Chapter Eight: Face to Face, Out in the Heat

The first year Slytherins were all waiting down by the school brooms. They had dispersed to where all the best brooms were, and there were many mutterings about how bad they were. The Gryffindors were slow coming down, but they all managed to arrive somewhat together. Lavender and Parvati managed to get the two brooms left right next to each other, but the rest of the Gryffindors were mixed in with the Slytherins.

Madame Hooch began instructions, telling the kids how to call their brooms up. Harry's leapt right into his hand, as did every other Slytherin's, along with Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown's brooms. Eventually the rest of the Gryffindors' brooms jumped into their hands, and Madame Hooch told them to mount their brooms. She 'corrected' Draco's grip, not knowing he was left handed. She was about to tell them to kick off, when suddenly both Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom shot into the air. Their brooms were shaking furiously as they rose, and Madame Hooch mounted her own broom to retrieve them.

Just then, Neville's broom gave a horrific lurch, and everyone could see the boy's grip weaken. Hermione had a death grip on the handle of her broom, but everyone could see her slipping. In a split-second decision, the Slytherin boys all kicked off just as Neville's broom lurched again and flung the boy off. Working in tandem, Crabbe and Goyle caught him before he could hit the ground, and Draco and Blaise flanked Hermione while Theo waited under her. Seeing a glint of light falling away from Neville, Harry reacted and caught a little glass ball in his hand, then flew over to where Crabbe and Goyle were setting Neville on the ground. Harry dismounted, and held the glass ball out to Neville.

"Is this yours?" he asked, as Ron and Seamus came over.

"Hey, that's Toad's Remembrall!" Ron said, grabbing the glass ball out of Harry's hand. "Cool, come on Seamus, maybe he'll toughen up if we make him take it back- maybe turn him into a real Gryffindor."

Crabbe, to almost everyone's surprise, was faster, grabbing Seamus while all the Slytherin girls pointed their wands at Ron.

"Come on, Weasel, is your family so poor that you have to settle for stealing and then pawning antiquated artifacts from noble families?" Draco asked, having successfully helped Blaise and Theo guide Hermione back to the ground.

"What do you care," Ron said, glaring at Draco. His lip was petulantly stuck out as he gave Draco his worst glare. Draco sneered back, his light grey eyes glinting with unhidden spite.

"I care because I, as Heir of the Noble House of Malfoy, will not stand and watch as some peasant belittles the Heir of another Noble House," Draco replied, pulling his wand. "So give Longbottom back his property, and go back to the hole you crawled out of.

Madame Hooch was trying to help, she really was, but everyone was ignoring her, so instead of breaking into the circle and possibly getting hexed, she stood back to enjoy the show.

"Well, then you should be happy I'm trying to toughen him up a little so that he's not a disgrace to Heirs of Noble Houses everywhere," Ron snapped, pulling his own wand.

"Hand the Remembrall back now, or we will take it, and you won't like the consequences," Daphne ordered. Ron sneered.

"Torpens!" Ron yelled, and at once all the wands of the Slytherins lit up.

"Religo!"

"Deturbo!"

"Languesco!"

"Praeligo!"

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!"

Madame Hooch, in all her seeming uselessness, managed to get Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape on scene, and just in time, because Ron was half-unconscious, on the ground, bound, and gagged. There were ten wands pointed at him, and most of the wielders were halfway through whatever incantations they were doing.

"What happened here," Snape asked, fixing his gaze on Draco.

"Weasley took Longbottom's Remembrall while Harry was giving it back to him, so we told him to hand it over, but he didn't, and he shot a numbing charm at us," Draco replied, shrugging. McGonagall turned her sights to her Gryffindors.

"Is this true?"

Every single Gryffindor nodded. McGonagall sighed.

"Mr. Weasley, twenty points from Gryffindor for provoking a fight," she said, then turned to the Slytherins. "Five points from Slytherin for each of you for firing back."

Professor Snape almost smirked. "Mr. Malfoy, ten points to Slytherin for standing up for someone."

Madame Hooch decided to join in. "Five points to Slytherin for each of you boys who helped out Ms. Granger and Mr. Longbottom. Ms. Greengrass, ten points to you for giving Mr. Weasley due warning." McGonagall fumed, but she left anyways while Madame Hooch took the Remembrall from Ron and giving it back to Neville, leaving the Gryffindors to decide not to cancel the spells on Ron while they continue with an actual flying lesson.

"Uh, Madame Hooch, I- I'd really like to not…" Hermione stuttered, staring at the broom like it was some sort of venomous beast from the depths of the Forbidden Forest. Neville nodded in agreement.

"That's fine. You might want to see if someone in the older years would be willing to let you use their broom to learn, at least the charms on one of them should be quite a bit less faulty than these ones," Madame Hooch replied, leading the class sans Ron, Hermione, and Neville to the Quidditch pitch. They finished the lesson without too much else happening, and then the first years had a half an hour until dinner. The Slytherins went to their dorms to change into more comfortable clothes. Most of them had started wearing 'muggle' clothing simply out of practicality.

The first year Slytherins sat with the older Slytherins, with Draco, Harry, Tracey, Millicent, Crabbe, and Goyle sitting next to Terrence Higgs, Miles Bletchley, Adrian Pucey, and Marcus Flint.

"So, are any of you amazing fliers?" Terrence asked, smirking.

