Flying. Flying on Broomsticks. The stories I used to hear about witches on broomsticks flying through the air used to strike me as very unrealistic but also very fantastical. Now that I am actually in a school for magic, it turns out, it's very realistic. It is reality itself.
Like I said a few days ago, I was both excited and nervous this morning. Actually I was probably more nervous than excited this morning. The only other person who was fretting as much as I was, was Neville, since apparently he wasn't allowed near broomsticks since he tends to get into a LOT of accidents on his own. I wasn't fooled of course, I'm sure the other first years in Gryffindor House were just as nervous, but they didn't want to show it. I'm not sure why though. There are a lot of other muggle born first years, and in the case of Harry Potter, he was raised by muggles. He's never flown either. At least, he's never flown on something other than an airplane.
I checked out a book called Quidditch Through the Ages a few days ago from the library, and I'd been reading it aloud all morning at breakfast in the Great Hall. Neville was the only one openly paying attention to what I was saying of course, but I read loud enough for the other first years to hear as well, since they want to pretend like they're not as nervous as I am. I even saw Ron Weasley roll his eyes at me, and Harry Potter let out a long sigh as he heard me, but it was for their own benefit. If any of my fellow Gryffindors succeeded at all, I'm sure the tips helped somewhat.
The only thing that really dampened everyone's mood, including mine, was that our lessons were to be side by side the Slytherin first years. I'm not sure if it's because I myself am a Gryffindor, but I really dislike those Slytherins. They don't get along with ANYONE. So when Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin boy, snatched at Neville's Remembrall he got in the mail from his Gran, I knew immediately he was trying to pick a fight. Harry and Ron immediately jumped up to his defense.
Guess who Malfoy's decided is going to be his Gryffindor rival? If you said, Harry Potter, congratulations, you are Correct!
The fact that he's also a first year meant that he would also be at Quidditch practice, and I knew something was going to happen. At that point I wasn't sure if it was bad or good, but I knew it would become the talk of the school, especially since it concerned Harry Potter.
Madame Hooch was the flying instructor, and as soon as we were all on the field outside on the grounds, we lined up next to a broomstick, stick out our right hands over it and command UP. Mine wouldn't cooperate. Fat lot of good those Quidditch tips did.
Harry barely even had to raise his voice, and neither did Malfoy.
I couldn't help but be a little jealous. Harry didn't even read Quidditch Through the Ages, and he didn't grow up with a magical family either; like me. But I suppose where I'm more book smart, Harry is more... "athletic?"
Neville had gotten hurt again and had to go to the hospital wing, and while Madame Hooch was gone, Malfoy started talking about Neville. Of course Harry and him decided to fight it out, on brooms, while FLYING, right after Madame Hooch told us not to do ANYTHING, but Harry just ignored me after I pointed that out. 😒
Regardless, Harry's flying was amazing! He was a natural, and while I was still annoyed at him for not listening to Madame Hooch, I couldn't help but feel proud of him and Gryffindor House.
Still, he probably should've listened to me since Professor McGonagall saw him zipping about and he was called away to be lectured no doubt. Or so I thought.
Later at dinnertime, I overheard Ron and Harry discussing a wizard's duel against Malfoy! Of all people. Apparently Ron was going to be Harry's second, just in case Harry himself dies. (What even??) Not to mention that both of them sneaking around the school at night with the potential of them being caught meant that there was the potential of losing points. I let Harry know exactly what I thought about that idea and I might've called him selfish, but he honestly was at that point. Ron Weasley grumbled the whole time I was talking, and both of them were quite rude to me at the end of that particular conversation.
Obviously they were going to go through with it, but I couldn't let them do that (Gryffindor House lost enough points from just Harry alone thanks to Professor Snape) so I stayed up until 11:30 in the common room and waited for them to appear. I told them I was about to tell Ron's older brother on them, since he is a prefect, but I was bluffing. I just wanted them to stay put.
They went through the secret entrance anyway and as I was telling them off about all the points they'll potentially lose that I successfully had gained from Professor McGonagall, the door swung shut and I had not way of getting back in. And then, RON had the nerve to tell me that it was my own fault and my own problem and that they were going on their little duel anyway. THE NERVE.
So, I followed them. I know, I know, it might not have been the best decision, but I couldn't let them go off on their own. Who knows what kind of OTHER trouble they would've gotten themselves into if I wasn't there. Ron grumbled about that too, but Harry shushed him because otherwise we would get caught, see? Neville was wandering around too (he'd forgotten the password) and so all four of us were on our way to this duel.
If we had been caught by Mrs. Norris, Mr. Filch's (the caretaker) mangy cat, that would've been the end of Hogwarts for me. I have no doubt my parents would be so disappointed in me, but not as much as I would have been in myself.
As it turns out, Malfoy had set both Harry and Ron up and Filch and Mrs. Norris were scoping out the third floor (where the duel was to be) and all four of us had to run like crazy and ended up hiding in the Charms classroom. But then the resident poltergeist saw us and started yelling out that we were out of bed and I swear I thought my life was over right then and there, but we continued running until we came across a locked door.
Ron was practically crying like a baby as he tried to open the door, so I pushed him aside and used a spell I learned in Charms class to unlock doors. (The spell shall remain unnamed...)
All of us were hiding there as quiet as we could be so that Filch wouldn't find us, but when I turned around, my breath rushed out of my lungs.
There was a giant three headed dog in the room. And it was awake and staring. It took all I had not to make a noise and when I glanced down, I noticed that it was standing on a trapdoor. Which means the dog was a guard dog. But whatever that dog is guarding is none of my business, and as Harry, Ron, Neville, and I ran out of the room and straight to the entrance to Gryffindor House, I decided not to get involved with Harry or Ron again. Not only could we have been killed tonight, but I'm sure it would've been the worst thing imaginable to have become expelled had we been caught.
Never Again.
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Information based on the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Rowling, J. K., and Mary GrandPre. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Ch. 9. New York, NY: Scholastic, 1999. Print.
