Looking at poor Neville, who was being escorted to the hospital wing, Richard felt guiltier than ever. Afterall, if not for his stupid advice, Neville would've only broken his wrist.
He quickly glanced around, hoping to locate the remembrall. And he was able to see it, lying on the ground . But when he had just grabbed it, he felt a burly arm on his shoulder.
"What's that you got there Cloverfield?"
"None of your business is what i got. Just get lost Malfoy" Richard tried to shrug off Goyle's hand while answering. But then Crabb grabbed the remembrall from his other hand before presenting it to Malfoy.
"Oh, you managed to find my remembrall? "
"You know that isn't yours, it's Neville's" Richard was simply too stunned to do anything drastic at the moment. He had heard of the young master syndrome a long time ago, but this was the first time he was actually seeing one in real life.
"Oh please" Malfoy sneered as he tossed the ball before catching it once more. "Like that fat oaf deserved it, he probably would've sat on it with his fat arse." The Slytherin students cracked up, while Malfoy continued." It's much better for me to have it, don't you agree?"
"Give it here Malfoy! "
This time not just Richard, but even Harry chimed in. But instead of relenting, Malfoy just looked smug.
"I don't think so. I think i will leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find."
His broom rose up, as Malfoy flew up at least twenty feet up into the sky. Then looking down, he sneered. "What's the matter Potter? A bit beyond your reach? "
Never the one to back down from a challenge, Harry quickly rose to the skies, turning a deaf ear to Hermione's nagging. But when he reached there, he was pleasantly suprised to see Richard right next to him, wobbling a bit, but still flying.
"Give it up Malfoy. It's two against one." Richard yelled as he too came up to the same altitude as Malfoy who looked suprised to see him .
"Get lost, Cloverfield. This doesn't involve you!"
"Well I'm feeling pretty involved" he shot back before he tried to stabilise himself on the broom once more, silently thanking the person who had added the cushioning charm onto a broom.
Harry went to Malfoy's back while Richard guarded the front. "Give it here Malfoy, or I'll knock you off your broom!" Harry threatened once more making Richard remember something. But it was too late, before he could even reach for his wand,
"Have it your way then" Malfoy suddenly pulled his arm back before throwing the glass ball with all his might. Harry quickly sped off , following it's trajectory as fast as he could, while Richard could only watch.
Malfoy quickly looked foreward to see if he was about to make a move on him, but seeing how Richard was barely keeping his balance on the broom, he smirked once more before he slowly decended.
"Heh, loser"
Richard looked at the platinum blond haired, boy with undisguised fury. He as simply begging for a beating. And the anger let him gain the courage he lacked. Grabbing the broomstick with one hand, he dived down, accelerating as he got closer to his target, while extending his other arm horizontally with a loud yell.
"Clothesline!!"
Malfoy barely had time to turn around to see the source of the loud shout, when an extended arm filled his field of vision.
"Gahakh!"
Spit flew from his open mouth as he was swept off his broom from an impact to his chest that took the wind out of his lungs.
Richard fared no better. He lacked the necessary balance, so when his arm came to contact with Malfoy, his own broom went spiralling out of control before impaling the lawn hard. Richard was flung from his seat, before he flew a few meters almost parallel to the ground and crash landed with a few somersaults, planting his own face on the grass.
"Cough! Cough! "
Spitting out the dirt and mud in his mouth, Richard began to pull himself up. His head kept smarting, probably concussed from the impact as he felt his senses blurred, but he decided to ignore it for the time being. Then looking down, he began to pat his robes absentmindedly, trying to remove any pieces of clinging dirt and grass from them when he felt a shadow fall over him. His actions froze as the worst possible scenario began to play in his mind. And sure enough, when he lifted his head, he found himself under the stern gaze of professor McGonagall.
".....I.. ahhhh..."
Richard tried to say something, anything, but the all coherent thoughts bled away under the scrutinising gaze of the head mistress.
"It was an accident? " Richard was finally able to piece together some form of excuse, but McGonagall was having none of it.
"One would hardly think so Mr Cloverfield. You as well Mr Malfoy and Mr Potter, right now to my office."