Chapter 8

When I wake up, it's still dark outside. My dream featured the troll again, but this time I got a better look at my surroundings. I'm in a bathroom, somewhere, crying, the troll proceeds to destroy the stalls in its attempts to crush me. I don't know how I come to be in the bathroom so I don't know how I can avoid it. My heart is still racing, as the troll very almost succeeded in its mission to kill me, that club came mightily close.

I decide to start my day, so I get out of bed and head to the little bathroom for a shower. The other occupants are still snoring lightly. I dress in my uniform and by the time I've finished trying to do something with my hair the first rays of the sun have lightened the room considerably. I head down to the common room to wait for Neville, he's usually an early riser too. I'm not waiting long, Neville comes barrelling down the stairs from his dorm like his pants are on fire.

"What's the rush Neville?" I ask.

"Morning Hermione, I'm expecting something in the post from my Gran, I want to get down to the great hall so I don't miss the owl post" he explains.

As we make our way out of the portrait and down to breakfast, I ask Neville what he's being sent. "Anything I've left behind, and my gran said something that's supposed to help me remember things I've forgotten" he looks at the floor sheepishly.

As we enter the great hall, there are a few students already eating their breakfast and talking about yesterday's lessons. Neville sits opposite me and starts piling his plate with sausage, bacon, hash browns and beans. I don't think having something that heavy before flying class is wise, so I stick to my porridge, but I have blueberries with it this time and will have a banana before we head out. About half way through breakfast Seamus, Harry and Ron join us. Seamus is going on about how he found a spell that would turn water into rum, so he pulls his wand out to give it a go. I turn away, and am about to ask Neville if he's looking forward to flying class when I hear a large screech from overhead.

"Ah, mails here" Ron announces. I look up and see about 50 - 100 owls swooping into the room, heading towards the tables to drop off the letters and parcels they've been tasked with delivering. Ron catches the parcel sent to him, by I'm assuming his mother. There's a letter and a copy of the wizarding newspaper The Daily Prophet. Ron drops the newspaper to the side and opens his letter, as Harry doesn't have any post he asks Ron if he can borrow his newspaper to read, Ron nods his ascent. Nevilles parcel has also arrived, he opens a small cardboard box and pulls out a clear sphere with a gold band around the middle. Seamus looks up and notices the ball that Neville is holding and informs those around us that it's called a rememberall.

"I've read about those" I pipe up "when the smoke turns red, it means you've forgotten something." I inform them, as the smoke in the ball starts to turn red.

"The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten" Neville states, he starts listing everything he's going to need today to see if he can figure it out.

I over hear Harry talking to Ron about an article he's read in the Daily Prophet

"Somebody broke into Gringotts, listen to this, believed to be the work of dark wizards or witches unknown, Gringotts goblins were acknowledging the breach, but insist nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713, had in fact been emptied earlier that very same day. That's odd, that's the vault Hagrid and I went to" Harry informed Ron.

So Harry was taken to Diagon Alley by Hagrid, I wonder why Professor Mcgonagall didn't take him? And he went into a vault? My transaction took place in the atrium of the bank, I suppose they have to keep the money somewhere. It also explains how Harry knew Hagrid when we got off the train.

I make a mental note to do more research into Gringotts, and turn to Neville. He's still trying to figure out what it is he's forgotten. I look him over and realise what it is. "Neville, where are your robes?" He looks down at himself and gulps "guess I was in such a hurry this morning, I forgot to put them on, thanks Hermione" and he rushes off back to the common room so he can put them on.

I leave not long after as it's almost time for flying class. I am so not looking forward to this.

