The Girl Who Loved: Year 1

Chapter 7

The next week of classes went by without any more trouble. Monday through Wednesday was the usual classes such as Herbology, History of Magic, Transfiguration, and the once a week Astronomy class. Nothing made Colleen's stomach uneasy in any class.

Seamus had begun walking with Colleen to classes they had together along with Dean, Valerie, and Neville; and she appreciated the company. His constant blushing around her had finally calmed down and only happened if she complemented him. They had grown into friends, but he still stammered when he'd try to return the complement. Teasing with some snickers from other classmates had become common, but it didn't turn into Seamus or Colleen being picked on for it.

Thursday rolled around, and it was the first years' first flying class, and almost everyone had a story to tell about their experiences with Quidditch or just flying on a broomstick for fun. Colleen had to listen to an earful of boasting from Malfoy, who claimed to have narrowly escaped Muggle flying contraptions and complained about first years never having the opportunity to tryout for the House teams. Seamus discussed growing up flying on a broomstick in the countryside, and Neville had never ridden a broomstick despite being raised in a wizarding home. Colleen recalled Bill and Charlie teaching her, Ron, and Ginny how to fly them, but it was only them holding on the broom while their brothers kept it steady.

It was a pleasant afternoon outside, so Colleen was excited about a flying lesson with Madam Hooch. Class was held on the grounds near the front steps. The lesson was mainly the Gryffindors and Slytherins, but it somehow managed to squeeze into Colleen's and few other Ravenclaws' and Hufflepuffs' schedules.

The broomsticks were laid out in two lines on the ground. When the Gryffindors arrived, Colleen took the broomstick next to Valerie's.

Madam Hooch was the last to arrive, and she stood at one end of the two lines.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she said. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up. Stick your right hand over your broom, and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" the first years shouted simultaneously.

Harry's broom jumped to his hand immediately. After the third "Up!" Colleen's broom was the next one to jump to her hand. Eventually, the other students were able to make their brooms jump to their hands.

Madam Hooch then taught them how to mount their brooms properly and proceeded to correct each of the students' grips.

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

Before Madam Hooch could blow her whistle, Neville nervously kicked the ground and immediately took off. Within the blink of an eye he had reached an altitude of twenty feet.

"Come back, boy!" their teacher shouted, but it was already too late.

Everyone saw Neville's frightened expression just before he lost control of the broom and flew off of it. With a loud thud and what sounded like a crack, Neville had crashed to the ground while his broom disappeared into the Forbidden Forrest.

Madam Hooch rushed over to Neville. "Broken wrist," she said. "Come on, boy – it's all right, up you get."

She managed to get the now crying boy, who was holding his wrist, to his feet. She then said to the students, "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.' Come on, dear."

As soon as the two had gone from sight, Malfoy immediately started laughing. "Did you see his face, the great lump?"

His fellow Slytherins joined in the laughter.

"Oh, shut up, Malfoy," Colleen snapped at him.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" Pansy Parkinson teased. "Never thought you'dlike fat little crybabies, little Miss Weasley. I've always thought it was tiny little leprechauns."

The other Slytherins laughed as Colleen felt her face grow hot. She turned to Seamus, who was also now red as a tomato.

"Look!" Malfoy pointed as he rushed at something shining in the ground. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

Colleen recognized the object in Malfoy's hand as a Remembrall.

"Give that here, Malfoy," Harry demanded, but Malfoy just sneered at him.

"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find – how about – up a tree?"

"Give it here!"

Malfoy ignored him as he mounted his broom and took off. He wasn't joking when he claimed he could fly well, and he flew himself high over an oak tree. "Come and get it, Potter!"

Harry was about to mount his broom when Hermione and Valerie stopped him.

"No!" Hermione said. "Madam Hooch told us not to move."

"You'll get us all into trouble," Valerie backed her up.

But Harry went against them and took off on his broom.

"What an idiot," the two girls commented simultaneously.

The rest of the class watched on as Harry soared up towards a smirking Malfoy. A few gasps roared and Ron let out a whoop for his best friend.

"Give it here," Harry shouted, "or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"Oh, yeah?" Malfoy responded. "Catch it if you can, then!"

The blonde boy threw the glass orb without hesitation, and Harry darted off towards it. Thankfully, he caught it just before it caught hit the ground and shatter into thousands of small shards. Cheers from everyone but the Slytherins erupted in celebration towards Harry as if he had saved a village from being attacked.

"HARRY POTTER!" a woman's voiced boomed. McGonagall was running towards them. "Never – in all my time at Hogwarts – howdare you – might have broken your neck – "

"It wasn't his fault, Professor –" Parvati piped up.

"Be quiet, Miss Patil –"

"But Malfoy –" Ron chimed in.

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle's had looks of victory on their faces as Harry followed the professor out of the courtyard.

...

After class, Colleen caught up to Seamus on her way back to Ravenclaw Tower. His normal color had returned to his face, but he was still shrugging, even with Dean trying to comfort him.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I should be asking you the same thing," he replied.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened in class."

"That was Malfoy's doing," Dean said. "None of us did anything wrong, and Harry was doing the right thing. He might get into trouble, but Neville's our friend."

"Yes," Colleen agreed, "but I was talking about what Parkinson said."

"Don't worry about it," Seamus smiled. "I've been called worse."

"Still, it's not fair that she called you a leprechaun just because you're from Ireland."

"If Parkinson wants to apologize, she can. If she doesn't, which I doubt she will, it won't bother me."

Colleen sighed. "Alright. See you both at dinner then?"

The two boys nodded before they all went their separate ways.