Chapter 9 – Flying Lessons

Today was an exciting day for first year Gryffindors because it would be their first flying lesson. The posting was in the common room last night and it said their class was with the Slytherins. Alex had displayed his distaste for the pairing with a low growl.

"It shouldn't be that bad. These Slytherins are all talk" Oswald was telling them at breakfast that morning.

"Maybe to you! Those Tripe twins have been toying with my heart all week…" Xavier feigned fainting dramatically and everyone laughed at his performance.

"Well that's your own fault for mixing them up. Elena's the nice one" Valerie said.

"I'm confused I thought we were suppose to hate Slytherins?" Jacqueline asked displaying her confusion on her face.

"We hate the mean ones. Like Matilda or Kain" Oswald told her.

"Tripe…? Do they have an older sister?" Alex asked after gulping down a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Oh ya. Vixi, part of that Slytherin gang. Not as pretty as her sisters, kinda creepy lookin'" Xavier explained, "Seen her around have ya?" Alex nodded remembering what James had told him the day before.

The conversation changed to who knew how to fly the best. All the girls, except Molly, had claimed to have been riding for years. While only Albus had ever rode on a broom for the guys. Oswald and Xavier claimed to not be the sporty types and Liam has Muggle parents.

"What your excuse Alex?" Valerie asked. She enjoyed teasing the boys a little about their lack of skills.

"Never needed to know how to use a broom before" Alex said with a shrug.

There was a sudden loud fluttering sound in the Hall. Owls poured into the room to make their morning deliveries. One of the owls flew down to Albus carrying a scroll in its mouth. Albus retrieved it and bird flew off. He read it silently with a smile on his face.

"Is that from your Mum Albus?" Rose asked. Albus thought he heard some sadness in her voice.

"Yeah, reminding me to visit Hagrid for tea tomorrow" There was more but nothing Albus wished to share. He read the letter to himself once more while the others kept talking.

Dear Al,

I'm so glad to hear you got into the house wanted! Gryffindor is lucky to have you. I hope James isn't too much of a bother. Give my love to Rose and Dad and Uncle Ron if you see them. And don't forget Hagrid is expecting you for tea on Friday. Can't wait to see you on the holidays.

Much Love,
Mom and Lily

A few more owls came by the table dropping letters and care packages to all the Gryffindor students. Oswald also received a Daily Prophet and spoke out shockingly upon opening it.

"Blimey! Again?" He turned the paper around to show everyone today's headline, Dragon Boy Goes Unpunished. Alex sighed and his shoulders sank.

"What was that thing you said yesterday about people forgetting?" Alex asked Rose.

"Eventually. I said eventually" Rose defended herself.

"Wow they're really gonna milk you for all you're worth eh?" Liam said, then got smacked by Gwen, "Ehhh! What was that for?" She shrugged.

"I wonder what Headmistress is going to do about this"

"What in Merlin's beard do you expect me to do about this?" Hermione whined. She was sitting behind the desk in the Headmaster's office and had just finished reading her hundredth something complaint from a parent. There was no end to the owls that came into the office. Minerva sat on the other side of the desk reading the Daily Prophet.

"This article certainly didn't help" Minvera commented and continued to read.

"Please Headmistress I don't know what to do. Should I send an owl back to all these parents?"

"First – stop calling me Headmistress, Minerva will do. Secondly – no that's a foolish idea. There will a representative from the Ministry here soon enough asking the Headmaster to attend a press conference at the Ministry. You'll go explain what we discussed and that's that" Minerva said all this without looking up from the paper, "I hope its Jonathan Stepsford. He's always so nice"

"You make this job sound easy" Hermione said, once again calm and reading through another letter.

"It never is and never should be"

The two of them were there all morning. Hermione had felt like she was a student again doing this much reading. Minerva finally stopped reading the paper and placed it rolled up on the desk.

"You know I don't think I've finished reading a paper in three or four decades" Hermione gave a soft chuckle. Minerva looked at the clock on her desk and rose unexpectedly.

"Come Mrs . Granger. Let's go see the first years flying lesson" Hermione lifted her head from a letter that read just like the last one.

"I'm sorry?"

"Gryffindor first years are starting flying lessons today. I haven't missed one since becoming Headmistress. Come, let's go watch"

Hermione didn't need a reason to take a break from the letters and she really wanted to see Rose. The two of them walked from the Headmaster's office to the library. Looking out of the windows from here they could see the first year students waiting eagerly by brooms laying flat on the grass.

A wrinkly old woman slowly levitated over toward the group of first years. Madame Hooch had been teaching flying to first years for over twenty years. Albus remembered his dad telling him stories of how he first learned to fly.

"Alright everyone, stand next to a broom" She called out when she stopped close enough to the laid out brooms on the grass. The Gryffindors stood next to the front row of brooms forcing the Slytherins to stand behind them.

"Now, put your hand over the broom," Everyone did, "And say 'UP!'"

"UP!" Most everyone screamed in unison. Most everyone from Gryffindor got it, except for Molly, Liam, Xavier and Oswald. To Hooch's and the Gryffindor's surprise everyone from Slytherin had their broom in their hand.

"Well that's quiet impressive. Five points for Slytherin" Despite being impressed, Madame Hooch kept a calm tone. As she went on to explain how they were going to fly the Slytherins began to brag.

"I'm not really surprised that we all got it" Katherine said with a sly smirk.

"Shame not everyone here has the same skills as us" Kain pretended to sound bored, even feigned yawned.

