Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin

Chapter 10: Flights and Duels

12 September 1991

As Harry headed down for breakfast, he wondered if he'd need an extra dose of Sleakeasy to get through the day, for today was to be the much-anticipated start of flying lessons. Naturally, the Slytherins and Gryffindors were grouped together, so it was probably going to end in tears. And sure enough, the day got off to a poor start when Malfoy and his lackeys inexplicably picked a fight with the Gryffindors at breakfast, one quickly broken up by Professor McGonagall. When they came over to the Slytherin table, Harry asked what that had been about. Malfoy was evasive, but Goyle blurted out that they were mocking Longbottom because his grandmother had sent him a Rememberall as a present.

"And what's a Rememberall when it's at home?" asked Harry.

"It's a globe that turns red when you've forgotten something important," replied Draco blandly as he buttered some toast.

"Hmm. I suppose that could be useful," replied Harry.

"Not really. Besides, Longbottom's is huge and ancient and ugly and looks to be made of cheap glass. He'll probably break it by the end of the week."

"I thought you'd gotten over your issues with Neville."

"I don't have 'issues,' Potter. But your brother hasn't done anything obnoxious in a week, so I've gone back to having equal disdain for all Gryffindors."

Harry shook his head and went back to his Daily Prophet. He hoped the rest of the day would be less dramatic.

Ten hours later ...

Harry's hopes had been in vain. That evening, Draco sat down for dinner across from him, and Harry just looked at the other boy in furious consternation. Finally, Draco noticed he was being stared at intently.

"What?" he asked.

"And what, pray tell, was all that about?" asked Harry somewhat hotly.

"You'll have to be more specific, Potter. It was an eventful day."

"The bit where you insulted Longbottom when he wasn't there to defend himself, then you deliberately threatened to destroy Longbottom's Remember-thingy after he fell and got hurt, then you flew off with the Git in defiance of Madame Hooch's orders, and then tried to destroy the Remember-thingy, only for the Git to miraculously save it. Oh, and just now, you challenged the Git to – and I can't believe this is even a thing – a wizard's duel?!"

"Yes. That all did happen. Do you want to be my second? The Weasel is seconding the Git."

"At a wizard's duel? It's not even October! What are you two going to do – transfigure matchsticks to needles and fling them at one another until somebody loses an eye?"

"You'll just have to come to the duel and watch. Meet me in the Trophy Room at midnight."

Harry's eyes narrowed as he studied Malfoy's smirking face. "You're not even going, are you? This is just a trick to get the Git and the Weasel out of bounds after curfew."

Draco laughed. "That's what I like about you, Potter. Despite your obvious deficiencies, you're still leagues ahead of your miserable brother."

"Well, I suppose that's what passes for a compliment in this house."

"Pfft. If you wanted compliments, Potter, you should have gone to the Puffs."

Harry snorted. "Well, hopefully, this has at least cured you of your strange obsession with Longbottom's Rememberall."

Draco sneered at him and then resumed eating. Theo eyed the whole exchange silently.

Later, as the Slytherins were returning to their dorms, Theo nudged Harry and whispered, "You should think about getting a Rememberall yourself if you can." And then he held out his hand to show a small orb that looked just like Neville's only about one-fourth the size. "Draco has one as well. They're more useful than you might think." Then, Theo moved on quickly leaving a perplexed Harry Potter behind.