ok, so, yeah, it's been a long time since this story was updated. hopefully there are still some people interested in reading it.
and, just because i'm curious - how did you guys find this story? did you just come across it while you were browsing on this site,or did you find it somewhere else?
ok, i'll let you read now.
previous Chapter 9
Harry and Ron exit their dorm one morning and see a large group of people gathered around the notice board. Ron walks over to investigate as Harry searches for a quiet corner to meditate. A few minutes later, Ron spots Harry and runs across the room to him.
Ron: Woohoo! We get to learn to fly!
Harry: Ahh!
Ron: What?
Harry: You startled me.
Ron: Oh, sorry. What were you doing, anyway?
Harry: I was meditating. There’s no room anywhere for me to do my normal morning tap dance routine, so I replaced it with something a little bit less likely to cause harm to someone if they come near me.
Ron: Oh. Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you ever since you first told me about the tap dancing thing, where did you learn to tap dance? The way you talk about your relatives makes it seem like they wouldn’t let you take lessons if you enjoyed them.
Harry gets up from the floor and folds up the blanket he was sitting on.
Harry: I told them I couldn’t stand going to lessons two hours a day, every day after school, and four hours a day on weekends. They thought they were making me miserable.
Ron: I see. That’s pretty clever.
Harry: Why, thank you. I thought it was. So when do we start flying lessons?
Ron: Thursday.
Harry: Of course. A lesson that doesn’t require any kind of actual work and we don’t get to start it until Thursday.
Ron: I thought you loved magic and liked doing schoolwork.
Harry: Oh, right. Forgot about that... So, what do you want to do now?
Ron: We could go eat breakfast.
Harry: Ok, sounds good to me.
Harry and Ron leave the common room and head to the Great Hall for a hot, delicious morning meal.
THURSDAY
Harry and Ron sit at breakfast and listen to Hermione give Neville advice on how to not kill himself during their first flying lesson.
Hermione: So remember, a sure-fire way to stay on your broom is to keep both hands on it at all times. Only using one hand increases your risk of falling off by 47 percent.
Neville: Ok, got it. Oh, the mail’s here. I wonder if I got anything.
Neville waits patiently until an owl lands in front of him.
Neville: Yay! I got mail!
Neville opens his package.
Neville: Ooh, a remembrall. It’s so shiny.
The remembrall turns red.
Harry: What does it mean if it turns red?
Neville: I don’t remember.
The Gryffindors suddenly hear spurs and look up to see the Human Disco Ball, Draco Malfoy, standing behind Neville.
Draco: Oh, look, a remembrall. I think I’ll take that.
Draco takes the remembrall from Neville. Neville cries.
Harry: Hey! What did you do that for?
Draco looks at Harry as if he is stupid.
Draco: How many times does this have to be explained to you? Gryffindors and Slytherins are not nice to each other. I’m a Slytherin, and he’s the easiest Gryffindor to pick on.
Harry: Oh, right. Well then, since I’m a Gryffindor I’m supposed to be mean to you too, right?
Draco: That’s what would be expected, yes.
Harry: Fine then, give Neville his remembrall back or I’ll get a teacher.
Draco laughs at Harry’s feeble attempt at anger.
Draco: Is that really the best you can do?
This time Harry really does get angry. He does not like being laughed at unless he’s telling a joke.
Harry: Alright, give it back or I’ll tell everyone here about how you ran out of mine and Ron’s train compartment on the Hogwarts Express, crying like a little girl.
Draco stops laughing abruptly.
Draco: You wouldn’t.
Harry: I just did.
Draco: looks around at the rest of the Gryffindors and notices that they are all pointing at him and giggling.
Draco: Fine, have your stupid remembrall back. And don’t ever think that you’ll be welcome at any of my shows once I’m the greatest country music performer in the world!
Draco drops the remembrall on Neville’s plate and runs away crying.
FIRST FLYING LESSON
Harry and Ron are running to join their classmates.
Ron: See, I told you that was the wrong door. Now we’re going to be late for our first flying lesson.
Harry: No we’re not. We’ve got plenty of time to get there. I can see Hermione already.
