The boys did not go without punishment, eventually they were caught whilst trying to sneak back to class. Harry and Draco had split off at this point, with Harry heading towards the Transfiguration classroom and Draco to Charms. Harry when about to round the corner to his classroom was stopped by a droning deep voice.
"And what do we have here Mr Potter?" The voice said. Harry cringed, for he had heard this voice before and knew exactly who it was.
"Hello Professor Snape." Harry said, turning around and attempting not to flinch at the sight of Snape.
"May I ask why you are sneaking around the corridors during class time?" Snape said, one eyebrow lifted.
"I…I was…" Harrys mind drew a blank, he could not think of one single excuse that would work.
"No excuse aye? Just thought that simply being Harry Potter would let you get away with breaking the rules… well unfortunately for you Mr Potter I do not care who you or who your parents are, you are just a snotty little brat to me." Snape sneered and Harry slightly recoiled. He had never heard anyone hold so much revulsion for him before, it was jarring.
However, Harrys anger flared, how dare someone speak to him in such a way! "I'm sorry sir but I have no respect for an adult who can't let go of stupid childish feud of the past." Harry defiantly said keeping eye contact with Snape. Harry knew he was pressing on a sore spot of Snapes and as he said it Snapes nostrils flared and his eyes darkened with anger.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor and two weeks worth of detention with me." Snape sneered but before Harry walked into the classroom Snape spoke once again.
"Tell Professor McGonagall that I will see her after her lesson." Snape gave one last disgusted look at Harry before turning around and flowing away.
Harry now feeling slightly stupid for the attitude that he had given Snape walked into the classroom with his head down and defeated.
"Uh Mr Potter finally decided to show up for class, did we?" McGonagall spoke, stopping her talking and the whole class turned to him. He walked up to Professor McGonagall and murmured, "Professor Snape will see you after your class."
McGonagall nodded, seeming to know that he was already punished she let him go to his seat without another word. Ron instantly started to ask questions when Harry sat, but Harry just said he would tell him after class, his heart was still racing too fast after his first meeting with Snape.
Harry tried his best to pay attention, he read most of the chapter that they were assigned and scribbled down the details for the first essay that they had to write, but his head kept replaying what he had said to Snape and how much trouble he would get in from Remus if his uncles were contacted. He smirked at the thought of Sirius finding out, knowing that Sirius would find it funny, but then felt ashamed knowing the face of disappointment that Remus would give him. He hated making Remus disappointed.
The lesson finally ended and Harry left the classroom as quickly as he could. Ron and Hermione quickly caught up with them and Ron once again bombarded him with questions.
"Harry, where were you? Were you with Malfoy the entire time? And what was that about Professor Snape did you get caught or something?"
Harry let Ron finish and told them the whole story, he kept the part of the kitchens out though, he wanted to keep the secret that Draco had shown him just to himself for the time being. Hermione cringed when Harry told them what he had said to Snape, but Ron just laughed and pat him on the back.
"Nah Harry I say good job on defending yourself, he's a teacher, but that doesn't mean he gets to be so horrible to you."
"Yeah but he was baiting me Ron, and I rose to the bait when I should've just held my tongue." Harry groaned, he was really starting to regret saying what he said and now he had two weeks of detention with the insufferable man.
"Well two weeks of detention isn't so bad, once the twins exploded a cauldron in Snapes class on purpose and they got a months' worth of detention cleaning the toilets with filch."
This made Harry feel better slightly, but also nervous, what was Snape going to make him do for two weeks? Hermione gave him some encouraging words before he started heading down to Snapes office after receiving a note stating that he was to meet with him at his office.
"Goodluck buddy." Ron said patting him on the back, Harry smiled nervously and left.
Harry started along to Snapes office when someone pumped shoulders with him, he turned and saw that it was Draco.
"Oh, hey Draco." Harry beamed, instantly feeling a bit better.
"Where you heading?" He said, an innocent look on his face, but Harry had a suspicion that he already knew where he was going.
"I suspect that you know already." Harry said cheekily. Draco looked away feigning innocence.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Dracos smile gave him away.
"How did you get away with no punishment?" Harry wined and Draco laughed.
"I'm the master of lying Harry, if one is to survive one must know how to lie."
Harry pouted, this was so unfair, and Harry knew it was more than just lying, Draco tended to get a little bit of extra treatment, even from the Professors, who were wary of his father's influence.
