Chapter 5

Today was the day Åsa knew she was going to make a fool of herself in front of every Gryffindor and Slytherin first year. Thursday was the day they be starting the flying lessons with the Slytherins. Åsa was worried about Slytherins making fun of her but it more of the Gryffindors, since suddenly her friends were being mean to Slytherins and not hanging out with her. The only Gryffindors that really talked to her were the Weasley twins, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. The two Slytherins that talked to her were her sister and her friend, Millicent.

As she ate another orange cranberry muffin, with some milk, she heard Harry and Ron sit down next to, and across, from her talking about the flying lessons.

"Typical," Harry muttered darkly," Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broom stick in front of Malfoy."

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," Ron replied. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

Åsa nodded in agreement with Ron, since Malfoy did talk about flying a lot more that she did with Vampires, Barghests, or Sirens, which was shocking to her and her sister. Åsa remembered one day they talked about their adventures with a broomstick, or how they never got to touch one that was magical. Seamus told his friends, while Åsa was sitting there with Hermione, that he spent his childhood zooming around the countryside with his broomstick. Ron told people that he almost hit a hang glider with Charlie's old broom.

Neville, along with Hermione and Åsa, have never been on a broomstick his whole life because of his grandmother being overprotective. Hermione was nervous about it because she relied on books for her classes and they were no books that could help her with flying a broomstick. Åsa was laughed at by some Gryffindors about her biggest adventure with a broomstick, which was cleaning.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Åsa noticed that Neville's barn owl brought his a small, brown package that was from his grandmother. He opened and showed a glass ball, the size of a marble, to everyone.

"It's a Remembrall!" He started to explain. "Gran knows I forget things – this tell you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red – oh . . ." Neville's face turned sad because the white smoke turn to a scarlet red. ". . . you've forgotten something . . ."

As Neville tried to remember what he forgotten, Draco Malfoy snatched the Remembrall from Neville's hands. The first reaction of Harry and Ron was to jump up in defense. Before they could do something, Professor McGonagall came out of nowhere and looked at the people involved.

"What's going on?"

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor." Neville explained the problem.

"Just looking," Malfoy stated, sneering as he dropped the ball on the table. The three Slytherins walked passed them and to the Slytherin table.

At three-thirty in the afternoon, Åsa, Harry, Ron, and all the other Gryffindors went down the front steps of the grounds for the flying lesson. It was a beautiful day outside. The sky was clear, wind was slightly blowing, and the sun was out and shining down on them.

The walked, more of a march though, to the opposite side of the grounds nearly the forbidden forest. Åsa noticed that the Slytherins were already there and that 20 broomsticks were lined up on the ground. Åsa quickly went over to Fritzie, with Hermione following, and Fritz had Millicent following her too.

Åsa and Hermione's relationship was more of a study buddy thing but recently they became regular friends, hanging out together because of their common interests.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" Madam Hooch stated as she arrived. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Åsa and Fritzie got a pair of broomsticks next to each other while Millicent and Hermione were on their sides. Harry and Ron were a couple of broomsticks away from Hermione and Åsa, which the Danish witch noted.

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," Madam Hooch called from the front. "and say 'Up!'"

There was a chorus of Up's after Madam Hooch finished her sentence. Åsa's broomstick flew up to her hand after the third up while Fritzie's went up on the first. Smiling slightly, Åsa looked back up to the front to figure out what to do next. She noticed while waiting that Neville's didn't move at all and Hermione's only rolled over.

After everyone got their brooms in their hands, Madam Hooch taught them how to properly mount the broomsticks with sliding of the end of them. She walked up and down the rows, correcting the grips of people. Åsa noticed that Harry and Ron were happy when she told Draco that he was doing it wrong for years.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," Madam Hooch said. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle — three— two —"

Neville, being nervous, pushed off before Madam Hooch before she got the whistle to her lips.

"Come back, boy!" The professor shouted, but Neville only rose straight up. He went twelve feet, then twenty feet before he slipped sideways off the broom and fell, making a nasty crack noise. Neville was laying facedown on the grass. His broomstick took off towards the forbidden forest before it went out of sight.

Madam Hooch was looking over Neville, her face as white as snow, just like Neville's.

"Broken wrist," She muttered, but loud enough for most of the people near her to hear. "Come on, boy— it's all right, up you get."

She turned to the class.

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

Everyone watched as Madam Hooch and a tear-streaked Neville, who was clutching his wrist, walk away from their current position. When the two were out of hearing range, Draco Malfoy busted into a fit of laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"The other Slytherins, other than Fritzie, started to laugh along with him.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Parvati Patil, another twin, snapped.

"Ooh, sticking up from Longbottom?" Pansy Parkinson, a girl who a pug-shaped face, said. "Never though you'd like fat little cry-babies, Parvati."

"Look!" Draco caught everyone's attention when he ran forward and grabbed something from the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

Åsa saw that Malfoy was holding the Remembrall and that the white smoke turned to a red color. No one noticed that part, but only when Harry spoke.