"I bet all the Slytherins could make it to that tower and back before the Gryffindors" it was Scorpius Malfoy who spoke up. He usually just sat quietly during class.

"No, I think they'd be too afraid of losing" Kain backed Scorpius up.

"We're just not stupid enough to let you bait us" Oswald said, finally picking up his broom out of frustration.

"Yeah like I said too afraid" Kain snickered. Albus and Alex burned to teach them a lesson but knew Oswald was right.

"Alright everyone mount your brooms. Go to the tower and back and no further. Take you time no need to rush" Everyone mounted their brooms, "When you're ready just push off from the ground"

Hooch already started drifting slowly up and toward the tower. All the Slytherin students burst off quickly, only being followed by the Gryffindor students who knew how to fly. Alex was surprised he was able to keep up with the others but he wasn't able to stay right side up. He kept spinning upside down flying right behind Scorpius.

"What's the matter dragon boy? Never flown before?" Scorpius called out. Once Alex got right side up and stayed that way he was looking as green as Scorpius' tie. Alex sped up beside Scorpius trying to get past him. The other Slytherin students now flew past them having already made it to the tower, along with Rose and Albus. Just as Scorpius and Alex reached the tower, Scorpius swung the back end of his broom to hit Alex. Luckily Alex was able to dodge by flying further away but that gave Scorpius the lead. On the way back Scorpius mockingly stuck his tongue out at Alex before landing.

Alex landed at a sprint and charged at Scorpius in fury.

"Are you crazy? You could have killed me!" Alex grabbed him by his collar. The other students tried to separate them but were unable to until Madame Hooch glided by and flicker her wand. The two were pushed apart but Alex was still furious. A puff of fire came from his nostrils.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…Alex calm down" Albus stood in front of and grabbed him by the shoulders, staring him dead in the face.

"Yeah Dragon Boy, you'll for sure be expelled if you attack me" Scorpius mocked. Alex relaxed, sighed and another small puff of fire came out of his nose.

"That's enough of that you two! Stop it now or I'll see both in detention until the year is up" Hooch demanded. Alex and Scorpius stared at each other angrily until Alex turned around to go pick up his broom.

After everyone landed (Liam had managed to pass the tower and couldn't turn around) Madame Hooch had the students put away their brooms away in the broom shed. Since that was their only lesson for the day, Rose, Alex and Albus went exploring around the castle. They were somewhere on the fourth floor when Alex brought up what happened during the lesson.

"What's the deal with that Malfoy kid?"

"Don't know," Rose admitted, "He's been so quite until today"

"You don't think this has anything to do with the Elites do you? Maybe their trying to get Malfoy to do something?" Albus suggested. He was walking ahead of Alex and Rose, peering into every open door they passed.

"I wish I could teach him a lesson" Alex said bitterly.

"I'm sure you could as long as it doesn't involve breathing fire" Albus said with a chuckle.

"You may get your chance" Rose was looking ahead at a Slytherin student.

"Scorpius…" Alex distastefully said his name under his breath.

Once the three of them got close enough Scorpius took out his wand and pointed it at Alex.

"I challenge you to a duel. Right here and now"

"Done and done" Alex pulled out his want and pointed it at Scorpius.

"Wait you two you can be serious?" Rose ran between Scorpius and Alex holding her hands to stop them.

"Out of the way!" Scorpius yelled.

"Rose," Albus pulled her out of the way, "just let them have at it. Its not like either of them know any lethal spells"

"Ready?" Scorpius asked quickly and just as quickly Alex reposnded, "Yup"

"Expelli-"

"Aguamenti!" Alex yelled his incantation faster then Scorpius. A burst of water exploded from Alex's wand and struck Scorpius knocking him over. Rose and Albus looked more stunned then Scorpius. Scorpius tried to get up, but slipped back onto the ground. Alex walked over to him and offered a hand to help but Scorpius smacked it away.

"I don't need your help, Turin" He said once he stood "I'll get you next time" Scorpius spoke angrily and stormed off. When he turned around a corner Rose and Albus rushed to Alex and patted him on the back, bewildered at what he'd just done.

"That was brilliant!"

"That spell is supposed to be really advanced. How did you learn it?" Rose was extremely impressed.

"Charlie's been teaching me…just in case" Alex said rather grimly but he still had a smile on his face. He could help it looking at Albus and Rose's smiles. Albus kept commenting on how brilliant Alex was all the way to the common room, where he retold the story to anyone who would listen.

"Wow did that really happen, Alex?" Gwen asked in amazement. It wasn't just her; all the first years thought it was amazing. The only other person listening was James, but he didn't really believe it.

"Well I didn't cast it right. I'm pretty sure the water is supposed to come out in a stream. Mine was more of a splash"

"Think you could show us?" Liam asked while tugging on Alex' sleeve

"Yeah, I've got to see this" James said

Nervously Alex walked over to the fireplace to try and perform the spell. More people started watching which made him nervous.

"Aguamenti" Alex said it rather meekly resulting in the water spluttering out weakly from the tip of his wand. Everyone in the common room was laughing. Alex almost turned as red as his scales.

"Wait, wait. I can do it" Once everyone settled down Alex tried again.

"Aquamenti" Alex said it with more force this time and just like before the water came out with a splash, dousing the fire in the fireplace. Now everyone cheering and clapping and some older students were asking Alex to help them learn it. Alex was still as red as his scales but with a big smile on his face. By the end of the day the common room was soaked.

A/N: Edited and cleaned 30/07/2011. Details on my profile.