Chapter 7: Meeting Hagrid and Taking Flight!Chapter TextHarry, Hermione, Hannah and Susan stood in front of the door to Hagrid's hut. It was close to the forest, but still safely away from it and the trees made for a nice backdrop for the hut and Hagrid's garden. Harry did briefly wonder how Hagrid could really be comfortable in the hut considering his size. Harry looked to the girls and then gave a knock on the door.
There was a booming bark from inside and a voice Harry recognized as Hagrid's saying, "Back, Fang. Calm down, boy." Then the giant of a man opened the door and gave them a smile. "Good ta see you again, Harry. Nice to see your brought some of your friends as well. Come on in everyone. I just got a pot of tea ready to serve."
The group came inside and noticed the hut was actually much larger on the inside than you would think from looking outside, even if it still seemed a bit small considering the occupant and his large boarhound. Fang panted happily and made sure everyone was greeted properly and also lightly whapped by his tail. "Feel free ta make yerselves at home," Hagrid said from the kitchen area.
Once they were seated and Fang again made sure each person was sniffed properly, Harry spoke up. "Thanks for the invitation and for allowing me to bring my friends," he said with a smile.
"Glad you lot agreed to come. I recognize you all from the sorting. I tell you what Harry. After meeting you and everything, I wasn't at all surprised you ended up in Hufflepuff," Hagrid said as he served tea. The tea kettle seemed small in his large hands and it was impressive he was able to set out tea cups for them all on the table.
"Glad to know someone on the staff wasn't surprised. By the way, I already told Hannah, Hermione and Susan about the Street Knights," Harry said.
"That's a relief. I won't hafta talk around it," Hagrid said.
"It was interesting hearing about them. It also made it even more obvious he would be in Hufflepuff like he wanted," Hermione said.
"I'm really glad we already got to make friends with each other," Hannah said.
"Yep. It was kind of funny, but also a little disappointing how surprised people seemed Harry got into Hufflepuff. Funny they were proven wrong. Sad, they didn't think it was even possible for him to be in Hufflepuff," Susan said with a slight frown. She was even more on board with his idea about showing people Hufflepuff wasn't to be underestimated.
"That just shows the old saying about assuming is correct. The whole making an arse out of you and me," Harry said.
"Language…" Hermione said quietly on instinct. She then blushed and said, "Sorry… Old habit… My parents mention watching language a lot."
The others laughed. "No worries, Hermione. I do usually try not to make a habit of using foul language," Harry said giving her a smile causing her to smile in return.
"So. How are you all liking Hogwarts so far? What's Hufflepuff like? If you don't mind me asking. I was in Gryffindor meself," Hagrid said.
"Hufflepuff is great!" Hannah started. "They actually give us an older student known as an RA who helps us get sorted out during our first year." She left out the whole co-ed dorm thing. That seemed like a Hufflepuff secret. All of the Badgers seemed to silently agree on this.
"Is that so? That sounds like a good idea. Might be something others should adopt, but each house has its own style. Who is your… RA was it?" Hagrid asked for confirmation. The students nodded.
"Tonks is our RA," Susan said. "I really like her."
"Ah! Yes, I know her. The meatmorph. She really is a fun one. I've met her a few times. She got in trouble for imitated professors," Hagrid said. He then gave a chuckle and said, "They apparently didn't understand her excuse about imitatin' being the highest form of flattery." The first years laughed to that.
"Hogwarts has been really great so far. My classes aren't too bad… apart from History and DADA," Harry said.
"I'm just glad the books are as good as Tonks told us they would be in those classes," Hermione said.
"Yeah… Old Professor Binns… I'mma guessing he's just as sprightly as he was during my days." They looked to Hagrid as he winked and continued, "He'd already been a ghost by then for so long no one remembered when he was actually alive." This earned chuckles from the kids as the friendly giant of a man grinned to them.
"DADA has been a problem for a long time now. Professor Quirrell was actually really good at all of that stuff when it came to studying the books. He took some time to try and get real world experience and that was when things went bad for him. Most say he had a nasty run in with a vampire in Albania. Sadly, DADA has gotten to the point that Dumbledore, despite how well known and respected he is, counts himself lucky getting just one candidate for the position. Many say its cursed and that's why Hogwarts hasn't had a DADA professor last longer than a year," Hagrid said.
"How long has it been that way?" Susan asked.
"30 ta 40 years now I'd say," Hagrid replied.
"My Aunt wishes it was better here. The Auror recruits are so under-prepared when they come up, even the best today are a far cry from the average recruit when she started in the DMLE," Susan said.
"Ah yeah. That's right. You're Madam Bones' niece. Heh heh. I could tell ya some stories about your Aunt during her time at Hogwarts, but I ain't about to get on the bad side of the Head of the DMLE," Hagrid said in a stage whisper to her. Susan laughed really loud to that as the others joined her.
"I have to ask, Hagrid. Did you tell Professor Dumbledore about me?" Harry asked wanting to get the unpleasant stuff out of the way quickly.
"I told him the Dursleys forgot to mention the truth about your parents to ya and they never told you ya were a wizard. I also told him you were wonderful company and a great kid. Dumbledore is a great man, but after meeting you and hearing what happened… I realized he is a great man, but still a man. The Knights seem great for ya, Harry. I'm not sure how he would react to that, so I left that part out. As far as I see it, you get ta decide when or if he learns the truth," Hagrid said giving Harry a smile.