Ron: We better not be late. If we are, and I get detention, I’m blaming you.
Harry and Ron make it to the lesson just as the bell rings.
Hermione: What took you two so long? All you had to do was walk out the front door.
Ron: Harry thought he was being guided by a tiny light on the wall, which turned out to be the reflection from his watch. We ended up on the other side of the school.
Harry: Oh, don’t tell me you wouldn’t have made the same mistake.
Ron: I wouldn’t have; I don’t wear a watch.
Hermione: Ok, whatever, just stop arguing. Look, the professor’s coming.
Harry and Ron stop arguing and look up to see the professor walking across the grounds to them. When she gets to the class, Harry notices that her eyes are yellow.
Harry: Woah, your eyes look like a cat’s. Do you mind if I call you Catwoman?
So-Far-Unnamed Professor: Yes, I do mind. You may only refer to me as Madam Hooch. Anything else will earn you a detention.
Harry: Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh?
Madam Hooch glares at Harry.
Madam Hooch: No.
Harry: Ok, geez, it was just a question.
As Madam Hooch starts explaining to the class what they need to do, Harry hums the theme music from Batman Returns.
Madam Hooch: Do you all have a broom?
Everyone holds up a broom.
Madam Hooch: Great. Now, get on them and fly.
The students all mount their brooms cautiously, not quite sure what to do.
Madam Hooch: Oh, come on, how hard can it be? I just told you what you’re supposed to do. See, Longbottom knows what to do.
Everyone watches Neville rise up into the air, raise a fist in triumph, and immediately fall to the ground.
Madam Hooch: Oh, wait, no, I guess not.
Neville’s wrist snaps and he cries for the second time that day.
Madam Hooch: Well that’s a great way to start the year. Come on, we better get you to the hospital wing so I don’t get fired for neglecting a student, or something like that.
Madam Hooch escorts Neville to the hospital wing.
Hermione: I told him to keep both hands on his broom. Why didn’t he listen to me?
Draco: Because he’s a stupid Gryffindor.
Harry is annoyed that the Human Disco Ball is, yet again, trying to start a fight with them.
Harry: Do you have to start a fight every time there are no teachers around?
Draco: Who said anything about fighting? I’m just stating a fact.
Harry: What fact?
Draco: Gryffindors are stupid.
Harry: Slytherins are more stupid.
Draco: No we’re not.
Harry: Yes you are.
Draco: No we’re not.
Harry: Yes you are.
Draco: No we’re not!
Harry: Yes-
Ron: Enough! My god, that was getting annoying. How about we have a contest to see which house has the most stupid people in it? A representative from each house, and a neutral third party, will fly up 50 feet. The neutral will drop two objects, one for each rep. Whoever catches the object without smashing face-first into the ground is in the house with the un-stupid people.
Harry and Draco think about this for a moment.
Harry: Ok, I think that will work.
Draco: Sure.
Harry and Draco are, obviously, chosen as the representatives for their respective houses. Because, come on, how else is Harry supposed to be discovered as a Quidditch star? Anyway, they, along with the neutral third party (a sixth year Ravenclaw who just happens to be wandering the grounds aimlessly at this exact moment) fly 50 feet into the air and wait for Ron to tell them to begin.
Ron: Now!
The Ravenclaw drops the two objects (a pinecone and a rock) and Harry and Draco take off after them. They catch their objects at the same time, but Draco loses control and smashes face-first into the ground, while Harry pulls out of his dive at the last possible second and glides safely back down. The Gryffindors Cheer.
Draco cries for the second time that day.
Madam Hooch returns.
Draco: OW!
Madam Hooch: Great, now what’s wrong?
Draco: I smashed my face!
Madam Hooch: How?
Draco: I was racing Potter.
Madam Hooch: Well then, I guess you got what you deserved. Only someone stupid enough would dare to think that they were better than Harry Potter at something.
Harry sticks his tongue out at Draco.
Madam Hooch: Alright, come on, to the hospital wing.
Madam Hooch takes Draco to the hospital wing, and passes McGonagall on the way into the castle. McGonagall walks over to the flying class.
