Sorry for keeping everyone waiting! But I was busy at school over the last two weeks (the teachers are giving even more work during post-exam times - who could've imagined they're this sick? :p).

You have your next chapter! I was feeling kinda lazy while writing this so... still, enjoy.

MAJOR AWESOMENESS UPCOMING!

Lee could've sworn he'd been worried sick.

Ever since his horrific encounter with the thing that Clarie claimed to be You-Know-Who, he'd been having nightmares once in a while. The twins might have been hiding and denying its occasional visit, but Clarie was the real problem. Heaven knows what she'd been through with You-Know-Who, but the truth was she had been acting quite normal as if nothing happened since the second day of their close encounter. The trio of boys insisted her onto going to Madam Pomfrey for a mental checkup or report it to the teachers, but every time the suggestion was rejected.

'Please, dunces, get this through your thick skull! We tell the teachers we've been to the Forbidden Forest, we're toasted; if I go to the hospital wing Madam Pomfrey will either think I'm out of my frickin' ridiculous mind. I'm perfectly fine, guys, really! By the way, mind borrowing me the history notes? I slept through Binns' class again. Sorry…'

Lee was still trying to adjust back to normal state, as if nothing ever happened to them as the twins did. But Clarie's more-than-okay state was simply astonishing them.

How he wished he could get a clear explanation from his pal.

'Eat up, ickle-kelpies, got a problem with your big bellies?'

Clarie asked Fred and George Weasley casually through the noisy conversations and chattering of utensils in the Great Hall as she tossed a large piece of roasted beef into her mouth, while everyone was enjoying their mid-day meals.

'You're not us, Clarie, you don't have to do detention this afternoon!' Fred complained loudly. 'You know why Snape kept us behind on Monday – he asked us to wash all the toilet basins in the third floor toilets!'

Clarie spewed all the pumpkin juice she was drinking onto her glittering platter of food, and guffawed like mad. People around casted her disgusted looks. 'Dang – all the toilet basins? Congratulations!'

'That's not funny, dickwad! That'll probably take hours!' George slapped her round the back of her head crossly. 'Of course you are being so sarcastic now – you have flying lesson!'

'Oh – sor – sorry,' she tried to keep herself together and force-stopped her wild giggling. 'At least you're not doing the first floor lavatories, otherwise you might as well run into Moaning Myrtle.'

'Sounds legit. Remember how I was like last Saturday? That's her gift to me,' Lee joined in. at the phrase 'last Saturday' the twins frowned lightly; as for Clarie, a tinge emerged across her eyes for a split second but the look dissipated almost at the same second.

'Yeah, I remember far too well how you stunk, Lee,' Clarie added darkly with a playful grin.

'You bet, that was gross,' George added. She gave him a fist bump.

'Hey Clarie, you wanna read this?' Melissa Osborne, a fellow Gryffindor first-year handed a book with green, battered cover to Clarie. 'You may as well read it before lessons, there's a lot of flying tips. Should work well for us muggle-borns.' Colette Draper nodded in agreement beside Melissa.

Instead of taking the offer Clarie waved them off. 'I'm good, I prefer first-hand experience,' she smiled broadly. And the twins looked even worse.

'Hey, don't get too down!' Clarie attempted to raise the mood of the four of them. 'Expect a parcel delivery after I've finished lessons.'

'Flying lessons, you mean?' Fred almost sounded depressed.

'Um, yeah.'

'Nailed it, Clarie, we're probably still at the lavatories,' George moaned.

'That's what I'm saying, dude. Personal delivery, is that good enough?'

'What is it then?'

'Let's see… maybe a rouge bludger? With freshly collected water from the basins?'

'Damn you, you have the most disgusting mind of a girl ever!' Lee laughed nervously.

'Hey, I have a disgusting mind, but no need for sex discrimination.'

'Nice saying, mate,' George said.

Just then the bells rang. Students started packing their packs and left the hall for afternoon classes.

'You can go first, the roasted lamb chop is awesome. Just two more slices and I'll catch up.' Clarie waved the boys off.

'Alright.' Lee crumpled out of the seat with George and Fred. 'Big belly that girl have. You can never see that.'

'Hey. You think Clarie's okay?' Lee asked with an edge of worry.

'Too much for being okay,' George mumbled.

'She looks too well – too well to be normal after what we've seen,' Fred added darkly. 'Hey, keep an eye on Clarie during flying lesson. The stadium is sorta near the forest.'

