Provoked

It had been a busy Saturday morning for Natalie. After rising at six o clock she'd quickly breakfasted and changed into her Quidditch robes and half an hour later was shivering on the Quidditch Pitch. The Gryffindors had their upcoming match against Ravenclaw and, due to how close the points were within this years inter-house league, every crucial minute counted. With practices every evening Monday through Friday and team practice from half past six until midday on a Saturday Natalie rarely had spare time to let off steam.

Today had been perhaps the worst practice session Natalie had been to. Not only were the team too sleepy to even play properly the weather had been nothing far from horrendous. By half past seven Natalie had been covered in mud after being knocked from her broom by a bludger. Luckily she'd only been hovering six feet or so from the ground but the quidditch pitch was like a swamp and sucked Natalie right into the depths of the darkest dirt.

Thankful practice had come to an end Natalie returned to the changing rooms and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her usual red locks were matted, ratty and the dried mud had sent it a funn brownish colour. The mud didn't just pollute her hair. Damp mud was trapped within her eyebrows, coated along her nose and the Gryffindor could still taste the nasty flavor it left on her lips.

Wishing she had brought a fresh set of clothes down with her Natalie began to traipse back up to the castle, leaving a muddy trail behind her, whilst the rest of the team changed. The Gryffindor was hungry for she hadn't ate since quarter past six and the inviting smell of cottage pie and vegetable soup was calling her as she entered the double doors of the entrance hall. If only there weren't any Professors in the Great Hall, then she could have barged right in as muddy as she wanted but Natalie didn't need to peer in to know Professor Cooper would be sitting up at the staff table. Letting out a heavy sigh the Gryffindor made her way towards the marble staircase. First she'd shower, change and then return to feed her appetite.

Dinner had been going for quite a while, and Airy was waiting in a classroom on the second floor before she attempted to make her way into the Great Hall. Dinner always made her nervous, it wasn't that she was bad around people, it was that one year she had had a mini panic attack in the Entrance Hall, and avoided the place like the plague ever since. Except when she had to, such as dinner time, when she was forced to cut through the Entrance Hall to get food.

Normally she'd have gotten in early and sat down before anyone else was around, ready to eat and be up before anyone else had gotten up, but she had been stopped by a professor who had scolded her on not attending lessons for nearly half an hour, and by the time she had been let free, Dinner had just started and the entire school was heading down the steps to get their food.

Airy had let herself be carried down the hallway with the swell of people before finally ducking off into a side classroom and kicking her feet up on a desk, resting and listening to the stampede of feet that announced that people were still heading downstairs. Finally it quieted and Airy stood up carefully, going to the door and peeking her head out. It seemed quite deserted, and the smell of dinner was wafting up the stairs towards her, making her stomach growl.

Now was her chance!

Airy took off down the hallway, bolted down a couple stairs, around a corner, and bolted down the Entrance Hall stairs, when quite suddenly she saw a girl, covered in mud heading up the staircase, but Airy was going far too fast, and was on a collision course with the girl, letting out a shout of warning, Airy flew down the stairs directly towards the girl.

Before Natalie knew what was happening she'd been pummelled backwards onto the floor by another student, or animal, Natalie wasn't quiet sure what it was all she was sure of was that she was now flat on her back with a bruised elbow.

Clambering up to a sitting position she looked to see who, or what, had caused her to fall. Her blue-green eyes fell upon another fifth year. Aurora Daniels. Natalie had liked that girl, there was something about her that she just disliked. Whether it was because she was a Slytherin or hot headed (Natalie could hardly talk there) the Gryffindor didn't quiet know.

'What the hell did you do that for?' Natalie yelled, firing daggers at Aurora - who was now covered in mud after her collision with Natalie.

Airy landed hard on the ground a few feet away from the Gryffindor girl, and she felt her face get hot, before she looked down and realized she was absolutely covered in mud. She heard a shout from beside her and she quickly turned over to glare at the girl. "You seriously think I tried to do that? You should watch where you're going you stupid Gryffindor!" She shouted back, her hands going to her front to try and scrape off a little of the mud that she was now covered with.

"Why the h*ll are you covered in mud anyway?! Is that a trait of all Gryffindors to be dirty or just you?" She hissed, trying desperately to scrape some of the mud off of her skirt, hoping beyond hope that the House Elves would be able to wash it out without any stains being left on it. Suddenly a pain shot through Airy's arm, and she looked down to see a drip of blood fall to the floor. She stared at it for a moment before turning on the Gryffindor again.

"Look what you did! I'm just trying to make my way to dinner and you have to push me down the stairs! And now I'm bleeding!" She waved her elbow up so the girl could see the cut she had gotten on it, blood was starting to trickle down her elbow and drop in little splatters on the floor. Airy grabbed the edge of her robe and brought it to her elbow, trying to stop it from getting everywhere, but at the same time she pulled her wand and pointed it at the girl.

"Should teach you a lesson, you filthy Gryffindor." She spat, eyeing the girl up and down.

'Me? You're the one who fell down the stairs into me! And why do you think I'm covered in mud? I've been playing quidditch you complete idiot!' Natalie retorted, holding up her own against the fellow fifth year who Natalie now could see was bleeding from her arm.

Raising one eyebrow Natalie gave Aurora a skeptical look. It was hardly the Gryffindors fault she was bleeding, if the Slytherin actually paid attention to where she was walking perhaps she wouldn't be holding her robes to the wound to stop the bleeding.

'Karma's a b*tch isn't it' Natalie hissed, although a part of her was wishing she hadn't because Daniels pulled her wand from her robes and had it aimed at the red head. 'What the hell?' Natalie spat back glaring angrily at Aurora.