Flying lessons are held on the training grounds, as we arrive all the brooms are lined up on the floor in two neat rows. We congregate behind them waiting for the flying instructor to arrive. I see Neville slip his rememberall into his trouser pocket just as the teacher arrives. "Good morning class, I'm Madam Hooch and welcome to your first flying lesson" she strides in between the brooms, down the gap left down the middle. "Well what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomsticks, come on hurry up, stick your right hand over the broom, like so" and she thrusts her hand out in front of her, fingers spaced, "and says UP". A loud chorus of "UP" goes around the whole class. Harry's broom zooms into his hand, as does Malfoys, Ron's hits him in the nose, and mine rolls over. I continue to say UP and eventually my broom shoots into my waiting hand. I look around and there are a few others who are still struggling, at least I wasn't the last I think to myself. Once everyone has managed this, fairly simple, instruction Madam Hooch continues "now once you've got a hold of your broom, I want you to mount it. Grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end. When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard, keep your brooms steady, hover for a moment then lean forwards slightly to come back down. Ready on my whistle 3, 2" before the whistle reaches her lips Neville has begun to rise into the air, he looks terrified, the broom gets higher and higher and starts to drift and zig zag its way through the air. Madam Hooch is trying to instruct Neville on how to come down safely, but I don't think he can hear her. Eventually the broom hits the wall of the castle, and Neville slides off the back, and rips his robes on the gargoyle that is on the wall. Just as well he went to put his robes on, otherwise I dread to think how this could have ended.

We all rush over to where he's landed, Madam Hooch is assessing his injuries and announces that she suspects he has a broken wrist and will need to be escorted to the hospital wing. As she leaves with him she says "everyone is to keep their feet firmly on the ground, whilst I take Mr Longbottom to the hospital wing, understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say Quidditch" she marches poor Neville back towards the castle.

I knew this lesson was going to be horrible. Flying on a broom of all things. Honestly it's not very safe is it?

Malfoy notices something on the floor and starts to mock Neville.

"Did you see his face? Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze he would have remembered to fall on his fat arse" he's waving the rememberall around, a few of the students laugh. Harry steps forward, towards Malfoy and demands that Malfoy give the rememberall to him.

Malfoy denies and sneers "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find, how about on the roof" and he takes off on his broom, when he's about 25feet up he shouts back "what's the matter Potter, bit beyond your reach?"

Harry's incensed, he sticks his broom between his legs as if he intends to go up there after Malfoy to retrieve it, "Harry, no way, you heard what Madam Hooch said, besides you don't even know how to fly" I try to talk some sense into him, but he takes off anyway. Oh Merlin, this isn't going to end well. What an idiot.

Harry gets up to Dracos height, and pulls the broom to a stop, he's handling the broom very well considering he's never been on one before. And then Harry's took off, he's hurtling towards the castle, for sure he's going to go headfirst into the wall, I look away, waiting for the screams, but instead I hear cheers, Harry somehow managed to stop and turn and is now making his way back to us. He has Neville's rememberall is his hand, Malfoy must have thrown it. How reckless of both of them. The whole class, barring the Slytherins, runs towards Harry to congratulate him, on some fine flying when Professor Mcgonagall turns up and announces "Potter, follow me" oh no, Harry's going to be sent home for sure. As we walk back to the castle, my fellow Gryffindors and I all make a pact to go straight to Professor Mcgonagall to explain that was all Malfoys doing and that Harry was just trying to help a friend. Turns out we didn't need to bother as Mcgonagall had taken Harry to the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain to say he was perfect to play the position of seeker this year. I have no idea what a seeker, or Quidditch is, for that matter but I'm very glad Harry's not being sent home.

We head off to the greenhouses for our second lesson on Herbology. We are learning the fire making spell, Incendio, so that we can tackle the spiky bushes that have started to over grow, you move your wand in the shape of a flame, and say the incantation, in-SEN-Dee-o. It's rather satisfying watching the bushes shrink when you hit them with the fire. The lesson goes by quickly. It's a shame Neville missed the class he'd been looking forward to most. I pop by the hospital wing to check in on him, but see that Harry is there handing back the rememberall and availing Neville of how he got it. I decided to leave them to it and go back to the common room to preread a few chapters of Magical Drafts and Potions before double potions this afternoon.