Author's note: I added a few more lines of dialogue to the previous chapter on Aug 25th. You don't strictly speaking have to go back to read it again (it's just to better foreshadow the events of this chapter), but rest assured I'll always tell you if I change something in a past chapter.
I was nervous about flying lessons, not least because I knew we wouldn't be doing much flying. There was also the fact that Draco was a skilled flyer and I had never touched a broomstick in my life – a magic one, that is. I certainly didn't want to embarrass myself the way Neville Longbottom was about to. That would completely ruin my whole project. Not that I didn't feel for Longbottom, but it was easy to withhold pity when I knew he was going to come out okay in the end.
I was walking through the Great Hall to breakfast with Draco and his friends when Draco suddenly leaned over the Gryffindor table and took Neville's Remembrall right out of his hand. I couldn't help a twinge of a smirk when Harry and Ron leapt to their friend's defence. I hate confrontation, but I love drama.
"What's going on?" Professor McGonagall had appeared on the scene.
"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, professor."
Draco quickly put it back on the table, claiming to have just been looking at it, and we continued to the Slytherin table for breakfast.
"I don't see how failures like Longbottom are even allowed at this school," Draco said as he helped himself to some eggs. "Someone needs to remind everyone that he doesn't belong here."
"To be honest, I don't think Longbottom needs help embarrassing himself," I said.
"Ha! Good point," Draco laughed.
My statement had the joint benefits of both sounding like an insult while remaining accurate. Nothing against him, but he's definitely going through an embarrassing phase, I added to myself.
x x x
The Slytherins arrived on the grounds for flying lessons first and we had to sit around waiting for a bit before the Gryffindors joined us. Everything's going to work out completely fine, I told myself. If I have total confidence, no one needs to know I've never done this before.
It felt like an eternity before the Gryffindor's finally reached us and then it felt like no time had passed at all before we were stepping up beside the brooms. I took a deep steadying breath and glared slightly at my broom, mentally daring it to disobey me.
"Stick your right hand over your broom and say, 'UP'," called Madame Hooch.
I said "UP" so forcefully, the broom shot straight up as though I had startled it, causing me to nearly drop it.
"Aw, is someone nervous?" Draco teased from beside me.
"I'm definitely rusty," I laughed along. Acting embarrassed or defensive would only make things worse.
"Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall," he said, grinning.
I placed my hand on my chest dramatically and said "My hero."
We mounted our brooms and adjusted our grips as instructed.
"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madame Hooch. I glanced over at Neville, wondering if there was something I could have said to him to stop what was about to happen. "... then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle: three, two-"
And Neville was off. I winced as he shot up into the sky. Why doesn't Madame Hooch do something? I've never tried Arresto Momentum before, he might end up even more hurt if I try now, but the professor should-
And then he was crashing to the ground. I looked away reflexively just before he hit. Madame Hooch rushed over to Neville's side and helped him up. Then she turned to the class and commanded us to stay where we were and keep our brooms on the ground. In the interest of not repeating the book too much (you can use your imagination to decide how two children arguing on broomsticks looked from the ground) I'll skip forward to the bit where Professor McGonagall comes to drag Harry Potter away.
"Potter's out of here for sure!" Draco said gleefully to a small crowd of Slytherins.
"Mm, that might be a bit optimistic," I said. When Draco gave me a reproachful look, I explained. "Knowing what people think of Harry Potter, they'll probably give him an award and a place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."
"They should put him on the team after that!" Ronald Weasley said. Several Gryffindor's cheered.
"No one asked you, Weasley," Draco spat.
Just as it looked like things were about to get out of hand, Madame Hooch reappeared.
"Break it up! Break it up!" she shouted. "Back to your brooms, now!"
She had us all go up and down on the brooms a few times before having us disperse. After class, Millicent and Daphne approached me.
"Adrian's invited us to play a small game of Quidditch after class," said Millicent. "Wanna come?"
