Nicole's time at Hogwarts was getting better. She was actually starting to make friends with Lily, and was getting along with most of the other students. Draco seemed to like her, even though she kind of felt bad being friends with someone who her brother obviously didn't like.

And that's the thing, Nicole didn't see Harry much. The first years only had Potions with the Gryffindors. They barely talked in the halls, as Harry seemed to stick to his friends, which was mostly just Ron. It was quite different, but it was still probably the best era of her life.

"Hey Potter!" she heard Draco shout in the common room one day. "Look!"

She saw a notice on the wall saying that flying lessons will start on Thursday, and Gryffindor and Slytherin will be learning together.

"I finally get to show how good I am at Quidditch!" Draco said.

"He is pretty good," said Pansy.

"I'm terrible," said Lily. "But hey, always time to learn."

"I still think it's stupid that first years can't be on the school Quidditch teams," Draco said.

"It's so unfair," said Vincent Crabbe.

"You deserve it," said Gregory Goyle.

"You continue to go on about it every single day," Lily said. "It's getting a little annoying."

"And why do you care, Moon?" Draco snarled. "Just don't listen!"

"Can't we all just get along for a day?" Sophie asked, grumpily.

The next day at the feast, everyone was talking about the upcoming lesson when the post got here. Draco got another letter from his dad, and Lily got a letter from her mother. Draco then took a walk, and passed the Gryffindor table. Nicole continued to eat.

"So," said Nicole. "I wonder how I'll do in flying, it doesn't seem like the easiest subject."

"It'll be fine," said Lily. "I'm bad at Quidditch, but I do of course want to be better."

"At least I'll get to see Harry," Nicole said.

Nicole saw McGonagall go up to right near the Gryffindor table, which Draco was just passing.

"What's he done now?" Lily said.

"Probably nothing," said Pansy. "Just McGonagall trying to get him into trouble again."

Draco, Crabbe and Goyle came back to the table a couple of minutes later.

"What was that about?" asked Lily.

"Took a look at Longbottom's letter," Draco explained. "Everyone freaked out."

"Why'd you do that?" Lily continued to question.

"Just for fun. Why do you care anyway, Moon?"

Lily sighed.

"Was Harry there?" asked Nicole.

"Yup. Your twin can be a bit of a handful," Draco said.

Nicole never knew why Harry and Draco hated each other so much. Nicole had got to know Draco, as just a nice boy with weird views and anger issues. Also for some reason calls everyone by their surname. Nicole was interested to see what would happen at the flying lesson later.

And so it came, the Slytherins headed down the front steps to their first flying lesson. There was enough broomsticks for everyone, and they got there before the Gryffindors.

"Where are the Gryffindors?" Nicole asked. "Where's Harry?"

"Late as per usual," Draco laughed.

"Well, why don't we stand by a broomstick ready?" Sophie asked. "It'll be helpful."

"Does it matter, Roper?" Draco asked. "The teacher's not even here yet!"

"Fine, I'll be the star pupil as per usual."

"I'll get one," said Daphne Greengrass.

And then, the Gryffindors got there, including Harry, who was next to Ron. And soon after, their teacher, Madam Hooch arrived.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" asked Madame Hooch to everyone except Daphne and Sophie. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Everyone else stood by a broomstick.

"Stick your right hand over your broom, and say 'Up!'" said Madame Hooch.

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Nicole saw that everyone was being different there. For one, Nicole's broom took a while to get into her hand, while others, like Harry, got it in straight away. Neville's hadn't moved at all for one.

Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips.

"Wait, that's not how you're supposed to do it!" Draco said.

"It's exactly how you do it," said Madame Hooch. "Now keep doing what I say, Mr. Malfoy."

"I've been flying for years," Draco said. "My father taught me how and he's never wrong."

"Well, you've been getting it wrong for years!" Hooch insisted. "And 2 points will be taken from Slytherin for answering back."

Draco was about to object, but stopped. Nicole spotted Harry and Ron laughing while this was going on.