"It's so unfair, I now have two week's worth of detention with Professor Snape." Harry sighed; he was really dreading it.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll survive." Draco rolled his eyes.
"Maybe." Harry grumbled; Draco gave him an encouraging pat on the back before turning around.
"Well I'll let you get to it, good luck!" Draco teased and he walked back towards the Great Hall with that stiff yet graceful posture of his. Harry sighed and shook his head; he would need to hurry to Snapes before he caught an extra week of detention.
Harry finally made it to the dungeons and to Snapes classroom. He took a deep breathe before knocking on the door twice.
"Come in." Snapes deep voice made Harry slightly shiver in fear. He walked into the classroom and tried to not show that he was getting a little afraid of this Professor now.
"Mr Potter you finally decided to show up." The Professor dark and as greasy as ever was sitting on his chair by his large dark oak chair like he was a prince.
"Sorry sir." Harry looked down to his shoes, the floor of the dungeon suddenly becoming very interesting.
"Look at me when you speak Mr Potter." Snape sharply spoke and Harry wiped his head up.
"Good so now time for the details of your punishment, for the next two weeks you'll be assisting me with the reorganisation of my supply cupboard, I hope you're not too clumsy with those hands of yours."
Harry didn't know how to reply, so he just nodded his head in understanding.
"Good, you'll have to listen to every word I say mistakes can't be made when helping me with these precious ingredients, they are grown by a friend of mine and I do not wish to waste them."
Harry once again nodded his head with understanding, he was beginning to think that perhaps something happened to his tongue or his brain rather because he couldn't think of a single thing to say to Snape.
"Go put on one of the aprons and I want you to first start by taking each shelf of jars down and cleaning them, sit at that table over there there's already a cloth and water, you can go back to your dorm once you've cleaned a shelf of jars."
"Yes sir." Harry said finally finding his voice. He went to the table and placed the black apron on, he struggled a little to tie it but once he had he went into the supply cupboard and began to take a few jars to take back his desk.
By the time he was finished with the first shelf his fingers ached and his back was sore, when checking his watch, it was already ten at night. Snape had been in and out of the classroom, they never spoke a word to each other. Snape had come to his desk once to ensure he was cleaning the jars properly, seemingly satisfied he walked away without saying a thing.
"Sir I'm all finished." Harry said, stretching as he spoke. Snape looked up from whatever he was doing and gave Harry an appraising look.
"Very well Mr Potter you can head straight back to your dorms, take this note with you so you don't get in trouble for being out of curfew, but I warn you, you go straight back to your dorm." Snape gave him a 'I mean business look' Harry gulped and quickly stepped forward to take the note from Snape.
Even though Snape was still being quite hostile to him, Harry noted that there seemed to be less hatred in his voice when he spoke to Harry. This made Harry feel a bit better and he hoped that just meant he and Snape had started off on the wrong foot. He gave a small timid smile to Snape before quickly shuffling out of the classroom.
Harry sighed in relief to be out of that some what suffocating classroom, he was so relieved by this fact that he hadn't noticed the smirking blonde boy waiting outside of the classroom.
"So how was it?" Draco said half scaring Harry to death. Harry nearly fell over at the sight of Draco appearing out of thin air, he had to take a moment to catch his breathe before he could say anything.
"Merlin Draco, you really like to appear out of nowhere sometimes don't you?" Harry rushed, still trying to catch his breathe.
Draco shrugged, "it's a talent of mine."
Harry glared at him and punched him in the shoulder, Draco recoiled. "Ouch what was that for?" He whined, rubbing his arm.
"For scaring the absolute life out of me."
Draco laughed, "not my fault you weren't paying attention, and anyways you didn't answer my question, how was it?"
Harry shrugged and started walking to his dorms, "wasn't so bad, he just made me clean some of the jars from the supply closet."
Draco's eyebrows raised in surprise, "that's it? Just cleaning jars, I would've thought he would have you scrubbing floors with a house elves toothbrush or something."
"I would've thought so too, I was so nervous." Harry laughed. Draco continued walking with Harry until they got to the stairs of Gryffindor Tower.
"Well better go, see you tomorrow Harry." Draco smiled
"Night Draco!" Harry waved before bounding up the stairs.
Harry was a bit surprised to see that Hermione and Ron were in the common room waiting up for them.
"Merlin he's alive!" Ron called out, fake crying.
