Hailey never thought she would meet a person that she hated more than Dudley and Piers. One good thing was that Malfoy didn't resort to physical violence like Piers did; he just used taunts, insults, and sneers. Sometimes he sent Pansy out to bully her, like the time that Pansy had walked into the library and "accidentally" knocked an entire ink bottle out on Hailey's essay for Professor McGonagall.
Other than that, Hailey was glad that she had to put up Malfoy and Pansy in Potions or whenever they happened to cross paths.
Hailey had found Mandy staring at a notice on the corkboard in Ravenclaw Tower. She walked over to her friend, "what are you staring at?"
"We have flying lessons with all of the first years starting on Thursday at three-thirty," Mandy said.
Hailey groaned, "it's my dream come true to embarrass myself in front of Malfoy and Parkinson." She had been looking forward to flying lessons, but that was before she found out that she was going to take lessons with the other first years that were from Slytherin. She supposed that the others were okay, but it was just Malfoy and Parkinson who she hated.
"You won't make a fool out of yourself," Mandy said. "Other Muggle-borns don't know a thing about flying on a broomstick either."
Hailey figured that Mandy knew how to fly because she was raised in both the Muggle world and the wizarding world. "I guess it can't be that bad," she said.
"Besides, I bet Malfoy is all talk, anyway," Mandy stated.
Hailey had to hear Malfoy talk loudly about flying and Quidditch. Malfoy complained about how first years weren't allowed to be on the House Quidditch team and he told long, boastful stories that always ended with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. From what Ron told her, Seamus Finnigan had spent his childhood zooming around in the countryside on the broomstick. Ron even mentioned at one point about how he nearly hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom.
From what the Gyffindor first year, Oliver Rivers, had told her, Ron and Dean Thomas had gotten into a huge argument about soccer. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with one ball where no one was allowed to fly. Oliver had mentioned that he caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to get the players to move.
She had heard Neville saying that he was never on a broomstick most of his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. From what she heard, Neville was extremely accident prone.
On Thursday at breakfast, Hailey hadn't received any more letters since Hagrid had asked to hear about her first week of school. Malfoy had noticed and he gloatingly opened his package at the table. Hailey choose to look away before she can see what he got.
She quickly ate some porridge and toast before going over to the Gyffindor table. She passed by Hermione reciting facts from Quidditch Through the Ages though she noticed that Neville was hanging on Hermione's every word.
"Good morning, Hailey," the Weasley twins greeted as she passed them.
"Morning," she responded to them.
"Are you excited to be learning how to fly, today?" one of the twins asked.
She looked at them and wasn't sure if what was Fred or George who asked her that. She smiled, "Yes. Ron told me that you two are on the Gryffindor Quidditch team." She looked at them, "What positions do you play?"
"It's a Remembrall!" Neville shouted, interrupting the Weasley twins' answer. Hailey looked over to see Neville holding up a ball the size of a large marble which seemed to be filled with white smoke. "Gran knows that I forget things. This tells you if you've forgotten something. If you hold it tight, like this…it tells you that—" his face fell because the Remembrall suddenly glowed scarlet, "…you forgot something." He seemed to be thinking about what he forgot when Draco, who had been passing by, grabbed the Remembrall from him.
Ron stood up and Hailey walked over. She was sure that Ron would've loved to have a reason to fight.
"What's going on?" Professor McGonagall asked, suddenly appearing and looking at them. Hailey was certain in must've been a sight to see; a Gyffindor, a Ravenclaw, and a Slytherin standing around. All they needed was a Hufflepuff and it would've been complete.
"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor," Neville stated.
Draco scowled and dropped it on the table, "Just looking." He shoved past Ron and Hailey as he walked away with Crabbe and Goyle.
At three-thirty that afternoon, Ron, Hailey, Michael, and Mandy walked down to the steps to the grounds for their first flying lesson.
It was a clear, breezy day, with the grass rippling under their feet. They walked down the sloping lawns to a smooth flat lawn on the opposite side of the forbidden forest.
The other first years were already there along with eighty broomsticks laid out in neat lines.
Madame Hooch appeared. She had short, grey hair, and yellow eyes. "Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone, stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up!"
They scrambled around and Hailey ended up between Michael and Ron. She looked down at the broomstick she was standing next. It looked old and the twigs stuck out at odd angles. She recalled hearing Fred and George complain about how the broomsticks vibrated when you flew too high or flew slightly to the left.
"Stick out your right hand over your broomstick and say, 'Up'," Madame Hooch said.
