The week of flying lessons arrived. Harry concluded that it was a bad idea to ask any of his house partners for information. He did not want to risk losing their respect. He could pass only as an amateur flyer and because the class will be shared with the Gryphindors, where many students are still facing their first experience with magic, he should not look that bad.
To at least get a little more information about the flying technique they may use, he ended up reading some articles in the library and newspaper about it. In his research, he finds out three things.
The first was that the sport that prevailed in the wizarding world was Quidditch. He is still uncertain about the rules.
The second thing he found was about the magazine that could really help him in his research about the wizarding world: The Quibbler. The other source of news was The daily prophet, but it was full of articles that made it look like any other newspaper and close to a mare tabloid.
Although the Quibbler had some questionable articles. They are the only ones that are showing a prospect of real research in the magic world. Still, some articles seem to be out of the public before having someone check the sources.
And third. From the research, Harry was sure that the way to fly was with a broom. Which made him a little more at ease. He thought for a moment that the kids could use a Tier 3 spell. "That would be absurd. Classes so far are about spells that could be classified as tier 1, and sometimes 0", thought Harry.
In Harry's research, mounting a broom looked more like controlling an enchanted tool, more than the use of any magic. His assessment came from the "advice" of the books about flying: "Be firm and direct with the Broom".
Harry was walking alongside Pansy to the grounds where the flying lessons will going to take place. In front of him were Ron and Dean. They were discussing which was better, Quidditch or Football. Suddenly both asked Hermione, who was walking in front of everyone reading a book.
Hermione was desperate and nervous. Not for the discussion for the sport, but because this will be her first flying lesson. The idea of flying on a broom appeared in Hermione's mind as soon as she was told that she was a witch. And with her small amount of vanity, she hoped that she won't have a wart in her nose.
After some insistence by her house partners, Hermione turned to answer, but she felt corned and said, "I don't know. What do you say, Harry?" Both kids turn to where Hermione was looking and find Harry.
"Football or Quidditch", said Ron, and then Dean said, "West Ham is the best football team, isn't it?". "West Ham? That's not a team for Quidditch. Chudley Cannons, that's a people's team," said Ron right after Dean.
"Real Madrid", answered Harry. Dean chuckled and said, "Of course a Slytherin will support Real Madrid".
Ron and Pansy were confused by the answer, but when Pansy heard that Harry's answer was "Slytherin like", she did not try to ask more.
When they finally arrived at the grounds where the lesson was going to be taking place. Harry saw the brooms on the ground and wondered if it would be similar to riding a bike or a skateboard.
Once they were close enough, Madam Hooch, the teacher, approached them and gave simple instructions to all the students: "Stand next to your Broom, extend your hand and say: UP".
Harry did it with no problem. Hiding his surprise, he looked to the rest of the kids. Many have problems doing the simple exercise, especially Hermione and Neville, the kid that lost his frog on the train.
Fortunately for Hermione and Neville, Ron, when trying to call for his broom, was hit by it in the face, making everyone stop looking at the two Gryffindors who were unable to complete the exercise. The laughs, especially from the Slytherins, about the scene of the broom hitting Ron in the face, were loud.
Hermione looked around, frustrated for not being able to do the task at hand. Then she looked at Harry, and he moved his lips without making any sound. She tried to read his lips, only understanding, "make it obey you". After that, she tried again, and this time the broom went directly to her hand.
Draco and the rest of the Slytherin house could do it without a problem. After a couple of minutes, the only one who was still having problems was Neville.
After Neville could accomplish the first task, the professor decided it was time for all the students to pass to the second step.
"Is she serious?" mumbled Harry. Draco looked at him. "With people having these difficulties to just grab a broom. Do you think it's correct to make him continue?" said Harry while pointing to Neville with his nose. "If he has problems in the ground, imagine in the sky." Draco snorted at Harry's comment.
Professor Hooch made a small demonstration about how to mount the broom. Then she proceeded to check if the kids were grabbing their broomsticks properly.
The teacher walked in front of the students, and when she was facing Harry, she hit the wood of the broom, but when the professor realized that Harry had a firm grip on the broom, she passed to Draco.
As in revenge for not putting Harry in a bad situation and only putting herself in that place, Madam Hooch began to speak out of Malfoy's problems. Many students of Gryffindor laughed at him.
After that and some re-accommodating in Malfoy grabbing style, Madam Hootch continued her lessons. She was still oblivious of the current state of Neville, who was nervous by the professor's warnings.
"She had time to bark like a dog for Draco's grip. But do nothing to help Neville," noted Harry.
"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," barked Madam Hooch. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle, three, two,"
The teacher was about to use her whistle, but then Neville started to float. Madam Hootch only screamed at the kid, asking him to get down, but his broom moved without control.
At first, it was funny, but when the kid went too high and in the direction to the castle, the concern started to go higher. It did not help to see that the broom was shaking.
