Invisible (I)

EIGHT

HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
chapter nine

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S T A Y   I N   L I N E

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"Quidditch."

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Lily spots a notice on her way to the exit of the Slytherin common room.

First-year Slytherins only have Potions with the Gryffindors (rarely Charms and Herbology too), but now Flying lessons will be starting on Thursday - and Gryffindor and Slytherin will be learning together. Lily is quite happy with that because she can spend more time with Harry. Even though she's beginning to like him less and less every day.

"Typical," Harry says darkly during breakfast.

"Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy."

Lily knows he's been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else and it disappoints her that he is letting a prick like Draco ruin it for him.

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," Ron says reasonably and Lily agrees.

"Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

"Yeah, I'm sure he's not good at all," Lily tries to encourage him, but she's really bad at it.

"You're one to talk, little Miss Perfect," Harry snaps at her and she freezes in shock.

Even Ron seems to be surprised. Lily shuts her mouth and hangs her head, trying to finish her breakfast. Ever since they met Ron and his family at the train station Harry's been acting differently. And not in a good way.

He's letting people like Draco and Professor Snape ruin his mood, he keeps thinking about them and how they will treat him during this and that. Why does he care? Lily mostly cares about how her brother treats her and right now he treats her like she's just some nasty Slytherin.

Ron begins telling about his experience in flying to lift Harry's mood. He tells him about the time he almost hit a hang-glider on Charlie's old broom. He already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shares their dormitory, about football.

Ron can't see what is exciting about a game with only one ball where no one is allowed to fly. Football is Lily's second favourite sport and she's a little annoyed by Ron's words. She sighs deeply, still feeling very hurt by Harry's attitude. She wants to stand up and leave, but doesn't have the energy for that.

Neville has never been on a broomstick in his life because his grandmother has never let him near one. Privately, Lily feels she's had good reason because Neville manages to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.

Hermione is almost as nervous about flying as Neville is. This is something you can't learn by heart out of a book - not that she hasn't tried.

At breakfast, on Thursday she bores them all stupid with flying tips she's gotten out of a library book called Quidditch through the Ages.

Neville is hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else is very pleased when Hermione's lecture is interrupted by the arrival of the post.

Lily hasn't said a word to Harry ever since he snapped at her, feeling as if she says something he will find a way to turn it against her. She doesn't think he understands that she can't control who Professor Snape favours or not. If she could, she would help Harry get better, but frankly, she can't.