Chapter Sixteen

Homework was piling up as students from ever year prepared for their exams. The library was full almost every single day now. The common rooms were filled with students sitting down and writing away. Lessons became less fun as teachers went over the same spells and potions for the upcoming exam. History of Magic was almost unbearable as Binns lectured about the 'Gargoyle Strike of 1911' for the umpteenth time. Nott and Avery ended up stomping around the room with their quills and groaning like a gargoyle. Making most of the students laugh quietly, Binns barely noticed. Eileen Prince meanwhile was scratching her name into the desk to keep herself awake. Avery gritting his teeth as he sat up on the window pane with his arms outstretched as if he was a gargoyle.

"I am striking...I am going to strike" Nott grunted; making his fellow pupils laugh even harder.

He jumped out at one of the Ravenclaw girls. Making her laugh too as he quickly perched himself back on the window when Binns looked in his direction. Tom Riddle was one of the few not laughing as he just rested his head on his desk. Avery sat up on the opposite window pane on the other side. As he and Nott groaned at each other with their quills out. Lucy and Myrtle were among the many students laughing as they watched the Slytherin boys pretend to be gargoyles.

"The gargoyle strike led to a rise in-" Binns was briefly heard saying; his voice droning on and on.

Nott and Avery rising their quills up in the air when he said this. Making more students burst out laughing. Which was a reminder that these future Death Eaters were still only children in 1939. Hence why nobody took Irving Malfoy's warnings seriously at the time. Avery and Nott began marching around the room again together. Eileen Prince was briefly jumped at, making her roll up her sleeves as she whacked them both around the head with her book.

"The gargoyle princess" Avery dubbed her; making her whack him around the head with the book a second time.

The boys giving another groan before marching over towards Lucy and Myrtle. Jumping out at them with their arms outstretched. The girls just laughed in response at them. The so-called cause was forgotten about briefly in this classroom as pure-bloods and muggle-borns laughed together. The boys finally sitting back down as the lesson would be over in five minutes or so. That was the most entertaining 'History of Magic' got. Tom lifting his head back up as he glared at everyone, making everyone pipe back down.

"Class dismissed" Binns announced; making everyone quickly get up and leave the classroom with relief.

"That was so funny" Lucy muttered to Myrtle as they walked down the hallway.

Argus noticing her as he went on the other side, locking arms with her almost on instant. He was asking her what was so funny and so she explained about Avery and Nott pretending to be gargoyles in class. Making him give a slight tut as they walked out of Hogwarts and into the grounds. The May sun was shining quite nicely in the sky. The three of them walked across the grass however Argus stopped, making Lucy stop with him as his arm was locked firmly in hers.

"Argus?" Lucy questioned in confusion.

He pointed towards the floor to see a lone old school broomstick on the grass. Lucy said...

"So?"

He looked more excited then he should be. Argus picked up the old broomstick as if it was the latest model. He got on the broom and tried to kick himself up but nothing worked as he had no magic to make the broom work. Lucy and Myrtle watching him try in vain. Lucy felt sorry for him as did his brother. She briefly looked around to see no teachers or prefects.

"I'll fly you" Lucy told him; making his frustration turn to excitement.

"You can't do that. That's highly dangerous and you may get in trouble for it" Myrtle reminded her.

"I'm sure we won't. We are on our break and there are no rules against flying on your break" Lucy insisted.

Argus passed her the broomstick. He knew it was dangerous but he was so keen to fly again, to feel like he was part of the magical world. Ignoring the protests from Myrtle, Lucy climbed onto the old broomstick. She felt Argus getting on behind her as he grabbed onto her waist as he did with his brother at home. The truth was however his older brother was good on a broomstick, Lucy only knew the basics. This little fact however didn't stop the children. More to the point, this was an old broomstick. The fact it had been thrown out didn't seem to cross their minds.

"Go" Argus muttered as he could see some of the older Slytherin girls walking out of the castle.

...

With one kick, the broomstick lifted into the air. Argus grabbing tighter onto his friend's waist. As it lifted higher into the air and both their feet were dangling beneath the broom. Lucy went higher up until Myrtle looked like a goldfish in a bowl. Argus giving a small smile as he she began to fly over. Students looking up from the grounds at them. All went well as she began to fly towards the training grounds. She zoomed over the castle and it looked even more beautiful from above. There was no issue until they felt the smallest crack underneath themselves. The wood had cracked.

"Go back down!" Argus shouted in slight panic as he knew what that meant.

Lucy giving a nervous deep breath as she tried to turn back around. The broom however seemed to be resisting. The children suddenly understood why this broomstick was left behind, it was broken. The students on the ground began running underneath them as they watched the broomstick in the air begin to zoom up and down on it's own accord. They spotted the elderly broom instructor Leofwine Jacks with Myrtle as the girl pointed towards the sky.

"Can you not move at all?" Argus questioned Lucy in panic, holding tighter onto her then he ever did.

"No! The broom won't let me go down!"