"Give that here, Malfoy," Harry stated.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find – how about – up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Harry yelled at the Slytherin, but Draco jumped on a broom and flew up into the air, above an oak tree and called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

When Harry grabbed his broom, Hermione stepped up as stated, "No! Madam Hooch told us not to move – you'll get us all into trouble."

Harry ignored Hermione, which made Åsa pull her new friend out of the way when he kicked the ground to go into the sky. Everyone watched as Harry and Draco were leveled and talking, but the slight breeze covered up their words. After Harry spoke, Draco threw the Remembrall and flew back to the ground.

Harry flew towards the falling Remembrall and started to gather speed. He caught the Remembrall a foot from the ground and he pulled his broom straight, making his lightly topple to the grass.

"HARRY POTTER!"

Åsa turned quickly to see Professor McGonagall running towards the lot of first years. The Danish witch noted that Harry got to his feet, trembling.

"Never – in all my time at Hogwarts—"Professor McGonagall was speechless from shock, "—how dare you – might have broken your neck—"

"It wasn't his fault, Professor—"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil-"

"But Malfoy—"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."The Gryffindors and Slytherins watched as Professor McGonagall and Harry Potter walked away from the group.

"You're joking." Ron stated at the supper, later in the day. Åsa was chewing on a piece of steak, so she couldn't reply to what Harry told the two. Åsa just nodded her head in agreement with Ron.

"Seeker?" Ron went on. "But first years never – you must be the youngest House play in about—"

"— a century," Harry finished Ron's statement, eating a piece of Shepherd's Pie. "Wood told me."

Åsa finished swallowing the fat that she just ate, and stated "Lucky you! The only first year in a century to play on a Quidditch team."

Harry nodded, eating some more pie. The three sat in silence for a little bit till Harry spoke up again, causing the two to look at him.

"I start training next week," Harry stated. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."

After Harry finished his sentence, Fred and George Weasley hurried over to the boy once they got into the hall.

"Well done," George said in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too – Beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch Cup for sure this year," Fred said. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyway, we've got to go; Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you. Good-bye Danish princess."Åsa muttered 'idiots' as the two Weasley twins ran out the hall and into the entrance hall.

"Having a last meal, Potter?" Draco's voice made Åsa turn and look at the five boys talking. "When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you," Harry said, making Åsa shake her head in disappointment. Crabbe and Goyle only cracked their knuckles and scowled since the High Table.

"I'd take you on anytime on my own," Draco said. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only – no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?"

"Of course he has," Ron replied. "I'm his second, who's yours?"

"Crabbe," Draco said after he sized the two goons up.

"I'm his third, so Goyle is your third." Åsa stated, not really caring if there was a third or not.

"Midnight all right?" Draco said, giving into Åsa's fake rule. "We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."

"What is a wizard's duel?" Harry asked. "And what do you, mean you're my second and third?"

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," Ron stated casually. "But a third is a rare thing, though. It's only if the second dies too. But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway."

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it away and punch him in the nose," Ron suggested.

"Excuse me." Hermione's voice spoke up from behind Åsa, making her nearly squeak out in shock.

"Can't a person eat in peace in this place?" Ron questioned.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying—"

"Bet you could," Ron stated, but quieted down when his shin was kicked by Åsa.

"— and you mustn't go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your business," Harry said.

"Good-bye."

At half-past eleven, Åsa got out of her bed, fully dressed and with her wand, and started towards the door. She knew that Hermione was downstairs and sitting in a chair, so she expected to get stopped. After closing the door to her dorm, she met up with Ron and Harry who were at the bottom of the boy's staircase.

The three walked only a little bit before, as Åsa predicted, someone stopped them by turning on the lamp.

"I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry."

"You!" Ron snarled, pointed at Hermione. "Go back to bed!"

"I almost told your brother," Hermione snapped back. "Percy – he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."

"Come on," Harry said, pushing Åsa and Ron towards the portrait of the Fat Lady. The three walked out and were followed by Hermione.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor, do you only care about yourselves, I don't want Slytherin to win the House Cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spell."

"Go away."

"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so—"Åsa turned around to see that the Fat Lady was out of her portrait and somewhere else, which made Hermione locked out of the Gryffindor common room.

"Now what am I going to do?" Hermione questioned.

"That's your problem," Ron said. "We've got to go; we're going to be late."

The three didn't reach the end of the corridor before Hermione came running after then.

"I'm coming with you," she said.

"No yo—"

"Okay," Åsa stated, speaking up since dinner. Harry and Ron looked at Åsa with shock, since she didn't talk that much, but they were mostly shocked from her letting Hermione come with them.

Ron and Hermione were fighting behind Harry and Åsa, who where walking faster to get to the trophy. Harry told the two to shut up since he heard something from further down the corridor. Åsa went ahead of the three and found out that it was Neville, who was lying on the ground.

