riddle

CHAPTER 18

Raven's POV

I walk outside to my flying lesson with Madame Hooch. I'm ridiculously terrible at flying and whenever Harry sees me he doesn't hesitate to remind me. "Don't forget to fall off your broom again this time Riddle" he yells down at me from above. I stick my middle finger up which earns a few shocked gasps.

I'm still in the beginners class with Hermione and Neville. In the higher class is Draco of course, Harry, Ron and some others on the quidditch team. I guess I just don't have the skills to fly. It does piss me off don't get me wrong, in fact I'm not really good at anything if I'm honest.

I go over to a mangled broom stick on the floor and look up at Harry's fire bolt in awe. The beginners have to use these third-hand brooms and aren't permitted to have their own. It's a load of bull shit if you ask me.

I watch Neville trying desperately to push his broom off the floor but not succeeding. He tries again and this time he lifts up about a metre. Then he doesn't stop. Madame Hooch commands him to return to the floor but his broom has a mind of its own. Suddenly it stops rising and plummets straight down to the floor.

Neville lays there not moving and everyone crowds around. He can't be dead! "Ughh" a groaning sound comes from his direction and Madame Hooch takes him to the infirmary. Poor boy. Me and Hermione go back to the brooms laid in a line on the floor and mount one each. "Come on Raven, lets show them" she encourages me and I get a spurt of confidence.

I bend my knees and push off from the ground. I'm flying! Okay maybe hovering, but still! In a few seconds Hermione is by my side and we return to the floor. "That was so fun!" She shouts above the strong wind. "I know!" I shout right back at her. I look up and see Harry sniggering at me. What a prick.

Madame Hooch comes back and confirms that Neville is okay then dismisses the class. Instead of lunch we have been called for an emergency meeting with Professor McGonnagal.

We all file into a large hall with the girls on one side and boys on the other. Oh no! Do they teach sex ed here!?

"You're probably wondering why I have called you all here" the professor guesses. "In exactly 1 week there is going to be a ball, the annual Yule Ball." The girls side erupts with cheers and giggles and the boys, groans.

McGonnagal invites Ron to come and dance with her. She instructs Filch, the caretaker, to play music on an ancient gramophone centered in the large room. Ron puts his hands on her waist and I see his twin brothers break into hysterics at the sight. I can't help laughing at the awkwardness along with everyone else.

Lunch is chaotic. Girls and boys going around asking each other to the ball and I just sit here eating my hotdog. Maybe I should start thinking about who to go to the ball with but my mind is elsewhere. I look over to Hermione and she is nibbling on her hotdog roll. Ouch. Someone barges past me and I drop my hotdog on my lap, the ketchup spills on my robe and I look behind me for the perpetrator.

"Hey Raven" Draco says into my ear startling me. I smack him on the arm for making me drop my hotdog but he is instantly forgiven. "So um- would you er..." he stutters. "What the fuck Draco, spit it out" I say and roll my eyes. "Okay okay, would you like to attend the ball with me" he asks and his hand goes to the back of his head as he rubs his hair nervously. This definitely was something I never thought would happen.

"Of course! I mean, yeah sure" I answer in response to his bold invitation. "Um yeah okay bye" he says quickly and leaves the hall. I think that was one of the most awkward conversations I've ever had with him.