Harry Potter and the Order Of the Phoenix [99]
“Three… two… go!”
“Poli Omihi!” yelled Ron.
“Stupefy!” yelled Neville. Neville’s beam shot right past Ron’s head, missing him, but Ron’s hit Neville right in the face. The light ray exploded into a million bubbles and tons of foam. Neville was blown backwards by it, and he fell over on his back, drowning in the suds. Everyone in the circle was laughing. Ron walked over to Neville and helped him up.
Neville spat out some foam that was in his mouth, and gave his wand to Ron as a sign that he had obviously won. Neville walked back to his spot in the circle, trying to clean himself off.
“The winner is Ronald Weasley!” said Professor Flitwick as he threw Ron’s name back in the bag, and Neville’s into the air. Ron threw Neville’s wand back at him. Neville barely caught it.
“These rounds are going by fairly quick!” said Professor Flitwick. “This meeting may not take as long as I had thought. Anyway, the next match is… Mr. George Weasley against… Miss. Hermione Granger!”
Hermione put her head up high, and marched into the center. George walked into the center, not looking nearly as confident. They bowed to each other.
“Three… two… one… go!”
“Bona Nox!” yelled Hermione.
“Stupefy!” yelled George. Hermione’s black beam was much faster than George’s, and it hit him right in the stomach. For a second, it appeared as though the spell had done nothing.
“Help!” yelled George. “I can’t see!”
“Engorgio!” yelled Hermione, pointing her wand at herself. She immediately grew four times her size.
“Expelliarmus!” she yelled, much louder and deeper than her normal voice. George’s wand shot out of his hand, and right into Hermione’s massive fist. George, however, didn’t seem to notice. He was running around, unable to see.
“I’m blind!” he yelled after nearly smashing into Ron.
“Bona Lumos!” yelled Hermione. A yellow beam hit George, and he stopped running around. She tapped herself with her own wand, and shrunk back to her normal size. Hermione threw Fred’s wand back at him.
“Hermione Granger is the winner!” said Professor Flitwick. Hermione walked back to the circle.
“Why didn’t you just use the Expelliarmus spell first?” asked Harry.
“Because you should always disable your opponents first, then increase your power, and then attack them,” said Hermione. “I read it in Dueling Do’s and Don’ts.”
“Wow, what a surprise, you read it in a book,” said Ron, rolling his eyes, Hermione jabbed him in the side with her elbow.
“The next match is… Mr. Seamus Finnigan versus… Miss. Ginny Weasley!”
Ginny and Seamus walked into the center and bowed to each other.
One… two… three… go!”
“Expelliarmus!” yelled Ginny.
“Wingardium Leviosa!” yelled Seamus, surprisingly pointing the wand at himself. The Expelliarmus spell missed him as he flew into the air, going higher and higher.
“Ha ha! Can’t catch me!” he yelled from the ceiling. Seamus was up higher than Professor Flitwick now.
“Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!” yelled Ginny, each time missing Seamus as he flew around. Ginny kept shooting more stupefy spells at him, but they were all missing, and doing no good. Then, she suddenly stopped.
“Petrificus Totalus!” she yelled, quickly spinning her wand in a circular motion. The beam, instead of staying a straight line, sprayed all over, so much that even Seamus couldn’t avoid it all; one of them hit him. Seamus went all rigid, and then fell to the floor with a loud bang, still frozen. Ginny walked up to him, and took his wand out of his petrified hand.
“Ginny Weasley is the winner!” said Professor Flitwick, flying about.
Ginny tapped Seamus with her wand, and he woke up from his frozen state. She gave him her hand, and picked him up, giving him back his wand. They both returned to the circle, with Seamus looking somewhat disgruntled.
“Wow, Ron,” said Harry, “Ginny’s really good!”
“Well, she is top of the class so far for the fourth years, so I guess he has to be good.” This remark took Harry by surprise. He knew Ginny was good, but he didn’t know she was top of her class.
“The next match is… Mr. Vincent Crabbe and