Chapter 6

Flying

Harry had never thought that he'd meet a boy he hated more than Death Eaters, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy. They had been neutral for about a week before finally, Harry had snapped at Malfoy for his insensitive never-ending flaunting. If it hadn't been for Professor McGonagall he'd have been beaten to the pulp by Crabbe and Goyle, another one of Malfoy's pureblooded gorilla-like minions.

He had been rather nervous when he heard a rumor that Malfoy had convinced about 10 other Slytherins that Harry had threatened him. He knew that the Slytherins stayed together or at least they did in school. When the 3 other houses hated your house, your house had to stay together or it'd fall apart. It was common sense in Harry's opinion. And the fact that Junior apparently had little common sense annoyed Harry.

"Oh come now Harry- I doubt the Slytherins would do anything against you just because a prat like Draco Malfoy told them too!" Junior exclaimed loudly outside Harry's Common room- which was protected by a bunch of mirrors which needed a Ravenclaw's knowledge to get through, or at least that's what the Ravenclaw prefects had told Harry (he could pretty much solve the riddles in about 30 seconds now). Once he had found out the rumor, Junior had strode over to Harry and had been trying to comfort him since. It would've worked if Junior's point wasn't "those snakes don't stick together".

"Yeah Harry, I'm sure Malfoy just made up that rumor to scare you," Ron piped up- Junior had dragged him along too. Harry nodded- that was something he could listen to, even if it came from Ronald Weasley. Maybe hanging out with Granger actually had an effect on him- though from what Harry could tell, Ron was getting annoyed of her know-it-all attitude.

"Your right- I'm just going to go in my common room, just in case," he said while Junior beamed and Ron sighed a sigh of pure relief. "They can't get in there," he said slowly descending into the shadows of the many shapes and sizes of the mirrors. He strode forward 3 steps and 2 steps left then 1 step back then 4 step right then 8 steps forward then 17 steps back then 1 step right, right through a mirror. He had already figured out the riddle. It was strange though he could've sworn that he should've ended back with Junior and Ron but then again it was magic.

His face fell when he spotted a notice pinned up in the Ravenclaw common room. The flying lessons with the Hufflepuffs were being rescheduled to Thursday, with the Gryffindors and the Slytherins. No reason was given.

"Typical," he said to himself darkly. "Just what I've always wanted- to make a fool of myself on a broomstick with the rest of the year watching".

"Isn't it horrible!" a female voice exclaimed behind him. Harry turned to see the beauty of Cho Chang. "Our Quidditch practice was rescheduled so now we have to join the Slytherins on Thursday as well- apparently, it'll be like a sort of pregame," she said, staring at the notice.

"And I've get to give a reason to Malfoy to make my life hell for the rest of Hogwarts," Harry said, surprising himself. Where did that not shy voice come from? Cho giggled.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll just do fine- good Quidditch genes run in your family," she said.

"I've hardly been on a broom in my life!" Harry exclaimed. Cho gasped.

"Seriously?" she asked. "I mean your father was on that Wolfang Werewolves"!

"I never really wanted to," Harry said, nodding. He remembered the Wolfang Werewolves clearly- it was partly a publicity stunt to bring good publicity to the werewolf population even if only half the team were werewolves. Cho smiled brightly.

"You were too busy reading books?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah- how'd you guess"?

"Typical Ravenclaw- our house teams almost a complete joke," she said, shaking her head. "I mean we're good- but no one expects us to be good 'cause we're the 'bookworms'- no one gives the Hufflepuffs much support either," she said. "It's mainly between the snakes and the lions apparently".

"Well I hope you- we get more support this year," Harry said. Cho smiled brightly.

"Thanks- and don't worry, not many of the people who say they've flown before fly as good as they say it or even have flown at all!" she exclaimed. "I know from experience- we were teamed up with the Gryffindors in my first year, they all boasted a lot". "But you should've seen them when they got there- couldn't tell what the right side of the broom was most of them," she said grinning. Harry grinned as well- all his doubts seemed to disappear.