"Sounds fun," I said. I'd felt alright on the broom and was confident I wouldn't embarrass myself too badly. Plus, I did think a small game would be more enjoyable than a real one. I looked at Draco to invite him, but he waved me off before I even opened my mouth.
"I have to help Crabbe and Goyle with the potions assignment due tomorrow," he said.
"Good luck."
"Good luck yourself, 'Rusty.'"
x x x
There were six of us in total, including myself, who had met up for our little game. Adrian introduced us to Miles Bletchly and Lindriana Crane. Miles Bletchley was a third year boy with slicked back brown hair and Lindriana was a fourth year with auburn hair and an angular face.
"Just enough for two chasers and a keeper per team," the boy named Miles Bletchly said. "We won't play with bludgers, since some of us are newbies." He winked at me when he said that.
"You'll do fine, kid," said Lindriana, giving me a hard slap on the back. Thinking I must have looked nervous, I stood up a little straighter and nodded to her with a smile.
"Speaking of which, maybe you should play keeper, since you're new to flying," Adrian said to me. When I nodded, he continued. "Right then. Miles, Lindriana, and Daphne can be on one team and I'll be with Branchus and Millicent. Sound like a fair distribution to everyone?"
It must have been, because no one objected. Bletchly set up some shorter Quidditch hoops - Did he bring them from home or did the school provide them? - and we took our places. As soon as I was hovering in from of the hoops, I was immensely grateful to not be flying to and fro, having to take my hands off my broom to play with the Quaffle. As it was, I managed to block about half of the attempted goals just by hurling my body in front of the ball. I blushed furiously whenever I was too slow or clumsy to stop a goal, but Adrian and Millicent didn't seem too upset. Adrian was an excellent chaser, but I could tell Millicent was far more comfortable in the role of beater. By the time we'd finished, we were all covered in bruises, not that any of us cared.
"Not bad for your first go!" Millicent called as we landed on the grass.
"Thanks, Millie," I said. Then she blushed and stammered, and I was sure I'd screwed up. "Oh, sorry. I didn't ask if you were okay with nicknames."
"No, no," said Millicent hurriedly. "I, um- I like it. It's cute."
"Well, yeah," I said. "'Cause you're cute. I mean, in a friend way." I added the last part hurriedly as I realized how my words might sound coming from a boy and I didn't want to give the wrong idea. I felt a twinge of sadness as I remembered Rosa again. Still, Millie blushed ever more furiously and hardly spoke all the way to dinner and I reddened right alongside her. I felt stuck somewhere between fifteen, like every day my intuition was getting a little bit worse and words were coming to me a little bit quicker than I could think them through. I couldn't wait to be mature again.
x x x
In the Great Hall, I joined Draco, who was whispering conspiratorially with Crabbe and Goyle.
"How's he even still here?" Crabbe was saying.
"Must have packed already," Goyle replied. Draco nodded in agreement.
"I'll bet their just letting him have supper here out of pity, and he'll be on the train home first thing tomorrow morning," he proclaimed.
"You know who I bet knows?" I asked. Draco raised an eyebrow at me. "Harry Potter. We could ask him instead of hanging about like a bunch of stalkers." Draco snorted and pushed my arm.
"Yeah, yeah," he sneered, but didn't seem genuinely insulted. He looked over to where Potter was sitting. "Alright, the twin freaks are gone. Let's go." Draco and his bodyguards strode over with such speed that I had to scramble to keep up. I ended up just next to Goyle, and felt a strange lurch of resentment in my stomach. I should be next to Draco. Wait, why am I upset? It's not like I'm trying to be his right hand man. It doesn't matter where I stand. I'm not important to this story.
"Having a last meal, Potter? 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," Potter said instead of responding. Draco bristled at the accusation of cowardice and I wondered whether or not it was accurate.
"I'd take you on any time on my own," snapped Malfoy. "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 lied. "I'm his second, who's yours?"
