The rest of the first week was about the same as Monday. The only difference was my mad dashes to other teachers to turn in homework on time. I had learned my two note takers names by Friday. The second year was Alice Rosier. She was quiet but top of her class. Her dirty blonde hair hung in perfect rings every day, was the only indication that she might be an Heir to her Family Name. The third year was Dravin Selwy. Also top of his class, Dravin took the opposite approach to the title. Dravin was loud, outgoing, and made it clear who he was. His soft blue-green eyes, however, told a different story. I, however, knew better than to ask about personal matters until knowing the person a few months. Saturday was basically a Q&A with Serveurs and McGonagall about Legimens and Animagus procedures. Sunday I was lectured none stop on both sides of the Dark Arts, which I promptly collapsed under the Willow. I was glad that within the week I was able to stop asking to come sit with her. I did always thank her for allowing me to. The second week was similar, until Thursday. It was the first years first flying lesson.
We, Slytherins, walked out onto Quidditch pitch to see two straight columns of broomsticks. I smiled and skipped over to one. It instantly jumped into my hand as I stepped up. I mounted it and drifted a few centimeters off the ground. I floated back over to the rest of the group as they walked up. No one else stepped up to the brooms. Instead, they gathered around Draco, who was boasting about his father teaching him how to fly. I drifted off into a memory about my first time on a broom. I was about five. My aunt thought it would be okay to get me a toy broom for my birthday. I was zooming around the backyard laughing and giggling. Suddenly I saw a small ball get thrown at me. I leaned up and caught it without hesitation. "Well someone's going to be a great player when she grows up," I heard Uncle Teddy say. I shook my head and looked around me. That would've happened if I hadn't been forced into the Malfoy family. I thought. Madam Hooch walked up and we welcomed her. I laid down on my broom as the class listened to her about how to get the broom in their hand without picking it up. Then there were choruses of "Up"s around me. I was floating next to Theo. He got it in a few tries so I looked across from me. To my surprise, it was Granger and Longbottom. They seemed to be getting increasingly frustrated so I called out to them, "Take a deep breath and Calm down. Brooms are like animals. They don't like negative energy." The Gryffindors stares at me before doing as I said. A few times later, they had it down. Everyone was instructed to mount their brooms. Then Madam Hooch came around to correct. When she got to me, she noticed I was already flying. I looked up at her from my back and raised an eyebrow. "You helped Miss Granger and Mr. Longbottom?" I shrugged, replying, "Just because we're in different Houses doesn't mean I can't help a fellow student." She nodded and continued on. A few moments later I heard her say Draco had been flying completely wrong his entire life. I closed my eyes as I waited to be able to actually fly.
About five minutes, I heard her whistle and someone screaming. I opened my eyes and saw Longbottom screaming as his broom took off. Before I could even move, Theo pressed his palm into my shoulder. I stopped moving and watched in silence. Longbottom finally fell and landed on the ground. Everyone rushed over to him. I flew over to Madam Hooch and asked, "Can I go get the broom?" "Go," was the answer I received. I flipped on my broom so that I was upright and flew after the rouge broom. It had drifted over the Forbidden Forest. I grabbed it and brought back to the pitch. I saw Draco and Potter flying. I could tell they were fighting over something. The Draco threw it. Without thought, Potter bulleted after it. I landed as Draco did. After laying the brooms down I stormed over to Draco and slapped him across his face. "First of all how dare you bully someone who isn't even here to defend himself? Don't deny it because that's the only reason you would've been in the air in the first place. Second congrats you just gave Gryffindor their seeker for the next seven years!" I growled at him before stalking off. Draco had just stood there with his hand on his cheek. Severus was waiting for me when I got to the Entrance Hall. He didn't say anything, just turned around and started walking. I followed silently. My Godfather took me to the library. Holding his hand up to me, he walked in alone. I waited outside in the hall for about ten minutes before he emerged with Flint. Flint smirked down at me as I pushed myself off the wall."Lyra this is," Severus started but I cut him off, "Marcus Flint, Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. For you to bring me here to talk to him means you want me on the team. I barely have the time to get all my notes and homework done and turned in on time. Not to mention the spells and potions I have to master for exams. I don't have the time for," I waved at Flint in frustration, "This!"
"I understand that you sit under a certain tree during your breaks each day. You seem to have time then," Flint snapped at me. "I'm doing my bloody workload when I sit there. It focuses me and allows me to be outside. Something I haven't been allowed in a few years. Serveurs seriously. I'm a first year that's completely out of practice. I don't think it'll work," I turned to the adult, pleading now. His face was blank and his arms were crossed. "Lyra you were flying with your back on the broom. Then when given permission you flipped while still on said broom and flew off after a rogue broom. You had the broom back to the pitch in under 30 seconds. That's not out of practice," he stated. Flint's smirk fell as he heard that. "Wait you can actually do that?" The sixth-year asked. I shrugged. The two males stared at me in different levels of disbelief. Surprisingly another student came out of the library just then. "Flint, just because you don't want to learn this doesn't mean that you can slack off from it," Dravin growled holding up some paperwork. With the distraction, I slipped away from the trio and went off my next class. I placed my earbuds in, played War of Change by Thousand Foot Krutch, ignored everyone for the rest of the day. The group kept space between Draco and I since I slapped him.