"Harry's a natural," Tracey replied. "Longbottom's broom threw him, and Crabbe and Goyle caught him, but Harry caught Longbottom's Remembrall- and that was the first time he'd ever been on a broom!"

Miles snickered. "Well, looks like there might be some competition for seeker after all." Harry blushed, while Terrence pulled Harry close.

"I don't care if you make the team over me, so long as you can catch the Snitch," he muttered. "If you have real talent, great, that might give us some legs to stand on against Diggory."

"Diggory?" Harry asked, confused.

"Cedric Diggory is an awesome Seeker- he's almost on Charlie Weasley's level, and Weasley had been the best Seeker at Hogwarts in decades," Terrence replied. "Don't know who Gryffindor's going to try to scrounge up for Seeker this year, but last year's was pretty pathetic. And rumor says Chang from Ravenclaw will be going for their seeker this year, and she's pretty handy on a broom."

Harry nodded.

"If you make Seeker, you should learn to work with the Chasers- I went to a pro game this summer, and in between looking for the Snitch and Seeker interplay, the guy was practically a fourth Chaser," Terrence continued. "That might make the game more interesting. Anyways, eat up." He patted Harry on the back, and then released him to the rest of the group.

"Well, looks like Terrence has put his money on who's our next Seeker," Miles muttered to Marcus, and Marcus nodded.

"We'll just have to wait for tryouts next week," Marcus replied.

"Can't wait to see what the firsties have to offer," Adrian added.

The rest of the week passed almost without incident, except for when Neville accidently lit Ron's hair on fire in Potions. Marcus came out to watch the flying lesson on Wednesday, and he had to agree with Tracey how much of a natural Harry was.

To most of the first years, Sunday couldn't come around soon enough, and this time, Neville and Hermione joined the other Houses out by the lake. A few older years also found themselves places to hang out while watching the firsties. Harry, Draco, Blaise, and Daphne sat with Susan, Hannah, and Megan again, finding themselves a tree to settle down in the shade under. Harry had his parchment, quills, ink, and his (useless) history book with him.

"So, I was thinking I could write a letter to your Aunt and have you send it, just in case whoever's screening my mail doesn't want me contacting her," Harry said to Susan.

"Okay, yeah, I'd think whoever's screening your mail wouldn't want you stopping it," she replied, smiling. "I'll even help you write it. You should start off with a greeting, or some sort of formality…"

The seven sat under the tree, Harry writing his letter, and the others helping him.

Madame Bones,

I hope this finds you well. I would ask that you keep in contact with me through your niece, Susan, as we suspect whoever is screening my mail would not want me attempting to stop them.

We are being my Housemates, along with your niece and her friends.

On the first day of classes during mail at breakfast, my housemates noticed I had not received any mail, even though they were certain I would have received some sort of fan mail or other missives. I explained how I had never received any letters through owl post until my Hogwarts letter, and they were understandably upset at that. We surmised that my magical guardian could be the only one to block my mail like that, and we were curious as to whom they might be, as we can be sure that neither my godfather nor godmother can be my guardian.

I would very much like to start receiving my mail, so I can stop unintentionally snubbing people that it would behoove me to befriend.

Sincerely,

Harry Potter.

Susan sent the letter off, along with one of her own, with her owl. The group of conspirators then joined in on the fun and games that had once again devolved into single survivor dodgeball.

That Wednesday found the conspirators meeting in an empty, portrait-free classroom. Susan had received a reply from her Aunt, and given it to Harry.

It is very disturbing to hear that you are so distrustful of the mail system, but I cannot bring myself to blame you. Whoever is screening your mail is probably using a mail redirection charm tied to you and cued to them, which will send all mail you should receive to them. Unfortunately, I cannot do too much digging into who your magical guardian is without a concrete reason- suspicion of a mail redirection charm is not enough, and if they are truly your magical guardian, there would be nothing I could do.

I hope there is something I can do; Susan has spoken very highly of you.

Madame Amelia Bones

Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Harry frowned at the letter, then immediately started penning a new one. His friends just exchanged looks and started talking about the Potions essay due on Friday.

What are the laws concerning child neglect? And concerning mental and magical blocks? A week and a half ago I went to see Madame Pomfrey because I was having trouble concentrating, and she discovered I have mental and magical blocks. She suggested I see a specialist, but I am unable to get out of school to see one.

If it helps, I lived with the muggles Petunia and Vernon Dursley until this September, but I was told it was impossible for muggles to be one's magical guardians.

I am flattered that your niece likes me; she is a very amazing girl and I am proud to call her my friend.

Harry Potter

Harry sealed the letter and handed it to Susan to send to her Aunt. As it was almost curfew, the group of conspirators walked down to the ground floor together, the Hufflepuffs heading to the kitchens and the Slytherins to the dungeons. The Slytherins got ready for the Astronomy practical, and Harry carefully tucked the letter from Amelia away in his trunk.

Disclaimer: I am sixteen. JKR is most definitely not a teenager, so therefore, I'm not JKR, so therefore, I don't own Harry Potter!

Here you go, you get flying lessons! Most definitely one of the funnest chapters to write. And Harry starts a correspondence with Amelia Bones! The plot is starting to thicken...

Question: What's your favorite piece for piano? Mine is either River Flows in You by Yiruma or Skyline Firedance Suite by David Lanz.

Next Time: Quidditch Tryouts, more letters, and delicious butterbeer.