McGonagall: Mr. Potter, would you come with me, please?
Harry stops celebrating being in the un-stupid house as he hears McGonagall make her presence known. He looks at her and fears her wrath.
Harry: Ok.
Harry follows her into the castle.
McGonagall: Harry, that was awesome!
Harry is confused by his professor’s sudden change of attitude.
Harry: Um, thanks?
McGonagall notices that Harry is confused by her sudden change of attitude.
McGonagall: Oh, sorry about back there. I had to make it look like I was going to punish you in case there were other professors watching. They think that’s the way all professors are supposed to act, so I can’t let them know that I’m different. They’ll never treat me with any respect again if they find out.
Harry: So, I’m not going to get in trouble?
McGonagall: Of course not! You’re actually going to get lots of special treatment.
Harry: Really?
McGonagall: Really.
Harry: Like, what kind of special treatment?
McGonagall: Well, right now we’re on our way to find Oliver Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, so I can tell him that you will be their new Seeker.
Harry: Sweet!
McGonagall: I know, isn’t it?
Harry: Yep. You know, I think you’re my favorite professor.
McGonagall sheds tears of joy at this sign of acceptance as she and Harry continue down the corridor.
DINNER
Harry enters the Great Hall, finds Ron at the Gryffindor table, and sits down next to him.
Ron: Hey, what are you doing here so early? I thought you would have gotten yelled at much longer than that.
Harry: Actually, I didn’t get yelled at at all.
Ron: You didn’t?
Harry: Nope. McGonagall said she saw the whole thing and decided to make me Seeker for the house Quidditch team instead of punish me. She said my catch was awesome. She also said it was really funny to watch Draco Malfoy smash his face into the ground.
Ron: Wow.
Harry: I know. McGonagall’s actually pretty cool.
Ron: It sounds like it.
They eat in silence for a few minutes before the Human Disco Ball shows up once again.
Draco: So, how many detentions did you get for making me smash my nose into the ground?
Harry: None, considering everyone agrees that breaking your face helped more than hurt it.
Draco is outraged.
Draco: Are you implying that my face was ugly?
Harry: Yes.
Draco: How dare you!
Harry: Do we really have to start another fight? I mean, I’ve already made you cry twice today. Do you really want to go for a third?
Draco: Don’t worry we’re not going to fight right now. We’ll fight later. Meet me in the trophy room at midnight. And I won’t be the one crying this time.
Draco leaves in a flourish of sequins and fringe.
Harry: I wonder why he wants to fight in the trophy room?
Ron: I don’t know. Maybe I should go with you, just in case he decides to do something, like not show up and send a professor instead. Or, he knocks you out and you need someone to carry you back up to the dorm.
Harry: Thanks Ron.
Ron: No problem.
LATER THAT NIGHT
Harry and Ron lie in their beds, pretending to be asleep, until everyone else actually is asleep.
Harry’s Thoughts: Well, it sounds like everyone else is asleep. Better get Ron and head down to the trophy room.
Harry: Ron, are you ready to go?
Silence.
Harry: Ron, are you ready?
More silence.
Harry gets out of his bed and pulls the curtains of Ron’s bed back. Ron is asleep.
Harry: Ron!
Ron wakes up and tries to act like he wasn’t sleeping.
Harry: Are you ready to go?
Ron: Of course I am.
Harry: Then let’s go already.
Ron: I was just waiting on you.
Harry and Ron make their way down to the common room.
Hermione: And just what do you two think you’re doing out of bed at this hour?
Harry: Ahh! Oh, it’s just you. It’s none of your business. What are you doing out of bed?
Hermione: I heard you making plans to fight with Malfoy while we were at dinner.
Harry: What? I didn’t see you anywhere near there when we were talking about that.
Hermione: I was hiding behind a book. I was also voted to go with you and watch to see who won. Some of the other students are making bets on it.
Harry: Oh. Ok, let’s go then.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue on their way to the trophy room. Along the way they also collect Neville, who was missing from the story since his trip to the hospital wing during the day’s flying lesson and just decided to show up again. All four of them sneak through the castle to the trophy room. When they finally make it there, Harry reaches out to open the door.
