Chapter 9 Flying Lessons

The days seemed to mesh together for harry, it just seemed like a never-ending sea of questions from Ron and Hermione, the latter especially, trying to pretend that he didn't know what is going on in his classes, worrying about the trial of Peter Pettigrew and Cornelius Fudge, and his vivid dreams with Ginny that were almost real, it felt like she was there and Ron always interrupting them.

Suddenly for Harry it was the next Friday, the first day of broom practice and the day before the trial where he, Ron and Hermione all had to testify.

That afternoon Harry and the other Gryffindors walked down to where the Slytherins were and brooms were lined up, Madam Hooch arrived and told them to get going, to place your hand over the broom and say, "Up!" Harry was one of three people to get it on the first time besides Ron and Malfoy, he was quite pleased when Madam hooch was walking around correcting technique and told Malfoy he had been doing it wrong for years and even more please at the look on his face when she told Harry he was holding it perfectly. Neville once again broke his wrist much to Harry's displeasure, but he couldn't see around it.

"None of you are to move while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing, if any of you even think of getting on a broom you will be out of Hogwarts before you can even say Quidditch."

Malfoy saw Neville's Remembrall on the ground and walked over and picked it up, "Look at what that fat idiot forgot, maybe if he remembered to give this thing a squeeze, he would have remembered what he had forgotten, a brain."

"Give it here Malfoy!" Harry said coldly.

"No, I think I will leave for Longbottom to find." Getting on his broom and soaring to the top of a tree, "How bout at the top of this tree Potter?"

Harry mounted his broom when Hermione grabbed his arm, "Harry you cant possibly be thinking about going up there, not everybody is the same." Harry caught her underlying message, things are different this time, Harry knew it better than anyone," I know Hermione." He kicked off and flew up to Malfoy with ease; it felt amazing to be on a broom again.

"Give it here Malfoy!" Harry said again, "you don't have Crabbe and Goyle with you up here, I'll knock you off your broom."

Malfoy made this realization about the same time Harry did, "Have it your way then," and hurled the Remembrall towards the castle, Harry raced after it. He caught it a foot off the ground, swooping down to catch the small ball, grabbing it just before it smashed into thousands of pieces on the ground. Harry flew to his classmates, landing quite gracefully amidst the loud cheering of his peers.

"HARRY POTTER!" McGonagall yelled.

"But professor-"

"Not the time Miss Granger."

"He was just-"

"Mr. Weasley." Was all she said, effectively shutting him up.

"Let's go Mr. Potter." Harry walked trying to hide the smile on his face; he fell into step with McGonagall. They went to Flitwick's room, McGonagall asking for Wood. Harry once again was the youngest player in over a century as he told Ron and Hermione over dinner.

"You never told us about this!" Ron whispered to Harry. It was true, Harry had told them not everything, just everything pertaining to him and Voldemort, not all the little stuff between them and Malfoy, Quidditch, their love lives, just what they needed to know at the time.

"What was I suppose to tell you? I played Quidditch for 10 years on a team and just for fun for another 80, I absolutely love it, I even played on a pro team for two years. And the world cup team for a year." Harry forcefully whispered back.

"You did?"

"Ya, and you know one of the reasons I loved it so much? Because my best friend was usually always on my team, having fun and joking around with me."

"Who? Ginny? Malfoy?"

"No you prat," Hermione interrupted Harry, "you."

"Do you know how hard it was for me to see you again and not give you, you both a hug? I hadn't seen you in over fifteen years, and Hermione in ten. Do you know how strange this is for me? I have been married for over a hundred and fifty years and now I have to go through dating her all over again. Dumbledore has been dead to me for that long and now here he is, here everyone is alive and well, and I just have to act like a stupid boring 11 year old kid, its just so… annoying!"

"Oh Harry," Hermione said in a sad voice, wrapping her arms around his neck giving him a hug as best she could sitting at the Gryffindor table.

"Saying goodbye to your girlfriend Potter? Leaving on the train tonight?" Malfoy said snidely. Hermione instinctively withdrew her arms from his neck.

"She is more than you will ever get, which isn't anything. And no I'm not leaving." Harry countered.

"Well if she is so special and your not leaving then how bout a wizard's duel, tonight in the trophy room."

"Done, who is your second?" Ron said backing Harry up.

"Crabbe," he said looking back at them, sizing them up.

"I will if you actually show up, and not just run to Flitch and say there are gonna be students out of bed, and be a little pansy like the girl in your house." Harry said remembering the last time.

"Deal, eleven o'clock," Malfoy said trying to look like he hadn't been planning that exactly.

"Ok." Malfoy walked off, regaining his supposed swagger.

The three of them finished dinner when Harry said, "C'mon, lets go get Neville so he doesn't have to walk back alone."

The other two agreed and they left for the Hospital wing.
"I'm sorry mate, I should have realized you wouldn't have told us all of the story, you must think I am a huge prat." Ron said apologetically looking down at the floor.

"Nope, you're just being you." Harry said jokingly, clapping him on the back.

They got to the hospital wing just as Neville was being released.

"Hey Neville, are you ok?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, Madam Pomfrey, fixed my wrist in a second but just kept me there as a precaution." Neville answered her.

They walked back up to the common room, talking, and joking around.

Ron finally asked, "Harry, aren't we going to the duel with Malfoy?"

"No, because neither will he, and I don't want to get caught after hours." He added the last part for Neville.

Saying goodnight to Hermione the boys went to bed, sleeping contently, Neville dreaming of Snape, Ron the trial and Harry of Ginny, once again cut too short by Ron, waking him up for the trial of one Peter Pettigrew.

There is still time to get your suggestions in for Harry's Marauders name. As always please review. -The Jedi Wizard