"Thank you, Hagrid. Thank you so much," Harry said in relief. "Maybe one day I will tell him about what happened and all of that, but I would rather not do so yet. The Knights are my family and home. They're my way of life."
"And that is yer right to share or not. They ain't hurt ye and you've grown up well. Yer parents would be proud considering. Heh Heh. Your dad might tease ya a little bit about being a Puff, but then he'd tell ya he was proud of you and expected you to show everyone Hufflepuff is a great house. Yer mom would be happy you care so much about being loyal to friends and don't mind hard work. She was a rare one, yer mom. She had a good number of friends in all of the houses, even Slytherin," Hagrid said with a smile.
Harry felt happy hearing that from Hagrid. "Thanks, Hagrid. I wish I knew more about my parents," he said with a sigh.
"Well I can tell ya a good bit. James was a bit of a prankster growing up. Yer mom wasn't too impressed by that. It was odd in hindsight, but your mom actually hated your father's guts when they were younger. It was around sixth year, when he got his act together, that she finally gave him a chance. She must have seen then the man he truly was before any of us did. James did pretty much a complete 180 I tell ya. He went from being a lazy but smart troublemaker to Head Boy by his seventh year. He always did stand by his friends both as the troublemaker and Head Boy though. He could appreciate the Hufflepuff loyalty thing," Hagrid said.
"That's good to hear," Harry said.
"What was Harry's mom like?" Hermione asked. She seemed a bit more keen than casual curiosity would dictate in her question, even if she tried not to let it show. Harry was waiting eagerly to hear what Hagrid said along with Hannah and Susan.
"She was a beauty with her red hair and green eyes. She was nice and wonderful too. She was definitely the catch of her year. Smart, funny, kind and beautiful. She was fierce and powerful as well. Even the Pure-blood bigots would watch their toes around her. A couple of them made the mistake of getting on her bad side and the rest of the house quickly learned from what happened to them," Hagrid said with a smile.
He then sighed and added, "Sadly, they just learned to be quiet about such things and stay out of her way. Instead o' what they should have learned. Teachers loved your mom, Harry. She was the top of her year through all seven. She loved learning about magic. Studying wasn't a chore for her. It was like part of free time. There wasn't anyone surprised at all when she was named Head Girl her seventh year," Hagrid said fondly.
Hermione oddly enough felt very relieved hearing that. She wasn't sure why, but she liked that there were some similarities between Harry's mom and her. Maybe it was just hearing about another muggleborn witch who didn't let others' words get to her too much that she liked.
Harry was in thought about that. He was smiling at Hagrid's words. Hagrid then started telling them other stories about Harry's parents and he shared a few stories about Hannah's parents and even a couple about Susan's parents and her aunt. They talked about classes and so much more.
Harry after a while noticed a newspaper on the table. "Can I see that?" he asked Hagrid. Hagrid shifted it too him. Harry had never seen a wizarding newspaper up close. "I still find it interesting how wizarding photos move," he commented. He gave Hermione part of the paper to look at as well for her own curiosity's sake.
Harry then actually read the article on the front page. "Talk about lucky…" he commented.
"What do ya mean?" Hagrid asked.
"The break in. It happened the day we left. It was even the vault you went to the day we shopped," Harry said causally. He wasn't about to start getting too excited about it. The others were a bit surprised, but seemed to decide to follow his lead and not make it too much of a deal.
"Aye. The goblins have it bad enough it happened. It would have been even worse if something was stolen," Hagrid said.
Harry nodded and moved the conversation onward. He wasn't about to press the topic further and get Hagrid upset at him. "Do wizarding photos have color or do they all have this sort of greyscale and blue tint thing?" he asked.
"That's how they all be. I heard there were some muggleborns trying to fix that, but it ain't worked well for them yet. Perhaps one day. Too many see it as a foolish pursuit for the time being. Think black and white is perfectly fine, they do," Hagrid said before taking a sip of his tea.
"Muggle photos aren't like this?" Susan asked.
Harry and Hermione shook their heads. Hermione told her more. "Muggle photos are still, but they are mostly fully colored now. They used to be all black and white, but that is mostly used by photographers who are trying for a more artistic approach with photographs," she said.
"Huh…" Susan hummed in thought.
"Muggles also have what we call movies. They are kind of like wizarding photos in that they are moving, which is why they are sometimes called motion pictures. However, they are used for mostly entertainment and can last up to two hours or in some cases longer," Harry added.
"Really?!" Susan asked in wonder. Harry and Hermione then took turns talking about movies for both Susan and Hannah, who was only partly familiar with them. Hagrid was listening as well and found it amazing and hard to believe.
"Well it was great seeing you all, but it is probably about time you lot head back. I wouldn't want ta keep you all from supper and whatnot," Hagrid said after some time with a kind smile.
"It was great seeing you again, Hagrid. I'll be sure to visit more," Harry said.
"I was happy to meet you, Hagrid. Maybe I can tag along when Harry visits next time as well," Hermione said with a smile.
"I promise not to tell my aunt all of the stories you shared about her. Maybe you can tell me more in the future?" Susan teased.
"I also hope to visit again sometime," Hannah said with a smile.
Hagrid gave a chuckle and shook his head as he waved them goodbye. "I look forward to it," he called to them as they started to head back.