The first years certainly did talk about flying a lot. Draco Malfoy complained loudly and almost always about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seem to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. He wasn't the only one, though. The way Seamus Finnigan, a first year Gryffindor, told it, he spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broom. Everyone from wizarding families seemed to talk about Quidditch constantly. Well, except many from Ravenclaw. Odd enough, all the Ravenclaws were either half-bloods or pure-bloods and most hardly talked about Quidditch.

Neville, fortunately, had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near on. Privately, Harry felt she'd had good reason, because Neville was rather clumsy.

Hermione Granger was as nervous about flying as Harry himself was however. Harry could hear her reciting flying tips out of a book called Quidditch Through the Ages to Ron and Neville. The mail, however, stopped her in midsentence once as she read "You must always-", much to Ron's obvious delight.

Harry watched as a barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed half the Gryffindor table a glass ball, which Harry could see as it was the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

"It's a Remembrall," he exclaimed to Harry, after he rushed up to Harry to show him. "Gran knows I forget things so this tells me if there's something you've forgotten do do". "All you have to do is hold it tight like this and if it glows red- what…" His face fell, because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet.

"You've forgotten something," Harry finished. He had read about Remembralls.

As Neville tried to remember what he had forgotten, Draco Malfoy seemed to appear from no where, and snatched the Remembrall out of his hands.

"I've always wanted one of these- thanks Longbottom," he sneered nastily.

"What's going on?" a shrill voice demanded a few feet away. Professor McGonagall was striding towards them.

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall," Neville said.

"Just looking," Malfoy snapped, stuffing it in Neville's hand and sloping away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

At about three- thirty, all the first years hurried down for their first flying lesson. The Slytherins were always there and so where about 40 brooms lying in neat lines on the green grass.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived shortly after the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. She had short, gray hair, and eyes like a hawk.

"Well, what're you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick".

Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom and say UP!" Hooch called.

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Harry's broom jumped straight into his hand at once, but not many others. Hermione Granger's had only rolled- but she seemed rather heated. She was several feet away from Ron who was glaring at her rather than paying attention to the broom.

The lesson was rather relaxing even if the teacher was barking mad in Harry's opinion. Well it was till Neville had fell off his broom when flying.

WHAM- a thud and a nasty crack later and Neville lay facedown on the grace in a heap. Harry rushed forward as did Madam Hooch. She bent over Neville, her face as white as his.

"Will he be alright?" Harry asked, his voice slightly shaken.

"Yes- only a broken wrist," she muttered. "Come on- to the hospital wing with you," she said.

She turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come one, dear."

As soon as they were out of earshot, Malfoy started up. He burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump"?

The other Slytherin delinquents joined in.

"Shut up Malfoy," Padma and Harry snapped at once.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom," said Pansy Parkinson, a pug faced Slytherin girl. "Never thought you'd fancy fat little cry babies," she snapped at Padma making her blush furiously.

"Look!" Malfoy exclaimed, holding up the Remembrall.

"Give it here Malfoy," Harry said quietly. Everyone stopped to watch- quiet Harry standing up to Malfoy?

"I think I'll leave it somewhere- maybe a tree," Malfoy said, grinning nastily.

"Give it here!" Harry said, his voice now was much higher than a whisper but still Malfoy took off on his broomstick. Malfoy had not been lying when he said he had superior flying abilities.

"Come and get it, Potter!" he called from yards up in the air. Harry grabbed his broom and before anyone could stop him, mounted it. He kicked hard against the broom and up he went. He couldn't believe! He could do everything perfectly without being taught and he loved it!

"Give it here," Harry called, "or I'll knock you off your broom"!

"Yeah?" Malfoy sneered, his stunned expression gone but a worried one now inhabiting his pale face.

Harry knew what to do and leaned forward, shooting at Malfoy. Malfoy narrowly dodged Harry.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck," Harry sneered- he seemed to have left the quiet Harry on the ground, with the appalled crowd beneath them. Malfoy shouted something but Harry couldn't hear it. But he did see Malfoy throw the Remembrall in the air and streaked back to the ground.

Harry saw it in slow motion. The ball rise and then shoot down. He leaned forward and pointed his broom hand down and shot towards it, catching it with his right hand. He slowly flew to the ground to here…

"HARRY POTTER"!

Oh he was in so much trouble for sure!

Author's Note:

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