While everyone was watching him, Harry thought, "What a laughable character the teacher is. One of the kids in her care is in danger, but she just stays there and yells. But, If I use this opportunity, not only will be more points to the Slytherin, it will also be good publicity for me".
When Harry looked that Neville started to fall, he took his broom and rode it, and when he was close to his target, he stood up as if it was skateboarding. He could catch Neville in midair, as if he was tackling him, and put him in his shoulder.
The catch took Neville's air out, but he was all right.
Madam Hootch arrived and gave Harry a stern look. In her eyes, it looked more like Harry trying to tackle Neville than trying to catch him. But then Neville started to thank him.
"Thank you, I thought I was going to die. I really thank you, I owe you my life," said Neville. The professor checked him to see if any injuries were visible. After not finding any, she decided to still take Neville to the hospital tower. But before that, she said, "30 points to Slytherin for helping a fellow student".
After the professor took Neville to the hospital tower, all the students went around Harry. Ron stood in front of him, like trying to challenge him.
"Show off. Anyone could have done that", said Ron. Harry just answered with a smirk, "And still you just stood there. What a brave partner Neville has".
Pansy approached Harry and just made a mocking grimace to Ron before she took Harry with the rest of the Slytherins, who were celebrating with him his "heroic" deed.
.
.
.
"You should ask if you can go to the tryouts in the Quidditch team", said Goyle to Harry.
"I bet that you can be a good keeper or even a chaser", said Pansy.
"Yeah!", exclaimed Crabbe.
Harry was walking to the tryout pitch for the Slytherin quidditch team as all of his new "friends", asked him to do it.
The only reason he decided to take the advice of his housemates was to become more popular and attract more people to his side.
On his way to the Slytherin quidditch tryout, when he was alone, Harry cast [Summon Monster 1st], and a small air monster appeared in front of him.
"Go and check the castle's dungeon, see if there is something of interest. Report to me in two hours. And do not let anyone spot you", ordered Harry. Then the monster bowed to Harry, then made a twist and disappeared. After that, Harry continued his walk to the tryouts.
Madam Hooch was the teacher in charge of giving permission to attend the tryouts in each house.
After the incident was spread in the flying lesson and the whole story was greatly exaggerated. Marcus Flint, Captain of the Slytherin team, requested that Harry be able to do the Quidditch tryout.
The Slytherin tryout was said to be the most difficult one. The Capitan had only one thing in his mind, find the best players out of his house. To can do that, he had two tasks to can make a filter for the right players.
The first task was to compete against each other in a speed contest. In which Harry was at a disadvantage. All the other students were not only older and more experienced, but they also had their own flying broom, and Harry used the school broom. Still, he ended up in third place.
The second task was the same, flying across the field as fast as he could, but the difference is that bludgers will be flying across the field. And in this exercise, Harry ended up first.
Many students quitted at that point. And out of the students still in the tryout, Harry stood out to be the youngest and the smaller. He was not short or slim, he has muscles and is taller than the average kids of his age, but the other students were older, bigger and more muscular. Many of the other students that still were in the tryouts received hits of the bludgers, but they could stay in the brooms.
Flint was smiling at the current prospects of players, but the tryout was not over. The following exercises were about the positions. In this phase of the tests, they would compete against the current players on the team, who had the advantage that they were only watching or helping to send the bludgers.
And worst of all, is that all the students will be competing against all of them. The only good thing was that if they beat any of them, they could automatically take their place on the team.
Flint asked Harry to try for all the positions. The Capitan knew about the possible outcomes, and both will be beneficial for him. Either Harry failed in everything, or he beat at least one. The last possibility will be taken advantage of by him, to put Harry as an example and ask everyone to work harder. "The shame of losing against a first-year should help. It does not matter if he is the famous Harry Potter, he is still younger than us", thought Flint.
The first position that was asked Harry to try was as a beater. He was teaming up with a fourth-year who was aiming for that particular position. In the mind of Harry's teammate, he thought that he needed to be the only one standing, so he tried to redirect the balls to Harry, but without much luck.
The current beaters realized the stupidity of the fourth year and decided to first take him down. They do not want a person who does not know how Quidditch is played. So, when one was aiming at his face, the other aimed at the had used to grab the broom. With that, the guy fell.
Harry ended up in a two against one. Harry could see the small strategy of the beaters. "It was simple but effective, and more if you are in the middle of a game, and many things happen at the same time", Harry thought with a smile.
When the beaters started their tactic again, Harry instead of falling in the provocation of facing them face to face, decided to move and let the bludger pass and the second bludger. Instead of hitting it back to his opponents, he decided to hit it to go up. When the bludger was falling in his direction, he jumped from the broom and when he jumped. The first bludger appeared behind him and went directly to Harry's opponents. Because both of them were distracted by the sudden jump of Harry, none of them saw the bludger until it was too late, and one of them was hit. Because of it, the other beater was distracted, and Harry used that to send the second bludger to him.
Flint saw everything. He was going to call it a tie because Harry was falling without a broom. But to his surprise, and everyone else, when Harry was falling, he called for the broom. With the simple command of "up", the broom went to his hand. Flint could only smile at it.
