Tommorow afternoon, students have found out their Flying lessons will start next week.
The Gryffindor first years will be, as always, with Slytherin first years; and their class will be at Thursday.
"Great," Harry mumbled, "of course, with Slytherin again."
"Oh don't worry," Ron reassured him, "you won't embarrass yourself."
'That's not what I was worried about.' Harry thought.
After the announcement has been placed, all first years from the wizarding families began to talk (and brag) about their skills at Quidditch.
Malfoy bragged about them the most, saying that he's the best out of any first year.
Harry hadn't payed much attention to any of the stories, as he's heard them before, and he's heard them god knows how many times.
Neville who's never played Quidditch in his in his life was worried about failing and embarrassing himself.
Harry had almost forgotten just how scared of flying Hermione is, probably because over the years she had to suppress the fear a bunch of times.
When they had breakfast, after a few minutes during it, owls flew in. Harry hadn't received a single letter since Hagrid's one, he doesn't mind it, these days he prefers calm.
But Malfoy seemed to think that if he'd receive a bunch of gifts and candies everyday he'll make Harry jealous.
Today, Neville's owl brought him a small package from his grandma. He opened it and showed them a small glass ball.
"That's Remembrall," he explained, "Gran knows I keep forgetting something - and this ball should notify me that I've forgotten something. Look, when it becomes red - oh..." he stopped just as the gas inside the ball turned maroon-red, "that means I've forgotten something."
Neville tried his best to remember what he's forgotten, but suddenly someone snatched the ball from Neville's hand.
Harry and Ron immediately stood up, Ron was ready to fight, but, to their luck, McGonagall was approaching.
"What's going on here?"
"Malfoy took my ball, mrs. Professor."
Malfoy frowned and put the Remembrall back onto the table.
"I just wanted to look at it," he said and he dissappeared with his bodyguard friends.
At half before four o'clock, all of the Gryffindor, as well as, the Slytherin first years were at the Training Grounds, ready for their first Flying lesson.
"What are you waiting for?" Madam Hooch yelled at them, "Every one of you stand next to one broom. Well, come on, come on!"
The broom Harry had stood next was in decent shape, but it was old.
"Stretch your right hand over your broom," Madam Hooch called out, "and say 'up'!"
"UP!" Everyone yelled, well, Harry said it, as he's used to this, he doesn't need to use the verbal call to get it in his hand.
Only some students were successful on their first try and, of course, Harry was one of them.
Everyone else wasn't as successful, Malfoy was able to get it into his hand at his tenth, or so, try.
After everyone has gotten their brooms into their hands, madam Hooch began explaining again.
"So, when I'll whistle, you'll get off the ground, hard," Madam Hooch ordered, "hold your brooms straight, float off about one or two meters, then mildly lean forward and get back down. So, caution - three - two..."
Neville, who was as nervous as he always was, jumped sooner then Madam Hooch's mouth had touched the whistle.
"Come back, boy!" She called out, but Neville looked so scared that it was obvious that he doesn't know how to do that. He flew very high before falling to the ground.
SLAP. Neville fell onto his stomach. Harry knows pretty well how much it hurts when you fall of your broom.
The broom, on which Neville flew for a while, had flown into the Forbidden Forest into forgetfulness.
Madam Hooch, who was just as pale as Neville, had leaned over him.
"Broken forearm, come on boy - it's nothing serious, stand up."
Just as Neville stood up, she turned to the whole class, "I'm taking this boy to Hospital Wing and until I come back, nobody move! Leave the brooms where they currently are, otherwise you'll get flunked out of Hogwarts before you even say 'Quidditch'." She said firmly, and then she turned to Neville and softened, "come on, sweetheart."
Teary eyed Neville, who was clutching his forearm walked away with Madam Hooch.
Suddenly, Malfoy burst out in laughter.
"Have you seen his face?"
Other Slytherins also joined into the laughter.
"Be quiet, Malfoy" Parvati tried to stop him.