[-] [-] [-]
"So, what do you actually think about the whole break in?" Hermione asked once they were back in their dorm room. Tonks was in her bedroom probably getting a start on her NEWT homework for the weekend.
"I think it wasn't a coincidence they picked that vault. It was pretty deep inside Gringotts'. Hagrid was very much mum about what it was. The package was small whatever it was and there wasn't anything else in the vault. He had said Hogwarts was probably the only place safer than Gringotts' to protect something. I decided not to press the matter," Harry said.
"Are you thinking that package is the reason why part of the third-floor corridor is off limits?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded in answer.
"It is worrying that someone broke into Gringotts' and wasn't caught, even if they didn't get anything. It would take a lot of knowledge about magic," Susan said with a frown.
"Do you think they will try to get it here?" Hannah asked in worry. She didn't like the idea of some unknown being roaming the halls of Hogwarts in search of whatever that item was.
The others were in thought for a moment after her question. Harry then said, "I don't know. To get it here, wouldn't they have to be a student or staff member? I'm pretty sure Hogwarts would be really hard to break into."
"It is. At least it seems that way from what I read in Hogwarts: A History, there are a lot of wards and many other protections around the school and the grounds. Dumbledore's also here," Hermione said.
"Even You-Know-Who was afraid to cross Dumbledore," Hannah said feeling more at ease as Susan nodded in agreement with her.
"Well anyways. Let's get ready for supper. I'm also kind of looking forward to my first official weekend here at Hogwarts. I don't count those first two days since school hadn't started yet," Harry said with a smile.
"It will be so much fun! Full run of the castle… apart from that corridor. We have to all go and explore some together," Hannah said cheerfully as the other nodded in agreement.
[-] [-] [-]
It was finally time for their first flying lesson! Harry, Hannah and Susan were all very excited about it. Hermione was nervous. The others were trying to think of ways to help ease her worries. They weren't having too much success.
"Do I really need to learn how to fly?" Hermione asked.
"It would be a good idea. It is a major mode of travel. There are other ways such as portkeys, floo powder, and apparition, but there are still plenty of full-fledged witches and wizards who prefer flying to those methods," Susan said.
"The others all take getting used to and even then, still aren't very comfortable. I hate how it feels like you're being squeezed in from all sides when using portkeys or apparition. Flooing is alright, but you always have to watch out for the ash and make sure you say the destination clearly. I've gone past the fireplace I was supposed to exit through a few times," Hannah said.
"Flooing?" Hermione asked.
"You use this special powder called floo powder on a fireplace. You have to first set it for floo mode which will turn the flames green and they won't burn you. You step inside with a handful of the powder and say the fireplace you want as you toss floo powder into the flames. Like I said, you have to watch out for the ash as the powder can stir it all up," Hannah further explained.
"How have you apparated already? I thought I heard some of the older students say you had to be of age to do so," Harry asked.
"To Apparate on your own, you do have to be of age and pass the test after taking classes. You can… have accidents… However, you can side-along Apparate at any age as long as you are with someone who can do so. You would just hold on to their arm and they would do the rest," Susan said.
"I guess I should try to learn to fly… I just really hate heights…" Hermione said with a frown.
"We can figure something out. Perhaps you can go slow and take your time," Harry said with a comforting smile.
"I hope so…" Hermione said as she looked downcast.
The first part of the week of flying lessons went by both too fast and too slow depending on who you asked. For Hermione, it was too fast. For everyone else, it was too slow. The Hufflepuffs all made their way to where they were supposed to have their lesson. Hermione felt more nervous as she realized the whole year had flying lessons together.
"We're here for you, Hermione. Don't worry," Hannah said in support. Hermione appreciated it, but it didn't do much to ease her mind.
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?!" they heard a rather familiar and at times kind of annoying voice shout.
"Flying Lessons. Same as everyone else, Weasley. I figured even you could figure that one out. This will probably be my only lesson though. Unlike you, I've not only touched a broom but actually flown one many times before coming here. This class is just a formality for me," Draco drawled to Ron.
Ron glared at him.
"Tell me though. Do your brothers lock their brooms up, so you can't steal them to sell for money? I know you'd do anything for even a knut. You could probably get a good price from an antique collector or a museum for their brooms. I've heard they fly CleanSweep 5s! Those brooms have been out of production for decades!" Draco said as several Slytherins around him laughed.
Ron growled at him in response. A couple of the other Gryffindors were standing behind him, but they looked more like they would support Ron by making sure he didn't get into a fight then joining him. The other Slytherins were giving Draco polite but mostly silent support.
Most of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws already learned you don't get involved when Draco and Ron go at each other. You wouldn't be able to do anything and they both wouldn't stop whatever they were doing. The two really hated each other and looked for any excuse to have a row. Most people knew the Malfoy family and Weasley family really hated each other in general, so even the other Gryffindors were a bit careful when backing Ron against Draco.
Fortunately, before Ron and Draco could go any further, Madam Hooch came over to them all. She was a lady with short grey hair and yellow hawk like eyes. "Welcome everyone to your Flying Lessons! For those of you who don't know yet, the way this class works is you take the lessons until I give you a passing grade. You can take a couple of extra classes if you want to further improve your skills and feel more comfortable with a broom," she said to the gathered students.
"Now then. I want everyone to step up to a broom. We will first practice summoning a broom. To do so, place a hand over the broom and say 'up!' If you do it correctly, the broom will hover or shoot into your hand," she said. She then demonstrated how to call a broom and had the class do the same.
