasm and fell over each other filling her in on everything that had happened in Hogsmeade, the clumps of mud that had pelted them out of nowhere, and Potter with only a head.

"We told Professor Snape!" That was Crabbe.

"He's gone to catch Potter!" That was Goyle.

Only Draco shouted, "Enough!"

Then, low: "We need to wash this mud off first."

Praeris stepped aside without argument and let them through.

As Draco passed her, she said quietly, "The moment you lose your temper is the moment you lose. Don't let this cost you your reason, or don't bother hoping to win."

"Do I need you to remind me? Who do you think you are, Professor Prince?" Draco shot her a quick sidelong glance and quickened his pace away.

The Quidditch final was held on the first Saturday after the Easter holidays. Praeris, uncharacteristically, came to the pitch willingly.

"I thought you didn't want to come." Pansy had stuck silver-and-green-striped decals on her face. "Usually we have to drag you here."

Praeris nodded. "Usually, yes. But this time, the commentator is Millie."

It had been extremely difficult. Apart from Professor Snape, no one had been willing to let Millicent Bulstrode become commentator at first.

The professors felt Lee Jordan had been doing a decent job and saw no reason to replace him. A last-minute change, with the match being Gryffindor against Slytherin, seemed like the wrong moment to introduce new variables.

Millicent had said: "I imagined what Praeris would say at a moment like this. So I told them, yes, I am a Slytherin. That's true. Does that mean you're going to dismiss my ability simply because of that? Is that how it is, Professors?"

It was said that every professor in the room went silent.

Millicent had continued, "Professors, has Lee Jordan never shown bias? He has declared his allegiances on the pitch more than once. There's nothing wrong with that, is there? If you think I shouldn't be a commentator, then have me and Lee Jordan compete by commentating a match together. Don't reject me because I have no commentary experience, or because I'm a Slytherin. If those are your reasons for dismissing me, I cannot accept them."

Millicent had done it deliberately. She knew the professors raising "this is a Slytherin versus Gryffindor match" weren't discriminating against Slytherin, they were worried that swapping personnel would deepen the rivalry between the two sides.

But framing it the way she had meant not one professor could refuse to let her compete against Lee Jordan on equal ground. Millicent had fought for her chance.

Millicent and Lee Jordan commentated a previous Quidditch match together, and her performance was outstanding.

Even so, the professors still couldn't quite bring themselves to replace him outright. Professor McGonagall made the call: this match would use dual commentary.

"Bulstrode, treasure this opportunity. We believe you can bring a different voice," Professor McGonagall said. "This is not anyone failing to recognize your ability. You are very good, but Lee Jordan has also done well."

Millicent held her head high. "Thank you for your recognition, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and all the other professors. I will not disappoint your trust."

Walking out of the staff room, Lee Jordan fixed her with a resentful glare. "Bulstrode, do you think leaning on Snape will push me out? I will never stop making my voice heard!"

Millicent regarded him with contempt. "No one is stopping you from making your voice heard. What do you think I am, a stopper that can cork your mouth?"

"I was so sharp in that moment!" Millicent told Praeris. "I've never said anything that fierce in my life. I almost felt like I was you!"

That set all the Slytherin girls off laughing, and even Praeris couldn't help covering her mouth.

Back on the pitch, Millicent Bulstrode and Lee Jordan stood side by side with a very clear line between them.

Lee Jordan's voice rang out: "And now we see — entering first, the Gryffindor team!"

He called out the Gryffindor names one by one, then added, "Students widely agree this is the best team Hogwarts has seen in years, bar none!"

The Slytherins could not let that stand. A wall of boos went up, displeasure radiating from every corner of the green-and-silver stands.

Millicent's voice rose to meet it: "And next we see the Slytherin team, Flint, Miles... and Malfoy. They are full of fighting spirit and clearly confident about this match. Barring surprises, we're in for a fierce and spectacular contest. Let's watch and see!"

The Slytherins erupted. Cheers and applause rolled across the stands.

Madam Hooch called the two captains together for the pre-match handshake. The two stood face to face, and the air between them practically crackled.

"Three, two, one, TWEET, "

The whistle shrieked. Both teams exploded off the ground like a flock of birds launching into flight, shooting toward the heights.

Lee Jordan strained his voice: "Gryffindor in possession of the Quaffle, Spinnet heading straight for the goal, great move, Alicia!"

Over Lee's "Ah, oh no,", Millicent's voice came through steady and loud: "Slytherin's Warrington has chosen to intercept Spinnet just short of the goal. This is an extremely risky decision, it could very easily result in Spinnet scoring!"

"Keep your eyes on Warrington. His build gives him a real advantage here, and the petite Spinnet is in trouble! Warrington intercepts — successfully! Now he's charging at full speed toward the Gryffindor goal with the Quaffle! Gryffindor won't back down — Johnson is in pursuit of Warrington!"

Lee Jordan refused to be outdone. "Whoa! — Beautiful! George Weasley sends a Bludger straight into Warrington — Warrington is knocked clean off course, loses the Quaffle! Johnson grabs it!"

...

Dumbledore stood below the stands with his hands tucked into his sleeves, smiling as he raised an eyebrow at McGonagall. "Looks rather good, doesn't it? A little competition goes a long way toward livening the children up."

Sinistra chimed in from beside him. "Professionalism alongside guidance, passion alongside entertainment. It seems two complementary commentators really can bring something fresh to a Quidditch match."

Sinistra had bet on Gryffindor. Even so, it was plain she still wanted Stella's old house team to have its moment.

Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement, and the very next moment after she nodded, Marcus fouled Angelina with an illegal charge, Fred retaliated with a slam into Marcus, and Madam Hooch's whistle shrieked in fury.

Sinistra blinked and drew a sharp breath. "How thrilling."

Professor McGonagall's expression shifted to worry.

On the pitch, Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were both circling, hunting for the Golden Snitch, while their teammates had already descended into something that looked less like Quidditch and more like a brawl.

Gryffindor was in the lead. Praeris and Millicent were in different parts of the stands, but they were both holding their breath for Slytherin.

"Thirty to zero! That'll teach you! You despicable, shameless, brazen, "

"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall's voice cracked like a whip.

Millicent steadied the vein pulsing in her forehead. "Gryffindor currently leads thirty to zero. Katie is astonishingly fast, she cut through the air like lightning to put that goal on the board for Gryffindor. Slytherin is on the back foot. The Slytherin players need to step it up!"

➤ Next: Seizing Glory