Chapter 6
Poppy sat between Minerva and Severus in the Great Hall a few days later. She was an observant witch and she could tell by the looks they were giving each other that they had something planned. Knowing the two as she did, it probably involved Quidditch. She just hoped it wasn't Harry and Quidditch.

She ignored them as best she could and continued to eat her porridge. However that all went out the window when the post owls arrived. There were 4 owls carrying a long, thin parcel over to the Gryffindor table. The parcel was dropped in front of Harry and a letter fluttered on top of it. She had a rather large suspicion of what this was and her lips pursed as she glared at Minerva.

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Harry was enjoying his bacon and eggs when suddenly a massive parcel fell on top of his plate. He didn't really get post at all and no-one ever got post like this!

He glanced up at the head table but finding his two aunties staring at each other, his eleven year old curiosity won out and he ripped open the letter.

Dear Harry

Here is the broom we spoke about. It would be best if no-one knows what model it is until your first match, so take it up to your dormitory before you unwrap it.

Expect to have to show yourself in the Hospital Wing before and after every flight; Poppy will not permit you to fly otherwise!

Myself and Wood will be at the Quidditch Pitch tonight at 8 for your first training session.

Minerva McGonagall

Harry read the letter in excitement and grinned up at his Head of House. She caught his eye this time and grinned back, causing anyone else looking at the time to quake in fear and wonder what on earth had happened to make the stern Transfiguration professor grin like a Cheshire Cat! She would not have problems in her classes today.

Harry glanced over to his first Auntie and she looked sternly at him. He knew then and there that there would be a lot of rules imposed to him flying. Right now, however, he didn't care - he had a Nimbus 2000! He saw others leaving the Hall and not wanting to be late to his first class (it was Transfiguration), he and Ron quickly followed suit.

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Seven thirty came around far too early for Poppy and had taken an age to get to for Harry that evening. After his last class had finished Harry had unwrapped his broom and he and Ron had admired it from every angle. They had only stopped when Dean came in and reminded them that it was nearly dinnertime and they'd better hurry.

He took the broom with him when he visited the Hospital Wing after dinner as he planned to go straight out to the Quidditch Pitch after. As he entered he found the room empty.

"Auntie Poppy?" he called out to the room. He wanted to be out flying so he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

"In the office Harry. I'll be there in a minute." came the reply.

Harry huffed and went into the office. He was just sitting down on his usual chair in front of the desk when Poppy came in. She had her hands full with a tray of potions which she set down on her desk before pulling out a chair to talk to her nephew.

"Harry you need to listen to me carefully. There will be some rules about you flying. Firstly, you will come here before and after every flight you intend to take. If I say you cannot fly, then you will not fly. Do you understand?"

"Yes Auntie Poppy"

"Good. Second you will tell Oliver Wood or Minerva if you feel tired or unwell at any point."

Harry nodded, just wishing her to hurry up. He knew she wanted to keep him safe but he had a new broom and the quidditch pitch was waiting!

"Third you will do everything that Mr Wood or Minerva tell you to do whilst in the air. You will fly no more than once per day and for no longer than thirty minutes. Do I make myself quite clear?" she ended sternly

"Yes Auntie Poppy" Harry mumbled.

A soft smile appeared on the Healer's face. "I'm sorry I had to be so stern with you Harry but I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you and I need you to realise that you have to take care of yourself whilst you are still recovering. Now how about you go and lie on a bed so that I can satisfy myself that you are fit and then you can go flying."

Harry smiled back, grabbed his broom and almost ran out of the office. He plonked himself down on the nearest bed, where Poppy waved her wand over him, noted down a couple of things and then sent him on his way.

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Flying was even better the second time. Harry was there a bit before eight and he was brimming with excitement. The sky was beckoning, his broom was just there and before he knew what was happening he was in the air again. Time passed and he never noticed the two other people come onto the Quidditch Pitch. He looped and swerved around, the broom obeying his lightest touch and managing speeds he didn't think should be possible. It was fantastic.

He stopped for a breather after about ten minutes and saw the two others stood below him, watching. He flew back down to them and as he landed he heard, rather than saw, Oliver Wood's jaw close.

"Wow Harry" was all he could say.

"Don't do that in front of Poppy" Minerva greeted him with a smirk. "She'd never let you fly again!"

The following half hour Harry was taught the basic rules of Quidditch and then he started catching golf balls that Wood would throw for him. He caught every single one.

Harry was rather tired but rather proud when he went up to the castle later on. He knew he should have stopped earlier but it was just so much fun and Wood was sending the balls in such obscure directions for him to catch that he just didn't want to stop! They had only stopped when Minerva called them down and said that Harry had to go back.

As Harry slowly made his way through the castle, his thoughts were going down a track that they never had before. He knew that he had to report to his auntie for a check up, but he also knew that he should have stopped earlier and she would be disappointed or even angry with him for not doing so. Maybe if he had half an hour or so of rest in the common room, he could pass it off as just natural exertion rather than over-tiredness and she wouldn't be upset with him.

His tired brain thinking that this idea had merit, he changed his path to towards the seventh floor and Gryffindor Common Room.