Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

Chapter 4

Flying

During the week Harry and Ginny studied as hard as they could, learning what ever they felt they could manage or takes their fancy. However, they did their hardest during classes to earn as many house points as they could. They seriously wanted to win the House Cup this year, and their hard work seemed to be rubbing off on the other Nero first years since none of them chose the easy methods now if there was a harder one to master.

Even a lot of the older Foxes upon realising the first years were receiving so many house points for their hard and tireless work were upping their work effort to not let their house down. This year they were determined to win the House Cup this year if they could, and it became a house goal, they were determined to bring some glory, pride and honour back to their house.

It was Friday after lunch where Harry and Ginny along with a few other Nero first years were leaving the Great Hall and heading towards the dungeons for their first ever double potions lesson when they paused as Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom and a few other Gryffindor's were facing off against a few Slytherin's. Their leader being an asshole Harry and Ginny ran into a few days a got, Draco Malfoy.

"Well what's the pathetic brother of a blood traitor fox going to do," mocked the bleach blonde boy, Malfoy.

"Shut it, snake!" he hissed his reply as he flung a blurry yellow spell at him.

However, Malfoy easily stepped out of its way smirking. He turned around in surprise to see it heading straight for Harry. Ron however looked as if his spell was going to do something good anyway. However, when it hit Harry's reflection shield that can easily stop such a low class spell and returned heading straight for Ron at twice the speed he looked horrified and too shocked to move.

The spell hit Ron and his eyebrows started growing extremely long as he cried out in panic, staggering a little under the force of the spell. Harry looked at the others and shrugged while they and the Slytherin's laughed at Ron's predicament. Harry then just led the Nero's towards the dungeons just as Lupin angrily exited the Great Hall after seeing what happened, and almost happened.

"Weasley, twenty points from Gryffindor, and Saturday detention for attacking another student!" they heard him roar angrily. "Now get to the hospital wing to get that sorted if you're too bone idle to learn the counter curse to your jinxes!"

Harry, Ginny and their first year friends laughed some more as they walked down towards their final lesson of the week and one they all dreaded. However, it might not be too bad since they have it with Gryffindor's he'll have two houses to hate, Slytherin's rivals and mudbloods.

They soon found them selves seated in Snape's class. Harry and Ginny were together at the back as they listened to Snape talk about how awesome potions are, but Harry just thought it was like fancy cooking. Snape then went on to tell them how most of his students are all dunderheads, but the Nero's were pulling in all of there courage to not let him intimidate them. The same could not be said for the Gryffindor first years as they all seemed to be quivering.

"Potter!" Snape suddenly hissed making him jump at the suddenness, and wondering why Snape seems to hate him so much. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Uh, I think it's the Draught of Living Death, sir," he answered respectfully. He and Ginny both had been studying their potions book as much as they could planning for a moment just like this since Snape is known for picking on one student from his first first year classes.

Snape looked as if he was going to deny it for a moment when he paused with his mouth half open and blinked in surprise just staring at Harry in shock.

"I-indeed you are correct, Potter," he spat out as if giving praise to a Nero in any form caused him physical and emotional pain. "One p-point to Nero," he stuttered with a lump in his throat unable to believe he did that, but points given when points deserved even if it is to 'him'. The other students looked gobsmacked. "Well it seems Mr. Potter has actually opened his book, but where Potter would you look, if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" he continued with a sneer returning to his features.

"Oh, I remember that one," he chimed proudly ignoring Snape's scowl. "It is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and will save you from most poisons," he answered with a nervous smile.

Snape double took and internally groaned wishing he chose a Gryffindor to question since these new Nero's were a lot harder to scare while the Gryffindor's were all quivering, and they say Gryffindor's are the brave house. He internally scoffed at the thought.

"Indeed, you are once again correct, maybe you're not as stupid as I originally thought!" he hissed angrily. "Two points to Nero… but Potter what is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" he asked smugly knowing full well the answer is not in the first year's potion textbook.

"Oh, um… err," he thought frantically when something clicked and jumped into his mind. "I know, I read about it in my defence book on werewolves. It's a key ingredient to wolfsbane potion, and they are the same plant also known as aconite."

