Fortune of Fate (A female Harry Potter fanfiction)

[20]

  Rose had never believed she would meet a boy she hated more than Dudley, but that was before she met Draco Malfoy.

  Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much.

  Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan.

  Flying lessons would be starting Thursday- and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

  ''Typical,'' said Rose darkly. ''Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy.''

  She had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.

  ''You don't know that you'll make a fool out of yourself,'' said Ron reasonably. ''Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk.''

  Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot; so did everyone that came from wizarding families, they talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about soccer.

  Rose couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. 

   At breakfast, on Thursday everyone's conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.

  Rose hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.

  A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitingly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

  ''It's a Remembrall!'' he explained. ''Gran knows I forget things- this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this and if it turns red- oh...'' his face fell because the Remembrall had suddenly gone scarlet, ''...you've forgotten something...''

  Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand. Close behind him were Parkinson and Zabini, Zabini shot her an apologetic look.

  Rose jumped to her feet. She was half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

  ''What's going on?''

  ''Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor.''

  Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

  ''Just looking,'' he said and shot a glare at Rose before he walked away with Parkinson and Zabini behind him.

   At three-thirty that afternoon, Rose, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. 

  It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

  The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Rose had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew to high, or always flew slightly to the left.

  Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.

  ''Well, what are you all waiting for?'' she barked. ''Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up.''