The results were varied with the first years. Some students, like Harry, had their broom shoot straight into their hand. Others had their broom hover up just a little bit. Some, like Hermione, had their broom simply flop over on the ground. A very few amount had their brooms do nothing.
"Up…" Hermione said. "Uppppp!" she said again impatiently. It took her a few tries, but finally the broom hovered barely off the ground.
"Alright… Everyone. Grab hold of your broom, even if it didn't come to your hand," Madam Hooch said. Some of the Slytherins snickered at the students who didn't manage to call their broom successfully.
"Don't worry about them," Susan said quietly to Hermione in comfort. Hermione gave her a weak smile in return. She did feel a little better being here next to Harry, Hannah and Susan at least.
Madam Hooch then instructed them on how to properly mount their brooms. Everyone got ready and mounted. Their first goal was simply to take off. Then it would be to hoover for a few minutes ten feet above the ground. Finally, the group would be taking a leisure flight around the area before she would dismiss them to practice on their own and test those who think they are ready.
"Now. When I count to three. We will all kick off into the air!" Madam Hooch said.
She started counting, but Neville was also really nervous about flying lessons and didn't want to be the only one left on the ground. He kicked off at two! "Whoa… Whoa! What's happening?!" Neville started to cry as his broom shot straight up.
"Mister Longbottom! Get straight back down here this instant! You were not supposed to take off yet!" Madam Hooch called up to him.
The other students were a mix of worry for Neville or laughing at his trouble. Then Neville fell off his broom! He yelled as he fell to the ground. He hit it quickly landing on his wrist. Several students gasped and Hermione grabbed Harry's arm tightly for dear life. Madam Hooch didn't even have the time to properly respond to help Neville with a spell before he crashed.
Madam Hooch immediately looked the round-faced boy over and sighed. "You've broken your wrist. Come with me. I'll take you to see Madam Pomfrey," she said kindly as Neville sniffed and silently cried tears of pain.
She quickly gave all of the class a serious look as she said, "Not one of you is to move or take off while I'm gone. If you do… I'll have you expelled quicker than you can say Quidditch!" She then helped Neville up and kindly escorted him to the hospital wing.
Draco started talking and making fun of Neville while Ron growled at him. No doubt the two boys saw this as a great chance to start their fight back up again. Harry and a couple of the other Hufflepuffs were calming Hermione down once more. Seeing Neville fall like that wasn't doing her any favors.
"Look! Its his stupid glass ball thingy he was carrying on about at breakfast. What is it called again?" Draco drawled out.
Pansy tittered away as she said, "It's called a remembrall!"
"Ahhh yes…" Draco said holding the glass orb up in one hand and making a show of inspecting it for a moment. "A bit useless really. Maybe I'll leave it somewhere fun for him to find," he said getting laughs from the other Slytherins.
Ron was about to shout at him, but Harry came over to Draco. Hermione gave him a quiet warning about not getting in trouble. Harry gave her quick look showing he knew that. Draco was about to mount his broom when Harry spoke up. "You are right it is kind of useless. What use is it telling someone they forgot something, if it won't say what it is, they forgot or give them a hint?" Harry asked conversationally.
Draco smirked and stood with the broom in his hand, but not mounting it. "Right you are. I imagine it is more like torture than any help," he said getting laughs from some of the other Slytherins.
"True. It still isn't yours to take though," Harry said calmly. Draco looked to him almost in challenge. Harry quickly looked back and asked, "Susan. Isn't the Longbottom family rather well respected?"
"Yes. They are. And stealing from the heir would be a bad idea," she replied.
Draco suddenly realized they had a point. Harry then said, "They probably wouldn't make too big of a deal of it this time. Maybe. But I know Ron and a few others would be perfectly happy to say what happened here to Neville's remembrall. Then the staff would probably make you either hunt it down or buy him a replacement. Not too big of a punishment, but still a waste of time."
Draco looked to Harry in thought. Harry did have some points. Father would not be happy about buying a replacement, even if it wasn't expensive. It would be the principle of the matter that really annoyed Lord Malfoy and having to apologize to Madam Longbottom. Draco also didn't feel like having to go and hunt it down for the boy either.
"I'll do everyone a favor and return it to him or Madam Hooch. That way we don't waste anyone's time," Harry said.
Draco gave a smirk. "Sure thing, Potter. Besides, she will probably be back soon. Father could easily overturn her threat of expulsion, but it would annoy him," he said. The boy then tossed the remembrall to Harry. He was half hoping Harry would miss it or drop it. Instead, Harry caught it with ease just as Madam Hooch returned.
"Good. It seems you all took my warning seriously," Madam Hooch said.
"Madam Hooch. Neville left his remembrall behind. I believe it was given to him by his Gran," Harry said as he handed it to her.
"Thanks… I'll make sure he gets it," she said and started the class again.
[-] [-] [-]
In the end, Hermione barely got up on her broom. She kept picturing Neville falling, but it was her instead and from much further up in the air. She was a bit embarrassed she didn't immediately get flying, but she noticed she wasn't the only one having problems. That did ease her mind, if only a little.
Harry on the other hand did really well. He loved flying and how free he felt up in the sky with the wind rushing through his hair. He chuckled and fully enjoyed the lesson. He was like a natural at flying. He even raced a few times with the other students. He won them all.
"This is a terrible broom…" Draco muttered after he lost the Harry Potter.
