" But we were with Hagrid on our birthday, he never went to Gringotts," Magnolia said at Breakfast, frowning.

" He must have gone before or after meeting with us," replied Harry. " But he won't say anything about why he was there. We tried to talk it out of him, but he clammed right up."

" You'd think he was the thief," said Ron. Hermione looked agast at him.

" Ron! Don't say that, that's just awful!" She looked at Magnolia. " You were right, he really is such a lovely man. Despite... despite..."

" Was he drunk?" Magnolia tried. Hermione seemed to get flustered at that.

" No!"

" Not that day," Harry said. " Anyway, there's no way Hagrid was the thief, he told us himself he went to Gringotts on that day, and I doubt the thief would tell us that, drunk or not." He sighed, and rested his head in his hand. " I read that post outside of Gringotts - You'd be mad to try and rob it."

" Isn't it obvious?" Hermione asked. " He's not the thief - He's the one who emptied the vault."

The three children stared at her, and she rolled her eyes, staring at them matter-of-factly, arms crossed and all.

" Isn't it odd how how he said he was lucky to have gone to Gringotts?" She continued. " He's lucky because he made it there first."

There was a bit of silence.

" Wonder what they did with whatever was in there," Ron mused.

" Honestly, Ron, it's obvious. There's only one place safer than Gringotts," Hermione said in a hushed voice. " Hogwarts."

" Come off it," Ron exclaimed. " What could have been in there that they'd bring to Hogwarts?"

" Well I don't know that. All I know is Hogwarts would be the safest place to hide anything," she finished. Ron grumbled something under his breath. Hermione pretended not to notice.

They were getting nowhere, so Harry changed the subject.

" How did you get detention with Snape again?" He asked Magnolia.

" Cheek," she replied. " Oh no - Sidney."

Harry knew from Magnolia that Sidney was one of Hufflepuff's prefects, and did not like that Magnolia was sitting with Gryffindors ever Breakfast, shared Lunch and Dinner.

" Better run, Maggie," Ron said with a grin. Magnolia glared at him, but didn't have time to retort, as the prefect was nearing the table, so she scarfed down a last bit of breakfast and made for the Great Hall's doors. As she left, the owl post came in, hundreds of owls giving mail to their designated recipients. A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball filled with white smoke.

" What is it?" Asked Harry.

" It's a Rememberall!" The boy explained. " Gran knows I forget things. It tells you if you've forgotten something. You just have to hold it tight, like this and if it glows red - oh..." His face fell, because the Rememberall suddenly glowed scarlet. " You've forgotten something..."

Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Rememberall out of his hand. Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. Harry was half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, his and Rons Head of House, was there in a flash.

" What's going on?" She asked in a tone that did not leave room for fighting.

" Malfoy's got my Rememberall, professor," Neville said.

Scowling, Malfoy dropped the Rememberall back onto the table.

" Just looking," he said, and stalked off.

" I can't believe we have flying lessons with him today," Ron muttered. Neville was white-faced at the prospect, and Harry felt a little sick. He'd been looking most forward to learning to fly, and Malfoy being there made for a bad afternoon.

" What were you two thinking?" Hermione asked as they sat down, in a way that seemed to annoy Ron. " You can't just have a fight in the Great Hall."

The ginger scowled.

At three thirty that afternoon they, and the rest of the Gryffindor first years, made it to the grounds to find the Slytherins were already there, along with about twenty broomsticks lined up in two rows for them. Harry pointedly avoided looking at Malfoy, whereas Ron glared at him openly and Hermione muttered flying techniques under her breath. Harry admittedly listened very closely to her, with bated breath, knowing he could use all the help he could get.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived behind them. She had short grey hair and yellow eyes like a hawk.

" Well, what are you all waiting for?" She asked from directly behind Harry, who winced at her powerful voice right next to his ear. " Everyone stand by a broom. Go on, hurry up."