"Thank goodness you found me!" Neville stated loudly as he jerked awake from Åsa's touch. "I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed."

"Be quiet, Neville," Åsa sighed. "The password is 'Pig Snout,' but the Fat Lady is out of her portrait."

"How's your arm?" Harry asked.

"Fine," Neville stated. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."

"Good—well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later—"

"Don't leave me!" Neville cried, scrambling to his feet. "I don't want to stay her alone; the Bloody Baron's been past twice already."

"Okay, you can come along too. But be quiet. If one of you, Hermione or Neville, gets us caught, I will immediately curse you with warts."Åsa threatened, making her point clear to the two tag alongs. The four followed Åsa as she made her way towards the Trophy Room.

The five got their two minutes before midnight, but when it became Midnight the Slytherins weren't in the trophy room. Åsa looked at some of the trophies, but didn't get lost from the group.

"He's late, maybe he's chickened out," Ron whispered two the original wizard duel fighters.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner." Åsa stiffed at the voice of Filch, who was talking to his cat Mrs. Norris. Åsa turned towards the others, who were stiff as a plank, and gestured to follow her.

"They're in here somewhere," all of them heard him mutter, "probably hiding."

The group creeped past suits of armor, which the gallery seemed to never end. Åsa could hear the caretaker getting closer to them as they were getting closer to the door. Just then Neville tripped, falling on Ron, and the two fell onto a suit of armor, making a loud crashing noise.

"Run!" Harry shouted, taking lead as Neville was pulled along by Åsa. They ran down a bunch of corridors, not caring where they were, just trying to get away from Filch and Mrs. Norris. The group ran through tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway that came out near the Charms classroom, which was miles away from the trophy room.

'I think we've lost him," Harry panted out. Åsa let go of Neville who was wheezing and spluttering.

"I – told – you," Hermione gasped at the original three. "I – told – you."

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor Tower," Ron stated, "quickly as possible."

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you – Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off."

"Let's go." Åsa said, making the other walk as quickly as they could to get to the Gryffindor Tower. But haven't even walked nine or ten steps, the classroom doorknob rattled and Peeves came shooting out of the classroom in front of them. The poltergeist gave a squeal of delight when he saw the five kids.

"Shut up, Peeves – please – you'll get us thrown out." Harry stated.

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty." Peeves cackled.

"Not if you don't give us away, Peeves, please." Ron spoke up this time.

'Should tell Filch, I should," Peeves said, his eyes glittering. It's for your own good, you know."

"Get out of the way," Before Åsa could stop Ron; he took a swipe and Peeves which was big mistake.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!"Peeves shouted. "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

Running past Peeves, they ran up some stairs and towards a door, which was locked.

"Stupid Weasley," Åsa growled, pissed off. "First thing to know about a poltergeist, never touch them!"

"This is it!" Ron moaned as the three strongest, Harry, Åsa, and him, couldn't open the door. "We're done for! This is the end!"

Åsa could hear Filch's footsteps coming closer and Peeves shouts of directions.

"Oh, move over," Hermione snarled. "Alohomora!"

With as swish of Åsa's wand, which Hermione took, the door was unlocked and they ran inside. Åsa quickly shut the door as Neville got in after Hermione and pushed her back on it so it wouldn't open. While everyone else was listening to Peeves and Filch's conversation, Åsa was gaping at what was in front of her.

The beast in front of her was standing on a trap door, but she didn't care at the moment. She tried to hit Harry's shoulder, but got Neville's instead. With Neville noticing the beast too, he hit Harry's shoulder and that's when Harry noticed that snarling three-headed dog in front of them.

Åsa got off the door and Harry opened the door, which Filch and Peeves were gone by them. The five of them ran out of the door and Åsa shut it before one of the dog's head could get through. They ran through the castle and finally got back to the Fat Lady.

"Where on earth have you all been?" The lady asked, but only Harry answered.

"Never mind that – pig snout, pig snout," Harry panted out and the portrait swung open. All of them ran into the common room and fell to the couch, armchair, and floor.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that lock up in a school?" Ron broke the silence. "If any dog needs exercise, that one does."

"You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" Hermione fumed. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"That floor?" Harry suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet; I was too busy with its heads."

"It was standing on a trap door." Åsa muttered from the floor. "Most likely guarding something under the door."

"I hope you're please with yourselves." Hermione stated after Åsa answered her question. "We could all have been killed – or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

Hermione got up from her chair and started up the staircase to their dorm room. Ron stared at the brunette, his mouth open in shock.

"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?"

Åsa rolled her eyes and followed Hermione up the stairs. The Danish witch was tired since she fell onto the bed earlier in the day, she just found out that her school held a giant three-headed dog like Hades, and she was ticked off at Draco Malfoy.

After getting into her room, she fell onto her bed, not changing, and fell asleep with many ways to kill Draco Malfoy on her mind.