He nodded, and the three of them exchanged a silent agreement: Clarie could not be perfectly back to normal. They had to keep an eye on her.

Afternoon lessons sucked – most of them.

As always, Snape showed Slytherins great favour as well as what Clarie received. The dungeons were cold with silence except from Snape's lecture and Nadami Nakaruma's constant buzzing chatter (which is almost the only sound Snape allowed in his class), keep bending over to the Slytherin girls and gossiped and laughed about every single thing related to the Gryffindors.

'Queen bee,' Clarie would mutter into Lee's ears when Nakaruma took her focus on Clarie and started giggling like a bunch of brainless doofuses. 'I know this kind of girl too well.'

Rookwood was only twice as nasty as Nakaruma.

Ever since his arrival to school he'd show off every single parcel he got from his family owl, a big barn owl, who kept delivering treats, once even toys (duh, eleven-year-old with a fluffy, cuddly Teddy Bear? No go. Joke stuff were more fun). Then since the second week when they got the notice concerning flying lessons, he started boasting about all the Quidditch competitions he had seen over the years and how exciting his flying experiences were. Cornell, his sidekick, seemed only too slow to respond to anything. He had been playing as a gigantic troll bully threatening people around, Rookwood's bodyguard, agreeing on whatever Rookwood and Nakaruma were saying blindly and nothing else.

'Ya think he's good? 'Cause I can't afford to look bad in his face,' Lee'd say whenever Rookwood started boasting his great adventures with anything from a close encounter with a fire-breathing rouge dragon to a military fighter jet.

'Ya saw any sports cell in that dickwad? Don't even think he can hold a broom for five minutes,' she teased and nodded towards Rookwood's scrawny figure, which hilariously – was even shorter than Clarie for half a head by her already short standard. His biceps weren't even half as strong as Clarie's.

'You still have that beater dream? I'm totally in. We can team up and I can't wait to knock 'em off their brooms,' Lee glared at them with a lopsided grin.

'Bam.'

By three thirty the Gryffindors threw their packs back into their dormitories, where they split up into two groups: Fred and George went for their detention and complaining loudly, while the others marched towards the stadium. They were all - well, most of them, over the moon about the lesson shortly afterwards, with Clarie, and Lee talking excitedly about what out-of-their-minds gymnastic moves they can try on the brooms; Angelina, Alicia having an intensive debate with Marcus Keith and Andrew Parker about which was better, football or Quidditch; Melissa and Colette, quietly following the noisy crowd, rubbing their hands and robes nervously.

'You dare to do a single kip on your broom, you get a galleon from me. Deal?' Lee challenged.

'Deal,' Clarie said cooly and almost instantly.

When they arrived the Slytherins, as well as twenty brooms arranged nicely on the ground were already waiting for them.

Madam Hooch, their teacher with short, grey hair and eagle-like eyes arrived behind the Gryffindors.

'Everyone arrived? Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone stand by a broomstick, hurry up!'

Everyone shuffled in place. Lee looked down at his broom. It was old and the handle (seat) wasn't smooth. Some twigs were even stuck out at odd angles as if they would fall off the very minute he held onto it.

Seriously, it's as awful as the earliest brooms in wizarding history. If there were anyone there who had hemorrhoids, he would be squealing like a guinea pig as soon as he sit on the broom.

'Stick your right and over your broom,' Madam Hooch commanded at the front, 'and say, "UP"!'

'UP!' everyone shouted.

Lee's broom jumped into his hand as any broom would normally do for him. Clarie, however, did not succeed for her first try.

'Oh, got lucky,' he grinned widely and half-wickedly at Clarie. 'Pay me two galleons and I'll teach you the trick.'

'Who's teaching who now? UP!'

This time, with a powerful commanding voice close to that of Madam Hooch's Clarie succeeded. She waved it victoriously in Lee's face.

'Miss Potter, stop with that waving,' Madam Hooch barked over the callings of a few remaining students who were still attempting to make their brooms move, and Clarie did as she was told obediently. And what's better is that Rookwood was the last one who was still struggling to make his broom obey his will.

'See? Not the sports type. That's a real - smooth - move. And who was boasting at lunch just now?' Clarie teased sarcastically, not loud enough fo Madam Hooch to hear but audible to most pupils, which included Rookwood. His face was flushed with an angry and embarrassed red, and Cornell's twisted piggy face looked like he was about to punch Clarie right in the face.