Harry stood next to Ron, and Hermione stood next to him, still muttering, although softly. He looked down at him broomsticks. He'd heard Fred and George complaining about the school brooms, saying that the some would vibrate the higher you got, while some veer too far to the left. His broom looked old, and had twigs sticking out at odd angles.

" Stick your wand hand over your broom," said Madam Hooch at the front. " And say 'Up!'"

" Up!" Everyone shouted in different inflections and tones. Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, as did Rons and, regrettably, Malfoys. Hermione's rolled around on the ground, and Neville's stayed completely still. Harry felt a a sort of unjust pride at being able to succeed where Hermione could not (after having all of his classes with Neville, he wasn't too surprised that his broom didn't move at all).

Madam Hooch then taught them how to mount their brooms, and Harry took great pleasure in hearing her tell Malfoy that he'd done it wrong, and had been doing it wrong for years. He didn't miss Ron's grin - He couldn't help smiling himself.

" Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick the ground, hard," continued Madam Hooch. " Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, then come straight down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle. Three... two..."

But Neville, nervous and jumpy at the prospect of being left on the ground, pushed off hard at the ground before the whistle touched Madam Hooch's lips.

" Come back, boy!" She shouted, but Neville was rising ten feet in the air, then twenty, and Harry watched, frightfully, as Neville gasped, slid sideways off his broom, then -

WHAM, he hit the ground, hard, his broom floating mindlessly into the forbidden forest and out of sight.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

" Broken wrist," Harry heard her mutter. " Come on, boy. It's alright."

She turned to the rest of the class.

" None of you are to move while I take this boy to the Hospital Wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of this school before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear."

Neville, tear-streaked and holding his pained wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch as the other students stare. No sooner were they out of earshot before Malfoy burst out in laughter.

" Did you see his face, the big lump?"

The other Slytherins joined in.

" Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

" Sticking up for Longbottom?" Sneered Pansy Parkinson, a stone-faced Slytherin. " Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati!"

" Look!" Exclaimed Malfoy, running forward. " It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran got him!"

The Rememberall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

" Give it here Malfoy," said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

" No, I don't think I will," said Malfoy, mounting his broomstick. " I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find."

He soared in the sky.

" How 'bout on the roof?" He called.

Harry grabbed his broom.

" No!" Cried Hermione. " You know what Madam Hooch said, you'll get us all in trouble!"

Harry ignored her and went after Malfoy, blood pumping in his ears. He found, with great joy, that flying wasn't so difficult. In fact, it was easy. As easy as taking his next breath.

He turned his broom sharply to face Malfoy, who looked stunned, midair.

" Give it here, or I'll knock you off your broom!" Harry shouted.

" Catch it if you can, then!" Malfoy replied, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back toward the ground.

Harry saw, as if in slow motion, the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leaned forward and flew into a steep dive, racing the ball - wind whistled in his ears - he stretched out his hand, a foot from the ground, he caught it, just in time to steer his broom straight, and he toppled gently on the ground with the Rememberall held tight in his fist.

" HARRY POTTER!"

His heart sank faster than he just dived. Professor McGonagall was running toward them. He got to his feet, trembling.

" Never, in all my time at Hogwarts - "

Professor McGonagall was almost shocked into silence, her glasses glaring in the sun. " How dare you?" She asked. " Could have broken your neck - "

" It wasn't his fault, professor!"

" Be quiet, Miss Patil."

" But Malfoy - "

" That's enough, Mister Weasley. Potter, follow me."

Harry tried - really tried - not to focus on the triumphant faces of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

He was going to be expelled for sure.

What would Magnolia say?

" What do you mean you're seeker?" She inevitably asked, mouth gaped open. Harry grinned at her.

It was dinner time, and Magnolia was sitting with the Gryffindors again. Harry had just been telling her, Ron and Hermione what had happened after the afternoon's flying lesson. Ron was wearing a similarly gaping expression.

