Chapter 3

Instructions

Chapter 3 - Flying ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm still grumbling after I've finished my detention. Audrey hurries towards me, and I smile a bit. "What'd he make you do?" She asks. "Just lines of 'I will not yell at my professors for a stupid reason.' He made me write it a hundred times! Thank god I write decently fast." I shake my wrist off. "There's a new notice pinned in the common room. Apparently we have flying lessons starting Thursday with the Gryffindors." Audrey informs me. I'm glad. The Gryffindors have backbones, and they're brave. They won't put up with Malfoy's nonsense about being superior. I also secretly want to push him off a broom. "Have you flown before?" I ask instead. "No," Audrey shakes her head. "I'm not really interested in Quidditch." Huh. It sounds intense to me. The next few days, all the wizarding families were talking about Quidditch and flying. I suppose it isn't that bad if everyone enjoys it... In the morning, I find out that it's the time when owls come swooping down to deliver mail. I suppose I may have left Storm fly free. She probably went to visit my mother. Storm comes, and dips her beak into my goblet, hooting. There's a letter attached to her talons. I take the letter, stroke her fingers, and send her of to the owlery. "What are they doing over there?" I hear Audrey ask beside me. I turn to see her pointing at the Gryffindor table. At Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Bullying Neville and taking his... "Malfoy's got his Remembrall," Audrey tells me. I glance back. Professor McGonagall is over there. She's so observant and fast. The three boys walk away. I take a deep breath. "You okay?" I nod, and take another deep breath. -------------------------------------------------------------------------That afternoon, Audrey and I walk across the school grounds to go to our first flying lesson with the Gryffindors. I see the Gryffindors, and look in front. The Slytherins are already there. They walk apart from us. Like we aren't Slytherins. "Gone to join the Gryffindors?" Pansy calls. "Better than with you," I call back. She blushes, and I smile inside. We both go to stand by brooms. "Stick out your right hand over your broom, and say, 'Up!'" Madam Hooch instructs us. "UP!" We all shout. My broom floats up into my hand, almost reluctantly. I look around; I'm one of the few who have brooms in their hands. Madam Hooch then shows us how to mount our brooms, and corrects our grips. I smirk when Madam Hooch tells Malfoy he's holding the broom wrong, and for years, too. Harry and Ron look quite delighted, as well. "Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," Madam Hooch says, "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle - three - two - " Neville Longbottom shoots into the sky, and then- WHAM! Neville is a heap on the ground, face first. His broomstick is rising, leaving us all on the ground. Madam Hooch mutters something, and tells us not to move until she comes back, or we'll be expelled. Typical. I feel sorry for him. The Gryffindors and Slytherins start arguing. Malfoy bends down and grabs the Remembrall. "Look! It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him." "Give it here, Malfoy," Harry says. "It doesn't belong to you!" I add. Everyone's watching. Smiling, Malfoy says: "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to collect - how about - up a tree?" "No!" I shout, angrily. "Give it //here//!" Harry yells again. Malfoy jumps onto his broom, and hovers next to the highest branches of an oak. "Come and get it!" We both look up. "I'll block, you tackle?" I offer. "Deal." We join him in the sky, the wind rushes in my face, pushing the hair away from it, I feel joy, and giddy; I could live on this feeling. We both fly higher. I feel myself grinning. People whoop below. We face Malfoy. He's stunned, and it's a beautiful sight. Priceless. "Give it here, or I'll knock you off that broom!" Harry yells. "Oh, yeah?" Malfoy looks worried. Harry unexpectedly flies straight at Malfoy, and we're on opposite sides of him. Harry says something else, and Malfoy shouts, "Catch it if you can then!" He throws it. I stare in fascinated horror. Malfoy streaks to the ground and I manage to kick his broom while diving to catch it underneath. It's about to fall in my hands when Harry snatches it from midair. I fly to the ground. "Well done," he whispers, then gets to his feet, trembling: Professor McGonagall is here.