Over the many, many, many years Jack had been on his own, he had met and grew a hatred to loads of people (Bunny nearing the top of that list), but that was before he had met Draco Malfoy.

Still all Jack had to do was shoot ice under his feet to make him slip or offer him a Bertie Botts bean, and he'd leave him alone.

Plus, at the moment first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so he didn't have to put up with them too much.

One weekend morning, after getting squeaked at and a couple of hairs pulled by an excited Baby Tooth, Jack got up and went down to the common room to see what the fuss was about, seeing a new notice pinned to the notice board.

First-year Flying lessons.

Starting Thursday Afternoon

3:30 - Gryffindor and Slytherin

4:30 - Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw

In the grounds in front of the school

"Typical," Jack heard Harry say behind him "Just what I need, a chance to make a fool out of myself in front of Malfoy."

"You won't make a fool out of yourself," Ron said reasonably "Besides I know Malfoy always goes on about how great he is at Quidditch but I bet it's all talk."

"I bet I will," Harry muttered.

"I'll take that bet," Jack say feeling slightly more awake now "How about... Five sickles this time?"

"Sure, whatever," Harry said rolling his eyes.

"Besides if you want a bit more talk about how to fly I can teach you instead," Jack said gently waving Baby Tooth away because she was trying to make him stop, it was bad enough the two identical red head boys knew who he really was.

"Back in America, when I got on a broom, it was almost as if the wind was my friend," he continued grinning laughing as Baby face-palmed herself, shaking her head in non-belief.

"Um... Thanks for the offer Jack," Harry said watching the little fairy "But I think I'll wait for Madam Hooch to teach me."

"Suit yourself," Jack said shrugging and going down to breakfast, Baby Tooth hidden in his pocket.


In the days leading up to their first flying lesson, all the fist years who had a chance to fly at home, were telling everyone else their stories.

Well, all except Neville – his grandmother never let him near one.

Wizard family children also talked a lot about how great Quidditch really is, and Ron and Dean Thomas, another boy who shared their dormitory, had an argument about whether Quidditch or football was better.

Turns out Ron couldn't see the point of a sport where there was only one ball, and where no one was allowed to fly.

Before the fight got too out of hand, Jack did say to and to remind Ron that football was a Muggle sport.

Still that didn't stop the youngest Weasley brother from prodding Dean's poster of West Ham football team with his wand, trying to get the players to move.

.

Hermione Granger was getting in a bit of a frizz as well, seeing as Flying was something you couldn't learn off by heart from a book.

Not that she hadn't tried, Jack found out, when he was in the library one day and saw her and Neville at a table swamped with books on how to ride a broomstick, but most of the books were just instructions on how to look after the broom after you had got it.

.

At breakfast on Thursday, Hermione was boring all of them as she tried to help them and give them tips on how to fly saying she got all the information from a book called 'Quidditch Through The Ages'.

Jack was about to freeze her mouth shut, not sure how much more of her voice he could take, when she was interrupted by the arrival of the post.

Jack looked up and saw Archimedes coming down to see him the Guardians reply in his beak.

He was about to read it when Neville unwrapped the small package he had gotten.

"Hey, what's that Neville?" he asked putting his letter in his pocket.

"It's a Rememberall," he explained "Gran knows I forget things – this tells you if you've forgotten something to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if the smoke turns red – oh..." he said because the Rememberall had turned bright red "... you've forgotten something..."

"Homework?" Jack asked trying to help Neville remember "Brush your hair? Do your teeth? Put on clean socks?"

"Jack, I think Neville can remember the basics of getting up by himself," Hermione said rolling her eyes as the others around them tried not to laugh.

Just then, as Draco Malfoy, who was passing by them, snatched the Rememberbrall out of Neville's hand.

Harry, Ron and Jack got to their feet, ready to attack, when Professor McGonagall came over to see what was going on.

"Malfoy's got my Remembebrall, Professor."

Scowling, Malfoy gave it back and said he was just looking, before he Crabbe and Goyle left the Great Hall.

Making a silent promise to himself to get back at Malfoy later, Jack sat back down and red his letter.

But all it said really was that they couldn't really do anything, because this was Wizard Business, and the fact being they had no idea what was in the volt that was nearly robbed.

Rolling his eyes, Jack put the letter away, got his things and went to their first lesson.


At 3:30 that afternoon, Jack, along with Harry, Ron and the other first year Gryffindors hurried down the front steps into the grounds.

It was a clear breezy day, and the grass crunched beneath their feet as they head to the flat smooth lawns on the other side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest.

'Wind must want to see me up in the air again' Jack thought as the breeze ruffled his hair.

The Slytherins were already there, as were about 20 something broomsticks lying on the ground.

