Melanie Rosen Chamberson: Year 1 (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chapter 14 Flying Lesson

Chapter 14

Flying Lesson

The cool breeze gently brushed my face as I walked down to the Quidditch field along with my fellow Slytherins. It felt nice to be outside, but that was not only one reason for my excitement right now. Today will be our first flying lesson, one of the things I looked forward to the most about attending this school.

When we arrived, we found a series of old beaten looking broomsticks laid out in the field for us. In front of them, a woman with grey spiky hair waited for us. She stood with her hands on her hips, in dark robes.

She spoke quite sternly yet bold. “Good afternoon, Slytherins. I am Madam Hooch. We will begin your flying lesson the moment your classmates arrive. Go ahead and choose your broom.”

“These brooms are ghastly,” Draco complained as we walked up to them. “They honestly expect us to fly on these things?”

“They are not nearly as nice as the ones we saw in that shop on Diagon Alley,” I agreed verbally even though I was too excited about flying I could care what the brooms looked like.

“I mean seriously,” Draco ranted on. “These are the kind of brooms I would buy my house elf.”

“Who cares?” Lenora picked up one of the brooms prepared to mount it. “As long as they get us in the air, I’m good with it. Now, let’s see what this baby can do!”

“Excuse me, young lady!” Madame Hooch bellowed. “You are not to touch the brooms until I say so.”

Lenora rolled her eyes and dropped the broom. Fortunately for her, Madame Hooch did not catch that last gesture. A few minutes later, the Gryffindors arrived. I spotted Potter among them talking to that red haired Weasley boy. They seemed to be looking at me so I casually inched in closer through the crowd avoiding eye contact with them.

“I’m telling you, Ron,” Potter was saying. “I know I’ve seen that girl somewhere before this. I just can’t put my finger on it.”

Weasley frowned. “I seriously doubt that, Harry. She’s a Chamberson. She wouldn’t be caught dead in the muggle world.”

My heart began to pound harder and harder. What if Potter suddenly recalled who I really was? It’s true, he may have only caught a glimpse of me every once and a while since his aunt and uncle always kept him well hidden when I came over (perhaps by my mother’s orders); but still, maybe he would remember me. If he did, I may lose all my friends as well as my popularity in the Slytherin house. That just could not happen.

“Melanie,” Draco demanded impatiently. “What are you doing over there? The flying lesson is about to start.”

We were ordered by Madame Hooch to select a broom and stand on the left side of it and put our right hand over it and say ‘up.’ I noticed Potter’s came up on the first try. I rolled my eyes. Of course.

Draco’s came up shortly after. He smiled smugly with satisfaction. Mine broom, however, decided to be stubborn. It seemed to be teasing me as it rolled around on the ground refusing to come up on my command.

“With feeling,” Madame Hooch instructed.

After that, more of the other students’ brooms went up including Lenora’s. Am I going to be the last person to get my broom up?

“Come one, Melanie. You heard her. Add more feeling,” Lenora advised unable to hide her sneer.

“Alright then.” I put my hands on my hips, stomped my foot and bellowed, “UP!”

That time, my broom did indeed go up, but unfortunately I did not catch it in time. Now, it hovered about ten feet above my head.

“Er… down,” I tried while Draco and Lenora began to giggle. “Shut up, you two!”