Vlad never went to Hogwarts, so I definitely don't own the characters!

Because I clearly didn't have enough stuff to keep up with between Not So Bad Now?, Arrogant and this, I'm now also working on Harry/Vlad oneshots - If you find my fic Chosen, it's now called Chosen One-shots and you can request pretty much any prompt involving Harry/Vlad.

Anywho, on with the story!

-YDHP-

Their fourth day passed without incident, other than Vlad vanishing off at ten minutes to eight on the evening and returning over an hour later looking exhausted again.

"What the hell does your tutor do Dracula, make you wrestle the giant squid?"

Vlad shook his head a little, saying reading old tomes of Transylvian history was more tiring than History of Magic. History of Magic was indeed tiring, the ghost professor who droned on in a monotone voice had half the class asleep in minutes.

Only Vlad and Hermione seemed exempt from the soporific effects, though Draco didn't fall asleep every lesson and Vlad definitely looked sleepier after that class. As they settled down for the night on Thursday, Harry remembered tomorrow was their first flying lesson. The excitement was only slightly tempered by the reminder from Neville that it was with the Slytherins, though Vlad didn't look especially enamoured with the idea of flying either.

As they rose for the last weekday of their first week of lessons, Harry bounded out of bed along with Seamus and Dean. Draco rose with his usual grace, and Vlad and Neville stirred sleepily, though Vlad may have been woken up by Phantom licking his face. Harry filled the familiars bowls in the corner while Vlad ambled into the bathroom to wash and dress quickly, vacating the room so the other boys could brush their teeth and what not.

Phantom was curled up on Vlad's lap in the common room when the other boys followed him down, though she leapt up and purred as Hermione appeared. Vlad joked that his familiar liked Hermione more than him sometimes, which Harry thought the creature may have understood as she then curled around Vlad's neck and started licking at the short hair curling behind his ear. Vlad giggled and tried to swat her away, admitting defeat and heading down with them to breakfast with the familiar still licking away. Phantom darted off before they got to the great hall, off to cause havoc elsewhere according to Vlad.

"Come on guys, after breakfast we get to fly!"

Vlad and Neville looked at Seamus incredulously, and Neville looked a little green.

"Yes, because I want to be anxiously hovering above ground right after eating?"

Ah. Harry understood why they looked unhappy now, but his appetite was not quashed as he munched on toast and bacon. Vlad poked at his porridge and Neville had barely touched his eggs before an owl landed in front of him and knocked his plate over. One of the Weasley twins laughed before waving his wand and the mess vanished from Neville's lap, and both Harry and Vlad smiled approvingly at the red-haired boy.

"That's my Gran's owl, I wonder what I forgot."

Harry had to fight a giggle, Neville did have appalling memory. He'd forgotten a book at least once a day, and walked downstairs almost every day without his tie before Draco pointed it out. The pudgy boy opened a small box as the owl hooted and flew away.

"Hey look, Neville's got a remembrall!"

One of the Weasley twins recognised the small glass ball full of white smoke then.

"Whats a remember-all?"

Vlad looked perplexed at the small item. Hermione, who seemed to know everything, piped up.

"I've read about those, when the smoke turns red, it means you've forgotten something!"

The smoke turned a deep crimson almost immediately, and Neville looked confused.

"The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten!"

The first year boys fought a joint laugh - Neville had forgotten his robes but Draco had gone back for them, they were just waiting either for Neville to notice or breakfast to end. Vlad looked at them pointedly, and Harry pretended to be upset at the joke ending.

"Neville, you forgot your robes mate."

Neville looked down in surprise, realising he was right.

"Oh no, I'll be late if I have to go all the way back to the tower now!"

The boy looked crestfallen, so Harry gestured to Draco to hurry.

"Don't worry Neville, I noticed immediately but this group of heathens convinced me to wait and see if you remembered."

The blond boy pulled the bundle of fabric out of his bag and Neville climbed into them gratefully.

"So you guys were playing a trick on me?"

He looked crushed.

Luckily for the first year boys, Vlad thought quickly and patted Neville on the back reassuringly.

"No Neville, we just don't want to treat you like you're stupid because you forget things occasionally, so we give you the time to work it out yourself. Like when we help Seamus with his homework, except he complains when we don't give him the answers!"

Seamus stuck his tongue out petulantly, and even Hermione was smiling as Neville perked up.

"Well, thanks I guess. And thank you Draco for getting them for me."

Neville pushed the glass ball into his pocket. setting in to his new pile of eggs with some energy. Vlad still looked down and tired as he poked at his bowl of porridge, so Harry pushed a jug of pumpkin juice over to the pale boy.

"We all know it's your favourite already."

Vlad blushed slightly, thanking Harry and filling his goblet. Draco and Dean both grabbed a few apples each and hid them in their bag while Seamus lifted a flask of pumpkin juice. At this rate, they were going to get in trouble... but nobody had complained yet. Vlad wrapped half a dozen slices of toast in a napkin and headed outside, the others following. Draco pulled out his own apple, and Vlad offered the others including Hermione each a slice of toast.