"Oh, shut up." Harry rolled his eyes, he sat on the couch with them, they were in the middle of a game of wizard chest. No matter how many games Harry had played with Ron growing up he could never manage to win, he was glad that someone else was interested in playing chess with Ron.
"So how was it?" Ron asked after moving his knight to B4.
"It was okay, he just made me clean the jars in the supply cupboard, he said for the rest of the two weeks I'm to help him with cleaning it."
"Doesn't sound so bad then, better than what Fred and George got stuck with."
Harry nodded at Ron; he couldn't help but feel very relieved that his punishment wasn't so bad.
"Sucks that you have to spend all that time with Professor Snape though." Hermione clipped in, a deep frown of concentration on her face.
"Wasn't half bad actually, we didn't say a single word to each other after he told me what to do, and before I was finished."
"Wow." Ron said, finally looking up to him in surprise.
"Yeah I know." Harry said.
Harry watched as Hermione and Ron finished their game, with Hermione losing, but she didn't get her arsed kicked as bad as Harry usually did.
"I've never been so bad at something before." Hermione groaned leaning back into the couch.
"Its just natural talent." Ron smirked with victory.
Hermione childishly stuck her tongue out at him before quickly standing up. "Right since Harry came back alive and I got absolutely murdered in chess, I'm going to bed."
"Night Hermione." Both boys said in unison.
Hermione rushed up the stairs and both boys decided to go to bed too, they snuck into their dorms as not to wake up their slumbering dormmates. Harry was pretty tired and it didn't take him long to go to sleep.
The next day Harry slept in and was being shaken by Ron when he woke up.
"Mate if you don't wake up you're gonna miss breakfast!" Ron had his toothbrush half hanging out of mouth and he spat a little on Harrys face.
"Argh okay I'm awake, ger' off me." Harry groaned, sitting up and finding his glasses on his bedside table.
He yawned and got out of bed, stretching before he quickly rushed around getting dressed and brushing his teeth, Ron and Hermione were chatting in the common room waiting for him.
"I've never flown a broom before I'm really not looking forward to flying lessons tomorrow."
"Come Mione, you'll be fine." Ron smiled at her, giving her a reassuring smile.
Harry had never heard Ron call Hermione that before, but he joined in the conversation. "Yeah Hermione, you'll be fine, it not as scary as you think it is."
Hermione sighed, "you just say that because you've been riding a broom since you could walk."
Harry shrugged and made for the exit, he wasn't one to convince someone of something, if they didn't like something, they just wouldn't like it until they tried it.
Ron kept trying to encourage Hermione about riding brooms for the rest of the way to the Great Hall, Harry thought it was pointless himself so he just listened in or zoned out and thought about his day with Draco yesterday.
Breakfast and lessons went by quicker than he thought and by the end of the day he was back outside Snapes office, feeling a lot better about it then the day before. He knocked on the door before entering, Snape was once again sitting at his desk scribbling away possibly marking essays.
"I'm here sir." Harry spoke, standing awkwardly by the door. Snape finished writing before he looked up.
"The same duties as last night Mr Potter."
Harry nodded and made way for the supply cupboard, he quickly got to work, determined this time to finish before curfew, he had a charms essay to start. Harry worked quickly and efficiently, once he nearly dropped a jar of gillyweed and Snape barked at him to be more careful, but other than that there was no communication between the two.
Harry finished an hour before curfew feeling chuffed. Snape wondered over and examined the jars closer than the night before.
"This will do Mr Potter, you may leave."
Harry nodded, "thanks sir." He quickly scurried out of the room not chancing a look back.
Harry half hoped that Draco would be waiting for him again like the night before, but he was not there so Harry walked back to his dorms by himself, occasionally smiling at those that he passed on the way.
Harry was not absent in noticing the female attention that he had gathered. Girls giggled as he walked by and some boys stared at him with jealousy or admiration, Harry wasn't one to be shy of the attention, he didn't savour it but he didn't go around actively avoiding it either. He just simply accepted the attention and made sure to be polite.
Harry slowly climbed up the stairs to Gryffindor Tower, looking forward to the Charms essay that he was about to start. Hermione was in the common room working on her essay too, but Ron was nowhere to be seen. Harry plopped on a couch opposite to Hermione's and sighed.
"Where's Ron?" Harry asked leaning his head back into the cushion and staring at the ceiling.
"Um I'm not sure, in his dorms maybe." Hermione said, her tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration.