" But first years never - You must be the youngest seeker in - "

" A century," Harry finished, unable to help the grin on his face, even with Hermione's inevitable backlash. " Wood told me - That's the Gryffindor captain," he added toward Magnolia, pointing his chin at the fifth year. " I start training this week. But don't tell anyone. Wood wants to keep it secret. Er," he caught Oliver's barren expression towards him and his sister. " Magnolia, do us a favor and don't mention this to your team?"

" As if I even know them," she dismissed, giving Oliver Wood a grin which he did not return.

Fred and George now came into the hall, spotted Harry and his friends and ran over.

" Well done," said George in a low voice. " Wood told us. We're on the team too. Beaters."

" I tell you, we're gonna win this year for sure with you on the team," said Fred. " We haven't won since Charlie left, that's our older brother. But this years team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us." He spotted Magnolia, though as this was her usual spot, and didn't seem surprised. " You haven't told the enemy, have you?"

" Just my sister. She doesn't care about Quidditch," Harry said quickly, not wanting to ruin his good relationship with his fellow players.

" Bet she tells," Fred told his brother. " Seven sickles?"

" Bet she won't," George agreed. " Eight sickles."

" Bet. Anyway, we've got to go. Lee reckons he's found another secret passageway into the school."

" Wish I bet on you," Ron told Magnolia, who beamed.

" So," Hermione said finally, glaring at Harry. " I bet you suppose that's a reward for breaking the rules?"

Harry stammered.

" Well, yeah," he said. " I mean, no - But you heard Malfoy!" He chastized her. " I don't suppose you wanted him to run off with Neville's things?"

" No," said Hermione with a quick glance at where Neville usually sat. He was in the hospital wing for 'good measure'. Madam Pomphrey was a worrywart, said Ron, and was liable to keep her most of her patients overnight. " But - "

" Having a last meal, Potter?"

" Dear Lord," muttered Magnolia.

" When are you getting a train back to the muggles? Reckon they should send her loser, Hufflepuff, sister, eh boys?" Malfoy said with a smirk on his face.

" I don't suppose you think of those as synonyms?" A voice came from behind him.

" Oh, no," whispered Magnolia.

Sidney stood there, arms crossed, Mas-Paz behind her.

" We don't want to say slimy gits and Slytherin get on just as well," quipped Mas-Paz, " but if we're throwing around fighting words, then I suppose we'd have to."

Sidney barely concealed rolling her eyes.

" We were just leaving," said Malfoy with a grin. He turned to Harry. " Aren't you?" He asked in a mock-concerned voice, chuckling with Crabbe and Goyle as they stalked back to the Slytherin table.

" Paz, you're a prefect, you can't say those things," Sidney chastized.

" I didn't!" Mas-Paz said defensively. " I only said I would."

Sidney sighed, and looked at Magnolia, who was slurping soup, faux innocent.

" You're never at Hufflepuff's table," she said. " Our Head of House is disappointed."

" Though I'm not sure why," added Mas-Paz. " House Unity aside, we're all Hogwarts students, aren't we?"

Sidney ignored her fellow prefect, staring at Magnolia with a deep, dark, brown-eyed gaze. Mas-Paz looked quite sorry.

Magnolia stood up, blushing and frowning.

"... Bye," she said simply, and followed her housemates to their table.

" What's Sidney's problem?" Asked Ron incredulously. " You'd think Maggie was hurting Lady Hufflepuff personally."

Harry frowned.

Soon, Neville came and filled her spot, but not her place in conversation.

" I have a twin in Ravenclaw," Parvati Patil said as they walked back to their dorm. " I know how it is. If you need to talk, I'm here for you, right Harry?" She gave him a warm, bright smile, which left Harry blushing, and walked up to her dorm.

He missed his sister deeply. He would probably have to take Parvati up on her offer, soon enough.

this is ro, thanks for reading this Harry-centered chapter! i wonder how fluffy gets discovered ;)

please review, it delights the writer!