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!”
Eventually my broom came to where it was suppose to be. At least I was not the only one having trouble. I saw Weasley’s broom smack him right in the face. I stared down at my broom annoyed. Draco was right about one thing. This school does need better brooms.
Once everyone had their brooms, we were then shown how to mount them. At the blow of the whistle, we were suppose to kick off from ground, fly a few feet and then come back down. I could feel my palms begin to sweat. I really hope I don’t make a fool of myself again.
“That’s it,” Lenora grumbled. “I thought we’d get to fly more than that.”
“It’s probably just for the first try,” I pointed out. “Maybe next time we’ll…”
“Ladies, no talking during the lesson!” Madame Hooch barked. “Five points from Slytherin.”
Madame Hooch then began to count down from three, but before she got to one a Gryffindor boy already rose up from the ground with a petrified expression on his face. Despite Hooch’s orders to come back down, the boy continued to fly.
Lenora mounted her broom. “If he’s flying then so am I.”
“Don’t you dare, Miss Lane,” Madame Hooch warned her then turned back to the kid in the air. “Get back down here this instant!”
“Who is that boy,” I asked Draco as he laughed with Crabbe and Goyle.
“Neville Longbottom,” he replied still chuckling. “Great big lump that lives with his Granny.”
Longbottom seemed to have no control of his broom as he flew crashing into the walls of the castle.
“I can go try to get him down,” I suggested holding up my broom, wanting an excuse to go up in the air.
Hooch shook her head as she ran out in the field after Longbottom. “Stay put, Miss Chamberson.”
Longbottom then fell off his bloom after one final crash against slamming hard against the ground. As I watched Madame Hooch help him up and lead him away, Draco picked up this round glass ball that contained smoke within.
“What is that?” I asked looking at it curiously.
Lenora raised her eyebrow. “Don’t you know what a Remembrall is, Melanie?”
“Oh, right of course.” I put my hand on my head pretending to feel silly. “A Remembrall.”
As Draco and most of the Slytherins continued to poke fun at Longbottom, Potter came up to him and held out his hand, demanding, “Give it here, Malfoy.”
“Actually,” Draco sneered as he mounted his broom. “I think I’ll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How about the roof or perhaps a tree?”
Draco then took off on his broomstick, jesting for Potter to follow if he dared. Despite Granger’s protests, Potter boldly mounted his broom and flew up after Draco.
I gazed up with a sudden urge for thrill. “I’m going up too.”
Before anyone could stop me, I got on my broom, pushed my foot hard against the ground and shot up in the air with more speed than I intended. My heart pounding heavily, I held my broom tightly trying to keep balance. This was not nearly as easy as both Draco and Potter made it look. Despite my fear, I still smiled. This had to be the most adventure I ever had in my entire life. I looked back down at everyone on the ground wondering why Lenora did not follow. She seemed more than eager to fly earlier.
By the time, I approached the boys, Potter seemed to be the one doing the taunting.
“There’s no Crabbe and Goyle to save your neck up here, Malfoy,” Potter jested boldly.
Draco suddenly seemed to have the same realization as his face fell and his hand with the Remembrall lowered, slowly.
“He’s not entirely alone,” I called out riding up next to Draco.
Even though I was no Crabbe or Goyle, Draco’s confidence seemed to return. He lifted his arm with the tiny ball back up.
“Catch this if you can, Potter!” Draco sneered as he threw the ball with all his might.
Potter dove after it at the speed of light. I followed him but could not get my broom to go nearly as fast. To my amazement, Potter actually managed to catch the ball just I as flew up to him. Seeing that this was over, we both flew to the ground.
“Lucky catch, Potter,” I grumbled, getting off my broom, trying not to show any signs of defeat.
Before he had the chance to retort, a strict voice called out, “Harry Potter!”
We both turned to see Professor McGonagall with a look of utter shock on her face.
“Follow me, Potter,” she ordered.
“Just me?” Potter asked giving me sideways glances.
Ignoring his question, McGonagall beckoned, “Now, Potter.”
As Potter dreadfully trudged behind her, I heard other Gryffindors complain about how unfair this was, that it was Draco’s fault for starting the whole thing, and how I landed on the ground at the exact same time as Potter but did not get in trouble.
The Slytherins, on the other hand, rushed up to Draco and me in laughter and cheers.
“That was awesome, you two! Just brilliant!” Millicent cheered.
“Did you see the look on Potter’s face when McGonagall called him out?” Crabbe jested with a sneer.
“You were amazing, Draco,” Pansy praised him as though I was not even there.
I rolled my eyes. She’s probably just jealous that I was the one that had the nerve to follow Draco up in the air in the first place and not her.
“Thanks, Pansy.” Draco smiled at her and the two began laugh together. It suddenly seemed as though I were no longer there at all.
Seriously? I glared at them with my arms crossed. I was the one that actually went up with him and now he’s being friendlier with her?
“Don’t worry about her,” Lenora said getting my attention away from them. “So how was it, the flying?”
I beamed, my annoyance with Pansy evaporating. “It was incredible! I don’t think I’ve ever felt so free in my entire life. I’m surprised you didn’t follow me up there.”
She sighed. “I saw McGonagall coming out of the castle right after you took off. I wish I had know we wouldn’t get into trouble.”
“Yeah, that was strange.” I pondered why on earth I did not get called out but Potter did, especially by his own head of house.
“Hey, you want to go on a real adventure,” Lenora asked in a soft yet bold tone. “What say you and I sneak off to the Dark Forest tonight?”
I grinned feeling more daring now than ever. “Alright, let do it.”