Jack had heard some of the older students (mainly Fred and George) complain about the school broom.

How, some seemed to vibrate, as if they were scared, if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.

Soon Madam Hooch arrived.

"Good afternoon class," she said walking up the line.

"Good afternoon, Madam Hooch," they all said in polite reply.

"Well what are you waiting for?" she asked "Everyone step up next a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

After some shuffling, everyone was in place.

Jack looked down at the brooms, they did all look rather old and battered.

"Stick your right hand over the broom," Madam Hooch said up at the front "And say 'Up!'"

"Miss, I'm left handed!" Jack called out raising his hand.

"It doesn't matter, Frost," Madam Hooch said "It's always the right hand with broomsticks."

With that everyone did as she said and shouted "UP!"

Jack's and Harry's brooms jumped into their hands at once, but they were some of the only ones that did.

Ron's just rolled around, and Hermione's didn't do anything.

"Up!" Ron said getting a little annoyed.

'Thwack!' went his broom coming up and hitting him in the face, making Jack and Harry laugh.

"Shut up you two..." he said rubbing his nose.

Once everyone had a broom in hand, Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end and went around up and down the rows correcting their grips.

The three friends were delighted when she told Malfoy he had been doing it wrong for years.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you are to kick off from the ground hard," she instructed "Keep your brooms steady, hover for a bit, then lean forward slightly and come back down. On my whistle – three – two- "

But Neville, not wanting to be left out kicked off before the whistle touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back boy!" she called out.

Quickly Jack kicked off too and shot after Neville.

All eyes were either on Neville or Jack.

A loud gasp came when Neville began to slide off his broom and fall.

Leaning forward to be more streamlined, Jack raced towards him reaching out his hand, catching Neville's and as quickly and safely as he could, brought both of them back to the ground.

"You all right Neville?" Jack asked getting off his broom.

Neville still a little pale, nodded.

Madam Hooch came over to see if he was truly all right.

"Shock, that must be it," she said "Come on boy – it's all right. Frost I would like to speak to you and your head of house after this lesson.

"The rest of you. 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."

"Miss may I come with him please, you know for support?" Jack asked putting his broom down.

"Very well Frost."


In the Hospital Wing, while Madam Hooch was talking to Madam Pompfrey, the matron recording what happened in the log book, Neville was having some hot chocolate and thanking Jack for saving him.

"You're welcome Neville," Jack said kindly.

"Right, Frost, come with me," Madam Hooch said as he lead him to McGonagall's office.

But she met them in the Entrance Hall leading a frowning/scared looking Harry Potter.

"Ah, Minerva if I may have a moment of your time," Madam Hooch said "I think I found you a Chaser to play for your house team."

"Really?" McGonagall said looking Jack up and down.

The boys were confused as Madam Hooch told McGonagall what Jack did.

"Well in that case, I award you 25 points Frost," she said giving him a small smile "Now you two come with me."

Together Jack and Harry followed Professor McGonagall to a class room.

"Excuse me Professor Flitwick, can I borrow Wood for a moment please?"

The boys looked at each other confuse wondering what, or who 'Wood' was.

It turned out Wood was a fifth year who came out looking confused.

"Potter, Frost, this is Oliver Wood. Wood – I've found you a Seeker, and a Chaser."

Wood turned from puzzlement to delight.

"Are you serious Professor?" he asked.

"Absolutely," she said chrisply "Potter's a natural. I've never seen anything like it. And by the way Madam Hooch talked about Frost, he's a natural too. Was that the first time on a broomstick you two?"

Harry nodded, but Jack said he had some practice over in America.

"Potter caught that thing in his hand after a 50 foot dive," McGonagall said to Wood "Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it. Not even a scratch. And Frost got to another student who had fallen off his broom and caught him before his even got near the ground."

"They're just the right build for a Chaser and a Seeker too," Wood said looking Jack and Harry over "Ever seen a game of Quidditch you two?" he asked.

"Wood's the captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.

"We'll need to get them decant brooms Professor – a Nimbus 2000, or a Clean Sweep 7, or maybe even a Snow Flurry 68."

"I'll talk to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin. I couldn't look Severus Snape in the eyes for weeks..."

Calming down Professor McGonagall looked over her glasses at Harry "I want to hear that your training hard, Potter, or I may just rethink about punishing you."

Then she gave a rare smile.

"Your father would have been proud." she said "He was an excellent Quidditch player himself."

With that Wood went back into the class room, and McGonagall went back to her office.

"So... I take it you didn't humiliate yourself in front of Malfoy..." Jack said grinning, hands behind his head as they walked to the Great Hall.

"You'll get your money when we get back to Gryffindor Tower," Harry said rolling his eyes, but grinning at the same time.