It was late Monday afternoon and Sirius Black was sitting in a private room in the Leaky Cauldron. He had just completed a short meeting with Sharpclaw and Steelclaw about the trust group. They were making arrangements for a full meeting of the Board but had agreed that it should wait until 1 October. By then, all current year disbursals should be finished and every student should have gotten their wands checked or replaced.

As the Secretary, Professor McGonagall had arranged for an hour between 5 and 6 to attend. She had followed Sirius and was having a gilly water while Sirius was having a butterbeer. Chelsea was getting off of work at 8 and he didn't want to be inebriated when he saw her.

"So, Minnie," he ignored the woman's irritated look, "how's the pup doing?"

"So far his work has been satisfactory. He appears to be doing well."

Sirius took on an innocent look. "So no detentions yet."

Minerva fixed her eye on the rogue before her. "No." She was hesitant but she had to add it. "Although there was a spot of trouble over the weekend."

Sirius was curious, "What kind of trouble?"

"As mentioned in the meeting, Garrick found a number of students that needed proper wands. The 1 in ten that I was expecting was closer to 1 in five or even 1 in four for the middle years. Younger years seemed to have been taken care of before the year started and older students often have replaced legacy wands by the beginning of NEWT studies. But it does mean that there were many wands replaced."

Sirius replied, "Yeah … but what does that have to do with pup?"

Minerva answered with some exasperation, "I'm getting there!" Sirius looked properly cowed. "Anyway, there have been several witches from various backgrounds that were quite appreciative of getting a proper wand from the Potter Memorial Trust." She hid her smirk. "Several approached your godson to embrace him or perhaps kiss him on the cheek."

Sirius started getting excited. "Oooooh! My godson is already attracting the witches!"

After cowing the man again with a look, Minerva continued, "You perhaps should remember your own first year. How did you view girls?"

Sirius thought back and then snickered. "Well, I was taught to be polite – but girls were kind of icky. It was late second year before I started to change my mind. All of Prongs' advances toward Lily started making more sense to me."

Minerva smiled tightly. "Yes. Well, your godson seems a blend between yourself and his father." She paused for drama. "After being kissed for the seventh time on the cheek, he had a discussion with your second cousin. He accepted the tokens of affection with some aplomb – until Ms. Tonks apparently commented on how such innocent gestures might lead to … more mature activities later in life."

She thought about it for a moment, looking away while considering it. "I do believe she was mostly, as you would say, 'taking the mickey' but being quite innocent, his reactions surprised Ms. Tonks and his friend Ms. Granger." She looked back at Sirius and continued, "He upset them both."

Sirius was confused. "How?"

She was really fighting a smirk of amusement now. "I did not hear all of his comments but his reply was something on the order of 'Girls are disgusting.'"

Sirius groaned a bit and then said, "Well, he's eleven. He'll grow out of that pretty quick."

"Oh, yes. But he compounded his gaffe by his reply to their outrage by implying that he viewed them as friends."

Sirius was confused again. "How in Merlin's name is that bad?"

She lost her fight with her mouth and a smirk could now easily be seen on her face. "He told them that they were his friends … and not girls."

Sirius looked at Minerva with wide eyes. "Ouch."

Minerva nodded. "Quite. Ms. Granger appeared to be almost in tears, but Ms. Tonks solved that."

"How?"

"She suggested to Harry that he run. After a furious discussion between Ms. Tonks and Ms. Granger, they followed after him. At dinner, it was obvious that Harry had seen some retaliation."

Sirius was almost scared to ask. "In what form?"

"His robes, his clothes, his hair, and his skin were all a hot pink."

Sirius was torn between embarrassment for his godson … and amusement. Amusement finally won.

"Ms. Tonks and Ms. Granger did seem particularly satisfied as he begged for the spell to be reversed."

Sirius, after laughing a bit, asked, "Is he still pink?"

"No. Ms. Tonks was convinced to change him back to prevent receiving a detention. However, today he is apparently making up for his mistake."

Sirius was grinning as he asked, "How is he making up for it?"

"By carrying Ms. Granger's books for her – she is quite studious."

After having a chuckle about the situation, Sirius said, "I guess as his godfather I have to teach Harry how to put on the charm."

Being somewhat oblivious as he talked at times, he didn't notice that his further comments were annoying the Deputy Headmistress.

When Chelsea apparated to her boyfriend's place, she was surprised. "Siri? Why are you pink?"

Harry was really looking forward to flying class.

Hermione and Tonks had just the day before finally accepted his apology for his insensitivity. This meant that he didn't have to carry Hermione's heavy bag around like a "Porter." He had accepted Dora's new name for him in hopes they would get over it faster.

His roommates had sniggered at his predicament, but most admitted that they would have made a similar mistake. The exception was Dean – who being closer to twelve had already started puberty.

However, the incident was behind him. He had promised Hermione and Tonks that he wouldn't make the same mistake again.

At 3:15, all of the first year Gryffindors trooped out to the pitch. Harry had to drag Hermione away from Quiddich Through the Ages – she really was trying to learn about flying from a book.

Finally, he and Ron had promised to help her as they had experience. Neville also asked for a bit of help.

The Slytherins arrived right behind them. Laid out for the lesson were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left. These, however, looked new.

Harry suggested they all line up to be ready. Hermione was next to Harry and Neville was next to Ron. Seamus was helping one of the quieter Gryffindor girls.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.

"All ready then?" she barked. ""Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!"'

"UP" everyone shouted.

Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. Hermione's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's only twitched. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Harry; there was a quaver in Neville's voice that showed he was really nervous.

He had gotten better, but still tended to be a bit shy.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. When she corrected Malfoy's grip, Harry had a question which interrupted Malfoy's protests.