Soon there were shouts of, "Up!"
Hailey was surprised that her broom was one of the few that jumped into her hand at once. It took Ron two more tries and it took Michael three tries to get it, although she can tell that he had grown slightly frustrated. She noticed that Hermione's broom simply rolled over and Neville's hadn't moved at all.
Maybe the brooms can tell if you're scared, like horses. Hailey thought as she heard the scared tone in Neville's voice.
Madame Hooch then instructed them how to mount the broom without sliding off the end and then walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Hailey had to giggle when she saw that Madame Hooch correct Draco's grip since he'd been doing it wrong for years. She looked over to see that Ron had seemed amused to see that as well.
"When I blow my whistle, I want you all to kick off 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…"
Neville must have been nervous or scared to be left on the ground because he kicked off before the whistle and he shot up in the air like a bat out of hell.
"Come back, boy!" Madame Hooch shouted and the first years stared after him.
"How high do you think he is?" Mandy asked Michael, "ten feet?"
Michael squinted up at Neville, "He's possibly up nineteen feet."
"How many bones do you think he'll break if he falls?" Mandy asked.
"Maybe three, possibly four," Michael stated. Neville shot off towards the stone wall of the castle.
Ron was staring at the two, "Why are you two debating that?"
Hailey must have closed her eyes in fear because when she opened them, Neville was dangling from his cloak on the sword of a statue. Suddenly he was plummeting to the ground. She turned her head and closed her eyes because she didn't want to see the poor guy hit the ground. She heard the thud and opened her eyes to watch as the broomstick went to the Forbidden Forest.
Madam Hooch was bending over Neville and heard her say, "Broken wrist. Come on, boy. It's all right, up you get." She turned to the rest of the first years, "None of you is to move while I take this boy up to the hospital wing. You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts faster than you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear."
Neville had tears running down his face and he was clutching his wrist, as he hobbled off with Madame Hooch, who had her arm around him.
After they were out of earshot, Malfoy started laughing with the other Slytherins joining in. Hailey took back her goodwill on that the rest of the Slytherins weren't all bad.
"Did you see his face, the great lump?" Malfoy asked.
"Shut up, Malfoy," Parvati Patil snapped.
Pansy laughed even more, "Sticking up for Longbottom? I didn't know that you liked fat cry-babies, Parvati."
Malfoy ran forward, picked up the Remembrall, and held it up. "Look, it's the stupid thing that his grandmother sent him. Maybe if he held on tighter, he would've remembered to land on his fat arse."
Hailey hated him. He reminded her of Dudley, a boy so coddled and spoiled rotten, that he thinks he can do anything. Someone needed to knock Malfoy down a few pegs. She stepped forward, "Give it to me, Malfoy."
Malfoy looked at her and sneered. "You know, I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How about…up a tree?"
Hailey started to feel angry, "Give it to me!" Malfoy mounted the broom and took off on it.
If Hailey didn't hate him, she would've been impressed that he knew how to fly well. He was level with the tallest branches with an oak tree. He yelled, "Come and get it, Potter!"
Hailey couldn't let this prat win. She grabbed the broomstick and Mandy had grabbed onto Hailey's arm. "You know that he's trying to get you into trouble, right?"
"I know that," Hailey said. "He reminds me of my cousin. I stood by when my cousin bullied people. I did nothing when he and his merry band of prats bullied me. I'm not going to stand by when Malfoy's bullying Neville."
"Damn," Mandy said. "That was a good speech."
"Scared, Potter?" Malfoy taunted.
Hailey mounted the broom and kicked up as hard as she can.
She soared up and felt air through her already tangled hair. She felt her robes billow out and she realized that this was fun and easy. Maybe she should reconsider the Quidditch thing. She pulled the broomstick higher.
"Kick his arse, Hailey!" Ron shouted, sounding excited.
She turned to face Malfoy, who seemed stunned. She wasn't sure if it because she actually followed him in the air or because she knew how to use the broomstick. She tried to use the tough voice that Dudley uses when he's about ready to punch someone, "give it here Malfoy, or I'll knock you off that broom."
Malfoy tried to sneer, but he couldn't, "Oh, yeah?"
Hailey glared at him and she grasped the broom handle tightly with both hands. She leaned foreward and it shot toward the Slytherin like a javelin. The blond boy got out of the way in time and Hailey made a sharp about-face. She held the broom steady and she heard some of the first years clapping.
"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck," Hailey pointed out.
