(1) Lux Brumalis (R. Weasley)

Chapter Seventeen

Pansy and Pixie stand, arm in arm, on the lawn that is to hold their first flying lesson. The two of them talking among themselves as they wait for the rest of the class to arrive. The Slytherins all turn out to be rather punctual kids, but, likely, most of them got here first to rub it in a bit for the Gryffindors. Pixie waves at Harry and Ron as they walk towards the grassy classroom. Harry being the only one that waves back, Ron just frowns, as if she is the most confusing person he has ever met. He's been raised on stories of the Slytherins. The sort of people that end up in Slytherin. It's been drummed into him that they turn into bad people. But he's having a very hard time imagining Pixie as a bad person. She's too bright. Too bubbly. Too kind. She confuses him. She confuses everything he was taught about Slytherins. Madam Hooch, arrives, striding across the lawn towards the gathered students.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" Hooch barks at them. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up." The students all fall into place among the broomsticks. Everyone matched up to a broom that lays on the ground. Pixie glances down at her broom, it's old and some of the twigs sticking out at odd angles, it's had better days. Given how Tony flies, this isn't exactly all that exciting for her. "Stick out your right hand over your broom," Hooch informs them from the front of the two lines, "And say, 'Up!'"

'UP!' Choruses the entire class. Harry's broom instantly rockets up into his hand. Pixie's does too not long after. The two of them share a look, she smirks a little and shrugs. She really wasn't expecting to do well in this class. It wasn't one that she had down as important. Not compared to some of the other classes. This feels more like a hobby than an actual academic thing.

.......

Once everyone manages to lift their brooms, and having been taught how to properly mount them. Pixie is a little amused to hear Draco getting corrected on his technique, considering how much he has been boasting about being the greatest flier the world has ever seen since it was announced they were to be learning. Hooch moves back down the line of brooms and nods.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," She informs the students. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle....three....two..." She does not get to finish her command as Neville, terrified, pushes off before the whistle has even touched Hooch's lips. "Come back, boy!" But he just keeps going. Up and up and up....twenty feet. Neville makes the mistake of looking down, which is never a good idea. He gasps and then is sliding sideways off the broom and falling towards the ground. Hands snatch at his wrists and he looks up to find Pixie hanging upside down on her broom, her hands holding onto Neville, her legs the only thing still keeping them in the air. She lifts her head a little to look at him. Neville looking up at her. She smiles at him and he lets out a relieved breath. She then flies back down towards the ground, releasing Neville as soon as he is close enough to drop down safely before she pulls herself back up onto the broom, landing and dismounting. "Well done, girl" Hooch tells Pixie who nods a little.

"Thanks, Pixie," Neville tells her and then promptly bends over and throws up. Causing them all to jump back away from him with a chorus of ewws.

"Come on, boy, it's all right, up you get." Hooch offers as she touches his shoulder before she turns to the rest of the class. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dear.'" Neville hiccups as he cries, clutching his stomach as he leaves with Hooch. As soon as the two of them sight and earshot, Draco starts laughing. Pixie turns a glare on him.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?" Draco mocks. The other Slytherins join in, except for Pixie and Pansy who watch their fellow Slytherins with disgust and disappointment.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Parvati, one of the Gryffindor girls snaps.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" Daphne counters. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry babies, Parvati."

"Daphne" Pixie scolds a little and shoots her a look. Daphne scoffs and rolls her eyes.

"Look!" Draco points out, lunging forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him." The Remembrall glitters in the sun as he held it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," Harry threatens quietly, stepping closer to him.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to collect....how about...up a tree?" Draco continues with a smirk.

"Give it here!" Harry yells and reaches out, Draco leaps up onto his broom and takes off.
"Come and get it, Potter!" Harry grabs his broom.

"No!" Hermione shouts. "Madam Hooch told us not to move....you'll get us all into trouble." Harry ignores her instead, mounting his broom and taking off after Draco. Pixie lets out a breath and shares a look with Ron, he shrugs a little. Without Draco, the laughing Slytherins have stopped. Their ring leader no longer there to take the lead. Pansy shakes her head. Disappointed in her house. They are supposed to be the smart and cunning ones. Bullying is not cunning. From the ground, they watch as Draco throws the Remembrall up into the air and Draco heads back down to the ground. Harry, instead, chooses to go after the item. And he's good. Fast. He's an impressive flier for a first-timer. He lands, feet on the ground, Remembrall in his hand. Victorious. The Gryffindors clap and cheer, Pixie smirks and nods.

"HARRY POTTER!" They all spin around to find that McGonagall is rushing towards them. "Never....in all my time at Hogwarts..." Behind her, Snape lingers in the open doorway, watching them, though his eyes flicker to Pixie. "How dare you...might have broken your neck..."

"It wasn't his fault, Professor...." Parvati defends.

"Be quiet, Miss Patil..."

"But Malfoy..."

"That's enough, Mr, Weasley. Potter, follow me, now." McGonagall strides away back towards the castle. Harry keeps his head down as he follows after her. The two of them passing by Snape who watches Harry with disdain. He then lifts his head and looks back across at the student.

"Miss Stark" Snape states and she raises an eyebrow at him. "A word" He nods for her to follow him before he heads inside, the door closing behind him.

"What did you do?" Ron asks her.

"I have no idea" She answers and then follows after Snape, feeling that it is the best course of action here.

A/N - SO I WAS TRYING TO WORK OUT PIXIE'S QUIDDITCH POSITION, DRACO BECOMES SEEKER IN COS SO IT CAN'T BE THAT. WITH HER INTELLIGENCE I WOULD PUT HER IN MORE OF A CHASER POSITION (plus being a chaser would have her going up against Ron once he becomes a keeper), HAVING TO BE AWARE OF OTHER PLAYERS ON THE FIELD AND STUFF. (WOULD LIKE TO MAKE HER CAPTAIN AT SOME POINT AND START TO CHANGE THE TEAM FOR THE BETTER. FLINT SEEMS TO RECRUIT BASED ON BRUTE STRENGTH OVER SKILL, PIXIE AS CAPTAIN WOULD BE THE OTHER WAY AROUND)