Malfoy looked to either side of himself at his bodyguards and said "Crabbe. Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the Trophy Room; that's always unlocked." How does Draco know that? As Malfoy started to leave, I turned to Harry Potter.
"Don't be late," I said with a wry smile. Then, I turned and followed Draco back to the Slytherin table.
x x x
That evening, I was in the common room, doing homework with Draco. At least, I was trying to do homework. Draco was talking my ear off - as usual - about Harry Potter.
"It's so unfair, too," he said, bouncing his knee irritably. "If anyone else pulled a stunt like that, you can bet they'd be facing some serious consequences. But because it's famous Harry Potter, he gets to laugh it off. I'm sure it's going straight to his big head. I mean, that's what it comes back to again. Everyone thinks he's so great all because some stupid spell bounced off him when he was a baby."
"Still, it must be hard for him to have everyone think it's so great that his parents are dead," I tried to reason.
"Oh, don't you start too," he groaned. "Yes, any normal person would be upset by that, but you can clearly see how Potter goes around acting like some grand hero." I appreciated – perhaps more than anyone, having read Harry's perspective – that Potter did not want the spotlight and was continuously pushed into it by his courageous nature, but I felt myself conceding a point to Draco on this one.
"It's true that he isn't exactly making an effort to pull himself away from the public eye," I said matter-of-factly.
"Exactly," said Draco, smirking. "And now he's going to regret that."
"Oh?" I said. I had a suspicion where this was going. Draco stood quickly from his seat by the fire.
"I'm going straight to Filch to tell him where Potter will be at midnight. That'll teach him not to go around playing hero." I wondered briefly if I should let him go or not. On one hand, I really didn't want to interfere too much this early in the story, but on the other hand…
"Aw, man," I said, letting disappointment ring clear in my voice. "There's not gonna be any actual duel?"
"This is gonna be just as good!" Draco insisted. "When Filch finds Potter out wandering the school right after his little incident, he'll be gone for good. We might even get a couple of his stupid friends."
"I guess," I said. "I was just hoping to see some of those hexes you were telling me about in action." Draco stared at me in thought for a moment. I assumed he was stuck between his desire to not get caught and his desire to show off to a new friend. After a pause, a wicked smile stretched across his face.
"I'll get Crabbe," he said before disappearing down the steps. He reappeared a few minutes later looking agitated. "It's no use. The fat lump's dozed off and he sleeps like the dead. I might as well go to Filch now." I bit the inside of my cheek.
"I could be your second," I said. Draco raised his eyebrows at me.
"You already figured out that shield charm?" he asked.
"No, but I won't need to use it unless you lose, which I doubt will happen," I lay on the flattery in hopes he would be more willing to accept. I couldn't help it. I was just itching to watch him and Potter face off, made even more enticing by the idea they were facing off because of me. As I hoped, Draco gave a proud smirk.
"That's true," he said. "Oh alright then. It'll be way more fun to show Potter who's boss personally."
We went down to bed, pretending to go to sleep. Then, at half past eleven, we snuck back upstairs. At the door of the common room, Draco turned to me and pulled out his wand.
"Umbra sum," he whispered, first at me and then again toward himself. "Now as long as we stay in the shadows, no one will be able to notice us. The spell breaks if you stand in direct light, so be careful."
He slowly pushed the door open, breathing a sigh of relief when it didn't creak. We walked against the wall, staying as far into the shadows as possible as Draco recommended. There was a brief moment where Peeves was zigzagging around the hallway and we had to remain deathly quiet, but – luckily – the spell seemed to work on poltergeists. It took us twenty minutes to arrive at the trophy room, the walk made longer by our creeping pace, meaning we were somewhat early. Draco looked down at his watch.
"If they aren't here by twelve-fifteen, we'll assume they chickened out," he said.