Malfoy seemed to realize that too. "Catch it if you can, then!" He threw the Remembrall in the air and hurtled towards the ground.
Hailey looked at the ball. It rose up in the air and then it started to fall. She leaned forward, and pointed the broom handle down. She was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the Remembrall. She heard wind whistling in her ears mixing with the screams of people watching. She stretched out her hand a foot from the ground and caught it, just in time to pull the broom straight. She stepped gently onto the grass with the ball clutched safely in her fist. She realized that she was shaking from the adrenaline.
"Hailey Potter!"
She felt her smile drop and she looked at Professor McGonagall who was running toward them.
"Never—in all my time at Hogwarts—" The professor seemed speechless and her glasses flashed in the glare of the afternoon sun, "—how dare you—might have broken your neck—"
Padma started to say."It wasn't her fault—"
"Be quiet, Miss Patil—" Professor McGonagall ordered.
Ron started, "but Malfoy—"
"That's enough, Mr Weasley. Potter, follow me, now," Professor McGonagall ordered.
Hailey saw Malfoy, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle who looked triumphant. She followed after Professor McGonagall as she strode toward the castle.
I'm going to be expelled, Hailey thought, shaking from nerves instead of adrenaline. She was trying to say something but couldn't actually voice her thoughts. Professor McGonagall didn't look at the first year as she walked towards the castle making Hailey jog to keep up. She didn't even last two weeks. She'd be packing in ten minutes; that is if she can get into Ravenclaw Tower.
What would the Dursleys say once I show up on their doorstep? she wondered.
They walked up the marble staircase to get inside and the professor still didn't say anything. She opened the doors and walked along the corridors with Hailey walking miserably behind her.
Is she taking me to Dumbledore? She thought of Hagrid, who happened to be expelled, but was still allowed to stay as gamekeeper. Maybe I can be his assistant.
Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom and opened the door. She stuck her head inside, "Excuse me, Professor Binns, could I borrow Davies for a moment?"
Hailey thought, Davies?
Roger Davies walked out of class, looking a little confused. He was the third year boy who she remembered when they and a few others had to work out the riddle to get in Ravenclaw Tower.
He had shaggy brown hair, with the bangs swept to the side and he had dark eyes. He had a kind of pudgy face.
He's kind of cute, Hailey thought and blushed.
"Follow me you two," Professor McGonagall said and they were marched up the corridor. Roger looked at Hailey, possibly wondering if there was a reason why Professor McGonagall needed him and Hailey for. Hailey shrugged, letting Roger know that not even she knew.
"In here," she said, pointing them into a classroom that was occupied by Peeves, who was writing rude words on the blackboard. "Out, Peeves!" Peeves threw the chalk in the bin and swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind Peeves and turned to the two Ravenclaws. "Potter, this is Roger Davies. Davies—I've found you a Seeker."
Roger seemed a little confused, "Already? I haven't held try-outs yet."
Hailey was still confused, but it seemed like she wasn't going to be expelled, so she relaxed a little.
"She's a natural. I've never seen anything like it," Professor McGonagall said and looked the eleven year old girl. "Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"
Hailey nodded, "Y-yes."
"She caught that thing in her hand after a fifty-foot dive." Professor McGonagall stated, "Didn't even scratch herself. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."
Roger turned to Hailey, "Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?" He seemed to be getting excited, while studying her.
"Davies's captain of the Ravenclaw team," Professor McGonagall said.
"She has the build for a Seeker, too," Roger said, circling Hailey, "light and speedy."
Hailey wanted to mention that she was fast because she had years of practice of running from Dudley and his gang, but didn't.
"We have to get her a decent broom, Professor. Maybe a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd reckon," Roger stated.
"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows that you need a better team than last year," McGonagall said, "Flattened by the other Houses. I couldn't look Professor Flitwick in the eyes for weeks." She looked over at Hailey and said sternly, "I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change my mind about punishing you." She smiled, "Your father would be proud. He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."
Before dinnertime, Hailey had managed to pull Ron aside so she can tell Ron, Mandy, and Michael what had happened.
Ron was stunned, "Seeker? But first years never—you must be the youngest House player in about—"
"A century," Hailey said. "Roger Davies told me. I start training next week. Only don't tell anyone. Roger wants to keep it a secret."
Fred and George walked over to the little group.
"Well done," George said to Hailey in a whisper. "Davies kind of let it slip. He was sort of acting odd and we talked to him and he let it slip because he was excited. We're on the Gyffindor team. We're Beaters."