'No offense, but you sounded jerky,' Lee commented.

'Well, who was the one to bluff in the first place?' she shrugged. Rookwood was whispering into Cornell's ear. About what, Lee wasn't exactly sure, but that seemed suspcious.

Madam Hooch then taught them to mount their brooms properly, and made a demonstration on flying as she gave instructions to the techniques. Lee had to admit, that even he had spent years learning to fly he wasn't even half as good as their tutor was.

'Alright, students, we'll head for the Quidditch pitch for practice. Follow me,' Madam Hooch commanded.

The students followed Madam Hooch in groups, discussing among themselves excitedly.

However, Clarie didn't seem quite as excited.

'It's not fair. Just in the Quidditch pitch? I wanna fly around the castle! That would be much more fun!'

Lee wrapped his arm around Clarie's shoulder. 'It'll be even better if you - '

WHACK

A broomstick whacked Lee and Clarie's shoulders hard, leaving a sharp jolt of pain on Lee's arm. He turned around to see his attacker, only to see Cornell's furious face.

Everyone gasped. 'What the hell are you thinking?' Lee yelled in his face, despite the fact that Cornell was a few times larger than his own size.

'Step aside, you filthy little half-blood, you have no right to speak!' Cornell brushed Lee aside and marched at Clarie with a balled fist. She looked completely shocked and dumbfounded at her ground when Cornell threw a hard punch right at her face, and fortunately she dodged right in time and fell onto her back.

'CORNELL!'

Madam Hooch dashed towards the crowd and pulled out her wand, pointing it at Cornell. He saw the wand and froze at his place before he could throw another punch.

'This is NOT an arena or a gang matter settlement, for Merlin's sake! Ten points off Slytherin for this, Mr. Cornell, and you will not be allowed to participate in today's flying lesson! And I shall speak with Professor Snape about your detention!'

Cornell looked down, and Lee caught Rookwood making a faint, eerie smirk behind Cornell.

Why on earth should he be happy about his gangmate being punished?

Without further events they continued to make their way towards the pitch. Lee's arm was burning with pain; a long, red mark was embarked into the skin.

What's worse, what was it Cornell called him? 'a filthy little half-blood'... Hey, that's racism. That's not a nice thing to say even in wizarding world.

But then his downhearted emotions dissipated soon as they took flight. Everyone, except Cornell who was literally grounded in the pitch seemed to like the idea of flying.

Madam Hooch then made them form into groups of two and practice basics of flying such as rising, diving and turning to different directions to her instructions two by two.

To many new learners, that sounded easier than it actually was. A couple accidents happened, including Colette running (flying, duh) into a Quidditch post. She had quite a severe nosebleed resulted from that event, and sadly was escorted to the hospital wing with Melissa.

'Oh yeah, you know what they were? Smartasses. They even think they can learn flying from a stupid little book!'

A sharp, nasty voice sounded from behind Lee, and a giggle followed. He turned back, and saw as expected - Rookwood and Nakaruma.

'Will you shut up?' Lee growled.

'Lee, they're not worth it,' Clarie did not look at them at all as she said through gritted teeth and pulled Lee's arm.

'Of course we're not worth it! Getting punched by half-bloods? Yikes, that sounds both barbaric and disgusting,' Rookwood taunted, and Nakaruma nodded in agreement sarcastically.

'You're talking about your big troll friend down there, aren't you?' Clarie managed to twist her face into a smile and glared at Rookwood through the edge of her eye.

'Nah, he really didn't deserve getting punished,' he said. 'After all, that punch didn't hit you, you were so clumsy that you fell! Just like your mudblood friends...'

This time, Lee wasn't sure if he was seeing the reflection of his eyes in Clarie's, but her was sure there were flames of anger.

Colette and Melissa were the few ones you find sweet and nice in Gryffindor, and they're exceptionally helpful and kind to everyone that you might think the sorting hat mispronounced Hufflepuff as Gryffindor somehow during their sorting. Not saying the others weren't nice, but placing hating on the two of them? That's equally as declaring war with the other first-year Gryffindors.

Clarie was so angry that she had flames in her eyes and she clenched her broom so hard that her knuckles were white. 'You son of a - '

'A-HEM! Miss Potter, Mr. Jordan?' Madam Hooch called, and they turned back. 'It's your turn.'