'You brought this all on yourself. How pathetic.' Natalie retorted ignoring the fact she had a wand pointed at her and could be hit with a bat bogey curse or a jelly leg jinx any moment.

Airy gripped her wand tighter and sparks flew out of the tip of it, green and silver, sparks that skidded across the floor before dying out. "If you weren't right in my way, I wouldn't have tripped!" Airy spat angrily at the girl, not quite wanting to fight because she really just wanted to eat, but at the same time she couldn't let stuff like this slide.

"What did you call me you filthy Gryffindor?" She hissed and let her robes drop away from her arm, blood still dripping down as she raised her wand. "You should know better then to insult the person at the other end of the wand! Or I guess it makes sense, I mean aren't all Gryffindor's supposedly idiots who charge into fights anyway?" She laughed and jumped to her feet, glaring at the girl.

"Luckily everyone is eating, they won't even bother to look out here for another half an hour or so." She laughed and suddenly twirled her wand around, pointing it at the girl with a flourish.

Yelling the incantation for the bat-bogey hex.

Natalie continued to stare at Aurora, a strong nature about her face. The Gryffindor's jaw was clenched, her eyes not moving from Aurora's and a hand slipped into her own muddy Quidditch robes.

It was lucky Natalie had taken her wand out to the match with, usually she forgot but today it was almost as if her wand knew something like this would happen. Pulling her wand from her robes Natalie ducked out of the spell, a bat bogey hex judging by the sparks. This girl really didn't know who she was messing with. Since joining Potters Army Natalie had spent hours learning new hexes and jinxes.

'Densaugio!' Natalie cried, firing the tooth-enlargement curse at the Slytherins direction. So the two were duelling. How long before a Professor overheard Natalie didn't know, nor did she care, Aurora Daniels needed to be taught a lesson.

"Protego!" Airy shouted just before the spell hit her, and she jumped to the side, landing on her knee a bit heavily, but ignoring the bruise for the moment. This girl had no right to be throwing spells at her! Who did she think she was? After running straight into her, she had gotten Airy all dirty and hadn't even deemed it appropriate to apologize for it! Anyone in their right mind would have seen they'd run into Aurora Daniels and immediately gone out of their way to apologize.

Not start a duel.

Airy glared at the girl from behind her shield charm, before casting it away and just as quickly flicking her wand towards the girl. "Petrificus Totalus!" She said with a flick towards her, before jumping out of the way again to avoid anything the girl might throw back. Staying on the move was the best way to avoid being hit by a tricky jinx that would put you out of commission.

There was no way this girl was going to get the better of her, no way in hell. Her mind was far from fearing any professors showing up, she just wanted this girl to be on her knees in front of her, begging her for forgiveness for getting her robes all dirty.

A smile curled from Natalie's lip as she watched the Slytherin fall harshly on her knee in order to avoid the spell. So the girl didn't have teeth now down to her waist but she'd weakened her on another level, which was all part of the fun. If every duel ended after one spell had been cast then where would the challenge be? Where would the exhilarating feeling be if it was gone in a single spark?

Natalie was more noble than to hex Aurora when she was down, off her guard, but clearly the Slytherin was playing dirty - as all Slytherin's dead. The Gryffindor hadn't been expecting the spell and for a moment Natalie thought she was going to get hit until she quickly ducked in the nick of time.

Catching her breath and panting slightly at the sudden spell fired her way Natalie's eyes narrowed, her blue-green iris' contracted and Natalie was in fighting mode. Not caring anymore about being polite Natalie pointed her wand, although taking slightly longer than Aurora to think of a spell: 'locomotor wibbly!'

The jelly legs jinx, hopefully this would hit her squarely in the face. However, just as Natalie said the incantation her eyes flickered towards the opening doors of the Great Hall - her wand hand accidentally copying.

Mary had been enjoying a lovely lunch: ham, beef and salad sandwiches slathered with butter. The lettuce had provided a rather crunchy texture that sat well with the thick, creamy butter. However, like all meals with meat, they caused a bit of a problem for Mary. She loved the flavour, loved the texture, loved everything about meat. Meat was delicious. Apart from the part where an animal is slaughtered in the processes, a poor, defenseless farm animal. As you can guess an ordinary sandwich became quiet a difficulty for Mary who, despite saying a word of thank you to the animal willing to sacrifice it's life for her, ended the meal on a teary note.

Not wanting to spread her saddened mood the divinations Professor rose from her seat at the staff table, lightly dabbed her damp eyes on a napkin and made her way out of the Great Hall. Thankfully Mary didn't hear the words 'mopping Mist', 'miserable Mist' or 'Moaning Myrtles sister.' as she left - taking this as a positive thing. It mean't she hadn't made a scene? Hadn't it?

WHAM! Just as Mary had opened the doors from the Great Hall something hot and harsh winded her and knocked her to the floor. Mary knew the feeling, she knew exactly what that had been: the jelly legs jinx. After suffering years of torture and being the punch line of all spells during her time at Hogwarts Mary wasn't going to forget the feeling. The wobbly sensation in her legs shortly followed by the inability to stand up this resembling something like a flobberworm.

The bottom lip trembled. A hand rose to Mary's throat and... The tears came flooding from her eyes as she began to wail, not even looking to see who's spell she'd walked in on. No doubt her mind was flashing back to the bullying, which ironically the bullies did to make her cry - why wouldn't they? When would a sixth year Slytherin miss an opportunity to provoke a teary response in a second year Hufflepuff? Almost never.