Fred nodded, "don't worry; we'll try to take it easy on you." Hailey stared at them, "Maybe your team might be able to win the House Cup this year. We better go; Lee Jordan thinks that he found a new secret passageway out of the school." The two left.
"Well," Mandy said, "they seem nice."
Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle appeared. Malfoy sneered, "Saying one last goodbye, Potter? When are you getting on the train back to the Muggles?"
"You seem a lot braver now that you have your little friends with you," Hailey said as she eyed them. They weren't little, since they were a little taller than her, maybe a little taller than Dudley and his gang, but she couldn't tell.
"I'd take you on anytime on my own," Malfoy said. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only—no contact." Hailey frowned. "What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"
"Of course she has." Mandy said, before giving Ron a chance to speak up. She glared at Malfoy. "I'm her second, who's yours?"
Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, then back at Mandy and Hailey, "Crabbe. Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."
The three Slytherins walked inside the Great Hall and Hailey looked at Mandy and Ron. She was frantic, "What is a wizard's duel and what do you mean that you're my second?"
"A second is there to take over if you die," Ron explained casually. "But people usually die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards."
"The most that we'll do is send sparks at each other. The neither of us both know enough magic to do any real damage," Mandy stated, and shrugged.
"What happens if I wave my wand and nothing happens?" Hailey asked.
"Toss your wand and punch the git in the face," Michael stated.
It wasn't the perfect night to end the day.
Hailey was laying awake, listening to Padma, Sue Li, and Lisa Turpin fall asleep. From what she saw, Neville hadn't came back from the hospital wing since he wasn't at dinner.
She was sure there was a very good chance that they were going to get caught by Filch or Mrs Norris. She was already pushing her luck by breaking another school rule today. She kept seeing Malfoy's sneering face and she was sick of that guy bullying her. She wouldn't let the chance by beating him face to face. Even though she figured that he was doing this to get them in trouble, but there's the off-chance that he could've been there.
"It's half-past eleven," Mandy whispered, "we should go." Hailey got out of bed and Mandy pulled on a red bathrobe. Mandy frowned, "you should get real pajamas some day."
Hailey felt embarrassed. Only Ron knew about her predicament with the Dursleys. They crept across the room, down the staircase, and into the common room. They went down the tight spiral staircase and they came face-to-face with Hermione Granger for some reason.
"What are you doing here?" Mandy asked.
"I think it's selfish with what you two are doing," Hermione said. "I heard you all talking about what your plans are. You're both going to lose points from Ravenclaw. I don't want Slytherin to win. I would rather have Gryffindor win but any house is better than Slytherin."
Mandy rolled her eyes, "Go away." She started leading Hailey to the trophy room.
"I would but the Fat Lady is gone. I realized that I was risking points from Gryffindor that I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing the Switching Spells, so I turned around to go inside, but the Fat Lady wasn't in her portrait."
They were down the hall and they ran into Neville, who had his arm in a sling. Neville looked startled, "I must have gotten lost because I ran from the Bloody Baron."
"How's your arm?" Hailey asked, not wanting to think about the Slytherin ghost.
"Fine, Madam Promfrey mended it in about a minute," Neville said.
"Okay," Mandy said, "well, Hailey and I got some things to do, so we best be on our way. Hermione here will take you back to your common room entrance."
"I don't want to walk back there. The Bloody Baron's walked around there four times," Neville said.
They walked down corridors striped with bars of moonlight from the high windows. Hailey kept expecting to run into Filch or Mrs Norris every time they turned a corner. They went up a staircase to the third floor and went to the trophy room.
Hailey wasn't surprised that Malfoy and Crabbe weren't there, but some small part was hoping that they were going to show up. She noticed that the crystal trophy cases glimmered where the moonlight caught them. The cups, shields, plates, and statutes winked silver and gold in the darkness.
Mandy looked like she was keeping her eyes on the doors at either end of the room. She tightened her hold on the wand, just in case Malfoy leaps in and started at once.
"He's late," Mandy said.
"Of course he's late. He didn't show up," Hermione stated. "You both know that he's trying to get you both in trouble, right? You're both in Ravenclaw, after all."
"Of course we know that," Mandy said. "There was a possibility that he would've showed up."
"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner," Filch said.
The girls and Neville started running out of the trophy room. Hailey waved at them to follow her. They just turned the corner when they heard Filch say, "They're in here somewhere. They're probably hiding."
They started to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor. They heard Filch start getting nearer and Neville let out a frightened squeak. He started running and grabbed Mandy around the waist. The two somehow toppled into a suit of armor with a loud crash and clang. Hailey was sure that would've been loud enough to wake the entire castle. She ran over and helped the two up.
