The Tenth Weasley

Chapter 10

*Chapter 10*

"Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say, 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted in unison.

Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did, surprisingly mine accompanied Harry's in the leap and landed in my unsuspecting hand. Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground and Neville's hadn't moved at all. I suspect that brooms may be like horses, they can tell when you're afraid and it was obvious that Neville was most definitely terrified. The quiver in his voice as well as the subtle shaking of his hand made this clear.

After everybody had eventually managed to raise their broom Madam Hooch showed us how to mount our brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows, correcting our grips. Ron, Harry and I were delighted when she told Malfoy that he'd been doing it wrong for years, our delight growing when his smug smirk that usually graced his face was replaced with a shock of utter embarrassment.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard." said Madam Hooch."Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - three - two -"

Without warning Neville, still nervous and jumpy and now frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had even touched Madam Hooch's lips.

"Come back, boy!" she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a freshly lit firework - twelve feet - twenty feet. I could see his scared whit face as he looked down in horror, the realization of where he was hitting him full force, I saw him gasp, slip sideways of the broom and fall. The firework had gone off and now the embers were left free falling. Trying to look anywhere but the falling boy was impossible, his screams echoing as he got closer and closer then -

WHAM - a thud, a nasty crack and a groan. Neville lay, face down, on the grass in a heap. His broomstick still rising higher and higher before it lazily began to drift towards the forbidden forest, out of sight.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

"Broken wrist," I heard her mutter. "Come on boy - it's all right, up you get."

She turned 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 here faster than you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on dear, you'll be alright."

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-face Slytherin, who I happened to detest. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry babies, Parvati."

"Look!" said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

The Rememberball glittered in the sun as he held it up. Anger boiled inside as I tried to stop myself from attacking Malfoy.

"Give that here Malfoy." said Harry quietly, beating me too it by a fraction of a second. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to collect it - how about - up a tree?" Malfoys malicious smirk seemed to be growing as he plotted and planned.

"Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had already leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying like I had expected, he could fly well - hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!"

Harry grabbed his broom, the taunting having the desired effect.

"No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all in trouble."

Harry ignored her.

Before he mounted his broom I grabbed his arm, "Be careful, okay?" A nod was all I got, he was too focused on chasing after Malfoy.

He mounted his broom and kicked hard against the ground and soared through the air, gaining height and speed as he went. The look of pure joy told me everything I needed to know, he had fallen in live with flying like so many had before him. He pulled his broomstick up a little top take it even higher and the girls around me screamed and gasped as me and Ron whooped admiringly. His robes billowed behind him as he set off towards Malfoy, a look of pure determination sweeping across his face. He sharply turned his broomstick to face Malfoy in mid-air, ready for the stand off that was about to take place, Malfoy looked stunned to say the least. It was common knowledge that Harry had grown up in the muggle world yet he seemed to be a natural at flying.

"Give it here," Harry called, his voice carrying to us standing on the ground, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"Oh yeah?" said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried. My own worry was growing, although Harry certainly had a knack for flying I couldn't help but imagine him falling through the air like Neville had moments before.

Somehow Harry knew what to do next. He leant forward and grasped the broom tightly and shot towards Malfoy like a javelin.  With seconds to spare Malfoy only just got out of the way, Harry made a sharp turn all whilst keeping the broom steady. A few people around me started clapping as I stood looking apprehensively above with Ron standing next to me, offering a comforting hand on my shoulder as I feared for our friends safety.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy!" Harry called.

The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy as he looked even more worried, his face paling to an even sicklier white than his usual complexion.

"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back towards the ground.

I saw the ball rise then fall, my heart stopped as I knew what was coming next, Harry raced towards it in the steepest dive I had ever seen. Screams were erupting from around me as I stood shell shocked, sure that he wouldn't be able to stop in time and would be in a heap on the floor in a matter of seconds. His hand stretched out, reaching for the ball that was quickly getting closer to the ground - a foot from the ground he managed to get a hold of the ball, just in time to pull up on the broom and land. He toppled gently onto the ground, the Rememberball clutched tightly to his chest as I finallh let out the breath that I didn't know I was holding. Cheering erupted around me, the Gryffindors screaming for joy, when we heard -

"HARRY POTTER!"

This can't be good.