"Did you see the notice board today, Y/N?" Hermione's voice breaks me from the pages of Arsenius Jigger's: Magical Draughts and Potions, which I'm revising in hopes of keeping Professor Snape off of my back. There's no saying he wont find something completely preposterous to reprimand me for though, but I suppose revising is always good regardless of ulterior motive. "We'll be starting our Flying lessons on Thursday."

"Seriously? That's amazing! Have you ever given much thought to Quidditch, Hermione?" I reply after closing my book and looking across to her where she's sat on the other arm chair opposite to me by the fire in our Common Room.

"I'm sure I'll enjoy watching, but I'm not all that interested in playing myself. I'm guessing you've given it some thought though?"

"I'd love to play! It's usually second or third-years that are picked during tryouts, but I don't think there's anything saying I can't attend. Maybe I should?"

"If you want to, you should. After all, extracurricular activities are good for receiving house points!"

"That's right! I'll have to try out then, if I get around to it... Or maybe I'll just wait until next year, but either way, I'm excited to be doing our flying lessons. What class are we paired with?"

Hermione looks away for a moment before looking back to meet my eye. That isn't good.

"Slytherin," she admits.

"Ugh! And just when I was getting excited about only having to deal with them for one of our classes..."

"Cheer up! It isn't all bad! As long as you do your best, right? We can't be losing house points because of a stupid rivalry between houses."

"Try telling them that. I can't even count the amount of times I've had Malfoy sneering at me with his little pack of snakes behind him."

As the days and hours before our first flying class shrink to shorter and shorter, I notice Hermione becoming rather uneasy when the subject is brought up. I asked her if she was feeling okay, and she explained to me that regardless of what one might read in a book, you need to possess at least some natural talent to fly a broom, so no matter how much she has read on the subject, she's still worried about making a fool of herself in front of Madam Hooch, our Flying professor.

During those same moments, as well, I couldn't help but notice the way Draco Malfoy would boast on and on about how terrific he is at flying already, and how he's so sure he'll get picked for Slytherin's Quidditch team. He isn't the only one who's sure of themselves on a broom, though, a few other students have been talking themselves up as well.

Right now I'm sitting in the Great Hall with Ron and Harry. Hermione isn't with us as she's gone to the library to do some reading for the subjects she's excited about within the coming years. I think she wasn't to be away from all the chatter about flying, though, and I can't blame her for choosing to avoid the Hall. There really is a lot of talk about flying.

"So, Harry, Ron, have either of you flown a broom before?" I start up a conversation after our discussion about Malfoy and his boastfulness has died down. "I don't think I've asked before."

"I didn't even know I was a wizard until Hagrid told me," Harry answers.

"Look at this!" Hermione's sudden appearance causes me to jump a little in my place, and both boys snicker as I scowl in embarrassment.

"Oh, shut up, you two! What've you found, Mione?"

Hermione and I had decided last night in the Common Room to come up with nick names for one another, and so I suggested 'Mione', of which she liked, and she decided upon 'N/N', which I was very pleased with as well.

"I've just found this in the library. Quidditch Through the Ages. I'm sure I'll be able to find plenty of stuff that'll help in here. Would you all like to hear some?"

Both Ron and Harry seem to share a look of worry which causes me to sigh but also chuckle, but Neville seems to be all for the idea. I suppose, with his clumsy record, he's probably quite frightened of flying as well.

"I've got that one at home, actually. I've already read it. But it's good! Explains all the rules and positions well!"

After Hermione nods and begins reciting pieces from the book, the post finally arrives. I smile as I watch Thestral swoop in before he lands on my head, as he usually does, and drops my letter to me. I give him a scratch before opening it up and reading it.

Dear Little Love,

That's marvelous! I'm so glad that you are doing so well in your classes! And I'm even more thrilled that you are making such fast friends! Perhaps one day we'll have them round the house for some tea? I think that'd be a good thing to suggest for your Summer Break, don'tcha think?

I've sent an owl to Mabel and told her about you getting into Hogwarts, and she's just as excited as I am! She says she'll send you an owl, so expect her to send one soon.

Can't wait to have you back home, love. Be good!

All my love,

Gran Evans ~ Mrs. Connie Evans.

I smile and stars fabricating my reply before something catches my eye. It's something that Neville has had delivered to him. A small package that he's opened to reveal a glass ball of sorts.

"It's a Rememberall," I hear him explain as I reply to Connie. "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..."

I look up after signing my letter, rolling it, and tying it with sparkly, green ribbon. Neville's Rememberall has turned a foggy shade of crimson-scarlet, and he looks as though he's having trouble remembering exactly what it is he seems to have forgotten.

I scowl when Malfoy suddenly appears and snatches the Rememberall for himself with a pleased look about him. I stand and stare the Slytherin boy straight in the eye, but he doesn't seem bothered. I'm just about to say something, as is Harry by the looks, when suddenly Professor McGonagall arrives to save the day.

"What's going on?" she asks with a pointed look.

