Hey everyone! Happy New Year's! I think this chapter is longer than the others so far. After you're done reading this chapter, tell me what you think about it.

I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER!

Chapter Nine: A Flying Lesson

Flying lessons would start up the second week of the semester. I always felt my heart pound violently whenever I thought about flying. I never knew if it was from excitement or nervousness. I guessed it was a combination of both. I whenever I was even six feet in the air, I would feel my palms sweating and my stomach twisting. On the notice board, I saw that all of the Houses would be going to the lesson on Thursday. When Thursday finally arrived, I could hardly contain my excitement and nerves, and when I got nervous, I always tended to babble.

I kept going on and on and on and on until a Third Year threatened to curse me. That did the trick.

My friends didn't share my enthusiasm, though. Abby explained that she was nearly as clumsy as Neville, so she was also never allowed on a broom. Lisa grew up with a wizard father, so she got to fly often. Mandy had never been fond of heights. I could tell that Harry didn't really like the idea of his feet parting ways with the ground

"I just know I'll make a fool of myself in front of Nott," he had said. "I just know it."

"Trust me, you won't," I had said in return. "Don't worry about it, you'll do just fine."

On Thursday morning, I walked over to the Slytherin table where Draco sat with two other Slytherin First Years sat. "Hi, Draco," I said.

"Hello, Danielle," he said. I sat down next to the boy in front of him. "This is Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini. Blaise, Daphne, this is Danielle Potter."

"Nice to meet you," I said. "So, Draco, are you excited about today?"

"I am, as are Blaise and Daphne."

"I was thinking that maybe we could be friends," I said as I walked my hand over to Draco's plate.

"Well, it's a possibility."

"McGonagall has always gone on about how I should have friends in other Houses, so I thought I could be friends with you, Daphne, and Blaise." I was just about ready to go for my prey.

"Well, I guess we could try it out," Draco said. At that moment, I snatched a piece of toast from his plate. "Hey!"

"Hi!" I said, waving.

"You aren't like any Ravenclaw my mother told me about, Danielle," Daphne said. "She said that Ravenclaws are know-it-alls that are anti-social."

"Well, she's wrong about this Ravenclaw," I said.

At 3:30 that afternoon, the seven of us walked out onto the grounds together. Draco was telling us everything he knew about flying. He even threw in the story about how he evaded a helicopter. He could never stop going on about how good he was.

When I saw Harry and Ron walking together, I walked over and said in a totally fake British accent, "Jolly good weather we have today, don't we, my dear brother?" Ron burst out laughing, and we had to stop for a few moments because he was literally rolling on the floor laughing. Even Harry chuckled a few times.

"That is not how we speak," Harry said, after he stopped laughing.

"I'm trying my best!" I said.

When we finally got to the lawn, I saw the rest of the Slytherins and all of the Hufflepuffs already there. Draco, Daphne, and Blaise joined their classmates. I looked for Abby, Lisa, and Mandy. I finally found them and an open broom between Lisa and Terry Boot.

Madam Hooch, a woman with spiky gray hair and yellow eyes, arrived. "Well," she said, "what are you all waiting for? Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up." Wow. Someone sure seemed in a hurry. "Stick out your right hand over your broomstick and say 'Up!'"

"Up!" everyone shouted. Harry's broom flew to his hand on his first try. Mine jumped at my second. Mandy's only came up halfway. Lisa's jumped when mine did. Abby's just rolled some.

After Madam Hooch showed us how to hold our brooms (correcting Zechariahs Smith and Draco), she said, "Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground hard. Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle- three- two-"

By then, Neville pushed off really hard before the whistle touched Madam Hooch's lips. Oh no! I watched Neville shoot up like a cork. I chanced a look at Abby and saw that her eyes were as wide as saucers and her mouth wide open. Her face was white, and her palms were shaking.

I looked up again and saw Neville falling. I concentrated as hard as I could and used my powers to try to stop him, but I wasn't fast enough. I heard a loud THUD and saw Neville laying there, his face white as paper and his eyes wide. Abby hurried to him, Madam Hooch right after her. The two helped Neville up, and I heard Madam Hooch saying something about the hospital wing.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those broom where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.'"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Draco pick up Neville's Remembrall. "Hey Draco," I shouted. "That's Neville's. I'll return it to him for you." I held out my hand.

"I think I'll keep it, Danielle. I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find." What? Was he really doing that?

"Give it here, Malfoy!" Harry said, walking towards Draco.

Draco got on his broom and took off. Harry got on his and shot after Draco. Boys! I would never understand them! I reluctantly got on my own broom and flew up to my brother. Wow, the view from up here was absolutely wonderful! It felt perfect floating there. A breeze tickled my cheek. Just had to remember not to look down. I could hear Harry's nervous thoughts about flying, but soon, I could feel him groing more confident.