"Well yeah. They are meant for just the lessons. They aren't even the same type. The races are just for fun. You can't prove anything with these brooms," Harry said with a chuckle. Draco gave a nod and frowned at his broom again.
"It really is a pity first years aren't allowed their own broom. Father said it's a crime I can't even try out for the House Quidditch team because of that rule," Draco said.
"I would love to have my own broom. I'm getting one next year. I don't know about trying out for Hufflepuff's team, but I do want to fly," Harry said.
"I've heard Cedric is the Seeker for Hufflepuff and that he is really good and he's the youngest on the team," Padma said as she happened to overhear them while flying nearby.
"Yep. Cedric told me as much in the common room a while back. None of the team are seventh years either, so there really won't be openings, since the team is pretty good," Harry said.
"It is odd he's Seeker. He doesn't even have a seeker's build," Draco said in thought before flying off. He didn't mind talking Quidditch, but he wasn't happy about losing the race, even if it was the broom's fault. He instead flew over to poke fun at Ron again. The boy was a nervous wreck that barely stayed on his broom for most of the class.
"It astonishes me how much those two go out of their way to get on the other's case," Padma said with a shake of her head.
"If everyone didn't know they hated each other, you could easily think they were best buds who loved giving each other a hard time," Harry said. Padma and another girl laughed to that.
The other girl was actually a Slytherin who happened to be nearby. She gave another laugh and continued on her way and went to talk to Pansy Parkinson. Harry believed the girl's name was Tracey Davis. He also noticed Pansy seemed to be acting very different around Tracey than Draco. The girl seemed less tittering and more serious and genuine. Harry wondered about that, but instead of focusing on it too much he went to check up on Hermione again.
"How are you holding up?" he asked her.
Hermione gave a sigh. "I'm disappointed. This is probably the only class I won't ace…" she said frowning to the ground.
Harry couldn't help but give a chuckle. "Well then. It is a good thing this class doesn't count towards your grades," he said.
Hermione pouted a little. "Easy for you to say. You're flying circles around everyone. I wish I could do that…" she finished quietly. Mentally she added how she wanted to fly circles around everyone with Harry and then off into the sunset. She hated how her brain decided on the oddest things to be romantic about at the worst times, especially if they were cliche.
"You could try flying again. There is still time left in class," Harry said.
Hermione shook her head. "I think I've embarrassed myself enough today. I really don't like how the whole year is taking this class at the same time," she said. That fact had made her a lot more nervous. If it was just Hufflepuff, she wouldn't have minded it as much. She may only see Harry, Hannah and Susan as friends for now, but they all got along fairly well in their year.
Harry got an idea hearing Hermione's complaint. His idea was something he would have to set up first though. The class soon ended and Harry approached Madam Hooch afterwards and asked her some questions. Hermione wanted to stay behind and wait for him, but it seemed he might be a while. She wondered what they were talking about as she headed back to Hogwarts with Susan and Hannah.
[-] [-] [-]
"What were you talking to Madam Hooch about after class?" Hermione asked Harry when he returned to the dorm.
Harry gave a smile and said, "I kind of asked her if I could still attend a few more classes. She allowed it in the end, but I can't race the whole time and I have to actually work on improving. I may be good and a natural, but I am still very new to flying. I can still improve."
"If you say so…" Hermione said doubtfully. He really was something the way he was flying up there and racing others. If he did try out next year for seeker, she wouldn't be surprised if he beat Cedric.
"Let's get started on our homework then, shall we?" Harry asked her with a different smile changing the subject.
Hermione blushed quickly and nodded happily. "I do love studying!" she said as an excuse for her sudden mood shift.
"I know you do," Harry said with a friendly chuckle as they got their notes out to get started. Flying Lessons weren't anything to think on now. Not only would it be distracting, but Hermione would not appreciate his divided focus. She could easily pick up on stuff like that.
Chapter 8: Private Lessons and TrollsChapter Text"You got permission for this?" Hermione asked yet again as she followed Harry, who was carrying two brooms.
"I did. It was at the same time I asked to continue lessons for a bit in Flying Class," Harry answered her.
"She said yes to this?" Hermione confirmed. She wanted to make sure they had permission for this. It seemed most irregular to her, but then again Harry did pretty much ace their flying lessons. Maybe Madam Hooch figured a little tutoring with a classmate would help Hermione with flying.
"She did. She was very grateful I returned Neville's Remembrall like that and maybe she was a bit more agreeable as a result," Harry said as he led the way.
They were soon standing outside the castle. "So how do you think this will help?" Hermione asked.
"I hope getting you used to a broom will help some at least. I know you mentioned you don't like heights, but hopefully getting a little more comfortable with a broom will help when it comes to flying. You also don't have to worry about anyone else seeing you while we do this and we can take your time," Harry said.
Hermione was in thought over all of this. She eventually nodded and said, "I suppose it is worth a shot. I don't want to be literally grounded my whole magical life."
Harry gave a chuckle to her. "I think the first thing we can try is you riding on my broom with me. You won't have to worry about controlling it and can just get used to being on a broom. Do you want to sit in front of me, or behind me?" he asked.
Hermione blushed as she shied away just a little bit. "I'll sit behind you. That way I can hold on tightly," she answered.
Harry nodded and positioned himself on his broom a little more to the front than usual. Hermione took in a calming breath and climbed on back. She wrapped her arms around him. Harry just stayed still while she settled in on the broom. "Are you ready?" he finally asked.