Life resumed as normal after that. We went to class together. Ate meals together. Studied together. During periods that I was in other classes, I kept my head down as much as possible. Study periods were spent under the Whomping Willow. I collected the other paperwork from Alice and Dravin before dinner and made copies into corresponding notebooks after. Around the 15th of October, I got down a timetable on when to do certain classes' homework as to not overwhelm myself. The group supported me in their own ways. Crabbe and Goyle studied with me late into the night. Pansy made sure I was up and dressed in time for breakfast. Blaise kept a steady supply of chocolate going. Theo dragged me away from school work to dance or show me something new he found. Draco would smile his rare real smile from behind a book whenever he spotted me needing a test subject and help me. The Twins were stilling bothering me whenever they saw me but I paid them no mind. I felt normal. That is until the Twins cornered me on the 20th.
"Why aren't your scores posted?" They asked together as they pressured me into a corner in the Entrance Hall. I stood tall and shrugged, "Maybe because I don't go to all the third year classes?" They paused and looked at each other. I took the chance and slipped passed them. Only to run into Flint, Dravin, and the rest of the Quidditch team. I groaned, "No, I'm not going to join. I don't have the time." Dravin held out a slip of paper while Flint smirked. "You do now," they barked in unison. I snatched the parchment from Dravin. Lyra Lestrange is, from this moment forward, a Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team. She will practice and play matches along with her other duties. A. Dumbledore I growled as I read the note. "Fine. I'm going to need a broom," I stated as I crossed my arms. "Looks like Harry isn't the only one who has skills," I heard one of the Weasleys say from over my shoulder. I didn't look back at them as I pushed passed the Team and went to dinner. Quidditch was then added to my schedule, taking away my what little sleep I was getting in the first place.
I woke up on Halloween at 530 am in a cold sweat. Groaning I sat up and looked up over at Pansy to make sure she was still asleep. Once I was sure she was, I got up and changed into my uniform, without my robes. I grabbed my bag as I walked out of the dorm. I jammed my earbuds in my ears and blared 'Demons Among Angels' so no one would bother me. It was just turning 6 am so only the Quidditch players were up and about, if only out of habit. Flint said we could have the day off. I made my way up to the Entrance Hall and out the door before I realized it. I jogged over to the Green Houses. I saw Professor Sprout tending to some of her plants so I left the 3rd year assignment on her desk. I then jogged to the Whomping Willow. I stood just out of reach once again. "I'm sorry to bother you so early but perhaps I could join you in welcoming this morning?" I asked. The branches, which were up in the air today, moved as if to say come on. I sighed and took my normal spot five feet away from the trunk. Though I've only had three hours of sleep, I pulled out my binders. I started transcribing the notes that were given to me yesterday into their respective notebooks while listening to Flyleaf. I lost track of time so I jumped when I heard the bell for class to be starting soon. "Bloody hell. Thank you for letting me sit with you," I called to the Willow as I ran to Transfiguration. I slid into my seat with seconds to spare. As soon as the bell rang, McGonagall started class. By the time we went to lunch I was starving. I sat down across from Pansy while the boys made our plates. I don't know why this tradition was put in place. It's rather demeaning. I thought while absentmindedly reacting to Pansy.
I looked down to start eating and there was only a small salad. I looked up confused. "Why?" I asked open-endedly. "Mother wrote a letter saying that she thought you had put on a few unwanted pounds and to put you back on your diet," Draco whispered from next to me. I bit my tongue and took a deep breath. "If that's what Narcissa wants," I grumbled as I started eating. I had mastered the art of finishing with everyone else with so little on my plate. However today I pushed the plate away after a few bites and stood up. "Lyra, sit down and finish eating," Draco growled at me. "I have some questions for Professor Quirrell so if you'll excuse me," I stepped over the bench and started walking away. Theo grabbed my arm, "You weren't at breakfast this morning and now you're skipping lunch. What's going on?" I turned to face him and growled, "I woke up from a nightmare this morning so I spent it roaming the grounds. Now I refuse to eat something I hate simply because I don't match Narcissa Malfoy's vision of how an 11-year-old pureblood heir should look, even though I've lost weight if anything. I'm on the Quidditch Team and I'm taking three years of bloody school at once." I heard the entire Slytherin table become silent at my outburst. I blew my bangs out of my face, pulled my arm from Theo, and turned around. I came face to face with a wall of third years. "What? Are you going to force me to sit and eat?" I asked, not in the least bit scared or confused. For all, I knew they got a similar letter from their families. All of them laughed. Dravin, taking lead as always, said, "No, Lestrange. We've noticed the Weasley Twins had been bothering you when you came back from your," his eyes flicked to Draco then back to me, "roaming. They are in our next class as always and we would like to escort you to all third-year classes that you have." I was taken aback. "Of course we can't let our Princess get pestered by some blood traders no can we? Especially when the Prince isn't protecting her," another third-year stated. I sighed as protested came up from behind me. "Fine. Let's go," I said walking out the Great Hall. Dravin threw his arm around my shoulders and walked next to me. Everyone else formed a protective circle around me.
"Here," Dravin said softly, presenting me a PB&J sandwich. "Thank you," I whispered as I took it and scarfed it down. "First fight amongst the Heirs it seems," Dravin stated. I would've answered but I was distracted by the Silver Balled Python that was poking its head out of Dravin's sleeve and looking at me. The snake slithered out a bit farther and flicked its tongue at me.