Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Harry Potter and any of its characters and much to my…displeasure…never will. I assure you though, the plot is entirely my own.

Chapter 13 – Teach me to fly

The next morning as Harry and Hermione walked into the Great Hall everything went silent.

What the hell? Harry thought. Ron, Ginny and John quickly jumped up and walked over to them.

"Follow us" Ron said, grabbed Harry. They walked into the Entrance Hall and stopped.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Everyone knows what happened"

"So?"

"Well they think that…well…you kind of started it and they think you performed the Cruciatus on Lewis-"

"What? Why on earth would they think that?"

"We don't know Harry" Ginny said. "We just came into the Great Hall and everyone started asking us if you would be sent to Azkaban for performing an Unforgivable Curse"

"When we asked them what they were on about everyone explained what they had heard…I…I don't know where they got it from, but they're all under the impression that you k-k-killed Lewis and that's why he's disappeared" Ron concluded.

"They think I killed Lewis?" All three of them nodded.

"That's stupid, where did they hear that?"

"No one will tell us…it doesn't matter how much we try to convince them though…no one believes us…well the rest of Gryffindor do obviously, but no one else does"

"But this is stupid, where could they have heard that I…" Harry trailed off.

"What is it?" Hermione asked as they all stared at him.

"I-It was Lewis" he said.

"But Lewis is gone" Ron replied.

"Well…he…he must have found some way to tell everyone about it in…well…tell everyone his own version of events." Everyone thought about this.

"That lying little git" Ron said.

"Calm down Ron, lets just go to the Great Hall and have something to eat" Ginny said. The five of them walked back to the Great Hall. Everything went quiet again as Harry walked in. They sat down at Gryffindor table and continued like normal, pretending that no one was staring at them.

"So, are you two feeling better?" Ron asked.

"I'm fine, my chest still hurts though"

"I'm ok too" Hermione added.

"Oh yeah" Ron said, shoving some food into his mouth. "My mum said that you could both come and stay at my house for the Christmas holidays if you want." A few people began to talk again.

"Err…Sorry I can't…my parents wanted me to come home for Christmas, I got a letter this morning"

"Oh well…never mind" Ginny said picking up another slice of toast.

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Harry walked onto the Quidditch pitch with Hermione, Ron and Ginny. They had got permission from Dumbledore to have a fly around. Hermione leant against the wall and watched the three of them zoom around the pitch.

Harry looked down at Hermione. Then he had an idea. He shot through the sky on his new broom and landed on the pitch. Hermione walked over. He looked at her and smiled.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Why would you think that there's anything wrong?"

"Fairies" he said, pointing about her head" she looked up and giggled.

"Why on earth did you get me these?" she asked.

"So I could cheer you up when you're sad, speaking of which, what's the matter?"

"Harry" she said, running her hand along the front of his broomstick. "Could teach me how to fly?"

"Really? You want to learn to fly a broomstick?" she nodded and Harry smiled. "Have a fly with me first" he said.

"Is it safe?" she asked, climbing on the back. He kicked off and she screamed.

"Probably not!" he shouted over the rushing wind.

"What do you mean, 'Probably not'!" she said, alarmed.

"Come on. I would never let anything happen to you" he dived down and then pulled back up.

"Isn't it great?" he asked, looking out over the lake.

"Brilliant" Hermione replied. Her hands tightened their grip around Harry's waist as he shot off before landing softly on the ground.

"Your turn. Accio Broom!" Harry shouted. A broom landed in his outstretched hand.

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By the end of a long 2 hours Hermione was able to fly a whole 23 laps round the Quidditch pitch and if Harry hadn't stopped her, she probably would have gone round again.

"Just think" she said as they walked back to the castle. "Next summer I'll be able to play outside with you lot!"

"Yeah…we could play girl vs boys!" Ron said.

"No thanks, we'd be outnumbered" Ginny retorted.

"You could always ask mum to play"

"Oh, and that would get us far!" the four of them laughed.