Chapter 8

I want to say that I do love writing this fanfiction and I am glad with the way it is progressing. I do realize that I am not a constant updater, but I find that by having the long moment of pauses I am better able to collect thoughts and string the ideas together more clearly. I love the reviews I get, but I do hate the "when are you going to update next?" questions. I will update when I update. Nothing great completed is ever rushed.


Harri loved Hogwarts. She was glad her parents had allowed her to attend. Gabrielle was constantly asking her if she were alright, if she wanted them to come get her, but she had replied each time that she wanted to stay. Gabrielle had finally stopped asking only when Harri had wrote about Draco and Hermione her two friends at Hogwarts. Before Harri knew it a month had gone by. She was still doing her early morning training. She had just finished going through her drills with her bo-staff. The common room was filled with the first years. Harri glanced around at them. Usually they were just waking up when she was getting in.

"Draco what is going on?" She asked him at once the moment she spotted him in the common room.

"Professor Snape just put up a flyer about our flying lessons."

"Flying lessons? Nice. Who are we with?"

"Gryffindors. Who else?" Replied Blaise Zabini.

"That'll be interesting." Harri said with a smirk. It seemed every class that they had with the Gryffindors Ron, Dean, and Seamus just had to try and harass Harri. She could not understand why their first beating did not stop them from coming back for more. They seemed to enjoy being escorted to the hospital wing. She continued on her way to get ready for the day. "I'll catch up with you later, Draco." The blonde haired boy nodded at her in acknowledgment.

The day seemed to be going along fine. Draco had only made an idiot of himself by grabbing Longbottom's gift. "Stop that." No sooner had the words left her mouth than Professor McGonagall was in front of them demanding what was going on. Draco had turned bright red in embarrassment at being caught by a teacher. He had mumbled and dropped the round gift of Neville's back into the boy's hand. Harri had shaken her head and continued on her way to class.

She was enjoying her classes immensely and before she knew it the Slytherins were heading to the Quidditch Pitch for their first flying lesson. The Slytherins were first to arrive and soon after the Gryffindors made their presence known by their loud and atrocious behavior. Harri caught Hermione's eye. The bushy haired brunette looked fearful as she glanced at the broom sticks lined up on the grass and then at Harri she mouthed that she really was dreading this lesson.

Harri walked away from the cluster of her peers and stood next to Hermione. "I am sure you will be fine. Did you find any books to help you?" She asked.

"All I could find was Quidditch through the Ages." She stated, "It was not much help. It only talked about fouls, and well it mentioned the hovering charms that the brooms have put on them, but nothing in regards to actually flying. I know I am going to make a mess of this."

"Eh, you'll be fine. I bet it's like riding a horse. Don't be afraid and you are in charge." Harri replied.

"I've never ridden a horse." Hermione said discouragingly.

"Hermione!" Harri exclaimed. "Don't worry, you got this." Harri gave her a quick hug and made her way back to the broomstick she had chosen just as the flying instructor made their way to onto the field.

The Professor who liked to be called, Madam Hooch, blew a whistle to garner her pupil's attention. Harri looked towards her. "All of you are already next to a broom good. I want you to place your hands over your brooms and say up." She clapped her hands and swooshed them into action.

Harri was pleasantly surprised when her broom instantly jumped into her hand. Her broom was one of the only few that did so. They were then instructed on how to properly grip the broomstick, and grimaced when Madam Hooch corrected Draco's stance. The young boy went red in the face from embarrassment and muttered about telling his father. Harri shook her head and wondered if she would have permanent whiplash from shaking her head at Draco. Soon they were ready to mount and Madam Hooch commanded they were to only hover for a few moments and then touch back down. She gave a slight countdown from three, but before she could blow her whistle Neville and lifted up off the ground. He rose higher and higher as Madam Hooch hollered for him to get back down. Suddenly, his broomstick lurched forward and he shot off towards the nearest tower hitting it, and falling towards the ground with help slowing down from edges on the building. He hit the ground with a thud. Madam Hooch declared his wrist to be broken and hurriedly escorted him to the healer. "Don't any of you even thinking of getting on those broomsticks while I am away. If you do I will know and you will be expelled." She said with an air of authority in her voice.

Dean Thomas let out a bark of laughter, "How did that fat lump even get into Gryffindor? Did you see his face?" He asked his two companions. The other Gryffindors were unsure if they wanted to participate or stay out of it. The Slytherins glanced among themselves and determined to stay out of it. Harri, on the other hand refused to do so,

"Shut your mouth, Thomas!" She commanded.