"Ooh, so you feel bad for the poor Longbottom." Pansy had mockingly stated.
"Oh, shut up you two," Harry told Pansy and Malfoy.
"What, you feel bad for Longbottom too?" Malfoy mocked.
Harry just stared, not caring to act like a child.
"Oh, you do?" Pansy nor Malfoy had reacted in surprise to Harry's change in demeanor.
"Oh, look!" Malfoy had grinned maliciously and crouched, when Harry saw what he picked up, he recognized it immediately, "it's that bullcrap that Longbottom's grandma sent him."
And he held the Remembrall in his hand against the sun.
"Give it to me, Malfoy," Harry said, firmly, extending his hand, indicating to to Malfoy to give him the ball. Everyone went quiet at that.
But Malfoy just grinned.
"I'll leave it somewhere where Longbottom will find it easily - what about - on a tree?"
"Oh, give it here-!"
But Malfoy already mounted on his broom and took off.
"Come and take it, Potter!"
Harry sighed, and grabbed his broom.
"No!" Hermione suddenly called out, "Madam Hooch told us to not move - because of you we'll all be in trouble."
But Harry actively chose to not answer her. He mounted his broom and flew up.
Malfoy was genuinely surprised, when Harry has flown up to his level.
"Give it here," Harry said, still trying to remain calm.
"Oh, and what if I don't?"
"Oh, I don't know, I'll throw you off your broom?" Harry said as if matter-of-factly.
"Oh, what won't you say," Malfoy had rolled his eyes, but seemed like he was scared that Harry would actually throw him off his broom.
"Yea, yea, just give it back."
"Then go and get it!" Malfoy said and then suddenly he threw the Remembrall high above Harry's head.
At that, Harry's Seeker reflexes hit. He immediately turned around and started flying downwards in an attempt to catch the ball before it hits the ground and breaks.
After a few seconds he's successfully grabbed it, about ten or less meters above the ground. At that, all of his Gryffindor classmates began clapping.
Just as Harry had landed and gotten off his broom about a meter from the ground, he heard a yell.
"HARRY POTTER!"
It was McGonagall.
She immediately stopped in front of him. She was shaking, now Harry could hardly tell if it was out of excitement or out of fury.
"Never - the whole time I've been teaching at Hogwarts... how dare you, you could've broken your ligaments..."
"It's not his fault Mrs. Professor..."
"Quiet, miss Patil..."
"But Malfoy..."
"That's enough mister Weasley. Potter, come with me."
Suddenly, she turned around and began walking to the castle. So Harry began to follow her.
As they walked, Harry's mind was on full power again; is the timeline starting to change? Already? Is he going to get expelled?
He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard McGonagall ask, "Excuse me, proffesor Flitwick, but, could I borrow Wood?"
So Harry isn't getting expelled after all!
When Wood walked out of the classroom, he was confused, looking from McGonagall to Harry and back.
"Come with me, both of you," McGonagal had ordered the two of them.
"Here," she gestured at the empty classroom.
When they've entered she's closed the door and turned back to them.
"Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood - I've found us a new Seeker."
Wood's face changed from confused to overjoyed.
"Do you mean it, mrs. Proffesor?"
"Completely," McGonagall nodded happily, "this boy has natural talent. I haven't seen something like this in my whole life. Have you really flown a broom for the first time?"
Harry remembered, that he should confirm it, so he nodded quietly.
"He flew straight down, maybe even thirty meters, and caught it about less then one meter from above right after it was thrown from forty meters, and he had safely slowed his broom so he wouldn't hit the ground." She explained, "even Charlie Weasley wasn't this good."
Wood looked like as if his deepest dream had came true.
"Have you ever seen someone play Quidditch, Potter?" Wood had excitedly asked him.
"Wood is the captain of our Quidditch house team." McGonagal explained.
"He has the perfect shape for a Seeker. Light - fast - we have to get him some good broom, mrs. Proffesor - Nimbus 2000 or Cleansweep 7."
