Jenna Lily Potter: Sorcerer's Stone

Chapter 8: Not an Ordinary Dog

Jenna had never believed she would meet a boy he hated more than Malfoy, but that was before she met one of his friends, Theodore Nott. Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Nott much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday -- and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.

"Great," said Accalia muttered. "Anyway, I know Malfoy's always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet that's all talk."

Malfay certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained 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. Even Ron would tell anyone who'd listen about the time he'd almost hit a hang glider on Charlie's old broom. Accalia, Jenna and Lilian were into riding a broom but they didn't like quidditch like everyone else did.

Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Lilian about soccer. (Btw Lilian is a muggleborn and Accalia is a half-blood) Ron couldn't see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. Jenna had caught Ron prodding Lilian's picture of the 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. Hermione Granger 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 Jenna sat with Lilian next to her, Neville on her other side, and Accalia next to Neville. Hermione Granger 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. Malfoy's eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table. Lilian got a journal she had forgotten at home and Accalia had gotten loads of chocolate from her mum.

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..." I say.

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. Jenna and Lilian jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Aunt Minnie, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

"What's going on?"

"Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor." Neville said quickly.

Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

"Just looking," he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe, Goyle and Theodore Nott behind

him.

At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, Jenna, Accalia and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn