Jasmine Snape: HPF

Flying Lesson

Jasmine's POV

It's time for our first flying lesson and it's with the slytherins. I don't really mind, but the rest of my gryffindor class mates are not happy. Which I understand. I made sure not to stand near Draco though. He's been boasting about flying for years. Complaining loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. He wasn't the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick.

I myself have ridden a broom before. But only as a passenger, never on my own. Mum would take me on her broom. I love feeling the wand in my hair. I can tell Hermione is very nervous about flying. This was something you couldn't learn by heart out of a book. Not that she hadn't tried. At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips she'd gotten out of a library book called Quidditch Through the Ages. Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermione's lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail. Neville got a Remembrall from his gran.

Anyway, we're at the training grounds. The slytherins had arrived first. There are twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Our teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk. Wishing us a good afternoon and welcoming us to our first flying lesson.

She has us each stand next to a broom. Gryffindor with one line and Slytherin the other. "Stick out your right hand over your broom, and say up" she instructs. We all said 'up'. Though some shouted it. My hand jumps into my hand, it was one of the few that did. I notice Hermione's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all.

But soon everyone has a broom in hand. Madam Hooch then showed us how to mount our brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting our grips. I giggle when she told Draco he'd been doing it wrong for years. "Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard" she states raising her whistle. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle three, two..." she starts to count.

But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips. She shouted at him to come back. But Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle twelve feet twenty feet. Neville slips sideways off the broom and lands on the ground with a crack. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.

Madame Hooch goes to check on Neville. "Broken wrist" she states helping him to his feet. She looked at the rest of us. "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" she tells us. Before leaving with Neville.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Draco burst into laughter. I glare at him. "Did you see his face, the great lump?" he asks as his house laughs.

"Shut up, Malfoy" Parvati snaps.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" Pansy asks in a teasing tone. "Never thought you'd like fat little crybabies, Parvati" she states.

"Better a cry baby then a spoiled brat" I tell her. Before she can snap back. Draco draws everyones attention picking up Neville's Remembrall.

"Give that here, Malfoy" Harry says. As everyone goes quiet to watch the pair.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find how about up a tree?" Draco suggests. He takes off on his broom. "Come and get it, Potter!" he yells. Harry takes off on his broom, despite Hermione trying to stop him.

"A galleon Harry gets it back" I tell Blaise.

"You're on" he says with a smirk. We watch silently with the rest of the class. Soon Draco throws the remembrall. Harry leaned forward and pointed his broom handle down. Next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball. He stretched out his hand a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist. "Damn" Blaise says handing me a galleon.

"Thank you" I say with a smile pocketing it. As Professor McGonagall appears. She took Harry away. "Hey Draco, want a bet?" I ask.

"What sort of bet?" he asks looking over at me.

"Bet you Harry doesn't get in trouble" I tell him.

"Ha, easy money. He is so getting into trouble, ten galleons?" he asks.

"You're on, hope you enjoy losing the bet" I tell him. As Madame Hooch returns.

"Where's Potter?" she asks.

"Professor McGonagall, had to speak to him Madame Hooch. I doubt he'll be back for the rest of the class" I tell her.

"Very well, everyone mount your brooms and lets continue on with the lesson" she states. We do so and there were no farther accidents. After class we all returned to our common rooms before dinner. Hermione and I did our homework. Before heading down to dinner. Draco appeared and was not happy to see that Harry hadn't gotten into trouble.

"When can I expect the ten galleons?" I ask him.

"Tomorrow" he mutters. Before challenging Harry to a midnight duel. I ignore them as I get back to enjoying my dinner. I won eleven galleons today, what to do with them? After dinner I went to the library to continue my essay on why I want to become an animgaus and the process involved. I hope dad gives me permission to get the book and allows me to try to become one. Guess I'll find out soon as I have nearly finished the essay.

A/N

Picture above of Madame Hooch.