The first sign that something wasn't right was at breakfast. Iris was sitting in the great hall eating her toast. She had waved across the hall to Daphne who had smiled and waved back. Neville had received a package in the mail. They were looking with interest at a beautiful round snowglobe from his Grandmother to brighten up his room. Nott had been leering as he walked by and simply sneered at the gift. Just as she was about to turn her head to talk to Neville she noticed a large owl flying down to Draco.
His face went even paler than even Iris could think possible. She pretended to be gazing around the room as she watched him out of the corner of her eye. He had opened the letter as his eyes scanned the page. She watched him as his face dropped for a moment then he took a deep breath and pasted on a blank look. She saw Nott whisper something in his ear. A brief look of revulsion passed over Draco's face before he turned to the boy next to him with a charming smile and started to speak.
'Right, well he's definitely up to something,' Iris thought.
On the way to Herbology, she mentioned to Harry what she saw, 'Keep an eye on him. I think he's received his orders from dear old dad.'
Harry nodded despondently, 'Hey, we had a few days of normality,' he said to her in a dry tone.
'We'll always have the memories,' Iris said mirthlessly.
They both sighed, 'Time for us to butch up Harry,' Iris said to him.
'Grrr,' he grinned at her a little as he flexed his muscles.
They did their little fist pump as Ron caught up with them. Harry briefed him quickly. Ron gritted his teeth.
'Just eyes open for now. Don't do anything if he doesn't and keep an eye on anything you eat or drink, ok,' Harry said to him.
'Do you think he would actually do something like that?' Ron asked with a frown.
Harry nodded.
'He didn't look happy in the slightest about what was in that letter. He also really didn't seem to like what Nott was whispering in his ear,' Iris said to them both.
'What are you getting at?' Ron asked her in a curious voice.
'Just, things about Draco are not adding up. That's all. Merlin, I wish I had some Veritaserum. Well, no doubt he'll show his true colours sooner rather than later,' Iris said to them.
At the end of lunch, they made their way to the Quidditch pitch. Madam Hooch would be giving them their first flying lesson with the Slytherins.
They wandered down to the others. Daphne and Iris had a quick catch up. Daphne and Hermione had been told to leave their snakes in the stands by Madam Hooch which they both did with slightly bad grace. The girls all caught up with each other. Hermione was a bit quiet. This was the one class she hadn't been looking forward to. The boys had a clear divide between them. Blaise stood by himself but nearer to the Gryffindor boys and the girls. The contrast was quite noticeable out on the field. Draco appeared to have adopted the same swagger and arrogance he had shown on the train. He sneered at the other kids around him. Iris felt her heart sink.
'It's an act. Just a bloody act,' was her main thought as she looked at her cousin, 'His dad has put him up to this.'
Iris had always despised one Lucius Malfoy. She had been told all about him. She had witnessed the trial dozens of times in the Black Pensieve and had looked into Lucius's cold, dead eyes countless times. Bella had provided the memories. Andromeda and Ted couldn't stand him at school. Bella had confirmed his cruelty and greed as a Death Eater. Gabriel and Severus had been disgusted by how low Lucius had sunk.
'Now he's going to ruin his son's life. Bastard,' Iris thought as she frowned.
Bella had given up years ago with Narcissa but she was still angry at her. Narcissa had avoided all contact with her Black family. Iris wondered how much of that was due to pressure from Riddle and her husband.
She ran her finger over her Peverell ring and her wand. Just in case. Merlin only knew what Draco had been taught growing up. Some of Bella's spells were definitely in the restricted section. A few she suspected she had been taught were not even allowed in there.
She stared at Draco who noticed her watching him. They held eye contact. A strange flickering went across his face as he then resumed his sneer.
Madam Hooch sauntered over and briskly told everyone to line up next to the brooms.
'Put your hands out and shout up,' she bellowed.
Iris did what was asked and felt the familiar sensation of a broom in her hand. She never got anywhere near the same thrill as when she swung her leg over her Triumph Bonneville.
Hermione wasn't having any joy. Her broom just sort of hovered an inch from the ground.
'Brooms can feel fear,' Iris said to her quietly, 'Do you suffer from vertigo?'
Hermione nodded briefly.
'I'll cover you with a cushioning charm if you like. Keep near to the ground. Worse case if you fall it won't hurt. Be like going onto a trampoline.'
'Cushioning charm?' she asked.
'I'll teach it to you later. It won't take long. The incantation is 'Molliare.' Mrs Weasley must have used it a million times with her kids. They have their own Quidditch pitch at the burrow. It's really common to use with beginners.'
