Hey, I'm finally back with a new chapter. Sorry it took so long I have been lazy the last couple of days but I scribbled this down this morning (at the crack of dawn actually). This chapter is short but I hope you like it anyway. Have fun reading.

February 16th, 2011


Chapter Eight – The Flying Lesson

When September had started its second half the first years discovered that they were to begin their flying lessons. That of course had all of them chatting excitedly as it was something they had looked forward to Some of them, mostly the muggleborns, were very nervous at they had never ridden a broom before and Hermione had tried to find as much reading material about brooms that she could, she was very nervous because this was the first time she wouldn't be able to learn it from textbooks. Harry and Ron had tried to assure her that riding a broom wasn't that difficult. They both had a broom at home and they knew perfectly well how to fly. But it didn't help any. She was so nervous that she at times was too much and then the boys avoided her, or except Neville, he too was nervous about flying since his grandmother had never allowed him to even touch a broom. Harry remembered how he and James had tried to talk her into allowing Neville to play Quidditch with them, James, who was an excellent flyer, had offered to teach Neville how to ride a broom but she said she would have none of it. Harry had asked his father if they couldn't just do it anyway when Neville came to visit but James had said no because he respected Augusta's wishes and knew that she was only worried about his safety and Neville didn't like going against his grandmother's wishes either.

Neville was the only one who paid attention when Hermione told them what she had read about flying.

Much to the Gryffindors's dismay their flying lessons were with the Slytherins. That meant that they would be in the same class as Malfoy. Harry wondered why the Gryffindors and Slytherins had so many classes together; the rivalry between the two houses was obvious to anyone. The only classes they didn't have with the Slytherins were Herbology, with the Hufflepuffs, and Astronomy with the Ravenclaws.

Now they had to endure Malfoy in their flying lessons as well. They tried to avoid him as much as possible but they had heard him brag about his flying skills to anyone who would listen, or actually just to everyone. Usually it was about him almost colliding with a muggle helicopter.

Harry didn't know if those stories were true but he didn't really care anyway, he just wondered how skilled Malfoy really was on a broom, he was a pureblood so he was probably taught well since such families usually took pride in showing how much better they thought they were than others so he reckoned Malfoy would try the same on a broom. Well, he would find out in their first lesson.

On a clear, sunny Tuesday afternoon they were standing outside with a bunch of broomsticks in front of them. Madam Hooch, the flying instructor was a tall witch with short blonde hair and hawk-like brown eyes. The authority in her voice when she spoke was unmistakable.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson," she said after she had told them all good afternoon. "I want you all to stand on the left side of your broom".

When everyone had done what she asked she told them to hold their right hand above their broomstick and say 'up'.

That proved to be a difficulty for most of the students. Harry's broom immediately flew up into his right hand and he saw Hermione send him an envious look as she had less luck with her own broom since it refused to obey her and had begun to roll away from her.

Harry saw that Malfoy too had already seized his broom and he watched in amusement how Ron's broomstick flew up and hit him hard in the face.

After about fifteen minutes all the students had managed to get their broom and had swung their left leg over it.

"Now," Madam Hooch said, holding a whistle in her hand, "when I blow this whistle you will take off from the ground hard, hover in the air for a moment, lean forward and land again, understood?"

"Yes, Madam Hooch," the students said in unison.

Madam Hooch raised the whistle to her lips. Neville, who was so nervous, took off the second before the whistle was blown and the other students watched as Neville's broom took him higher and higher up.

"Mr. Longbottom get down here instantly," Madam Hooch commanded.

But it was clear that Neville had no control of his broom that kept taking him higher and higher in the air while performing dramatic loops and what not while Neville clung to it for dear life.

The Slytherins grinned at the sight and watched the show in amusement while the Gryffindors watched in horror and kept shouting to Neville, asking him to watch out.

But it was too late. The broom collided with one of the castle walls and Neville fell to the ground.

Madam Hooch rushed over to him. While she helped Neville to his feet Harry heard her mumble, "a broken wrist".