Snape wanted to smash his head into the wall. How the boy had read all of that was beyond him, and bloody annoying. He had looked forward to humiliating him and deflating his obviously oversized ego.

"Correct, Potter, have another five points," he said in defeat. The boy had studied hard and he maybe a jerk but he can appreciate hard work, even from a Potter. "Ok, instructions on the board, begin," he continued flicking his wand at the blackboard and instructions appeared.

It was for a cure to boles, and Harry and Ginny began on their potion straight away. They did things a little differently but it just seemed their way was both faster and more efficient, and honestly failing potions didn't bother either of them.

By the end of class, Snape had not commented once on their potion, but did not sneer at it as he did practically every other potion in the room, except for some busy haired Gryffindor who was doing well, Harry thought her name was Hermione, and a muggleborn too if he was correct.

The class had finally finished bottling and labelling their work before tidying up, grabbing their bags and as the bell rang they left the classroom, most of the Nero's hung back a little to let the Gryffindor's go, and out of their sight. It wasn't as if they hated the Gryffindor's it was just they didn't trust them.

However, Harry started as he noticed Hermione had slowed to walk the other side of him to Ginny, and was staring at him with calculating eyes.

"You are Harry Potter, correct?" she suddenly asked bossily.

"Yes I am," he agreed with a nod. "And you're Hermione Granger if I am right?"

"You are," she agreed businesslike. "I have never been behind any body before in school, but you, and in some classes I'm even drawing with Ginevra," she said gesturing the orange haired girl who narrowed her eyes in annoyance at her full name. "The only class I'm top of is history."

Harry laughed.

"That's when I catch up on my sleep. Anyway, we've only been here less than a week how could you possibly know our standings. And why would you want to?"

Hermione blushed in embarrassment.

"I asked Professor McGonagall yesterday," she replied impishly. "I just wanted to make sure I was best in the year but she said I was second. I had thought it was a Ravenclaw because I was prepared to accept that because Ravenclaw's are supposed to be smart, but when I told the professor this, she said first place belongs to a Nero. I had never heard of them coming so high, and didn't want to believe it, but you just proved her right. But you can't really be this good or you wouldn't be in Nero, so how did you cheat?"

Harry stopped dead staring at her in disbelief as everyone stopped with him, and everyone stared at Hermione looking angry, she gulped and started looking nervous but stood her ground.

"Cheat?" he repeated slowly. "Sure I'll tell you. I read the books, I studied the magic, and I worked as hard as I could to get good grades, better than yours apparently. YOU DARE ACCUSE ME OF CHEATING!" he roared angrily at the end, and she jumped backwards wanting to run and wishing she had never said anything. "What are you some kind of fool, is hanging around with all of those racists rubbing off on you. I wanted to go into this house, sure, I would have accepted any other house but truly inside my heart, Rosette Nero is my kin, and I am proud to bring points to her house and study hard to get them. If you can't handle someone being better than you don't ask for any of the academic standings because that's pathetic.

"I'll give you credit for bravery in confronting me in the presents of just my family," he glared at her and she flinched. "But none for intelligence, seriously, most Gryffindor's hate us, and we have little trust for them. Think yourself lucky we don't hex you for being an idiot Gryffindor, acting before you think things through. If you did this to a Slytherin you would not have been so lucky, so get lost."

She didn't need telling twice as she burst out into tears and ran off down the corridor crying. Harry sighed and looked to Ginny to see her looking a little guilty at what just happened. He sighed again but smiled.

"Go and see if she's ok, please?" he asked. "I don't think she knows how to make friends, and the way Gryffindor's are morons I doubt she'll ever make any proper friends in that house if any."

Ginny nodded with a smile as she ran off after the girl.

"Wait up, Gin, we'll come too," cried out Jamie as she and a few other girls chased after her and out of sight.

The rest of the first years shrugged with smiles and continued back to their common room where they began playing some games of exploding snap to pass the time until dinner.

Ginny and the other girls returned just before dinner. They had explained to Hermione how Nero's are treated because of their blood by the other houses, the same blood she has, and because of their belief's. They had found Hermione crying in a bathroom and managed to calm her down and get her to listen.