All there was left to do now was wait. Luckily, we didn't have to wait long. Just a couple minutes after twelve, the door to the trophy room opened and four students walked through. I glanced at Draco, and he glared when saw them, clearly miffed about the extra people. He looked at me and pressed a finger to his lips. Then, he started walking toward the group, gesturing for me to follow. Even though we were right out in the open, Draco's spell made us completely imperceptible in the dark room. He walked right up to Harry, with me trailing behind him, until they were just a foot apart without being noticed. Then, he raised his wand to the space between them and said:
"Lumos." Harry leaped backward in shock, tumbling into his friends. Draco grinned.
"So you decided to show after all," Potter said once he'd recovered. "Where are your friends?"
"Granger," Draco said. "If you wouldn't mind giving us some light."
"Oh, right," Hermione said, scrambling for her own wand. "Lumos maxima!" Now, the whole room filled with light and Draco put his wand out. The eyes of the Gryffindors landed on me as they noticed me for the first time.
"You said Crabbe was your second," Ron protested, probably thinking it was some kind of trick that I was there instead. "Where's he? And who's your new minion?"
"He was busy," said Draco vaguely with a shrug. "And this-" he gestured at me "-is Branchus Ash. He was kind enough to fill in. He's very… enthusiastic."
"A pleasure," I said silkily. I felt a chill of excitement as Ron and Harry glared suspiciously at me. Ooo it's thrilling to be a villain.
"I don't like this," whimpered Neville. No one responded.
"I could ask you why you've brought your little groupies," Draco said, anger creeping into his voice. "But I don't mind having an audience to see me wipe the floor with you."
"You wish," said Harry. "I'll bet you're all talk."
"That's what we're here to find out, isn't it?" I said. "You two can go to the centre of the room, away from the spectators, and then… Granger, you're a walking encyclopaedia, right? Perhaps you can elucidate Potter on wizard duels."
"I am not!" Hermione bristled. Then she huffed and turned to face Harry. "You and Malfoy will bow to each other, then raise your wands. I'll be the neutral witness. When I count to three, you can cast your first spells. Also remember that long lasting curses or explosions will arouse suspicion, so use some common sense if you don't want us to get us all expelled."
"Especially since Gryffindor would lose twice as many points as Slytherin if we get caught," I added. Neville gulped and Ron shot me a dirty look. I smirked back. It's so easy to get him worked up.
Harry and Draco glared daggers into each other, then walked away from the rest of the group. As they bowed, I wondered whether Harry stood any chance. They seemed pretty evenly matched when they duelled in the second book, but that was after Harry had had a year of schooling. Harry might not have caught up yet.
"One, two," Hermione counted. "Three!"
"Mordeo!" Draco hurled a stinging jinx at Harry, which he barely managed to dodge. "Just going to run, Potter?" Draco sneered.
Harry fired back with a knockback jinx. It hit Draco and he stumbled, but he wasn't knocked down. Before Harry could cast another spell, Draco hit him with a stinging jinx and a jelly-legs jinx right in a row. Harry yelped, slamming into the ground. An angry red welt was growing on his face. Laughing, Draco hit him with another stinging jinx.
"Hey, that's not fair!" shouted Neville.
"I'll stop this," said Ron, drawing his wand.
Before I could stop him, Ron cast a knockback jinx straight at Draco. He dodged easily, causing the jinx to collide with the trophy case. There was a sickening smashing noise and several trophies clattered to the ground. There was a moment of quiet. Harry was still struggling to stand back up when there was a noise that made everyone freeze.
"Peeves! What have you done now?!" It was Filch.
There was an unspoken agreement. The six of us scattered. Hermione ran to Harry to perform the counter curse, putting out the light of her wand in the process. Draco sprinted towards me, grabbing me by the arm and hiding us both in the shadows once again. Our two groups started slinking off in opposite directions. We were halfway down the hall when crashing and clanging suddenly echoed through the corridors. Draco yanked my arm and we started scurrying faster to get away from the noise, but when he glanced back at me he was grinning ear to ear.