Shortly before Halloween, the Flying lessons began for first-years, and Gryffindors would be learning with Slytherins.
Leo regarded the sign on the Slytherin notice board with some trepidation. He'd been on a broom enough times to know that he never wanted to go near one if he could help it. Sadly, he didn't have a choice.
The lesson began at three-thirty. It was taught by Madame Hooch, a witch who looked a little like a hawk and who snapped at them to stand by a broomstick.
Leo, who had been moving very slowly, found himself left with the worst and most clunky broom of the lot. He sighed.
The first instruction was to put your hand above your broomstick and say "Up!"
There was a chorus of "Up!" from everyone, but only two brooms flew up into their holders' hands the first time. One was Marisa's. The other, Leo was unsurprised to see, was Harry Potter's.
Leo's stayed firmly on the ground, and didn't move at all. Everyone else got more attempts. Draco got it on his second try and so did a couple of Ravenclaws and one Hufflepuff. On the third try even Crabbe and Goyle got it.
By the fifth there were only three people left: himself and two Gryffindors, one boy and one girl. On the sixth the girl, who he remembered as being the know-it-all from Potions, got it too.
Leo tried not to seem too embarrassed as Madame Hooch began showing everyone else how to grip the broom properly, and said "Up!" He was pleasantly surprised to find that it actually came up to his hand. At last.
The next instruction they received was to push off from the ground on the count of three.
Leo reluctantly lifted one leg over his broom.
"On my whistle," said Madame Hooch, "three – two – "
That was when someone's broom went up anyway: the only boy who had hadn't been able to get his broomstick to come to his hand. Leo saw his terrified face and then the boy leaned perilously far over and fell twenty feet to the ground.
Madame Hooch announced that the boy had a broken wrist and set off to take him to the hospital wing, telling the others sternly that if they touched the brooms they would be expelled.
Draco burst out laughing the moment Madame Hooch and the boy were out of sight. "Did you see his face, the great lump?"
The other Slytherins joined in, Leo's laugh slightly faked. Marisa didn't laugh at all but stared seriously straight ahead.
One of the Gryffindors told Draco to shut up (Leo silently cheered) and Pansy Parkinson accused her of fancying a fat little cry-baby.
At that moment Draco picked something up from the grass: the Remembrall Leo remembered seeing the boy with that morning.
Harry Potter said quietly "Give that here, Malfoy," but it was too late: Draco had taken off and was hovering level with an oak tree.
The know-it-all shouted "No!" but Harry grabbed his broom and took off. "Give it here," he said, "or I'll knock you off that broom."
"Come down, Draco," Leo advised quietly.
Harry thrust his broom at Draco, who just about managed to dodge and then threw the ball to the ground and carefully descended.
Leo was impressed to see Harry diving after the ball and catching it before it hit the ground.
"HARRY POTTER!" The Deputy Headmistress was running towards them, yelling "never – in all my time at Hogwarts – "
Some of the Gryffindors protested, but Professor McGonagall silenced them and told Harry Potter to come with her.
In the shocked silence that followed, Leo was the only one who noticed that Marisa had picked up the Remembrall from where Potter had dropped it and slipped it into her pocket.