"As ready as I can be," she answered with a sigh.
Harry started drifting upward as she let out a cute "Eeep" sound and wrapped her arms around him tighter. Harry put up with it and kept their balance. She did ease up a bit after the initial shock. Harry drifted upwards a little more.
"I'm going to start out slow," he said to her before moving forward.
Hermione pressed herself up against him and gasped as she closed her eyes tight. She finally opened her eyes after a few minutes. She peered over his shoulder and gasp for a different reason this time. "It is kind of beautiful up here," she said looking around under the starry night sky.
"I like that part too. I mostly like the freedom flying offers though. Once you have a broom and learn to fly it, you can go anywhere! I also like how fast you can go a broom and how the wind feels against your face and hair, but I won't put you through that… at this time," Harry said with a teasing air to his voice at the end.
Hermione gave him a playful frown, but realized he couldn't see it. "You better not," she said with a playful humph at the end. Harry chuckled to that and she smiled pleasantly to herself and enjoyed riding a broom with a boy, even if they were just friends and she definitely did not totally for sure almost maybe have a crush on him.
As Harry continued to fly, Hermione found herself enjoying holding on to Harry like this too much. It was nice feeling how solid and strong his body was. Harry was also enjoying this more than he thought he should. He hadn't fully counted on what it would feel like having Hermione pressing her body up against him like this while wrapping her arms around him. It had actually caused him to blush a little at first, but fortunately Hermione couldn't see him.
"What do you think?" Harry asked her after a moment.
"Can I just call you up whenever I need to fly somewhere?" Hermione asked with a cute pout. She wouldn't say if the extra pout was intentional or not.
"I wouldn't say no such a request," Harry said with a chuckle. He then asked, "But what if I can't be there soon enough?"
Hermione gave an overly dramatic sigh. "I suppose you have a point." She then gave him a light squeeze as she said, "It isn't too bad like this. I'm not sure how it will be when I'm on my own though."
"If you want, we can shift positions. Maybe that would help?" he asked.
"We can try for a bit. Might be a good idea so I can't just focus on your back," she admitted.
The two then shifted positions. It took a little work, but Harry and Hermione found a way to have it so he was sort of reaching around her to hold the broom while she leaned back against him. Hermione gasped a little as they flew anew. It was much different experiencing it like this. She had more of a view, but it was a bit scary not being the one in control.
"I think I want to try it on my own broom now," she said rather quickly.
"Alright. I suppose feeling more in control would help you out by this point," he said as they landed.
Hermione climbed on her own broom and was more at comfort this time around. "This is a bit better," she admitted. She then blushed a little as she quietly asked, "Can we take it slow though?"
Harry smiled and her heart started beating much faster, but not due to being up in the air on a broom. "That's the whole purpose of these lessons," he easily replied.
Hermione nodded and the two continued flying at her pace.
As the night continued, Hermione actually grew more in confidence and even partly found herself enjoying flying, even on her own. She was still going really slow and the highest she rose off the ground was 20 feet, but it was progress. She was still a bit wobbly on her broom, but she realized that was something she would just work out like almost everyone else. They continued to fly together and Harry even got her to do some slow weaves and more with him, but nothing too fantastic or exciting. The purpose was to get her used to flying and they were doing really well in that regard.
[-] [-] [-]
Harry and Hermione realized they had gotten a bit carried away with their private lesson once they realized how late it was. They ended up staying out until just after curfew. Harry had to still return the brooms, so they carefully made their way through the castle making sure no one caught them.
Once the brooms were secure, they had to get back to their dorm unnoticed. Sadly, the stairs were in a very playful mood and suddenly shifted around a whole lot. They had been going down towards Hufflepuff after returning the brooms, but the stair they were on decided to instead turn so they couldn't go anywhere and shift upwards a good bit.
"I hate these stairs…" Harry grumbled.
"Me too!" Hermione agreed. She then sighed and said, "At least we can take that one passageway Tonks talked about from here. We do kind of have to go close to the forbidden corridor though."
"We won't try to look inside the rooms or anything. I think we'll be fine," Harry said.
And they might have been fine, but they soon heard a voice shouting, "But I'm telling you I was setup. It isn't my fault! Draco challenged me to a duel. We were meeting in the trophy room. You have to believe me!" It was Ron and it seemed he was caught out past curfew.
Harry and Hermione froze. They thought about just sucking it up and accepting detention for being out late. However, they heard the voice speaking to Ron in return. "You expect me to believe that, Weasley? Daft idea thinking about having a duel in the trophy room. Only a moron would fall for your trick. It is a pity they banned the old punishments. Ha! I'd bet you'd think twice about exploring the castle at night if you knew it meant you could spend two hours hanging by your thumbs!" Filch said to Ron.
Both Harry and Hermione then decided to move quickly. They didn't have much time though. Filch and Ron were nearby. There was no way they wouldn't be noticed trying to slip away, especially if Mrs. Norris was with them. They came to a locked door and after a frantic moment Hermione used an "Alohomora!" to unlock the room and they slipped inside.
Harry then paused in shock as Hermione quietly closed the door behind them. "That was a close call," she said to him in a whisper. She then turned around and froze in shock as well. She was just about to scream when Harry placed a hand on her mouth and motioned for her to be quiet by placing a finger on his lips. She tried her best, but it was hard. Right in front of them was a giant three headed dog! The three heads were snoring away and resting on top of a trap door in part of the room, so they were lucky there. It would have been bad if the dog was awake.