"Now when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," Madam Hooch continued. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle – three – two – "

But Neville, who looked incredibly nervous, pushed off hard before Hooch blew her whistle.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville kept on rising up, and it didn't look like he was coming down. He went from twelve to twenty feet. Nicole saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, and he fell off the broom hard as he lay facedown on the grass in a heap. The broomstick kept going higher and higher, and started to drift into the Forbidden Forest out of sight.

Madame Hooch was bending over him. "Broken wrist. Come on, it's all right, up you get." She turned to the rest of the class. "None of you are to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on, dear."

Neville hoddled off with Hooch, who had her arm around him. When they went off, Draco burst out laughing.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?" he said.

Most of the other Slytherins joined in, except Lily, who had her arms folded, and Nicole and Sophie who both stayed silent.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil, a Gryffindor girl.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" Pansy said. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati."

"Look!" said Draco, getting something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

"Give that here, Malfoy!" Harry said quietly, as Nicole looked at him.

"Harry, don't get involved!" Nicole said, remembering all those times Dudley was bullying others.

Malfoy smiled. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find – how about – up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Harry continued.

Nicole facepalmed. Why was her brother getting involved in this? Draco leapt onto his broomstick and took off. Hovering level with the topmost branches of oak, he said "Come and get it, Potter!" It was obvious which Potter he was referring to.

Harry got onto his broom.

"No!" said Hermione Granger. "Madame Hooch told us not to move, you'll get us all into trouble!"

"Harry, don't get involved in this!" Nicole exclaimed. "You don't even know how to fly! What the hell are you going to do?"

"I need to do this, Nicole," Harry said, as he got up. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground, and up he soared. He immediately flown crazily.

"Has he seriously done this?" Lily asked.

"He was just having a joke," said Crabbe.

"Nothing major," said Goyle.

"Nothing major?!" said Nicole. "My twin brother's going to injure himself winning a fight he can't possibly win."

"Oh, why don't you get behind him? You are his sister after all," said Ron, who was cheering for Harry up there.

"I'm just worried that he'll end up worse than what Dudley ever did to him!" said Nicole.

Harry was actually doing good though, as he looked like he actually stood a chance against Draco, who was looking slightly scared. Nicole looked up. Harry had gotten the ball perfectly, as he pulled his broom straight with the ball tightly in his fist.

"HARRY POTTER!" said Professor McGonagall.

"Oh no," Nicole sighed, facepalming. Is her brother going to get expelled now?

"How dare you – you might have broken your neck – "

"It wasn't his fault, Professor!"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil!"

"But Malfoy – "

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley."

"Professor, it wasn't his fault!" said Nicole. "Don't send him back to the Dursleys!"

"Miss Potter, you stay out of this," said McGonagall. "Mr. Potter, follow me now!"

While this was going on, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle were all smiling.

"Look what you did!" Nicole shouted at Draco. "Harry's now going back to our stupid family because of your stupid games!"

"Hey, we were just having a laugh, Potter!" Draco defended himself.

"A laugh, you call that a laugh?" said Ron.

"Well, Weasley," said Pansy. "Fancy you getting involved."

"Harry was right about you!" Nicole continued. "You're nothing but a selfish, inconsiderate…"

Just then, Madam Hooch came back. Everyone suddenly stood up straight, like they hadn't moved at all throughout the entire thing.

"Right, no one better have moved," said Madame Hooch. No one spoke. "Good. Now let's continue with the lesson."

And so the lesson continued. Hooch got incredibly hasty, as they all did what they were about to do before Neville went up in the air. But it wasn't on for much longer, as it was already near the end.

It was not pretty when they all got back to the Great Hall for dinner. Nicole was still angry at Draco like she was angry with Dudley before. Why did he hate Harry so much?

"You all right, Nicole?" asked Sophie, after Nicole sat down.

"Well, if my brother stays here," said Nicole. "Then it's a true miracle!"

"If you ask me," said Sophie. "They were both acting really stupid."

"Hey, Malfoy, look!" Nicole heard Crabbe say.

"What is it, Crabbe?" asked Draco.

Harry walked through the door.

"How is he still here?" said Draco.