Harry: WTF? It’s locked! Why would he tell me to meet him in a room that’s locked?
Ron: See, this is exactly why it was a good idea for me to come along. If I hadn’t been here no one would have answered that question.
Harry: But Neville and Hermione are with me. And you didn’t answer it, anyway.
Ron: Oh, right...
Hermione: Well, looks like Seamus won that bet.
The four of them stand around for a few minutes in an awkward silence.
Harry: So, that was kind of anti-climactic.
Ron: Yeah...
Harry: Wanna see how many classrooms we can get into before we get caught?
Ron: Sure!
Hermione: No!
Neville: Umm...
Hermione: We’re lucky we haven’t been caught already. We should just go back to the common room before we do get caught and lose more points than we can even imagine.
Harry: But that’s no fun.
Hermione: Fun has nothing to do with it! What do you think your housemates would say if you lost all the points I’ve- I mean they’ve earned?
Harry: Um, really don’t care at the moment.
Harry tunes Hermione out and turns to Ron.
Harry: Hey, you know what I just realised?
Ron: That we could go to the forbidden third floor corridor and see what’s there that we’re not supposed to see because we’re not supposed to go to the forbidden third floor corridor?
Harry: I couldn’t have said it better myself. Well, actually, I probably could have said it in less words, making it more understandable, but, you know...
Ron: Right, let’s go.
Hermione: Wait! Didn’t you hear what I said about losing all the points I’ve earned?
Harry and Ron keep running without looking back.
Hermione: Come on, Neville.
Hermione grabs Neville and takes off after Harry and Ron.
FORBIDDEN THIRD FLOOR CORRIDOR
Harry: That was easy to find.
Ron: Yeah, the giant ‘Do Not Enter” sign helped a lot.
Harry: Do you think it’s unlocked?
Ron: Highly unlikely. Dumbledore said we’d die if we went in there. But I guess we’ll never know if we don’t try it.
Harry reached for the handle, pulls, and the door opens.
Ron: Well, that was unexpected. I may have to write a letter to Dumbledore and complain about the school not being kept safe enough. If first year students can just waltz into a corridor that is supposed to be locked at all times because it contains something that could kill them, then something is definitely wrong.
Harry: But that would be the same as admitting that you were here when you were supposed to be sleeping.
Ron: Oh, right...
Hermione and Neville finally catch up to them.
Hermione: Oh no! What have you done? We’re going to be in so much trouble if someone finds us here!
Ron: So shut your mouth and no one will know we’re here.
Hermione is shocked into silence.
Ron: See, if you’re not constantly shrieking, no one will be able to find us.
Ron, Hermione, and Neville then follow Harry into the corridor.
Harry: This is the strangest place I’ve ever been. I feel like I’ve been sucked into a tie-dye shirt.
Ron: There’s so many colors...
Hermione: And lava lamps. Hey, wait a second, I thought electrical stuff wasn’t supposed to work here. So how are they working?
Hermione finds the nearest lamp and begins examining it as the boys check out everything else.
30 MINUTES LATER
Ron: Hey, Harry, this one won’t open.
Harry: What won’t open?
Ron: This trapdoor. All the other ones opened, but this one’s locked.
Harry: hmm, there must be something down there that they don’t want anyone to know about.
Ron: So, are we going to find out what it is?
Harry gives the situation some serious thought before answering.
Harry: Although I am very intrigued, I’m too tired tonight. We’ll have to come back some other time.
Ron: Ok.
Harry: Hermione, Neville, we’re leaving now.
The four Gryffindors leave the forbidden corridor and return to their dorms, Hermione nagging them the whole time about how they could be caught at any moment. Once they finally get back, and Hermione shuts up, Harry goes up to his bed where he falls asleep and dreams of running away with the circus.
next ssssssssssssssssssssssssssSquirrelsssssssssssssssssssssssssss
is it still good? i hope so. please leave a comment? i really like to know what people think of this, but i hardly ever get comments here. it only takes a minute. :D