"Why does it matter so much? Is there a reason why this grip is better than that grip?"

Madame Hooch looked at Harry and said, "For those who are new, it's less likely that they will fall."

"But he isn't new, right?"

Madame Hooch conceded that, but asked that everyone follow instructions regardless of past experience. They could do whatever they liked on their own broom but in her class she required that particular grip.

Malfoy nodded to him in thanks after she moved past him.

Finally, she reached the end. "Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle – yes, Mr. Potter?"

"Some of my friend have never been on a broom. How are they to rise a few feet and come back down? Can you demonstrate for them?"

Madame Hooch was getting annoyed at the interruptions. But she agreed to show them.

"Okay, chaps. Everyone release your brooms while I demonstrate!"

The students all let go of their brooms and they returned to the ground.

"Riding a broom is a mixture of grip, direction, and pure will!" She moved her hand and said, "Up!" sharly – if not that loudly. "The broom is under my control! I am in charge, not the broom!"

She mounted it. "Watch my feet! Once I kick, watch my hands and arms."

She kicked off and pulled up on the broom until she was ten feet in the air. She then pushed down and moved back to the ground. "I can do it faster as well!"

She repeated her actions, but instead of pulling slowly she jerked the handle up. The broom rushed into the air. Once she was ten feet in the air she shifted forward – and the broom moved forward a bit. "Shift forward to move that way. Pull left or right to turn!" She did these steps. "Backing up is difficult, but possible!" She shifted in a certain way and did move back, but very slowly. She moved again back to where she started from. "And that's how you move around! Now, call them back!" she barked again.

This time, Hermione's and Neville's brooms both reacted much more certainly. Madam Hooch once again inspected everyone's grips and only had to correct two students.

She stood back at the end and said, "Kick off, go up, and come back down!"

Within twenty minutes, each of the students could kick off, land, go up, down, left, right, speed up, and slow down.

There were a few hiccups. Hermione and Neville were neither one particularly comfortable with heights and Ron and Harry had to calm them down. There had been a couple of hard landings as well and Madam Hooch had to check the students before requiring them to repeat their actions.

However, Madam Hooch did allow those that were more comfortable a bit of free flying while she worked with those that needed more supervision.

Harry was turning when he heard a shout. Neville had somehow gone vertical and was suddenly moving straight up. Madam Hooch was yelling at him, trying to get him to correct his path. A particularly bad direction change caused something to fall out of his pockets.

Harry recognized it. It was some ball he had gotten from his grandmother. It was supposed to tell you when you forgot something, but it just looked like a glass ball when Harry saw it.

Harry, seeing that Madame Hooch had Neville, pushed his broom forward to catch the ball before it broke. He intercepted it literally just before it hit the turf, turned so far he was nearly flying upside down.

He held it up and looked at it as he slowed down and turned rightside up, unconsciously controlling the broom even as he inspected the object. It changed colors and was now filled with a red fog almost.

He turned to ask Neville what that meant when he saw that most of the students were now looking at him in shock. Madam Hooch was whitefaced as she led a very jittery Neville back to the ground.

Before he could say anything, he heard "Harry Potter!" Professor McGonagall was storming from the castle.

Oh, he had promised that he would be careful. He never noticed the red fog clear.

The other first year Gryffindors were crowding around Harry, trying to find out what happened after Professor McGonagall had taken him inside.

The Deputy Headmistress had spoken to the Flying Instructor for a brief moment before he was ordered to leave the broom and come with her.

She had introduced him to Oliver Wood. Upon hearing he was approved to be the starting seeker, he had to hide his glee lest the strict woman actually punish him for his reckless flying.

Harry was shoveling pie in his mouth. "… in a century. Wood was ecstatic."

Hermione asked him, "Isn't it kind of dangerous, being so much smaller than everyone?"

Harry shrugged. "Wood said I was built for it and he's going to keep me out of formations other than just seeking. I begin training next week."

Harry noticed a first year Slytherin moving toward him. He motioned those around him quiet.

Draco Malfoy moving in and said, "You seem to be cheerful. Were you punished?"

"No. Professor McGonagall did speak to me. As to why, the school will know in a couple of weeks."

Draco really wanted to demand answers – but Potter had been unfailingly polite and had even stuck up for him. He didn't want to do anything which destroyed a possible professional relationship down the line. So he nodded and moved out of the hall toward his dorms, his two flunkies following after.

Dear Harry Potter,

Your letter was quite interesting.

The Lone Traveler is a very old story. It seems exciting that you have met him. Did he tell you about any creatures he had met in his travels?

My father and I are always searching. He publishes a magazine called the Quibbler and he allows me to help write the copy for our investigations.

My mother sadly passed away over a year ago due to an accident. So it is just him and me.

About pets – no, I don't have one. You wouldn't happen to have access to a snorkack would you?

Because I live close to Ginny, I visited her after receiving your letter. Her kneazle kitten is quite fun. She told me the story of how she got him.

You're very sneaky, Harry Potter.

I also met the new family owl, Celestina, too. Errol is spending a lot of time sleeping.

I did start bleeding out of my vagina when I was visiting Ginny. My mother told me about that when I was younger. Mrs. Weasley helped me and then explained it again. Ginny was embarrassed, but I don't know why. It's perfectly natural according to what my mother said.

I will look at pets when Mrs. Weasley takes us girl shopping. She told us she would after we talked. I didn't understand why we needed to shop for girls, but I'm certain I will find out soon.

Ginny did say something to me which made me curious. Can I get a Hogwarts toilet seat too? I can hang it on my wall.

I hope to see another letter from you soon.

Luna Lovegood

Harry was quite embarrassed when he finished the letter. Luna was obviously very straightforward.