" Cousin ! " a voice called out. Cortney was currently on her way to the Greenhouse, she was going to do homework there. " Come to Quidditch practice with us". Soon the whole team was standing around her in practice uniforms and with their brooms.

" Okay," Cortney smiled as the group head towards the field.

" Yes, please come watch," Flint said, he is the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team and chaser. 

" I'll try my best, I have Herbology and Astronomy homework, and I'm not really good at either of those subjects," Cortney sighed.

" After practice, I'll help you with it," Adrian Pucey offered.

" Thanks, I really need it," Cortney smiled at him.

" What is causing you to struggle in Herbology? " Miles Bletchley asked.

" I just get confused with all the names, and its functions," Cortney answered pulling a confused face. They made their way across the courtyard when Oliver Wood's voice rang through everyone's ears. Cortney hasn't encountered Oliver Wood much, but he was a really good Quidditch player, and awfully cute. He is the keeper and captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

" What I don't believe it !? " Oliver grumbled. The two teams stopped facing each other. Cortney saw Harry and smiled at him, he gave a small smile back. Ron and Hermione began to make their way over. " What are you doing here Flint? " Oliver was glaring at the Slytherins.

" Quidditch practice," Flint answered.

" I reserved the filed for Gryffindor today," Oliver argued.

" Easy Wood, I've got a note," Flint said handing Oliver a piece of paper.

" I Professor Snape hereby, given the Slytherin team permission to practice today. In order to train their new seeker," Oliver read out loud.

" You got a new seeker? Who? " Ron asked. They moved out of the way revealing Malfoy. He had his usual smirk.

" Malfoy? You're the new seeker? " Harry asked glaring at him.

" That's right and that's not the only thing that's new this year," Draco said gesturing to the brooms.

" Those are Nimbus 2001's! How did you get those? " Ron asked, admiring the brooms. Cortney looked at the brooms in confusion.

~ So many names for a flying stick ~ Cortney thought to herself.

" Gifts from Draco's father," Flint said proudly.

" You see Weasly unlike some, my father can afford the best," Malfoy said with a rude look. Cortney looked at her cousin in disgust.

"At least no one had to buy their way in," Hermione began. " They got in on pure talent ". Hermione sassed, folding her arms. Malfoy narrowed his eyes at Hermione and walked up to her.

" No one asked for your opinion, you filthy little mudblood," Malfoy spat. Hermione looked hurt, her eyes began to tear up. Fred and George had to be held back, from hitting Malfoy.

" You'll pay for that one Malfoy! " Ron said whipping out his broken wand and pointing it at Draco. " Eat slugs! " Ron flew backward. Cortney and the Gryffindors ran over to him. Ron was looking very pale. Slytherins besides Cortney snicker.

 Ron! Are you okay? " Hermione asked. Ron turned over to the grass and puked out a slug.

" Ew," everyone coursed, the Slytherin team was laughing very hard. A bright flash blinded everyone. Colin Creevey a Gryffindor in the first year, was smiling as he held a camera.

 " Wow! Can you turn him around, Harry? " Colin asked excitedly. Harry ignored him and helped Ron up. 

" Let's take him to Hagrid's he'll know what to do," Harry suggested. With the help of Cortney and Hermione, they got Ron down to Hagrid's hut. 

" This calls for specialist equipment," Hagrid said handing Ron a bucket. " Nothing to do, but wait for it to stop I'm afraid. Who was Ron, trying to curse anyway? " Ron puked up more slugs.

" My cousin," Cortney sighed looking out the window.

" He called Hermione a-um, well I don't exactly know what it means," Harry said. Hermione got up with teary eyes, she crossed her arms and walked over to the window.

" He called me a mudblood," Hermione said in a hurt voice.

" He did not! " Hagrid gasped.

" Whats a mudblood? " Harry asked.

" It means dirty blood. Mudbloods a really foul name for someone's who Muggle-born. Someone with non-magical parents. Someone like me," Hermione explained turning around, tears in her eyes.

" You see Harry there are set wizards like the Malfoy family, who think they're better than everyone else, cause they're what people call Pureblood," Hagrid explained.

" That's horrible," Harry said as Ron threw up another slug.

" It's disgusting," Ron said. " If we didn't marry muggles we would have died out".

" That's why there isn't a wizard today that is half-blood or less," Hagrid said. " More to the point, I've got to think of spell our Hermione can't do. Come here ". Hagrid held out his hand and she took it. " Don't you think on it, don't you think on it for a minute aye". Hermione smiled.

" What would we do without you, Hermione? " Harry questioned. Hermione laughed. The four started towards the castle. 

" Hermione, don't listen to my cousin he's an idiot," Cortney said.

"Amen," Ron said trying to keep a slug down.

" You are more of a witch than I am, I still have no clue about the magical world," Cortney admitted. Hermione laughed.

********************

Later that day, before dinner Cortney was in the library with De'lexi, Joey, and Milam. 

" Here it is! " De'lexi said slamming a book down.

" What were you looking for? " Joey asked.

" Remember in first year, when McGonagall changed into a cat, and back into her human form," De'lexi said trying to jog up their memory.

" Yeah! That was really cool," Cortney said.

" What about it? " Milan asked.

" Well it's called an animagus, it's a witch or wizard that can morph into an animal at will, we learn about it in third year according to McGonagall-I asked," De'lexi explained.

" We should all become one! " Milan said daringly.

" It'll take a long time, skill, practice, and a lot of patience," De'lexi said looking up. " Apparently you are to get registered as one".

" Well how about we don't get registered, let's make it a secret between us," Cortney said ambitiously.

" It could work, if we really put in the effort," Joey said with support.

" What would our animal be? " Milan asked.

" It's based on your inner traits, and it's only one animal, so we'll find out when we transform," De'lexi explained. " Part of the process is putting a Mandrake leaf in your mouth for a whole month".

" I can go down to the Greenhouse to study, and probably snag four leaves for each of us," Cortney offered.

" When we get our animals, we should come up with a name for all of us, like a secret code," De'lexi said. " Also we need a demonstration of one doing it, hopefully in these next few weeks, we see McGonagall transform in and out of her cat form".

" Now let's go down to dinner, I'm really in the mood for mashed potatoes," Joey said. De'lexi checked out the book before all four headed down to dinner.