They were early as they headed down to the flying pitch, so Hermione waved her wand over the patch of grass and it was mercifully dry as they sat down. Seamus passed around the flask of juice and Draco and Dean tossed apples around, quickly hiding the evidence of their snacking as their classmates started appearing.

Harry spotted Ron, who looked a little less lonely flanked by two large boys. One of them Harry vaguely recognised as the boy who had fallen into the edge of the lake on the first night, and who Ron had laughed at. He still looked a little out of place, but less terrified and downtrodden than he had a week ago, so Harry left him to make friends in the house he'd be in for seven years. A tall, grey haired woman with yellow, cat-like eyes appeared almost out of nowhere, waving her wand to reveal two rows of broomsticks lying on the floor. She ordered them sharply to line up next to a broom each, and they hastened to obey.

"I am Madam Hooch, flying instructor and Quidditch referee. This lesson is only mandatory in your first year, you may choose to take private lessons with me if you plan on flying more frequently after this year, or if you somehow land a place on your House Quidditch team you'll practice at least weekly. Now, everyone stick their right hand over their broom and say 'up'!"

Harry jumped a little at her brisk introduction, but complied with the instructions. The broom leapt into his hand almost before he spoke, and Harry swayed a little with the sudden weight. Draco had a similar experience, though Seamus seemed to have offended his broom as it flew up to hit him in the face. Even the irish boy was laughing afterwards, the jovial mood seeming to help almost everyone else pull up their brooms. Hermione, Neville and surprisingly Vlad were struggling to convince their brooms, as though the logs recognised those who would rather stay on the ground. Eventually Madam Hooch instructed those who hadn't convinced their brooms to simply pick them up.

"Now you've got hold of your broom, mount it."

A few of the obviously magical household children swung a leg over their brooms, gripping about half a foot away from the top and Harry copied it. Madam Hooch made her way down the lines correcting their grips, and Ron scowled when she corrected his. Vlad had to be told twice to sort his grip, and the usually pale boy looked even paler as she told them to try kicking off and hovering. Vlad really didn't want to fly then.

Neville had barely bent his knees before his broom started lifting, clearly against the boys will as he started panicking. The broom shot off, and Harry was surprised to see the reticent Vlad dart up after it. Whether or not he wanted to, it was quickly apparent Vlad could fly well naturally. Neville's broom kept rising higher, and Neville clearly wasn't having any luck steering it.

Madam Hooch was demanding they both come down immediately, and Harry wondered if she was being deliberately obtuse as Vlad chased their classmate. The rebellious broom seemed to have had enough of Neville clinging on and it pitched violently, the whole class holding their breath as Neville was thrown into mid-air.

Vlad knew he could help Neville, but not easily and he didn't want to do it publicly. The decision was made for him as Neville was tossed off his broom. Vlad held out his hand, imagining his fingers holding strings to keep Neville in the air. The boys descent slowed and stopped, looking around in wide eyed panic as he floated.

Vlad could feel the tension of his magic rebelling at the weight - Neville was a lot heavier than the feathers he'd practiced on. Hoping he remembered right, Vlad aimed his broom towards the ground and let his hand lower Neville down safely before tumbling off the strange log onto the grass. The class swarmed them then, the teacher shouting at him for being careless before awarding him ten points for bravery. Neville was trembling on the ground next to him, and Vlad would have offered comfort if he thought he could move. His muscles weren't shaking, but Vlad could feel the magic inside him almost vibrating with exhaustion. He needed more of that replenisher stuff. Madam Hooch looked at him closely, and Vlad could see the cogs turning in her strange yellow eyes.

She sent the class back to wait with their brooms again, leaving her alone with Vlad and Neville, who had since fainted.

"Let me guess, Vladimir Dracula?"

Vlad nodded dumbly, unsure how she knew his name from his careening through the air. Madam Hooch turned her body around, looking to the others as if she was tending to Neville and handing Vlad a small vial.

"The headmaster called every teacher to keep vials of replenisher on hand, something about you having trouble with power levels? I think theres more to it than that, you didn't even use your wand to help him."

Vlad smiled gratefully, quashing the spike of annoyance that the headmaster was essentially gossiping about Vlad to the other teachers before downing the vial. The vibrating inside him slowed and stopped, and Vlad struggled to his feet.

"No more flying today for you, but I'm going to take Mr Longbottom to the hospital wing so kindly go and wait with your classmates."

Vlad nodded, grabbing his broom and heading back to his fellow Gryffindors.

"If I see a single broom in the air before I return, the one riding it will be out of this class and in detention before they can say Quidditch."

The class echoed a "yes Madam Hooch" as she levitated Neville in front of her, the boy still unconscious.

"That was awesome Vlad! You're a natural!"

Vlad ignored the deeply buried -vampire- part of him that had rejoiced at soaring through the air. They weren't wrong, he was literally born to fly, though with wings rather than a broom. Vlad still felt a little shaky, sitting back down on the floor and rubbing his temples. Harry looked about to follow him, but then one of the Slytherin boys bent down to pick up something that gleamed in the light.

"Hey look, the idiot dropped something!"

"Smash it Crabbe!"