"This is between us Gryffindors you slimy snake!" Seamus Finnigan retorted.

"Hey, look!" Ron exclaimed as he bent down and picked up a clear round ball.

"That is Neville's. He got that this morning." Hermione said.

"You know everything? Don't you?" Ron mocked her.

Harri growled out, "Jealous much Weasley?"

"I'm not jealous of anything. Let alone that." He motioned to Hermione.

"She's a person just like you and I." Harri said anger seeping into her mind. "Why don't you shut up?"

"Why don't you make me?" He grabbed his broom in one hand and kept a hold of the ball in the other and took off into the air.

"Harri, don't it's not worth getting expelled over." Hermione cried out as Harri also mounted her broom and hovered off the ground.

"He is an ass, and I will not let him treat my friends like crap. Plus he stole Neville's," she paused not sure what it was, "well whatever that thing is. I can't let him get away with it. I won't get expelled." She took off after the red head. She knew she was too famous to be expelled.

Ron seemed to not have formulated a plan once up in the air. He turned his broom around to face a speeding Harri racing to him. He barely managed to dodge the Slytherin. Harri grinned. This was way better than driving or even riding a horse. Riding a broom was the best part of magic yet. She let out a hoot, and turned sharply to face Ron. "What's the matter Weasley, you look a little pale, never been on a broom before?" She taunted the ginger.

Draco hollered from the ground, "There family is dirt poor, I doubt they can even afford a broom."

"I have older brothers who've played Quidditch for Gryffindor and they've let me on their brooms plenty of times." He replied to Harri. However, he did look a little uncomfortable on his broom.

"You don't say? That doesn't excuse you from insulting my friend and stealing from Neville. So hand over his ball!" She narrowed her eyes at him, just like her mother had taught her. Xena always told her to make her eyes back up her words. If she could make her eyes have more emotion behind the words she said then people would listen and obey. Well, if they weren't suicidal or just plain stupid. Weasley seemed to be both.

"You know what I don't' really care for this." With a large swing of his body he threw the ball behind them. The ball went hurtling towards a wall of Hogwarts.

Harri feeling determined to catch it leaned forward and propelled her broom towards the moving ball. With ease and on a spin she managed to catch the thing and land gracefully back on the ground before Weasley had even landed.

Her fellow Slytherins applauded her for showing up the red head on a broom. She gave them a small grin and made her way towards Hermione. "Here why don't you hold onto this, and give it back to Neville when you see him." Harri said handing Hermione the ball.

"MR. WEASLEY!" Professor McGonagall was racing on the quidditch pitch. "Get down here this instant."

Weasley quickly made his way back down and landed hard and tripped over his feet. "Professor, Ron was only up there because Potter stole Neville's rememberall." Dean Thomas lied at once.

"Miss Potidaea-Amphipolis, will you come here please?"

Harri made her way over and stood in front of Professor McGonagall. "Is this true? Did you take Mr. Longbottom's rememberall?"

"No ma'am it is not." Harri replied looking into Professor McGonagall's green eyes.

Professor McGonagall made to speak, but was interrupted. "I do hope that you will be fair in any punishment you intend to dish out as you come to the conclusion of fact and fiction between our two houses." Professor Snape said smoothly.

"I suppose you know the truth, Professor Snape?" The deputy headmistress stated.

"Yes, you see I was over there," he pointed behind him, "watching my first years first flying lesson like I always do. You know to make sure that anyone talented enough makes it onto the team next year." He had an eerie smirk on his face.

"Scouting the talent, I thought you would leave that to Montague, Slytherins captain?"

"I keep him informed. However, that is neither here, nor now. I do believe that some deviant students need to be punished." He said softly.

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Thomas you should learn to respect your housemates and quite being bullies. 15 points each from Gryffindor. Mr. Weasley you can take another thirty off for not following directions. Miss Potidaea-Amphipolis, thirty from Slytherin for not following directions. You can take fifteen for standing up for Miss. Granger, and another ten for retrieving a stolen item from a dishonest classmate. Five points to Mr. Malfoy for having his housemate's back, and Mr. Thomas 20 points from Gryffindor for false accusations. I do believe that is fair. Do you agree?" He inquired of his colleague.

"I agree." Professor McGonagall stated. "Although, I do think Misters Weasley and Thomas deserve a detention for all of next week. This type of behavior will not be tolerated. If you step out of line again I will be writing disciplinary letters to your parents. Am I to be understood?"

"Yes Professor." They said.


Thank you for reading. I appreciate the reviews and comments.