"Argh better get started on my essay too." Harry groaned, he swung his legs and swiftly got off the couch, Hermione didn't look up once.
Harry walked into the dorms and quickly grabbed his book bag with the things he would need for charms. He looked around and found Ron already asleep in his bed. Seamus and Dean were murmuring about something on Deans bed.
"Hey guys how are you?" Harry asked strolling over to the boys, they both looked up a little bit surprised.
"Nothing, just trading some of our quidditch cards." Dean said showing Harry their decks.
"Oh, that's cool, I never collected them but Ron loves them."
"You Canons?" Seamus asked.
"Yep, who you go for?"
"I go for Kenmare Kestrels." Seamus said, Harry himself didn't know the name of the team, but he assumed it was some local Irish team.
"Cool, well I'm going to get started on this charms essay, see you guys in class."
He smiled at both the boys and went back down to the common room. Hermione and Harry both worked together quietly, every now and then asking each other questions or reading what they had wrote to each other to fact check. Hermione retired first having finished her easy, Harry said goodnight and continued working on his essay with the warm glow of the fireplace the only thing lighting his paper.
Eventually Harrys eyes grew too heavy for him too keep scribbling away at the paper, he yawned rubbed his eyes and packed up his stuff, heading up to his bed. Harry slept fitfully that night, Snape haunted his dreams and a man unwrapping something like a scarf from his head kept appearing. Harry wasn't sure what any of this meant when he woke up in the morning, but by breakfast most of the details had become too hazy for him to think about.
Morning lessons was their first lesson of Potions. Ron complained about it all morning, but frankly Harry was pretty excited, he wanted to see Draco again and he'd always been the most interested in learning Potions when Remus was teaching him. Harry walked into the classroom feeling confident and happy, but when he looked at Professor Snape his mood immediately plummeted, the man looked like he was in the most fowlest of moods.
Snape scowled as he saw the happy trio walk into the room, Draco was already seated at the front of the class, the boy he remembered Draco talking to the other day sitting next to him, Harrys hopes of being Dracos partner instantly vanished.
Draco looked up and spotted Harry sitting down next to Ron, he smiled and got from his seat quickly rushing over to him before Snape noticed.
"Hi Harry." Draco smiled.
"Hey Draco, finally got a lesson together aye?"
Draco nodded, he seemed happy to see Harry which made Harrys stomach flutter.
Draco quickly looked to Ron who was giving him a scowl and his smile dropped, instantly Harry could see that wall rise up and Harry wanted desperately to take it down.
"Hello Weasley." Draco nodded politely, Harry noticed that there was a lack of hostility in his voice, Harry looked to Ron hoping that Ron would be polite back.
"Malfoy." Ron nodded. This was much better than their first meeting Harry decided, the tension was rising however and Snape broke it just at the right time. He cleared his throat gaining the attention of the classroom.
"If everyone could take their seats please."
Harry although he liked being with Ron in classes yearned that he would be sitting with Draco, he tried his best to pay attention to Snape, but he couldn't help but have his eyes on the back of Dracos head for half of the lesson. Snape although in a fowl mood taught clearly, his instructions were easy to understand and simplified enough that even six-year-olds could've learnt to do the potion they were learning if they tried enough. Harry noted everything that Snape said diligently, making sure to not lose a single detail that was told.
By the end of the lesson Harry felt that his head was going to explode from the amount of attention that he had to pay to Snape to make sure that he got all the information he needed, Snape apparently only liked to use the chalkboard to write students names on and the assigned homework.
"Argh that was horrible." Ron whined as they walked out of the classroom, Harry just smiled at him but he didn't agree with him, although the lesson was by far the hardest lesson they had had so far, it wasn't horrible.
"Too hard for you was it Weasley?" The black-haired boy that Draco was sitting with snickered.
"Cut it out Blaise." Draco nudged him with his elbow. Draco looked at Harry with an apologetic look, Harry smiled at him indicating that he wasn't mad.
"Who do you think you are?" Ron said offended.
"Oh, really surely you know my name?" Blaise said, feigning offence.
"You're just some Slytherin to me." Ron snapped out, Harry took a step forward and placed his hand on his shoulder.
"Ron calm down, no need to take it so far, there's nothing wrong with Slytherins."
Ron looked to Harry like he had betrayed him.
"Of course, you side with your new best friend!" Ron hissed out before storming off.