"Hey guys!" I shouted. "Why don't we have a race? Winner gets to do what he or she wants to with the Remembrall."

"Sounds fair enough," Harry said. "We should have a judge."

"Blaise Zabini from Slytherin," Draco suggested.

"No," I said. "It only makes sense that someone from Hufflepuff should judge. I think it should be Hannah Abbott."

"Sounds fair," Harry said. "Let's say that the course will be to the lake and back here."

I lowered a little bit. "Hey Hannah! You're going to be our judge for us. Okay?"

"Okay. On your marks, get set, go!" I flattened myself to the broom and flew as fast as I could to the lake. I raised myself a little bit so that I flew next to my twin and above the trees. Draco flew right behind us, a scowl on his face. When we got to the edge of the lake, I stopped and turned around in the opposite direction and past Draco.

Harry was in front of me slightly, so I leaned forward some more. I saw Harry's broom jerk out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head and saw Draco holding onto my brother's broom. I couldn't believe him! I thought he was different! "Cheater!" I shouted at him. Draco looked at me for a second then let go of Harry's broom.

Harry and I raced to Hannah. When we passed her, she shouted, "Harry and Dani Potter tie!" Harry and I got off our brooms as all of the Houses minus Slytherin cheered and crowded around us.

"HARRY AND DANIELLE POTTER!" a voice that sounded oddly like McGonagall's shouted. I turned around and saw Professors Flitwick and McGonagall running towards us, but Flitwick was trying to catch up.

"Never- in all my time at Hogwarts-" Professor McGonagall said. Flitwick just stared at me, his face white. The look he gave me had me terrified that I would be thrown out, even what I knew what would happen.

"Malfoy stole-"

"Be quiet Mr. Moon-"

"But Malfoy-"

"That's enough!" both professors shouted. "Potters?"

Harry and I walked side-by-side behind Flitwick and McGonagall as we walked to the castle.

I know we're going to get expelled, Harry thought.

I don't think they'd do that, I reassured him.

"You heard what Madam Hooch said," Harry protested.

And I'm telling you that the worst they'll do to us is give us about a month's worth of detentions, I thought.

"Maybe you're right," Harry said. His green eyes looked hopeful.

"Well, I am a Ravenclaw."

At that moment, Flitwick led me one way and Professor McGonagall and Harry walked another. We climbed via the Grand Staircase up to the fifth floor. We stopped outside a classroom.

"Excuse me, Professor Burbage, do you mind if I borrow Mr. Chang?"

A dark-haired Fifth Year walked out who I presumed was Cho Chang's brother. I'd never known she had a brother.

"Miss Potter, this is Artemis Chang (1)," Flitwick said as we walked into a classroom where Harry, Oliver Wood, and Professor McGonagall stood.

"Mr. Chang, I think we found you a seeker. I know you said your sister was pretty good, but Minerva and I saw these two racing Draco Malfoy. They were both fantastic!"

"Was that your first time on a broomstick?" McGonagall asked us. Harry and I nodded.

"Have either of you of you seen a Quidditch match?" Wood asked. He was smiling widely, and his eyes were bright. His smile reminded me of the Joker's.

"Wood is captain of the Gryffindor team," McGonagall explained. "Chang is Ravenclaw's."

"They're just the right build for Seekers," Chang said. He and wood walked around us. Flitwick and Artemis made arrangements for me while McGonagall and Wood jabbered on about how good Harry would be.

I didn't expect this at all, Harry thought.

You're not the only one.

"You got rewarded for breaking the rules?" Mandy asked. It was suppertime, and we were obviously discussing what happened today.

"Aw, who cares?" Lisa asked. "Every Ravenclaw knows we need a good Seeker to even have a chance of winning the Quidditch Cup. Dani's the obvious choice."

"I'm still amazed they're letting a couple of first years play," Abby said.

"Me too," I said. "Promise you won't tell anyone? Chang wants to keep me a secret." They all nodded.

At that moment, Draco came over to our table and sat down in front of me. "Listen, Danielle, I want to apologize for my atrocious behavior today. I also wanted to give you this." He held out his hand. In it was Neville's Remembrall. "You and Potter beat me fair and square, so now it's yours."

"Well, thanks Draco," I said. "Do you always have to apologize so formally like that? A simple 'I'm sorry' would have been okay."

Draco looked at the ground and mumbled something that sounded like "my father". If I wanted to stop Draco from becoming a Lucius clone, I would have to try harder.

(1)- Artemis can be used as a boy's or a girl's name like Artemis Fowl says in The Eternity Code.

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