Iris looked at Madam Hooch who was the other end of the line. 'You'd think she'd teach us that first. Or at least check with us that we know it,' Iris shook her head. There was an unpleasant habit in the Wizarding World to not regard the Muggleborns in the slightest. Everyday spells were not in the provided books for Hogwarts. She overhead Seamus saying to Dean he'd keep an eye on him too.
Hermione looked a bit more relaxed. Iris tried to ignore the way that Draco was watching them.
Hermione held out her hand and shouted up. The broom lifted slowly but surely.
'I did it!' she grinned.
Iris gave her a thumbs up. Draco had the most peculiar look on his face now. He actually looked constipated.
Iris rolled her eyes. She turned to Ron who was next to her. She whispered to him, 'He's going to try something.'
Ron glanced over at Draco as his eyebrows raised. He nodded discreetly back to her. He nudged Harry and motioned over. Harry clenched his jaw as he glanced over. Neville also appeared to have clocked what was happening. He made eye contact with Iris who gave a slight nod. Hermione had registered Draco's peculiar behaviour by now and she was looking uncomfortable.
'Well, at least no one was going to be caught unawares,' Iris thought grimly. Daphne was at the very end of the row but she glanced a few times at Draco with a perplexed look on her face.
Draco really didn't look well.
Madam Hooch appeared to like the sound of her own voice very much and didn't pay much attention to the students. She checked their holds on their brooms. She didn't seem to pay any attention to the state of Draco as she admonished him and told him that he was holding his broom wrong. She readjusted his grip and then swept along to the next kid.
While Iris was focused on Draco, Harry looked further up. It was the malevolent look on Nott's face towards Hermione that spurred him into action. He stepped forward.
'Um. Excuse me, Madam Hooch,' Harry said confidently.
'Yes, Mr Potter?' Madam Hooch appraised the golden boy.
Harry breathed deep. Time to use a bit of his sway.
'Malfoy really doesn't look well. Do you think he ate something that doesn't agree with him?'
Madam Hooch turned to the mentioned boy and actually took the time to observe him properly.
'You do look a little peekish, Mr Malfoy. How are you feeling?'
'I'm fine,' Draco said through gritted teeth.
Ron looked at him with narrowed eyes. The tips of his ears were getting redder, 'You're clearly not. I'd be happy to walk him back to the castle, Madam Hooch. I'll take him to the nurse.'
Madam Hooch looked a little conflicted.
'I think that would be best, Madam Hooch,' Harry said in his warmest, concerned voice, 'You shouldn't fly if you're not well, Draco. It can be dangerous.'
Madam Hooch looked at Draco. He did appear to look very strange. She made a decision, 'Very well. Mr Weasley. Escort Mr Malfoy back to the castle and take him to the nurse. No dawdling. Come straight back here after you've handed him over.'
Ron and Draco ambled off in silence. Draco had a blank look on his face and refused to look at anyone.
Harry looked down the line to Nott who was looking at Draco and Ron with a poisonous look. The others followed Harry's gaze and shifted uncomfortably at the sight. Nott's expression was disconcerting to most of them. Even Goyle looked a little edgy. Crabbe didn't appear to notice anything odd.
Madam Hooch continued to inspect their grips and once everyone was deemed fit to fly she continued the lesson.
'Iris, stay close to Hermione. I'll keep an eye on Nott,' whispered Harry. Iris didn't need telling twice. She glanced over to the stands at Lucas. He was swaying gently with Jasper, his eyes on Hermione. Jasper was paying close attention to Daphne.
'Right. Step onto your brooms and then kick-off,' Madam Hooch hollered.
What followed for several minutes was routine. Most of them had been on a broom before. Seamus and Iris shadowed Dean and Hermione. They stayed low as they made a slow lap of the Quidditch field. Most of the others were quite high in the air. Parvati and Lavender were giggling away at something they found hilarious but were managing to fly well at the same time.
Neville flew well. Daphne managed to look very distinguished as she flew around the pitch and chatted with Pansy. Blaise kept up with them. Crabbe and Goyle were surprisingly competent. Tracey and Milicent flew smoothly. Dean seemed to pick it up quickly and was already moving higher and faster.
'Ay. Flying is all about keeping your balance,' Iris heard Seamus say to him, 'That'll be your football skills helping you out.'
Nott was flying very high. Harry kept a discreet distance behind him.
Hermione was still looking with trepidation at the ground as they crawled around the pitch a few feet up.
'There are a lot of spells to stop your fall if you do come off. You can levitate. There's Arresto Momentum. Though that takes a lot of power. When you learn them you'll feel better on a broom,' Iris chatted away.
Hermione was only half listening. Her broom shook a little as she clutched onto it in desperation.
'You really are not enjoying this in the slightest, are you?' Iris observed.