"Malfoy's got my Rememberall, Professor," Neville replies sheepishly, as he generally does around teachers, adults, women, and most other living things.

Malfoy's quick to chuck it back to him with a roll of his eyes. "Just looking," he sneers before he, Crabbe, and Goyle leave us all alone once again. McGonagall leaves right after them with a pleased smile on her thin lips.

"She's the best," I smile to the other three and Neville. "She knows that Malfoy's a right Pratt."

Both Ron and Harry start laughing and grinning, and even Hermione, who's always trying to keep out of trouble with others, lets herself grin.

It's three thirty now, of the same afternoon, and since this morning, Hermione has read at least half of the Quidditch book she found in the library, and, as well as finishing my Potions book again, I've been through an additional six chapters of Spellman's Syllabary which is actually a third-year textbook for their Ancient Runes class that I picked up from Obscurus Books in Diagon Alley before attending. I'd seen it in the store's back whilst browsing and decided that runes might be fun.

Now we're all making our way down a hill and towards a nice area of neatly-kept lawn that's located on the opposite side of the grounds as the Forbidden Forest. We've got our Flying lessons now, and since this morning, Hermione seems a little more at ease with it all seeing as she read up on Tips for Keeping Your Broom Level.

When we arrive on the field, the Slytherins are already present, as are twenty-or-so broomsticks lying in neat lines facing one another, ten on each side. Madame Hooch arrives shortly after us, and I'm immediately drawn to look at her eyes which look like those of a hawk.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she exclaims loudly once she's reached us all. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

I stand in between Harry and Hermione, and Ron stands on Harry's other side. I find that the four of us are generally never found too far from each other these past few days since our year's beginning, but I'm not complaining, as I'm very much enjoying each of their presence.

"Stick your right hand over your broom, and say, 'UP'!"

"Up!" everyone begins chanting trying to bring their brooms to hand.

Harry's broom immediately shoots from the ground to meet his hand causing my eyes to widen in surprise. Hermione's, however, has simply rolled over slightly. It takes me three attempts before my broom finally obeys and flies up to meet me. I smile and grin to Harry as he smiles back.

Madame Hooch then proceeds to show us how to properly mount the broom, which, of course, is the easiest part as there's nothing more to do then step over the stick and grip it tightly, knees slightly bent. Harry laughs quietly, as do I, and I think Ron as well, when Madam Hooch tells Malfoy he's been doing it wrong for years.

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

Before Hooch can even blow the whistle, Neville has suddenly pushed off of the ground too early and begins to rise.

"Come back, boy!" Madam Hooch ordered poor Neville, but it seems he's lost control of his broom, because all he does is rise further into the air and drift off of the field.

His eyes, which can be seen from even here because of how wide they are, are terrified, and he obviously has no idea what he's supposed to be doing. It seems the part about leaning forward to land has slipped his mind. His face is as white as a sheet by now, and he has to be at least thirty-feet off the ground.

Suddenly, his grip on the broom seems to falter, and instead of rising, he's now plummeting towards the ground too fast for anyone to do much at all. The poor boy hits the ground with a sudden WHAM, and the broom he's fallen from floats far off and towards the Forbidden Forest before disappearing from sight.

Madam Hooch leans over Neville and inspects the damage.

"Broken wrist," I hear her mutter before helping him stand to his feet. "Come on, boy – it's all right, up you get."

Once they're both back up, she turns to address the rest of us with her hand on Neville's shoulder, the latter clutching his broken wrist to his chest and whimpering through the pain.

"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."

Both Neville and Madam Hooch make their way away from the rest of us and eventually disappear into the castle, and no sooner than their out of sight does Malfoy think it's the appropriate time to open his damned mouth.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?" he asks, causing most of the Slytherins to chuckle and mutter their answers nastily.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Parvati Patil snaps at him, causing a few nods of approval from our side, and a sneer from both Malfoy and another girl from the Slytherins.

"Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" asks the girl, Pansy Parkinson, teasingly. "Never thought you'd like fat little cry babies, Parvati."

"You leave her alone, Parkinson!" I tell the obnoxiously-strange-looking girl off. "And leave him alone as well! They've done nothing to you!"

"Well, would you look at that!" Malfoy comments as Parkinson sneers. "The dead girl has cheek!"

"What does that even mean? Honestly, Malfoy!" Parvati responds in my defense.

"What, you don't know? All of her kind are supposed to be dead! Shame they missed one, eh, Amethyst?" Malfoy says nastily. I scoff and fold my arms across my chest before looking down. That was a low blow, but what else can I expect from a Malfoy?

Harry and Ron both look completely confused and angered at what Malfoy has just said, as well as Parvati, and Mione looks sad for me. I smile and shake my head at her telling her that I'm fine. I've had the discussion about my family line with her already, so she understands what he's saying. The others, though, don't, and so I'm sure I'll be dodging questions later on.

"Look," Malfoy's voice sounds again before anyone can respond to his previous statement. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him." And he's right. There on the grass lays Neville's gift from this morning. It glitters in the sun as he holds it up.