"Ron!" Hermione called after him, conflicted not knowing whether to stay with Harry or to go with Ron.
"It's okay Hermione, he's just feeling a bit hurt you can go to him."
"Will you be okay Harry?" Hermione asked still feeling conflicted.
Harry chuckled, "I'll be fine go."
She nodded thankfully and rushed after Ron.
"Sorry about that." Harry said turning to Draco and Blaise.
"Don't apologise it was Zabini that started it after all." Draco said, glaring at Blaise.
"Hey, don't look at me like that, that redhead is asking for it half the time!" Blaise put both his hands in the air, feigning innocence.
Harry gave him a serious look, "doesn't mean I appreciate you treating my best friend like that." Harry said trying to keep his cool demeanour.
"Alright alright, I'll say sorry to him if I have too."
Harry thought, "that be nice but even if you don't apologise to him can you not try to get a rise out of him again please." Harry said, still with his serious face on.
"Fine fine…" Zabini sighed then turned to Draco.
"I'm going to lunch you coming?"
Draco looked to Harry pausing, "uh I'll be there in moment."
"Suit yourself." Blaise shrugged before gracefully walking to the Great Hall.
Draco and Harry both chuckled lightly, before they too started walking to the Great Hall in amicable silence.
"Lately I've been wishing that I was in Gryffindor like you." Draco said out of nowhere.
"What really? I thought you were proud to be in Slytherin." Harry said, very surprised that Draco was feeling that way.
"No well I am of course, but the Slytherins are quite cold to each other sometimes and its just so different seeing you Gryffindors being all warm and close, it makes me want something like that too." Draco said, choosing his words carefully.
"I don't mind sharing my Gryffindorness with you Draco." Harry said smiling brightly.
Draco just stared at him, his eyes a little wide with an emotion that Harry couldn't place.
"Thank you." Draco finally spoke, looking away from Harry.
"Hey that's what friends are for." Harry said quietly.
"Well if you ever need some Slytherin coldness than you know where to find me." Draco laughed dryly.
"Thank you very kindly." Harry nodded, playing along.
"Soo what are you going to do about Ron, because Harry if you haven't noticed yet I think he might be a little bit jealous of me."
"Jealous?" Harry said faking surprise. Draco just rolled at his eyes at him.
"I don't really know, I'm not going to pick him over you or you over him, he's just going to have to deal with that I'm friends with you now." Harry said shrugging, cause really that's just how it was going to have to be, Ron would have to hike up his big boy pants and get over it.
"You're not going to get into some sort of big fight over me, are you?" Draco said laughing.
"Hm probably not." Harry replied laughing a bit too.
The rest of the walk was silent, and Draco smiled a goodbye to Harry as he went to go sit at his table, Harry sat next Hermione who was next to Ron, Ron was stuffing his face as usual which was a good sign.
"Ron you know you'll always be my best friend." Harry said, putting some shepherd's pie onto his plate.
Ron didn't reply, but Harry could tell that he was listening.
"Even though Draco is my friend now, he's never gonna replace you, who am I going to talk about quidditch with or get absolutely murdered in Chess or sneak around pulling pranks? Cause I can't do all of that with Draco, he's too… Draco."
Ron paused his eating and looked up to Harry, his eyes watery, "promise?" He sniffed.
"Promise." Harry nodded smiling.
"Oh, you boys!" Hermione cried, she wrapped her arms around the both of them and pulled them close, "lets not fight again please, I really hate choosing sides."
They all laughed and Hermione let go of them, the chatter continued mostly talking about Potions, Seamus and Dean also joined in, overall, Harry was high on joy. The five of them laughed as they and chattered as they walked back to their dorms, they had a free afternoon and everyone was excited to laze around, but Harry sighed, he would have to use this time to catch up on homework he was behind in.
Harry was still scribbling away at his Transfiguration essay when Ron came bounding down the stairs in his riding gear.
"Oi Harry we have riding lessons in ten minutes!" Ron said patting him on the back.
"What we do?" Harry looked up, he looked down to his watch surprised by the time.
"Yeah come on that Transfiguration essay can be done later."
Harry quickly packed up his things and rushed up stairs, he put on his riding gear which just consisted of different pants a shorter robe and soft leather gloves. First Years weren't allowed to bring their own brooms and Harry wasn't the most excited to be using Hogwarts century old brooms, but anything that would get him zooming through the air would have to suffice.