"Run!" Hailey shouted and they started sprinting down the gallery. She didn't want to see if Filch was following them.
They ran down the corridor, with Hailey taking the lead, even though she had no clue where the hell she was going. She ran through a tapestry into a hidden passageway and they came out near the Charms classroom. She knew it was miles from the trophy room and she wondered if they lost Filch. She figured that Malfoy must have tipped Filch off. Mandy was leaning against the wall breathing hard while Neville was doubled over and wheezing.
"I—told—you," Hermione managed to gasp out.
"We've got to get back to the Towers," Mandy said, gasping, "as quickly as possible."
Hermione started, "Malfoy must have—"
"I know that," Hailey said. "He must have tipped Filch off."
Peeves suddenly appeared out of a classroom and gave a squeal of delight.
"Shut up, Peeves. You'll get us thrown out," Hermione said.
Peeves cackled, "Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."
"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves," Mandy said, "please."
"Should tell, Filch, I should," Peeves said, using a saintly voice, "It's for your own good, you know."
"Get out of the way," Mandy said and punched at him, but she realized her mistake.
"Students out of bed!" Peeves shouted, "Students out of bed down the Charms corridor!"
They ducked underneath Peeves and ran straight towards the door at the end of the corridor. They smashed into the door and Neville tried opening it.
Neville moaned, "This is it. We're done for. This is the end. My gran won't be happy once she finds out that I got expelled."
They heard footsteps as Filch started running to where Peeves was shouting. Before Hailey can use a spell to unlock the door, Hermione grabbed Mandy's wand, tapped the lock, and whispered, "Alohomora."
The lock clicked and the door opened. They piled in and closed the door. They pressed their ears against the door to listen.
"Which way did they go, Peeves?" Filch asked. "Quick, tell me."
"Say 'please,'" Peeves said.
"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now where did they go?" Filch demanded.
"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," Peeves said in a sing-song voice.
Hailey couldn't help but wonder if Peeves was actually helping them or trying to annoy Filch for the hell of it.
"All right," Filch said, sounding annoyed, "Please."
"Nothing!" Peeves said and started laughing, "Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please!" He laughed again and whooshed away.
Hailey rolled her eyes as she heard Filch curse in rage. She whispered, "he believes that the door is locked." She felt Neville tugging at her shirt. "Stop it, Neville!" The lone boy tugged at her shirt again, "what do you want, Neville?" She turned to look at him but noticed the reason why.
They weren't in a room, as she thought. They were in the forbidden corridor on the third floor and she found why the corridor was forbidden.
She was looking into the eyes of a monstrous dog that had filled the whole space between the ceiling and floor. It had three heads, with rolling, mad eyes. It had three noses which were twitching and quivering in their direction. The three mouths were drooling with the saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs. It was standing still, with all six eyes staring at them.
Maybe we startled it, Hailey thought. She looked around the room and noticed that the Cerberus was standing on what looked like a trapdoor.
It started to growl which sounded like thunder. Hailey reached for the doorknob and opened it. They fell backwards and Hailey slammed the door shut. Filch must have decided to look somewhere else. They ran off in separate directions, although Hailey noticed that Hermione had given her one last look. She wouldn't be surprised if she found Hermione waiting for them at the bottom of the spiral staircase in the morning to discuss what had happened.
When the two Ravenclaws managed to get in the common room, Mandy threw herself in one of the chairs. "What is the Cerberus doing in the castle? It probably needs exercise."
"Did you notice that it was standing on what looked like to be a trapdoor?" Hailey asked, wondering if the Cerberus was guarding something. Maybe it was that thing from Vault 713.
"I was paying attention to its heads. I swear, I thought I saw the light at the end of the tunnel," Mandy stated. "I'm going back to bed." She stood up and went to the door to get to the dormitory entrances. Hailey followed after Mandy, still wondering about the trapdoor and the package. After all, Gringotts and Hogwarts were one of the safest places in the world to hide something.
A/N: I had to rewrite which year Roger Davies's is in, because in Hailey's fourth year, he was in his sixth year. Then I had to go back and try to figure out the math if he was born in 1977/1978 and is in his third year. It was a little confusing and since he's the only known Qudditch Captain on the Ravenclaw team, I figure that he's the captain in his third year if Oliver Wood is the captain in his fourth year. I even used the wikia to track down the other Ravenclaw teammates to figure out which year they were also in.