They took a deep breath and held back their anger. Later, Lee said to himself silently. He'll pay.

He nodded at Madam Hooch, and she put her whistle to her lips. 'On my whistle, one, two,'

BEEP -

They took off, and did everything perfectly as Madam Hooch shouted 'UP!' 'DIVE!' 'TO YOUR RIGHT, POTTER' 'OVER THE POST, JORDAN' 'THROUGH THE HOOPS' and finally, 'DIVE AND LAND, WAIT BY THE POST BEHIND THE QUEUE'.

'Now that's quite fun,' Clarie admitted. 'Although it's too by the book.'

'Some time later, when you get your own broom, you can have games over at my place during holidays!' Lee said.

'Honestly?' Clarie said, and her eyes sparked with excitement Lee has never seen.

'Yeah! My parents are okay with me inviting friends around! Well, unless you don't want to...'

'Oh, I sure would love to come! I've never, ever got invited by anyone for anything in my life!' she grinned from ear to ear.

Meanwhile Rookwood and Nakaruma landed, and they didn't seem all pleased with themselves. Rookwood complained about how Madam Hooch changed her instructions too quickly, and all Nakaruma was fussing over about was how strong the wind was that messed her nicely-groomed hairstyle.

Honestly, that was stupid.

Soon as everyone had completed their task, Madam Hooch allowed them free time flying in the pitch for the rest of the lesson (under pressure given by students).

'Hey, let's go! No more by the books,' Lee said to Clarie.

But Clarie stood her ground, watching Rookwood flirting with a group of Slytherin girls. 'I still have something to deal with the racist.'

She walked their way, but Lee pulled her back. 'It's not worth it! You'll end up like Cornell, losing marks and getting detention!'

'Trust me,' she said with a lopsided smile and a devilish little glint in her eyes which he sees in her whenever she came up with a new plan of pranks. 'Give me a bit of distraction, it's legalised.'

Legalised. Funny she came up with the word. But then, Lee trusted her when it comes to revenges. She rocked at pranks.

He left her and joined Angelina, Alicia, Marcus and Andrew.

'Ohh, aren't you pure-bloods all superior and else? Don't tell me you can't even catch up with a half-blood on a broom!'

Even from a distance away he heard Clarie challenging Rookwood loudly. That caught their attention.

'Guys? Guys?' Lee said. 'Hey! Look at me, not them!'

The managed to withdraw their sights from the crowd. 'What's it she's up to this time, Lee?' Marcus asked with knitted brows. 'I hope she's not getting the whole Gryffindor into trouble this time.'

'Trust me, I know what she's doing,' Lee reassured them, but Alicia raised an eyebrow at him. He must had not sounded quite confident himself. 'At least, she knows what she's doing. But the point is, Rookwood's a racist jerk. If she were to succeed, I need you to help me distract Madam Hooch.'

'I can work with that.' Angelina stomped the ground lightly and hold both hands onto her broom. 'But, just an additional question: can I get something in return?'

The others looked at him eagerly.

'A good show?' he said uncertainly, and eyed towards Clarie's direction. She somehow seemed to have settled the deal and Rookwood was following her to one of the posts. She casted a a quick look at Lee and winked, as if saying, hurry!

'What do you want?' he asked.

'I think... History notes for three lessons will do,' Marcus said with a contented smile. The others all beamed and nodded in agreement.

Whelp, seems like everyone has trouble with history lessons.

He bit his lip. For the record, he knew he couldn't mess with Angelina and Alicia at the least point. They'd throw him out of the castle as easily as throwing a snowball.

'Fine, deal,' he snapped with a broken heart on the inside. History lessons were meant to be perfect time for naps.

'Madam Hooch!' Alicia called out cooperatively. 'We need your help!'

The woman marched their way. 'Yes, what is it?'

'Um, well...'

'We were thinking that Colette and Melissa are missing a great part of the lesson, and we wonder if it's possible for the to have a make-up lesson,' Angelina said quickly, and Lee looked at her gratefully, nice save.

Meanwhile, he saw Clarie had taken flight, drifting high in the air with Rookwood behind her. Then without warning she shot straight forward, and Rookwood followed.

'Nonsense, most of the lesson they've missed is the free period I've given to your request!' Madam Hooch said disapprovingly. He eyed up in the sky, and the two of them were circling around the pitch. Others were flying withing the pitch, but most had their attention drawn to Clarie and Rookwood.