After a very intense moment that seemed to last for all eternity, they slipped back outside of the room. Harry and Hermione quickly and quietly made their way back after that without running into any more trouble. They then went straight to their room.
"What was that?!" Hermione asked loudly in her shock once their door was closed.
"A three headed dog," Harry said still in disbelief. Hermione gave him a quick look, but then relaxed and sat on her bed. She wasn't about ready to fall asleep yet though.
"At least we now know why the third-floor corridor is off limits. That dog and whatever it was guarding under the trapdoor," Hermione said after a few moments.
"I'm glad that thing didn't wake up. If it did… Filch might have been the better option," Harry said.
"We could have been expelled by him!" Hermione said excitedly.
"That's why I said it might have been the better option," Harry repeated with a chuckle. Hermione paused for a moment before giggling at his joke. Detention hanging by your thumbs with Filch before expulsion, or eaten alive by a three headed dog? It was a tough decision.
"Well, we know where whatever it was Hagrid took out of the Gringotts' vault is now. I can see why he says Hogwarts is the only place harder to steal from than Gringotts. Not many, if any, would dare cross paths with a giant three headed dog and then fight it," she said.
"That doesn't even account for whatever is below that trapdoor," Harry said.
Hermione was surprised for a moment before she nodded. "You're right! Something that important would have even more security. I wouldn't be surprised if each of the professors added their own touch to the defenses," Hermione said excitedly despite herself. One of the few things she loved more than a good book was a good mystery to unravel. The mysterious item Hagrid retrieved was just such a mystery.
Harry and Hermione both talked a little longer as their nerves settled. After they got ready for bed, Hermione turned to Harry and smiled to him. "Thanks for tonight, Harry. Even with the giant dog and missing curfew and almost getting caught by Filch…" she started.
Harry sighed. "That is a lot for one night…" he muttered.
She nodded to him as she continued. "I still actually enjoyed our lesson. It was beautiful flying under the moon like that! I feel a lot better about flying. Though I'm not too sure how comfortable I would be flying completely on my own."
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that. Not for a long time anyways. As long as you can fly on your own broom, even with others around you to keep you company, that should be enough for the class and a good start when it comes to flying in general," Harry said.
Hermione then blinked in disbelief. She then smiled again and shook her head. "That's the real reason you asked to take extra lessons, isn't it? To be there with me and to help me with that," she asked.
Harry smiled as he jokingly said, "Oops… Caught." It was obvious he didn't really care about learning the truth. Hermione shook her head and giggled a little. Harry then added, "Though I also did want to fly more as well. I figured I might as well try to help you while I'm at it."
"Well. Harry Potter. I do appreciate it," Hermione said to him sweetly as she felt warm at his wanting to be there for her.
Harry nodded to her and said, "Goodnight, Hermione."
Hermione blushed unseen by him as she replied, "Goodnight, Harry." She was pretty sure she would again be seeing him in her dreams soon enough. She closed her curtains and got under her covers. As she fell asleep, Hermione really hoped Harry would be shirtless riding on a broom under a beautiful full moon in her dreams.
[-] [-] [-]
Halloween was almost here! Hermione only needed two more flying lessons before she passed and finished with them. She did make an excuse to Harry about needing another private lesson first though. That last private lesson was really wonderful and they didn't stay out past curfew that time.
"So… What are your thoughts about wizards celebrating Halloween?" Hermione asked Harry carefully.
Harry looked to her in thought before answering. "Mixed. I lost my parents that night, but growing up and thinking what the Dursleys told me was the truth, kind of had me less upset about it oddly enough. While I've been with the Street Knights, I've usually enjoyed Halloween. We have parties and costume contests and more. There's this really cool and fun arcade near where we live and they always have a big blast of a party on Halloween. There are even a few places near us that setup Haunted Houses. I've usually mourned and remembered my parents on All Souls Day instead, even though I'm not religious. So… I'm kind of looking forward to seeing what wizards do for the holiday," he said to her with a smile.
Hermione let out a breath in relief she didn't know she was holding. She felt relieved. She didn't want to upset her friend saying she was really looking forward to it herself. She could now enjoy the day mostly guilt free. "I'm glad to hear you're taking it so well. I feared you would hate this holiday. I'm still sorry you lost your parents," she said giving him a hug in comfort.
"I appreciate it, Hermione. I'm looking forward to the feast. I heard Hannah and some of the others talking about how Dumbledore always gets some great entertainment for the Halloween Feast," Harry said.
Hermione then gave a random giggle and he looked to her curiously. "Sorry about that. I just found it funny we are oddly enough dressing up as witches and wizards for the Holiday," she said.
Harry gave a laugh to that.
"What's so funny?" Susan asked them as they entered their dorm's living room.
"We were just laughing about how we're all dressing up as Witches and Wizards for Halloween. Some of the muggle world celebrate Halloween as well, even if for different reasons, and one of the go to costumes for dressing up is usually a witch," Hermione explained.
Susan and Hannah, who was sitting next to her, both laughed to that. "We even have the pointed hats and are wearing all black thing down," Harry added. The group shared a new round of laughs.
