Today's our first flying lesson. I'm pretty excited for it. Hunter's very good at it, even being in Ravenclaw's quidditch team as a chaser, so he's taught be a bit about it, and I wasn't excited to learn as much as to just show off.
Unfortunately it was also shared with Slytherin.
At breakfast Hermione, as always, was reading a book. This time it's a book about quidditch, I guess she hoped it has some flying tips.
Me: Hermione, you do realize that a book won't teach you how to fly, right?
Hermione: Of course. I just want to be prepared.
I heard Ron sight. He also probably rolled his eyes.
Then, Spencer flew above me, appearing out of nowhere, and dropped a letter on my head, immediately changing direction and flying over to Hunter to give him his letter, clearly annoyed that he now has to do twice as much work, even though me and Hunter were not sitting that far from each other. Lazy owl. I don't think he realizes next year he'll have one more person to give letters to.
Anyway, I opened the letter, it was from my mom.
Sorry for not responding to your letters this week, Spencer really doesn't seem to like this job.
Yeah, that's what I said.
We're very happy that you enjoy being at Hogwarts, honestly after reading some of your letters I wish I was a witch. Anyway, about the "annoying ferret", whoever that is, don't mind him and please don't get into much trouble, people like him aren't worth it and we don't want Alice to automatically lose in teacher's eyes when she gets into the school because of your and Hunter's ideas.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your year.
Love,
Your parents and sister.
I smiled, pocketing the letter in my robe and looking at Neville, who was showing his remembrall to others.
From what know remembralls tell you when you forgot something. Pretty useless, considering it doesn't tell you what you forgot. If someone can't remember to take something, why would he remember what it was?
As always, the blonde rat had to annoy someone, taking the remembrall from Neville, but McGonagall saw it and forced him to give it back.
Finally, the flying lesson. There was somewhere around twenty broomsticks on the ground, one for each of us. We were all told to stand next to one. I picked a broom lying between Harry's and Hermione's brooms. Ron picked one next to Harry.
Madam Hooch: Stick out your hand over your broom, and say 'Up!'.
The sound of everyone shouting 'Up!' was quickly followed by many sounds of either brooms falling back to the ground after going slightly up, or in Ron's case, the sound of wood colliding with his nose. I have no idea how he managed to do that.
Luckily I was the only one whose broom went into my hand first try. Harry and few others managed to do that second try. The more tries, the more students had their brooms in hands.
Then Madam Hooch showed us how to properly mount the brooms.
Madam Hooch: Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground. Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle, three... two... one...
Neville nervously jumped before the whistle blew. He was going higher and higher while Madam Hooch yelled at him to get down (I think if he could do it on command, he would). When he was good twenty feet above the ground, he fell off the broom. Luckily it didn't look like anything serious.
Madam Hooch rushed to him and told us she will take him to the hospital wing before threatening us with being expelled if we start flying without her.
As soon as they disappeared, Malfoy began to laugh, picking up Neville's remembrall.
Draco: Maybe if he used it he would remember to fall on his fat ass.
Parvati, another Gryffindor my age, told Malfoy to shut up, which started a small fight between her and Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin.
Malfoy didn't care much though, he was still playing with the remembrall.
Me: Give it here, ferret.
Draco: Smirking I think I will leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find... maybe a tree?
Me: Give it back!
Draco: Come and get it.
He jumped on his broom and flew off, so I also mounted my broom, before Hermione grabbed my arm.
Hermione: No! Madam Hooch told us not to fly. You will get us in trouble!
Luckily Harry also tried to fly after Malfoy, so when Hermione went to stop him, I started flying, only hearing Hermione mumble something in disappointment mixed with anger.
While flying after Malfoy I heard the rest shout different things to both of us. Slytherins were mainly insulting me and encouraging Draco and Gryffindors did the exact opposite, Ron and Harry being the loudest.
Me: Give it back, Malfoy or I will knock you off the broom!
Draco: Oh, yeah?
I tried to do as I said, but he dodged me.
Me: How sad that your two dogs can't save you here.
After a bit more flying around, Malfoy finally came to the realization, that he can't fly forever and landing with the remembrall in hand also wouldn't be smart.
Draco: You want it? Catch it then!
He threw the remembrall as far as he could. There wasn't much for me to do, except trying to catch it. I was going as fast as I could, diving after the falling ball.
When I was dangerously close to the ground I reached for it and after feeling the ball in my hand I pulled the broom up, barely managing to save myself from smashing into the ground.
My smile was taken off my face pretty quickly, though.
McGonagall: Y/N L/N!
I slowly landed while watching her storm in my direction.
McGonagall: Never in all my time at Hogwarts... you almost broke your neck!
Other Gryffindors were trying to defend me, telling her about what Malfoy did, but he ignored it.
McGonagall: L/N, follow me.
As bad as probably being expelled was, by far the worst thing in this situation was seeing Malfoy smirking at me.
If they expelled me, they couldn't do anything to me if I punched him... a few times... right? Maybe it wasn't THAT bad?
The whole time I was following her, McGonagall didn't say a single word. We rushed silently through the corridors until we reached professor Sprout. McGonagall asked her 'Where she can find wood'.
Great, my punishment was being beaten with a stick...
We followed professor Sprout until we reached a classroom. McGonagall entered, once again asking for wood. She came back with empty hands and one of the students came with her.
McGonagall: L/N, this is Oliver Wood, Wood, I think I've found you a seeker.
Wait, this is Wood? So she won't expel me? Or hit me with a stick?
Wood: Are you serious, professor?
McGonagall: Yes, absolutely. I've never seen anything like that, the boy's a natural. He caught a falling ball a few feet above the ground and managed to not die. I don't think Charlie Weasley could do it.
Wow, if I knew who Charlie Weasley was, I would surely be impressed with myself.
Wood: You know how quidditch works?
Me: Yeah, my brother taught me.
Wood: You mean Hunter L/N? Huh, I think that by itself enough to take you.
McGonagall told me she was going to ask Dumbledore to bend the rule saying that first years can't join quidditch teams.
I think I just got rewarded for breaking rules. I like it.