She didn't want to believe that muggleborns had hardly any rights in the magical world, and blood traitors are treated the same, but Ginny had said she seemed to realise it as truth, and that just because a pureblood says something bad about Nero House does not mean its true. They had even proven that by letting her leave when she insulted them, and even sending the girls to make sure she is ok, but some people are hard to change, and even harder to befriend when those she is supposed to trust tell her lies.

**

Saturday morning, eleven in the morning, a great and happy day for Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley and many other happy go lucky first years as they stood around within the Hogwarts quidditch stadium. Madam Hooch was there smiling at them all, but something was wrong in Harry's mind. If this was a flying lesson, where are the brooms because he's quite sure you can't learn to fly a broom without said brooms?

"Where're the brooms?" he suddenly blurted out at the teacher.

Someone a little way away snorted while nearly everyone from Nero House looked as confused. Harry saw the mean snorter, Hermione Granger sticking her nose in the air at him.

"Witches and wizards don't need brooms to fly," she said smugly, she was obviously trying to flaunt her knowledge on the matter. "You don't get to learn to fly a broom until you can at least hover without one encase you fall off without anyone to catch you under a levitation charm, but you'll probably not get that far."

"Oh, cool, thanks," he said smiling brightly, and he could tell she was annoyed he wasn't bothered she knew and he didn't. Well in his honest opinion, someone had to tell him eventually and he isn't bothered who he learns from, as long as it's accurate and interesting he'll take what he can get, and Hermione's hardly ever wrong.

"Absolutely correct Miss. Granger," said Hooch with a smile in her direction. "Two points for Gryffindor, but you shouldn't mock the Foxes like that, for one its not very nice, and two I'm a Fox my self." Hermione paled at that news but the teacher just smiled and allowed the Nero's to snicker silently.

"Well, let me begin with instruction first," continued Hooch. "Flying without a broom for long periods of time can be dangerous as you can exhaust your magic and fall out of the air to your deaths." She paused here for dramatic effect to see most of the first years looking a little worried now, most of all Hermione, which pleased her. She noticed Harry seemed to find the news exciting, which she would expect from a true Fox like herself, the thrill of the added challenge of surviving.

"If you ever feel yourself getting tired within the sky I suggest only one thing, and that is to be on or near the ground before you pass out," she added on smiling before again continuing. "To fly is simple out loud but difficult in practice. You have to push your magic from every inch of your body at once and manipulate the air around you to move. That is the simplest way to explain it, and I will not be able to help you until you try so I can sense what you are doing and correct you accordingly.

"Ok, to begin I want you to attempt to hover, now some of you may have been taught to fly by a family member, so those few will get it straight away, but I don't want you flying off. The others may take several weeks to even hover, and you shall not be allowed you learn the broom if you can not hover, ok, get to it."

Harry took a deep breath as he watched the wind gently brush around Ginny and a few other first years as they slowly rose a few feet and hovered in place looking smug.

"How come you didn't tell me you can do that?" asked Harry gesturing the floating orange haired girl.

"Sorry," she answered sheepishly. "I thought you knew what flying meant, I didn't think you just thought brooms."

"Then why is quidditch played on broom and not like this?"

"You can fly longer on a broom," she answered with a shrug. "And I guess it makes things fairer, since some people can out fly even the Nimbus 2000 broom."

Harry pouted as he turned away and closed his eyes, as he felt deep inside for his personal well of magic. He clenched his fists softly as he pushed it out of every inch of his body, feeling for the air, for the wind around him unaware Madam Hooch was watching him with everyone else in shock as a powerful whirlwind gently span around him for a moment before calming and he slowly lifted from the ground a few metres, held by the wind.

He opened his eyes grinning like a loon as he looked down at the students and teacher. He was floating even higher than Ginny, his hair ruffling in a soft breeze. It felt so easy holding himself up, natural even. It was so peaceful floating in the air, his robes rippling around him. He looked back to the students and smirked at Hermione smugly when he saw her look of horror and jealousy.

"I thought I wouldn't get anywhere, Hermione," he laughed mockingly as he drifted backwards as if lying in the sky before continuing back and hanging upside down. "This is so freaking awesome!"