"Give that here, Malfoy," Harry demands quietly. The rest of the pupils on the field halt their conversations to pay closer attention. After all, it is the Harry potter and Draco Malfoy arguing. Of course they're interested to see how this goes.

Malfoy simply smiles nastily in return.

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

"Give it here!" Harry yells more forcefully this time, shocking a few of us. He's usually much more quiet and reserved than this.

Malfoy leaps onto his broom instead of complying though, and takes off, but not before turning and yelling for Harry to, "Come and get it, Potter!"

Harry grabs his broom, and I gasp when I realise what he's thinking. He can't! He'll be expelled if he's caught!

"No!" Hermione yells from my other side. "Madam Hooch told us not to move – you'll get us all in trouble."

Harry doesn't listen to Hermione, though, and before we know it, he's mounted his own broom and is racing quickly after Malfoy to retrieve Neville's Rememberall.

"He's going to get us all in trouble!" Hermione gasps as we all watch the scene unfold before us. "Madam Hooch is going to see, and she'll take points from the lot of us!"

"I think what he's doing is rather brave," I admit, both Ron and Hermione looking at me perplexed. "After all, he knows what might happen, and yet he's still standing up for his house and friends. It takes a lot of bravery for that. No wonder he was chosen for Gryffindor."

"I suppose..." Hermione mumbles. "But I'm still going to lecture him."

"Catch it if you can, then!" I suddenly hear Malfoy shout before he's pegged the glass object through the air. If I didn't already hate him so much, I'd think it was a good throw.

We watch entranced as Harry zips into action and quickly chases after the object as it reaches its apex and begins its decent back towards the ground. Harry leans forward on his broom and darts towards it in a steep dive. I feel like I want to close my eyes as he approaches the ground so fast, but I keep them open. He flies faster and faster, his hand outstretched, and both he and the Rememberall are mere feet from the ground before he manages to catch it and pull up in time saving himself from hitting the ground hard enough to case some very serious damage.

Our entire class cheers for Harry, even the hesitant Hermione, when he's managed to catch it and remain unharmed, and we continue to cheer and applaud until our joy is broken by a very strong set of words leaving the mouth of a very angry-looking Professor McGonagall.

"HARRY POTTER!" she screams across the field as she approaches us where we've crowded around him. "Never – in all my time at Hogwarts-" she continues completely enraged. "how dare you – might have broken your neck-"

"It wasn't his fault, Professor!" Parvati Patil defends him quickly.

"She's right, professor, Malfoy was-"

"Be quiet, Miss Patil, Miss Amethyst."

"But-" I try again, Ron as well.

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

Harry sighs and looks to his feet before nodding and following McGonagall obediently. I shake my head in unbelieving as I watch them leave, Hermione and Ron doing the same, as well as Parvati and a few others from our house.

"What do you think'll happen to him?" Ron asks.

"He'll probably be expelled!" Hermione answers angrily. "We were told we would be if we didn't listen, and now look!"

"It wasn't his fault though, it was that stupid Malfoy boy!" I yell before turning with my two friends to see the snake and his band of followers laughing through the situation as if it's the best thing that's ever happened to them. I could just whack him with my broom!

"Don't do anything, Y/N. You'll only get in trouble as well," Hermione warns as she watches my eyes.

"I swear I'll only hit him with the broom once. It won't even be that hard."

"I'll back you up," Ron suggests. "I'll say you didn't do a thing. The other's probably would too."

"No!" Hermione cries.

"It's fine, Mione... I won't do it – this time."

It's dinner time by now, and Harry has just come back to tell us the news. According to him, Professor McGonagall took him to see a boy called Oliver Wood, who happens to be Gryffindor's Quidditch team captain, and then they both went and made him our team's Seeker!

"You're joking," Ron exclaims in shock. "Seeker? But first years never – you must be the youngest house player in about-"

"A century," Harry smiles as he eats. "Wood told me. I start training next week."

"This is great! Do you realise how much Malfoy is going to hate this? Oh I can't wait to see the look on his grubby little face when-"

"Alright, Amethyst," George Weasley says as he and his twin brother come up to us. "Don't want you to cause any harm to him just yet – wait 'till you're on the team for that," Fred finishes. I smile to the two.

I sat with them a couple days ago for lunch whilst Hermione was busy with teacher and the boys were nowhere to be seen. I told them about wanting to play, and spoke to them about some other stuff as well. The Weasley twins are very funny, and say they're very partial to pulling pranks. Promised to take me along on one, one time. I said I'd do it if they promised not to tell Hermione.

"Well done," George then says to Harry quietly. "Wood told us. We're on the team too – beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch Cup for sure this year," says Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school," adds George.

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you, Ron, Harry," finishes Fred once again.

"See you, Y/N!" they both call jointly.

"Bye!" I wave back.

"Since when did you know my brothers?" Ron questions once they've left.

"Since you all ditched me at lunch on Tuesday," I reply simply. "Well I have to got and find Mione. I'll see you boys later. Bye!"

Both boys wave and wish me goodbye before I leave.