Harry bounded down the stairs, where an excited Ron and a nervous Hermione was waiting.
"Alright all ready to go?" Ron clapped his hands and made way for the exit.
"Are you sure I wont get really hurt Ron, what if I accidentally shoot really high into the sky?" Hermione asked nervously, she had her hair in a braid which Harry had never seen it like that before, her face looked a bit different, not being constantly framed by her large bushy hair.
"Hermione you'll be fine, and anyways magic can fix a mended bone in a second." Ron reassured, Harry shook his head, that really wasn't the most reassuring. But Hermione seemed to take it and she looked less nervous once they had finally made it to the Quidditch pitch.
The whole class was already there and Harry was surprised to see that they were sharing the lessons with Slytherin, Draco smiled at with a small smile which Harry returned.
A whistle went off and Harry winced, there was a short yet fierce Professor standing with a broom in her hand and whistle in her mouth.
"Welcome First Years, I am Madam Hooch, I am the riding instructor here at this school and you all will listen to every word I say, is that understood?"
Everyone nodded.
"Good, now line up next to a broom and wait for my next instruction."
Everyone shuffled along, trying to get to a broom, Harry stood next to his feeling confident in his abilities, as he looked around, he could see some were a bit nervous and some like him were confident.
"Next you are to tell your broom to rise up, you must be able to get the broom into your hand before you can even think about riding it." Madam Hooch shouted her instruction and then blew her whistle.
Harry took a deep breathe, looked to his broom with a firm determination for it to rise into his hand then said with a clear and solid voice. "Rise up!" The broom instantly shot into his hand.
Harry looked around feeling slightly smug, Madam Hooch gave him a nod of approval. Ron was the next to get the broom into his hand, with only having to ask a second time, Draco was not far behind but he too only had to ask twice.
Eventually it was just Hermione and Neville that were left with their brooms on the grounds. Hermione had managed to make her broom twitch, but Neville's had not moved an inch.
"You must be confident, with yourself and with the broom or it will never obey you." Hooch called out. Harry took a step closer to Hermione not caring if he got in trouble.
"Hermione just take a deep breathe, hey I want you to imagine flying through the clouds, imagine touching them, imagine the wind on your face, making your eyes water and you nose cold. Imagine all of that then ask for the broom, ask for it to rise up."
Hermione nodded and closed her eyes, she took a deep breathe and relaxed her shoulders. After a moment she firmly said, "rise up!" And the broom shot into her hand.
"I did it!" Hermione cried smiling brightly.
"Knew you had it in you!" Harry said giving her a high five.
Now it was just Neville, Harry if he was honest didn't really know how to help Neville, maybe if he told the same thing he said to Hermione to him, but he had a feeling that it probably wouldn't help. Eventually Hooch had to move on.
"Okay class now mount your broom and after I give the command you are to kick off the ground, I only want there to be hovering, no going up past two metres!" She blew her whistle and everyone mounted their brooms.
"Now kick off!"
Harry kicked off smoothly and with instinct went too high, Ron he saw did the same.
"Boys I said hover!" Hooch yelled at them, Harry gave her an apologetic look and lowered closer to the ground.
Harry watched Hermione now, she was a bit rocky and clutching the broom far too tightly, but Harry could tell that she was slowly gaining confidence. Draco and most of the Slytherins kicked off smoothly as he and Ron had, the rest of the Gryffindor class were a bit shaky but other than that they were confident, Neville was still on the ground trying to get his broom to rise. Harry sighed and decided he would try to help. He got off his broom and went to Neville.
"Hey Neville need some help?" He said kindly, the boy looked racked with nerves.
"It just wont listen to me." He complained, slouching in defeat.
"Hey, it will, what are you nervous about heights or falling off?"
"Both!" Neville laughed dryly.
"Okay so how about this, just imagine something else that you like doing when you call for the broom, try not to think about it too much."
"What do you mean?" Neville said confused.
"Like what's something that you like doing, that's fun."
"I like gardening." He said.
"Well think about gardening, how happy it makes you feel then call for the broom." Harry said, he wasn't really sure if it would work, but it was worth a shot.
"Alright, but I'm not sure how that's going to work." Neville mumbled.
"Just close your eyes take a deep breathe and think about gardening."
Neville nodded, he closed his eyes and took a deep breathe, he took a moment then when he seemed more relaxed, he extended his hand over the broom and said, "rise up!" The broom slowly yet surely rose and popped into Neville's hand, Neville opened his eyes in surprise and looked to the broom in his hand. "Merlin, I did it Harry!"