'You reckon!' Hermione said sharply.
Iris tightened her lips so she didn't smirk.
'I think Apparition will be more your thing for getting around when you're older,' Iris told her.
'Apparition?' Hermione asked.
'It's like when they teleport in star trek.'
Hermione nodded in understanding.
'They'll teach us when we're older. You can do it from seventeen legally in Britain. It's a bit like driving. I can do it in Equi but not here. The laws of physics are different here. You can get splinched if you're too young or you don't do it right here. Very painful and very messy but incredibly useful for getting around when you know how to do it properly.'
'That's good to know,' Hermione said as she gripped the broom handle tightly.
They continued round. With her fear of heights, there wasn't much to be done. Hermione knew the mechanics of flying on a broom, but vertigo was too much of an obstacle to be overcome at this point in just one lesson.
Madam Hooch flew closer to them. 'Miss Black. Can I ask why you're not flying with the others?'
'I'm just making sure Hermione is ok, Madam Hooch. She has vertigo,'
Madam Hooch's face softened for a brief moment, 'Right. Well, be that as it may, I need to see how capable you are on a broom. I want to see at least three laps from you. I'll stay with Hermione,' she added when Iris opened her mouth to argue.
Hermione nodded to her that it was alright.
'Ok. I'll be back in a bit,' Iris said as she looked at Hermione with concern.
Iris flew up to join the others. Ron had joined the others earlier as she flew near him.
'Did he say anything to you?' Iris asked him.
'Nothing. He wouldn't even look at me. He was weird when I left him with Madame Pomfrey. Like a bit relieved, but anxious too. Whatever he was going to do he really didn't want to.'
Iris nodded. She had got that impression too. Draco seemed like he had a split personality.
Ron glanced up, 'Harry is sticking very close to Nott,' he observed.
'The look Nott gave you and Malfoy was murderous. He gives me the creeps. Even Goyle looked wary of him. Harry's keeping an eye on him.'
Ron shook his head, 'Blimey. Must have been bad if Goyle picked up on it,' he gazed around the pitch as Iris watched his face instantly morph into one of panic.
'Neville!' he cried out. Iris spun around as Ron shot past her.
Her heart rate shot through the roof. Neville's broom was shooting fast up in a vertical line. She looked around for Harry. He was speeding up to Neville. Nott wasn't holding a wand but had a huge manic smile on his face as he gloated at Neville's predicament. The school brooms were nowhere near as good as Harry's firebolt and he wasn't as fast as he normally was. Her heart leapt as Crabbe came out from nowhere and rammed hard into Harry's side as Harry twisted and had to grip hard onto his broom to stop from falling.
'Oops. Sorry,' Crabbe giggled.
Looking down she could barely make out Madam Hooch. Neville was so high now. Ron wasn't going to get to him. She could see Neville's hands sliding down. Losing their grip. She plummeted down as fast as she could screaming for Madam Hooch.
The other kids had all worked out what was happening at this point and looked on in horror. They started shouting as they watched Neville disappear into the clouds.
Iris's nerves were rattling as she landed on the grass as Madam Hooch had passed her on the way up.
Hermione ran up with Lucas and Jasper slithering behind her, 'What's happening?'
'Someone's messing with Neville's broom. It's shooting right up. He can't hang on much longer.'
She looked at the two snakes. In parseltongue, she hissed, 'Check the stands. Check for someone hidden. Bring them to me.'
The two snakes slithered off.
'Don't fail, please don't fail,' Iris pleaded desperately in her mind as she closed her eyes and focused on her Peverell ring. Holding her shaking left hand and moving it up she tried to keep her voice level. She spoke as steadily as she could, 'Arresto Momentum,' she had never tried this before. She had considered the ring too dangerous to do spells with. Bella and she had tried some basic spells with the ring but they were simply too overpowered and caused a lot of damage. She knew her own wand and Earth magic wasn't strong enough yet to do what needed to be done. No one could know the consequences but this was a life and death situation already.
A wide force of solid white magic flooded out of her hand as her eyes went solid gold. Hermione screeched as Neville fell through the clouds with considerable speed to earth. Iris moved her hand up and aimed it towards him as Hermione grabbed her to steady her. Her own hair was frizzing up as the white magic enveloped them both and then hurtled up in the air towards Neville who seemed to freeze in mid-air. The others were following him down.
Madam Hooch looked frantically at the scene. Her own wand hadn't been able to stop the force of the fast drop. The force of the magic pulsating out of her caused Iris to sink to her knees. She could feel both her Earth and Equi magic being poured into the ring as well. She moved her hand down as Neville moved with it. The moment he landed on safe ground she fainted.