"You stay here while I escort Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing," Madam Hooch told the other students. "Do not touch your broomsticks. If I see any broom in the air when I get back the person sitting on it will be expelled".

She left with Neville.

"Did you see his face? That fat meatball," Malfoy told his fellow Slytherins, laughing.

Harry gritted his teeth.

"Shut up Malfoy," said Ron.

Malfoy grinned when he spotted something on the ground. When he picked it up into his hand Harry saw what it was. It was the remembrall that Neville had gotten from his grandmother last week.

"You reckon Longbottom would have remembered to land on his fat butt if he'd given this a squeeze?" Malfoy said.

"Give it to me Malfoy," Harry commanded.

"No," Malfoy smirked, "I think I'd rather put this somewhere so that Longbottom can find it". He got on his broom. "The roof perhaps?" Then Malfoy took off from the ground.

"What's the matter Potter?" he said when he was hovering a few feet above the others. "Too high for you?"

Harry got on his broom.

"No Harry," Hermione said. "You heard Madam Hooch, you'll only get yourself expelled".

But Harry took off from the ground. He still had time before Madam Hooch would be back, or so he guessed, and he was determined not to let Malfoy get away with insulting his best friend.

He chased Malfoy on his broom and it didn't take long for him to catch up to him and he thought he saw a look of defeat cross Malfoy's face for a second.

"Then catch it," said Malfoy and threw the remembrall as far away as he could.

Harry didn't hesitate a second and chased after it.

He managed to catch it before it reached the ground and flew back to his classmates.

The Gryffindors cheered. Harry couldn't make out what any of them were saying as they all spoke at once but he thought he could make out a few "well done Harry," and "that was so cool Harry".

"Harry Potter!"

All the students turned around when they heard the voice.

Harry gulped when he saw Professor McGonagall. Getting even with Malfoy had felt so good that he had completely forgotten that what he had done had been against the rules.

"Follow me," McGonagall said.

Harry heard the Slytherins grin as he jogged after McGonagall.

Harry wondered if this would be his last day at Hogwarts. He wondered how McGonagall knew anyway. He must have flown past her window or something. If only he had been more careful nothing would have come of it, Madam Hooch still wasn't back. He didn't dare to think how his father would react to this. He would surely be very disappointed.

Harry had been so occupied with his own thoughts that he hadn't paid attention to where they were going but now he found himself and his head of house outside the defense against the dark arts classroom. He wondered why she had stopped there.

"Excuse me Professor Quirrel," McGonagall said, "may I borrow Wood for a moment?"

Wood? He wondered what that was. Something intended for punishment no doubt.

But Wood appeared to be a student. A fifth year Gryffindor.

"Potter, this is Oliver Wood," McGonagall explained. "Wood this is Harry Potter".

Wood looked bored and Harry thought that Wood had known who he was the moment he laid eyes on him.

"Wood I have found you a seeker".

Wood gaped. "A first year?"

McGonagall looked at the remembrall clutched tightly in Harry's hand. "You should have seen him, he just caught that thing in mid-air. I will speak to Professor Dumbledore about this, I'm sure he will be ready to make an exception".

Wood nodded. "I'll have to test him though. And he'll need his own broom. Do you have a broom Potter?"

Harry nodded. "At home I do".

"What kind of broom?"

"A Cleansweep seven," Harry answered.

"Great," said Wood.

"I'll see the headmaster immediately the two of you can go to your dormitories".

"You must have some talent for her to recommend you in your first year," said Wood after McGonagall had left them. "You'll be the youngest seeker in a century".

Harry smiled and shrugged. This was definitely something he would write to his father about.


I actually thought of not making Harry a seeker in his first year just for the sake of being different but then I thought that while it did not have any too important effect on the story or the plot itself then I didn't have the heart to deny Harry to play seeker in his first year. I'm sorry if this chapter was too much like the book but I'll try to be more AU'ish in the next chapter.

But please review and tell me what you think. I hope my next update will be quick and long.