Merlin's Snake: The Philosopher's Stone

The Midnight Duel

Faye walked up the stairs to the common room with Altair perched on her arm, Ethel wrapped around her neck, and Shay trotting behind. She saw Harry sitting dejectedly in the couch they had claimed the first week and walked over. Flopping down she looked at him, confused.

"What's wrong, Harry?" She peered at him.

"We have flying lessons, because that's exactly what I want. To make a fool of myself in front of Malfoy." He snorted, and Faye got up and pushed her way through the people crowding around the noticeboard. Quickly noting the new password, Viper, she saw the notice all the first years were excited about. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday – and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together. She walked back you Harry and sat down next to him again.

"Hey, at least we have it with the Lions as well." She nudged his shoulder. "Besides, I've been flying once or twice, I'll help you the best I can." Harry nodded and they walked up to the great hall.

"You don't know that you'll make a fool of yourself," said Ron reasonably at breakfast. "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. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the House Quidditch teams and told loud, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters.

He wasn't the only on, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, he'd spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom.

Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about soccer. Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. Neville had apparently caught Ron prodding Dean's poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move.

Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Faye felt she'd had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground, though that was something easily remedied. Hermione was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. 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 until Faye pointed out that none of that would help them because it was for formal and professional flying.

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

Once a week Altair flew in with a small package from wherever Faye's mentor was. Today it was a small square of Baklava, most likely with a stasis charm on it, and an elaborate trinket box which she settled into her knapsack.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly 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 glowed 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.