"See not so hard is it Neville!" Harry smiled proudly; he gave Neville a congratulatory pat on the back before going back to his spot where he continued to hover. Neville was extremely shaky hovering, but at least he was on a broom now.
Hooch wandered over to him.
"For an eleven-year-old you are a pretty good teacher." Hooch murmured to him.
"Oh thanks." Harry nodded to Hooch, trying not to blush.
Madame Hooch nodded her head and left continuing to make her rounds. Harry desperately just wanted to shoot into the air and fly around, but he didn't want to get on the bad side of Hooch. Eventually they were allowed to begin to do low laps around the quidditch field, Harry and Ron raced laughing gleefully, Hooch thankfully didn't yell at them.
Then a scream echoed around the field and everyone stop, Neville was crouched on the ground clasping his arm.
"Merlin what happened?" Ron said, Hermione hovered in.
"He lost control and went to high, then fell off."
"Ouch." Ron cringed.
"Poor Neville." Hermione sighed. Neville was quickly taken to Madam Pomfrey, before she left, she quickly instructed everyone to land and wait on the ground then she hurried off with a whimpering Neville.
Harry sat on the grass picking at grass feeling bored when some giggling caught his attention. Harry looked up and found that Blaise was throwing around a glass ball with Crabbe and Goyle. Harry squinted at the ball, trying to figure out what looked so familiar about the ball, when it clicked, that was Neville's Remember ball.
"Oi Zabini that's not yours!" Harry yelled crossing over to where Zabini was playing catch with the ball.
"Yeah and so?" Zabini said smirking, Crabbe and Goyle quickly came to his side, Draco too stood closer, looking like he was ready to step in, but Harry could deal with this himself.
"So? It's not yours so just hand it over." Harry said firmly.
"Woah there, I wasn't aware that this was yours!" Zabini held his ground still wearing that smug smirk.
"It's Neville's, so give it here." Harry put his arm out, he really didn't want to fight with Zabini, Ron rushed to his side along with Hermione.
"Come on Zabini just hand it over." Ron said calmy.
"Well, if you want it then… you'll just have to get it." Quickly Zabini mounted his broom rose high into the air and threw the ball as hard as he could. Harry without much thought hurriedly grabbed his broom and zoomed after the ball, desperately hoping he could catch it. He flew, adrenalin rushing through his veins and outstretched his hand the ball falling in what felt like slow motion. Finally, his fingers clasped over the ball and Harry had to do a flip in order not to crash into the wall he was very close to hitting.
Feeling exhilarated Harry made way back to the field, his fellow Gryffindors cheering, the Slytherins just frowning, all except Draco who had a neutral expression on his face.
Harry landed by Zabini, "look Zabini I know you want to show off and be cool but messing around with other people's stuff or bullying people isn't cool." Harry said, he left it at that and turned around going back to his friends and sitting in the grass with them.
Madam Hooch returned and instructed the class to pack up, so they did and Harry made way to the medical wing to return the ball to Neville. He climbed up the stairs alone feeling exhilarated still from the flying that he had done, he remembered back to the first time that he had flown and the broken arm that had occurred, thankfully by that time Rons mother Mrs Weasley was excellent at healing broken bones and mended his arm within the moment.
The medical wings door was already open and Harry slowly stepped in, there was Neville with a frown on his face and a fixed arm, a petite woman turned around and smiled at Harry.
"Are you here for Neville?" She said, Harry nodded.
"Yeah I just came to give him something." Harry said stepping further into the room.
"Well you can walk Neville back to his dorm then, he's all good to go." The nurse said, she gave Neville a friendly pat on the arm, Neville smiled at her and quickly made way to Harry.
"Oh, is that my Remember ball?" He said.
"Yeah you left it on the field." Harry handed him the ball.
"Thanks, my grandma would've killed me if I lost it."
"Yeah I bet." Harry laughed.
The two boys walked back to the dorms just chatting about their day. Neville Harry had learned was quite good company to have, but he was a quite a bit forgetful and timid, he wasn't really sure how he had been sorted into Gryffindor, but he knew that the hat was never wrong.
"Thank you so much Harry." Neville said as they finally got to their dorms.
"Its what friends are for Neville." Harry just replied, smiling kindly at Neville.
"Yeah friends." Neville beamed.