It was Neville's remember-all thing. Vlad struggled to his feet again, stalking up to the boy twice his height and demanding it back. The bull-sized boy shoved him, and Vlad swallowed back the spike of anger.

"Give it back Crabbe!"

The boy shook his head and smirked coldly, climbing on his broom and hovering clumsily.

"I think I'll leave it up on the roof for Longbottom to find!"

The boy zoomed up, and Vlad was about to clamber back onto his own broom when a blur shot past him. The blur turned out to be Harry, his position on the broom a little clumsy but he was steady enough in the air.

Vlad couldn't hear what the two in the air were saying, but he saw the larger Slytherin boy pull his arm back and fling the glass ball into the air. Harry shot after it, seemingly uncaring as he essentially fired himself towards a very solid castle wall. A collective gasp ran through them as Harry snatched the ball from mid-air and pulled his broom to a speedy stop before he smashed into the wall.

Harry slowly flew back one handed, and Vlad couldn't remember how he'd managed to steer his broom one handed, let alone how Harry had done such speed like that. As Harry landed much neater than Vlad's inelegant tumble to the ground, the Gryffindors swarmed him and cheered. A sharp voice cut through their cheers, and the students seperated to reveal Professor McGonogall.

"I was on my way down here to collect Mr Dracula after seeing his blatant disregard for the rules earlier, but now I see I'll have to take Mr Potter too. Both of you, with me! And Mr Crabbe, five points from Slytherin for your immature actions. I will be talking to your head of house."

Vlad recalled the favouritism of Slytherin by Professor Snape - he didn't think it would do much good.

Traipsing behind Professor McGonogall with Harry, Vlad wondered just how much trouble they were in with the severe woman. They stopped outside a classroom, and the professor bade them to wait while she went in and asked for "Wood". Were they going to be caned? His Granny Westenra had suggested more than once that Vlad be caned for his unvampiric behaviour, but since they moved to Stokely, corporal punishment was thankfully less common.

Harry looked almost as terrified as he, but the professor returned leading a boy Vlad guessed was about fourteen, maybe fifteen at most.

"This is Oliver Wood, head of Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Wood, I have found you a seeker, Harry here snatched a small object in mid air at high speed like it was nothing! Mr Potter, please stay here for a moment and discuss practice times with Mr Wood, I shall return in a moment. Mr Dracula, with me."

Harry smiled apologetically at Vlad, who followed the professor to a nearby empty classroom.

"I was under the impression you had been told to keep your extra powers a secret, though the headmaster has seen fit to inform every professor of them in case you overexert your magic before you're trained. So can you please tell me Mr Dracula what you think you were doing showing them off at flying practice?"

Vlad straightened up, unhappy with the way she accused him of showing off.

"I wasn't showing off anything, I was barely even thinking. Neville's broom threw him off and I couldn't even begin to remember the levitation spell or if I even had my wand or left it in my bag. What was I supposed to do, let him fall?"

Professor McGonogall regarded him closely for a moment.

"What do your classmates think happened?"

Vlad let his shoulders relax a little before answering.

"They think I used my wand, the angle we flew at meant the sun obscured most of their view. Madam Hooch noticed, but I'm fairly sure she's wearing special lenses to help her see in those conditions."

The professor smiled at him then.

"Very astute observation young man, I don't think another student has ever even asked, let alone assumed that. Please be more careful in future, but I can see the hat placed you well in my house. Ten points to Gryffindor Mr Dracula. It's technically against school policy to give you this, and you will suffer if you tell your housemates I have done so. This is a flash of Replenisher, come to me or go and see Madam Pomfrey if you need more, she will know to agree. The cap works as a measuring guide, one capful is a dose. I hope you won't need it, but if you have to use your powers in a pinch, that should help. Now, let's go collect Mr Potter and never speak of this conversation again."

Vlad shoved the flask in his bag, hiding it under his books and scrambling after the professor. Harry was waiting for them then, the older student having gone back to class.

"I can see what you're going to ask Mr Potter, and do not worry. The broom situation will be resolved, though you'll only have access to it for practice and games you understand, the rules do state no first year can have their own broomstick."

Harry nodded, smiling tentatively at Vlad and then beaming when Vlad returned it.

"It's only a few minutes until class ends, so you two may follow me as I believe you have my class next."

Swapping a swift high-five behind her back with Harry due to the fact that neither of them were in trouble, Vlad feigned innocence when she turned around at the sound.

"Yes, well. Off we go boys!"

Harry and Vlad followed her along, bouyed by the lesson in strange ways. Vlad still didn't really like flying though, even with a broomstick it felt a bit too vampiric.

-YDHP-

I think this is a short chapter (I type it up on Wordpad and I'll be damned if I can work out how to get a word count on it before I put it through FF doc manager.) However, the flying lesson is kind of important to Harry becoming a seeker, and naturally Vlad needed a moment here too. I originally planned to have Ron doing the remembrall throwing, but I remembered I promised not to make him evil and so I'm trying not to turn him into a bully.

Anywho, to each new follower/favouriter, thank you! To anyone who is nice enough to review, thank you in advance!