The broomstick just zoomed up and down every few moments on it's own accord. They spotted Myrtle running towards the school as Professor Jacks had instructed her to do something. Argus felt as if he was moments away from slipping off the end every time the broom made a sudden jolt. Lucy was not a skilled flier either, she knew the basics and that was it. She tried to fly down but just as she did, the broom went a little bit higher. Making her heart pound as she stopped moving at all, trying to wish it to go down.

"I see some professors with broomsticks" Argus told his friend as he briefly looked down at the ground.

Two professors had mounted their own broomsticks. Horace Slughorn and Albus Dumbledore had began to fly up towards the scared children. Lucy had never felt so relieved in all her life. A third member of staff came up not long after as Professor Jacks remained stationary in the sky near them all. This spectacle had caused nearly all of Hogwarts to watch from the grass down below. Slughorn flew over to the children's left-hand side and flew as close as he could without knocking into their broomstick.

"Argus. You need to be very careful now. I want you remove one hand from Lucy's waist and grab onto me. As hard as you can, it doesn't bother me" Slughorn spoke gently.

The boy nervously removed one hand however he had to quickly hold on again. As the broomstick did another big jolt. His hand shaking as he went to attempt again and felt his one free hand grab onto Slughorn's robe, his other still on Lucy's waist. He had to be first as there was no way to save him if he so much as slipped and made a mistake. Slughorn tried to give a smile to say it would be alright but the boy wouldn't relax until he was on the ground again. Dumbledore being nearby in case he did slip.

"Now grab me with your hand around my neck. Once again, don't worry about hurting me. I can handle it" Slughorn then instructed.

With one deep breath. Argus grabbed onto Horace's neck as he gripped onto his robe and neck, dangling slightly in mid-air. Slughorn instructed him to then try and pull himself behind him. The boy giving a panicked sounding squeal before clambering behind the professor. He breathed heavily as he rested his head on Slughorn's shoulder, keeping his arms wrapped around his waist. Slughorn flying back down to the ground.

"Alright Lucy?" Dumbledore asked with a smile; trying to lighten the mood.

"Y-Yes...Sir, I'm sorry" Lucy answered back.

"Not to bother. You saw what Argus did, do the same thing. Except keep one hand on the broom and one on my robe" Dumbledore advised.

Professor Jacks rode up on the other side. Lucy nervously reached out one hand as she grabbed onto Dumbledore's robe. She felt his hand grip onto hers and so she put her other hand around his neck. Swinging herself around him as she grabbed onto his waist. He flew back down towards the ground with Jacks not far behind them. Jacks did say something before he left however which made the broomstick incinerate. Dumbledore landed back on the ground. Argus was currently sat on the grass looking guilty. Lucy finally putting her feet back onto the ground as she sat besides Argus with relief.

...

Though this incident was not taken lightly. As Lucy Norris and Argus Filch were sat in the headmaster's office together. Dippet was not happy as Lucy had already cast the flipendo spell on Walburga Black and now this. Both times Argus was present. The two of them seemed to be able to find a way to get into trouble together. Slughorn, Dumbledore and Jacks had explained the incident to him already. Though Dumbledore did try and play it down for the children's sakes. Dippet just looked at them in silence.

"I am deeply disappointed in you both. Let's begin with you Argus Filch, you are on borrowed time already as Oakleigh Burton can dismiss you whenever he pleases. You are very lucky he had allowed you to help him otherwise you would never have set foot in this school. Do you understand?" Dippet asked.

"Yes, Sir" Argus replied with his head down.

"As for you Lucy Norris. A Hufflepuff student hasn't caused me this much trouble for a long time. Your 'Head of House' Charity Anne Burbage can only vouch for you so many times. This is your second incident in just two months...Would you care to explain yourself?"

"I didn't...I didn't know the broomstick was broken, Sir. I'm sorry" Lucy answered nervously.

"It's not about sorry. I don't think sorry would have done much good to your parents and brother had you died. Do you understand how serious this mistake was, Miss Norris?"

She went to speak but nothing came out.

"Speak up!" Dippet yelled suddenly. He didn't think he was getting through to her.

"Sir, I never would have gone on it had I known it was broken. Never in a hundred years. I don't know what came over me, please" Lucy spoke in a tearful voice, terrified of being expelled.

"Sir...It's my fault too. My brother rides me around at home and I asked her to do it for me. Because I can't fly on my own" Argus chimed in, not wanting to let her take all the blame.

Dippet put his hand up for he didn't want to speak to him just yet. Lucy felt Argus' hand grip onto hers. They haven't really seen Headmaster Dippet like this before and it scared them (which was kind of the point). They both could have died today, broomstick accidents were very common among children. The headmaster remained silent again. The paintings on the wall watching this lecture with tutting and shaking of their heads.

"Expel the girl" Phineas Nigellus Black managed to say under his breath; adding "My great-granddaughter was attacked by her"

"Thank you, Phineas" Dippet replied; making him "fall asleep" again.

The current headmaster looked back towards the children. He lost his serious façade now.

"I'm not taking it that far...this time. Though if either of you are seen taking any more liberties. You might just find yourselves gone, do you two understand?" Dippet asked.

"Yes, Sir" the two of them said together.

"Then you may go" Dippet finally announced.

...

TBC