A Journey so Far - A Harry Potter Fanfic

7. Halloween

The first half of term passed like a dream for Ellie. She excelled in all her classes, beating everyone, much to Hermione's annoyance. She was so good that she got extra tuition from Dumbledore, McGonagall, Fitwick, and even Professor Snape. Although, as much as she disliked him, she couldn't hate him because in their lessons he wasn't mean, but almost nice. He helped her, and praised her, but she did notice that sometimes he would just stare at her when she was brewing a potion or chopping ingredients. And once or twice she saw pain in his eyes when he looked at her, as though remembering something that he would rather forget. She remembered him coming to Godric's Hollow the night her parents died but she still had no idea as to why he had seemed so sad that her mother had died. As far as she knew they never talked, or at least not that Ellie remembered.

One sunny afternoon a few days into term they had their first flying lesson. Ellie had been flying since she was very little, Sirius had given her a mini broomstick for her first birthday and she had had lots of practice since then. Their first task was to place their right hand over the broom and say 'Up'. Ellie's room rose into her hand first try, much to Draco's annoyance. Madam Hooch then taught them how to mount their brooms and told them to kick off from the ground on the count of three, but Neville rose in the air before she even reached two. He was shaking and couldn't seen to control which way he was going. Suddenly, he jerked in panic and went flying across the courtyard, wacking into one of the walls opposite resulting in a loud wince from the class. He was zipping around the courtyard, completely out of control when his robes got caught of a bracket on a wall. He hung their for a few seconds before there was a pound ripping sound and he fell to the ground not moving. Madam Hooch ran forwards and helped him up, holding his broken arm gently. Before escorting him to the Hospital Wing she warned the class that if anyone's feet left the ground they would be expelled before they could say 'Quidditch'.

But as they left Draco picked up something that had been lying on the floor - it was Neville's Rememberall. Ellie stepped forward, "Give it back Malfoy" she growled, feeling surprisingly confident for a girl usually so shy, it even made Draco look surprised for a moment.

"Or what?" He smirked in reply. "I think I'll put it on the roof, going to stop me Potter?" And with that he took off on his broom. Ellie mounted hers but Hermione stepped forwards before she took off. "You heard what Mme Hooch said, you don't want to be expelled do you?" But Ellie ignored her for once and pushed off from the ground. She soared up into the air, meeting Draco about 10meters above the ground. "Give it here Malfoy"

"Or what?"

Ellie lunged for him, her broom zooming past him as he wobbled and slipped so that he was handing upside down on the broom, rather like a giant sloth. He pulled himself back up, but looking rather less confident than before. "Have it your way then" he said, and he threw the Rememberall as hard as he could in the direction of the castle. Ellie crouched forward on her broom and zoomed after the glass ball as fast as she could. She stretched out her arm as she got closer and her fingers closed around it just before it was about to hit the window to Professor McGonagall's office. She grinned and descended to the ground where the rest of the gryffindors were cheering her. Suddenly Professor McGonagall appeared and marched across the courtyard towards them. Ellie gulped, really hoping that she wouldn't be told off. McGonagall walked up to them and said in her strict voice, "Ellie, follow me please."

Ellie could hear Draco and his cronies sniggering behind her but she followed Minerva, trying to stay positive. She frowned as she was led not towards McGonagall's office, or even Dumbledore's office, but towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts classrooms. McGonagall knocked on the door to one of the classrooms and poked her head around the door. The strong smell of garlic told Ellie that it was Professor Quirrell's lesson that they were interrupting. "May I borrow Wood for a minute?" Ellie heard Professor McGonagall asked, and Oliver Woods, a burly fith year stepped out of the classroom.