Later that afternoon the group of friends made their way down to the grounds for their first flying lesson, the three boys all rather excited about it, though Hermione didn't seem to be too bothered. She enjoyed flying well enough when on the back of Harry's broom but she'd not really mastered it on her own yet, which was why Harry patted her shoulder as they reached the grounds, where the Slytherins were already waiting for them, and he pulled a face at Theo, mostly because the Slytherin was giving them dirty looks.
Then Harry turned his attention to the broomsticks, all rather old and beaten looking, not exactly what any of the little group would want to do their first flying lesson on if they were given the choice, Harry was used to his Nimbus, which flew perfectly, but, well they didn't have the choice, which meant that they'd have to make do. So Harry scanned the brooms and found the best looking one before moving and standing next to it, his friends following and picking the brooms beside him.
A moment later their teacher, a hawklike woman with grey hair and yellow eyes arrived, Madam Hooch, and she looked around at the group before giving a short sharp nod.
"Well, what are you all waiting for. Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on hurry up." which spurred the few student's who'd been gathered chatting to move quickly, finding a broom.
"Right then. Stick your right arm out over your broom, and say 'Up'" she ordered once everyone was in position, Harry did so, barely even opening his mouth before the broom leapt up into his grip, which got him a slightly impressed look from the teacher, Ron and Draco's hopped up into their hands after two attempts, and Hermione's did after her third, though Harry couldn't help but notice that Neville's took seven tries, possibly because he looked utterly terrified.
Madam Hooch showed them how to mount their brooms next, giving Harry a small nod when he did, and gently correcting Malfoy's grip, as well as several other students.
Eventually she looked somewhat satisfied, because she spoke to the whole class again, "Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch, "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle, three, two-" but Neville, clearly still panicky, pushed off too hard and fast, shooting into the air as Madam Hooch screamed for him to come back, and Harry didn't even think, kicking off after him in a desperate attempt to help the other boy, ignoring the shocked yells from beneath him as he soared up towards Neville, twenty feet up he saw the other boy gasp and slip sideways after he glanced downwards, and Harry pushed himself further as Neville started to drop, flinging his hand out and catching Neville's, wincing at the pained noise the other boy made as he let go of his own broom entirely to tug Neville up, heading down much more gently than he'd headed up floating to the ground, where Neville practically toppled into Madam Hooch's waiting arms, her face almost as white as his as she looked at his very clearly out of place shoulder, "Dislocated... could have been much worse but I'll take you to the hospital wing all the same." she looked towards Harry as he slipped off his broom, "What you did, young man, was very brave but very dangerous. Keep your feet on the ground until I get back." she said the last bit to the whole class, "Or you'll be in a lot of trouble." with that she helped Neville away, and the Gryffindors all surrounded Harry, babbling excitedly, Draco and Ron complimenting his flying skill loudest, while Hermione laughed and called him too reckless for his own good.
Of course it didn't take long for the brilliant mood to be pierced by an, at this point, annoying familiar sneering voice interrupting them. "You think you're so great don't you Jones." and the other Gryffindors moved out of the way so that Harry could see Theo, "You and your pathetic little group of friends just think you're so great." he shook his head, a mocking look on his face. Then he smirked and darted forward, snatching something off the ground, "Look at this, must have dropped out of that loser's pocket." it was the Rememberall, glinting in the sunlight, and Harry took a small step forward, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Give that back Nott. That belongs to Neville."
"What are you gonna do Jones?" the Slytherin suddenly smirked, "If you want it you'll have to take it. You might not be too bad on a broom for a mudblood-" this provoked several outraged gasps from the Gryffindors, "but I doubt you can keep up with me." then he was leaping onto his broom and taking off as Harry snarled and shrugged Hermione's hand off. Remus had told him about that word once, so unlike Hermione he knew exactly what it meant, and he didn't even think before he took off into the air, racing after the other boy, who only realised that Harry was actually in pursuit when he glanced back, his smug smirk turning into a wide eyed startled look.
"Give it back Nott!" Harry called out, "Or I swear I will knock your smug arse off of that broom of yours." and a quick glance down told him that they were at least fifty feet up.
At first Nott seemed amused by this, until Harry leaned forward and surged towards him, the Slytherin only just dodging out of the way in time to avoid being knocked off the broom, and Harry made a sharp turn so that he was facing him again.
"Y'know Nott, you're not so tough as you think you are. So give me the Rememberall and I won't knock you off your broom! It's a fair trade." And Theo hesitated before flying closer, until they were close enough for him to hand it over, and then he smirked a second before he tossed the ball behind Harry, forcing him to turn and race after it, so he wouldn't be able to get to Nott, who headed straight for the ground anyway, even as Harry started a dive as the ball plummeted towards the earth, he could hear his friends screaming in the background but he didn't stop, just kept pushing, reaching out until his fingers curled around the glass ball and he jerked backwards just in time to stop himself from going face first into the ground, toppling off the broom with a hand raised in the air and laughing as Ron and Draco picked him up, cheering loudly, and Hermione just laughed and shook her head.
Then a piercing voice, loud and angry, called out, "HARRY JONES!" and Harry froze up, his eyes going wide as he twisted his head and saw McGonagall storming towards them and heard the Slytherins laughter.