Rosabella Black|Daughter of Sirius Black| (Book 1)

Midnight Duel

Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.
   
"Just looking." Malfoy said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

At three - thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron and I along with the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps into the grounds for our first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day and the grass rippled under our feet as we marched down the sloping lawns towards a smooth lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the Forbidden Forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Jason and Jacob had complained about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left. Our teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived.She had short, grey hair and yellow eyes like a hawk.
   
"Well, what are you all waiting for?Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up." Madam Hooch barked.

I glanced down at the school broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles. I missed my broom at home. Remus had promised to get me the new Nimbus 2000 for my birthday.
  
"Stick out your right hand over your broom and say, 'Up!'” Madam Hooch called at the front.
  
"UP!" everyone shouted.

Harry's and I's brooms jumped into our hands at once, but they were one of the few that did. Hermione's had simply rolled over on the ground and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid. Tonks taught me that when she first taught me how to fly on a broom.

There was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground and Hermione was also nervous she was just more subtle about it.

Madam Hooch then showed us how to mount our brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows, correcting their grips. I zoned out for that lecture. I've been flying since I was five.

Harry, Ron and I were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.
   
"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle – three – two –" Madam Hooch said but Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.
  
"Come back, boy!" Madam Hooch shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle – twelve feet – twenty feet.

I saw Neville's scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and – WHAM – a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay, face down, on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher and started to drift lazily towards the Forbidden Forest and out of sight. Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.
  
"Broken wrist. Come on, boy – it's all right, up you get." I heard Madam Hooch mutter and then she turned to the rest of the class.
  
"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear." Madam Hooch said.

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.
No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.
  
"Did you see his face, the great lump?" Malfoy said, gleefully.

The other Slytherins joined in.
  
"Shut up, Malfoy." I snapped, glaring at Malfoy.
   
"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom? Never thought you'd like fat little cry babies, Rosabella." Pansy Parkinson said, a hard-faced Slytherin girl.
    
"I'll take them anyday over hyenas like you! Or squirrelly ferrets like you, Malfoy!" I retorted and the Gryffindors burst into laughter as the Slytherins glared at me.
   
"Look!" Malfoy said, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass.
  
"It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him." Malfoy sneered.