'Oh, then...' Angelina looked down and bit her lip, trying to come up with something else.

'Um, then, can we get an authorisation for booking the pitch and the brooms for maybe, a hour later today when they're back? They've missed some practice time and... We think they would hate to not being able to catch up in the next lesson,' Andrew joined in.

Madam Hooch put a hand under her chin and thought for a while. The two were still flying in circles above head, and the four Gryffindors casted their eyes at Lee, as if asking, what the heck are they doing?

'Well, that seems to be reasonable,' Madam Hooch finally said and drew their attention back. 'I will sign you an allowance for and you can have an hour's time after - '

'Whoa, whoa, ARGHHHHHHH!'

Everyone looked up and saw the source of the shriek. It was Clarie, drifting on the edge of the pitch, and a short distance away above from the Forbidden Forest. Her face seemed to be packed with shock and Lee was so afraid that she might have lost her mind over the accident.

And Rookwood? He was nowhere to be seen.

'Madam Hooch!' she cried, with fear written all over her face and she looked like she was ready to cry any moment. 'I - I was just racing with Rookwood and I lost control over my broom. I almost fell into the forest and he... He dived in.'

Lee had to bite the inner part of his mouth and pinch his thigh hard to avoid laughing out loud. And his fellow Gryffindors casted him looks as if saying, nice one.

'He what?' Madam Hooch squinted her eyes and questioned sharply, as if she didn't believe what had happened. She turned to the group of Slytherin girls. 'Is this true?'

Nakaruma and her gang looked at each other. 'Well... Liam did agree on playing catch with Clarie Potter,' she admitted unwillingly under Madam Hooch's strict and threatening glare. 'And she... Might have lost control. We can't determine.'

The others nodded and murmured in agreement.

'Very well,' Madam Hooch concluded tiredly, and blew her whistle sharply. 'Everybody down here, RIGHT NOW!'

Everybody landed back on the ground, including Clarie. 'Potter, your broom,' Madam Hooch commanded, and Clarie handed her the broom uncertainly. 'This old broom might have to be disposed of, as we cannot determine if there is any problem with brooms this old. And in the meantime while I am fetching Mr. Rookwood Back, I want you all back in the castle.'

Everyone shifted their weights between their two legs uneasily, but their legs seemed to have pinned to the floor.

Madam Hooch wasn't pleased. 'NOW!' she roared, and everyone dashed back, except for the Gryffindors.

'Um, Madam Hooch, about that permission slip...'

'You will collect it tomorrow morning in the staff resting room,' she cut Marcus off with a nasty snap. 'Now, return to the dormitories. I will not say this twice. And leave your brooms here,' she added sharply.

They all put down their brooms, slowly backed away from the area and sprinted back to the castle at top speed, giggling and howling with laughter all the way.

'That - was - awesome!' Andrew laughed between huffs and puffs.

'The best prank you've ever made, I must say,' Angelina added.

'Nice one! That Rookwood, well I must say, is easily one of the most arrogant cunts in the world,' Alicia joined in.

'Still, sending him into the forest? That's a bit too far for a joke,' Lee said.

'No worries, it's just the outer skirts of the forest, he can't possibly be harmed by anything in there!' Clarie shrugs with a big smile on her face.

'Maybe a few scratches?' Marcus joined awkwardly. He shrugged as the slowed down at the entrance. 'Just stating the possibilities.

'Hey, guys!'

Fred, George, Melissa and Colette walked their way. Fred and George stunk with toilet water and sweat which could be smelled even from a distance away.

'Well? How did the lesson go?' Colette asked, and she looked much better than before.

'Awesome,' Marcus said.

'Superb,' Angelina added.

'Fantastic!' Andrew commented.

'You guys missed the fun!' Alicia said.

'Really? Like how?' George asked.

Lee laughed along with the others who have joined the lesson. He put his arm round Clarie's shoulder and said, 'Well, considering the fact that we're still sane from laughing to death, we'll explain everything on the way.'

So yeah, that's it for now.

I have a piece of bad news here (I consider it bad at least): Since I will be on a study tour over the next few weeks, I can't get online (no wifi as stated by the agency) or spare the time to work on any stories... so I'll apologize, followers, I'll have to keep you waiting again.

Please don't kill me for that! Please be patient!