The next exercise for Harry was as a keeper. Which was the only position that was fully available as the previous keeper graduated last year. Adrian Pucey and the Capitan were going to try to score. To add difficulty, they will try every time the Quaffle passed the loops or was rejected by Harry. So, as soon that one ball was taken care of, the next was sent right away.
The speed of the Quaffle started to go faster and faster. He said he will defend 10 shots, but in the end, it was 10 shots each. But to the surprise of everyone, only Flint could score one time. None of them thought that Harry only let him do it, knowing that he was the Capitan.
For the chaser exercise, Harry teamed up with another boy to try to score against Miles Bletchley, the only other person who was aiming for the goalie position. Harry's teammate was a third-year who was aiming to become a chaser.
Harry, unlike his older housemates, waited at least a second for the doorman to know he would shoot, and due to Harry's knowledge of soccer and volleyball, he began to shoot the balls so that they made a slight curve in the air and changed direction midway.
Harry let the keeper stop three of his shots. The shoots of the other chaser were done with strength but without good direction, and the few shots that he directed to the loops, were blocked by the second-year keeper.
And finally, for the last position, was the exercise to find the seeker. At this point, the other students who were aiming for the position were already rested. And in contrast to the other exercises, in this, everyone is against each other. And there will be a time limit of 30 minutes.
"The snitch you will be using is a snitch used for practice proposes, and is normally used by the professionals", said Flint. Which everyone translated into "is expensive, do not break it".
"You all will have 30 minutes to catch it. After that time, the snitch will come back by itself. If none of you can catch it, we will keep the same keeper", announced the Capitan.
Flint was standing in the middle of the 5 different students who wanted the position of the seeker. Flint opened a little box, and the snitch was shown to all of them, but unlike the real snitch, this was in silver colour. Then, wings were spread by the snitch, wings that looked like if it were from a bug, then it started to fly.
"Let's leave it fly for 10 seconds", said the Capitan with a smirk. Which was answered by another smirked of the current seeker, Terence Higgs, who was in his fourth year.
Right after the countdown reached 1, Terence Higgs started to fly and was followed by the other 4 students, including Harry.
Everybody was following Terence Higgs, but no one knew where was the snitch. And while they were racing each other, trying to catch up with the fourth year seeker, they were punching each other to make the other fall off their broom.
Harry realized that the snitch was not even in front of them, so he stopped following the rest and started to scan the scene, and then he dived and went to the edges of the game field. Terence realized that his distraction tactic did not work and Harry possibly spotted the real Snitch, so he decided to follow Harry.
Suddenly Harry turned around and passed close to the current seeker, and the only thing the seeker could do was to stop, so they won't crash against each other. Harry passed under him. Unfortunately for Terence, the other students behind him, could not stop in time and ended up crashing each other. With that, Harry could chase the Snitch without any problems. He found the Snitch a few minutes later, it was close to the top of one of the loops.
Surprised by the result, Flint smiled as he had something to brag about with other houses, and many things to say to his quidditch teammates. And due to the results, that Harry gave in his tryouts. He was able to select which position wants to play.
After the tryout was done. Flint called for everyone to be present and started to read a parchment he had in this hands.
"I will name the lineup of the Slytherin house. Those who are called, come next to me. Those who don't, leave the field." Said Flint while looking menacing to all the students in front of him.
"First, the one that will cover our vacant post. The keeper will be, Miles Bletchley!" said Flint, and the rest started to clap. The new keeper walked to the front and stood next to Flint.
"Beaters will be, Peregrine Derrick and Gemma Farley!" screamed Flint, and both of them walked to the front with a smirk on their faces.
"Chasers. Adrian Pucey!", Adrian only walked to the front with a stern face. "Graham Montague!", and the third-year student walked to the front. "And myself", said Flint putting a hand in his chest while smiling.
"And for the seeker position. Harry Suzuki!" Harry stood still as the rest of the students left the field. Flint only smiled, and then he said, "hope you still have energy. Because the training starts now".
The Capitan called for Harry before they started to go to the air again. "This is the broom I used last year. You were able to have good results with the pathetic excuse of a broom that the school has, so you should be even better with this", said Flint. Harry only took the broom and nodded to him.
Harry inspected the broom and read, "Comet 260". "Probably the broom's model name," thought Harry. Then he gaze at Flint's broom and realized that he was with a newer broom.
Thanks to the training of Cocytus and Sebas, Harry has a good physique, and that was reflected in his stamina.
In the middle of the training, when he was up in the skies alone, the air monster appeared.
"Did you find anything?" asked Harry to the monster, which was answered with a shook of his head. "I see. I will summon you again in another time", said Harry while shaking his hand in the monster body, which made it disappear like if it was only a small cloud.
When the training ended Harry went back to the common room with the rest of the team.
"This year, we will be rising the cup. Again", said Marcus Flint while smirking at Harry.