"I'll talk with proffesor Dumbledore, if we could make an exception in his case, about the rule that first years can't be in a Quidditch house team. We have to do everything to win this years Quidditch house cup..." she had stopped out of embarrassment of how when last time Slytherin had won, she couldn't look in Snape's eyes for weeks.
"I hope you'll be training hard, otherwise you'll have to be punished."
But suddenly she smiled, "your father would've been so proud of you, he's was an awesome Quidditch player."
"You're joking."
It was dinner, and right now, Harry is explaining what happened when McGonagal had taken him away to Ron.
"You'll be a Seeker?" Ron was both surprised, confused and excited. "But first years never - that means you'll be the first one in..."
"A hundred years, Wood told me."
Ron couldn't believe his ears, so he just stared at Harry, open mouthed.
"The training will begin next week, but please don't tell anyone I'm in, Oliver wants it to be a surprise."
After a while the twins had came near to Harry and Ron.
"You're awesome, Harry," George told him quietly, "Wood told us. We're also on the team - we're Beaters."
"This year we have to win the Quidditch Cup," Fred added, "we haven't won ever since Charlie left, but this year we'll have an awesome team. You have to be really good, Potter, Wood was almost jumping out of joy when he told us."
"But we have to go now, Lee Jordan is claiming that he's found another exit from school."
"It's definitely the one behind the statue of that Gregor, which we've found as first years. See you soon!"
The twins just barely left, and Malfoy came with Crabbe and Goyle.
"So, does the last meal taste good? When are you going back to those muggles?" Malfoy was grinning the whole time.
"At the end of this school year," Harry explained calmly.
"W-what? You're not expelled-?" Malfoy had abruptly stopped.
"Yea, a huge surprise, isn't it?"
"Ugh,"
"Not so brave when you're on the ground, huh?" Ron joined in.
Crabbe and Goyle began to crack their fingers, but Malfoy stopped them and looked at Harry and Ron.
"I can deal with you alone." Malfoy had told them, trying to sound threatening. "This midnight, if you want. Wizarding duel - you've heard of it, right?"
"Of course he's heard of it," Ron said before Harry could even open his mouth, "I'm his Secundant. Who's yours?"
Malfoy had looked from Crabbe to Goyle, thinking for a while, and then saying, "Crabbe."
"So, at midnight, does it sound alright? We'll meet at the Hall Of Fame, it's never locked."
"Sure," Harry said eerily calmly, sounding absolutely sure.
At that Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle left.
"Excuse me,"
Ron and Harry turned their heads around.
"Can't a person calmly finish their dinner?" Ron asked.
But Hermione ignored that.
"Don't tell me you're going to do what you've talked about with Malfoy..."
"Oh, right, nah," Harry had made a hand vague hand gesture signaling that he hadn't meant what he told Malfoy.
"What?"
"So you're not going to have a duel with Malfoy?" Hermione questioned.
"Nope," Harry said, not looking at any of the two, and just ate the last slice of his dinner.
"Then why have you agreed to go?" Ron asked, flabbergasted.
"'Cause I want Malfoy to get in trouble." Harry casually said, grinning darkly, and looking at Hermione and Ron.
"..." Hermione looked like she wants to say that he shouldn't have tricked Malfoy like that.
Ron, on the other hand, started (quietly) laughing at that.
"Oh, that was a bloody good idea, mate!"
Harry also joined Ron at the (quiet) laughing.
After Harry and Ron finished their dinner they've walked up the stairs and straight to the Gryffindor Tower.
Next to the painting of Fat Lady they noticed Neville.
"Oh, thank god, guys I've forgotten the password, can you please tell me what it is?"
"Oh, yea, it's 'Pig Snout'" Harry said, and at that the Fat Lady opened the entrance.
"Thanks, Harry!"
"No problem,"
And thus Harry, Ron and Neville walked into the Gryffindor Common Room.
Harry and Ron are going to have a calm night, while Malfoy will think they're coming to a duel.