"Impressive Mr. Potter," commented Hooch after a moment. "It seems you have a better understanding of your own magic that the others do."

"Indeed," he agreed as he drifted down upside down, stopping with his face inches from Ginny's grinning from ear to ear as she smiled at him in amusement. He poked her on the nose. "Tag, you're IT!" he cried out as he shot up into the sky feet first giggling insanely displacing Ginny slightly with his wind, but she managed to stay airborne looking annoyed.

"MR. POTTER GET BACK HERE!" yelled Hooch just as he changed direction, flying head first towards the other side of the stadium whooping with joy. Then Ginny shot off after him, not that her speed was anything compared to his. "MISS. WEASLEY DON'T YOU…" she trailed off with a sigh. "There's always a couple of Skytes," she groaned in annoyance.

"Excuse me Madam Hooch, but how can he be that good already?" asked Hermione in annoyance and jealousy. "And what's a Skyte?"

"They're natural flyers," she answered. "And Skyte is a term used for a witch or wizards, who seek thrills in the sky, by flying fast, and dangerous, they make brilliant quidditch players because they aren't afraid of doing stupid things to score, save, beat, or catch the snitch. And before you ask why he is faster than her when she has been flying for longer, it's because he has more power to waste on more speed, and appears to be a Wind Elementalist so he doesn't use or need as much power to fly as everyone else."

Harry was having the time of his life flying away from Ginny every time she got close to him for the next hour, Madam Hooch didn't bother chasing after them so they figured it was ok. It was so freeing breezing through the sky, the ultimate high, but all too soon they had to return to the ground because Ginny said she was getting a little tired, and Harry had to admit that he was too.

They landed near the other students where Madam Hooch had told Harry that he could be a Wind Elementalist, and that he should take that elective in his third year, which he intended to anyway. It was an interesting thought having the power over the wind and air because it will mean it will be easier to fly, and he'll be able to stay in the sky for longer.

She had retrieved a couple of brooms for them, and was not surprised Harry had taken to it easily, and even though the broom fought him and was crap compared to flying with the wind he still found it fun, though Ginny could now keep up with him, which wasn't as fun for him.

"I told you, you would be great," said Ginny later that afternoon as they were heading back to their tower for a shower. "Though I never expected you to grasp it so fast, but I have heard of others in books learning just as fast. It only took me two days and I thought that was fast, my dad praised me for getting it faster than all of the boys for weeks. Most of my brothers were ok with my skill, except one, guess who?"

"Ron," he supplied the answer and they laughed while she nodded when he stopped laughing suddenly and pulled Ginny into his arms as a spell streaked through where she was walking. They had stopped and looked around seeing Ron, Longbottom and a few other Gryffindor boys.

"Who threw that," growled Ginny angrily as Harry let her go with a light blush at their closeness.

"What you going to do?" asked Longbottom mockingly. "I bet you're exhausted from flying lessons."

"Not too tired to kick your arrogant ass!" said Harry with a scowl. "I thought you were supposed to be a hero and not a bully who cant even fight someone while they're at full strength or face to face, someday this kind of thing might come back to bite you on your fat ass. Oh, and good afternoon Professor Snape."

"Ha like we'll fall for that you no good for nothing trash!" roared Neville as he clenched his fists angrily, but Harry and Ginny just smiled tiredly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter," replied Snape sneering down at the Gryffindor's and they paled looking sickly green as they turned to see the teacher. "Now now Longbottom attacking students while they are weakened and have their backs turned and still you miss, how disappointingly pathetic, and utterly disgraceful of you. I think fifty points from Gryffindor, and a week's detention for the five of you," he said with a scowl. "You may return to your tower now Mr. Potter, Miss. Weasley," he added so they quickly turned tail and left up the stairs.

Snape watched them leave for a moment unable to believe he came to the rescue, but he had to have at least a little respect for the boy, and girl because they never stand down to the Gryffindor's, and fight back, weakened or not, and that is a quality he can respect. And the boy is smart and nothing like he thought, he would be. He doesn't bully, and he avoids trouble when possible, a very cunning boy, and he can appreciate that.

To Be Continued…