[-] [-] [-]
On the day of Halloween, classes were very hard to get through for the day. Everyone, including some of the staff, were excited for the holiday feast. The Gryffindors were extremely rowdy about the day. Harry overheard a few professors complaining about how Gryffindors were always the worst on Halloween.
The Slytherins were mostly pretending not to care about the holiday or only enjoying it in passing, but there weren't any of them blatantly hating it. A pretty wise move Harry had to admit. After all, the only reason you would hate the holiday is if you were deep into worshiping and following Voldemort. That wouldn't look well for families who got off because of the whole Imperius Defense. If they were forced to work for him against their wills, they would love such a holiday. It was the day when they were finally freed from him. Their approach instead made it seem like they were just being more reserved than other houses about the holiday.
"Finally!" Ernie said as they finished with their last class for the day. "Merlin, I swear the teachers bewitched time to pass by slower just to torture us and keep us from properly celebrating," he said as several laughed in agreement.
"Any ideas what the entertainment will be this time?" Megan Jones asked. She was another Hufflepuff in their year. She had fair skin, brown hair and blue eyes. She was actually dorm mates with Ernie, Justin, Lilly Moon and Kimberly Haywood. Lilly Moon had dark blonde hair, hazel eyes and pale skin. Kimberly Haywood had black hair, brown eyes and slightly tanned skin.
"Not rightly sure. I heard he tried to get the Boneheaded Troupe, but they were already booked. He's got them for next year though, or so people have been saying," Ernie replied.
"Awww… That's too bad," Lilly Moon said with a slight frown. "I've heard they're really good," she added.
"Who are the Boneheaded Troupe?" Harry asked.
"Their a band of dancing skeletons. Very popular. Some others have tried to mimic what they do, but the originals have been at it for centuries!" she said with excitement in her voice.
"I still can't wait to see a wizard's Halloween," Justin added. By this point, the other first year Hufflepuffs knew what Harry told Hermione concerning the day. They had all caught themselves a number of times almost being too excited about the day Harry's parents died, before he told them pretty much what he told her. Knowing he enjoyed the holiday, even if it was because he was lied to about his parents' deaths, was a relief so they wouldn't have to walk around on egg shells around him.
"Me too! Hagrid was talking about how great the pumpkins he grew for this year were," Harry added. He made sure to visit his friend a couple more times since that first visit.
"I don't doubt his word on that," Ernie said grinning in excitement as they headed back to Hufflepuff.
The group was soon joined by the last three of their house in their year. The last three were all boys who shared their own dorm. Wayne Hopkins was a dark skinned boy with dark hair and brown eyes and he had a medium build. Kenneth Smith-Stone was a strong boy with a medium tan, dark brown hair and blue eyes. The last boy was Roger Malone, another dark skinned boy, but who had hazel eyes. He was probably the second tallest in their year. They weren't sure if he or Dean Thomas from Gryffindor was taller. Ron was easily the tallest in their year and also very lanky.
[-] [-] [-]
Soon it was time for the feast. All of the students were wearing their black robes and black hats. They were required to wear the full uniform for feasts, even if the rest of the year the robes and hats were optional. The students all eagerly whispered to each other about how excited they were for the feast. The doors to the Great Hall finally opened up and everyone gasped as they entered.
There were large lit up carved pumpkins all over the Great Hall. They varied in size. Smallest were still big by muggle standards while others were taller than some of the students. A couple close to the raised staff table that were almost as tall as the professors. There were orange streamers hanging from the ceiling. Thousands and thousands of live bats were flying around the room in clouds from the ceiling to the walls.
"This is amazing," Justin said in awe as Harry nodded in agreement with him. He was looking all around the room. Several students were talking excitedly again, even the Slytherins were no longer trying to act indifferent about the holiday and genuinely enjoying it like everyone else.
It wasn't long until they were all seated at their tables and Dumbledore stood up silencing the hall. "It is once again Halloween everyone! It seems Hagrid really outdid himself this year with the pumpkins," he said while motioning to Hagrid. The giant of a man was grinning brightly and bowed in thanks for the praise as the students applauded him. "This year the school ghosts will be providing the entertainment after the feast," Dumbledore told them all.
Students started to gossip a little in excitement. Apparently, the ghosts liked to do something special every two years or so. Harry overheard Cedric from nearby talking about how he heard their formation gliding was always something amazing to see.
Dumbledore raised his hand and everyone quieted down once more. "Yes. It is truly a wonderful day today, but first… A moment of silence for all those who sacrificed themselves fighting so we can be here today celebrating such a feast," he said.
Harry then noticed some people looked to him briefly before everyone seemed to bow their heads and close their eyes in remembrance. Some even seemed to say a silent prayer. Harry decided to join them as well. Perhaps it was good to also remember his parents on this day instead of just All Souls Day.
After the moment passed, Dumbledore spoke again. "We should never forget. Now then… Let us enjoy the feast and the holiday. So those lost will all know their sacrifice was not in vain! Happy Halloween, everyone!" the headmaster said as he raised a glass and everyone followed suit. With those words, the feast appeared on their plates. Harry guessed there were as many dishes tonight as there were for the Welcoming Feast. There might even be more!
[-] [-] [-]
The feast was amazing. However, it was not to last. Shortly after it started, the doors to the Great Hall flew open again. Professor Quirrell ran inside panicking as he held his turban tight. "Troll!!! In the dungeons… Thought you ought to know…" Professor Quirrell shouted before his voice trailed off and he then fainted forward face down on the floor.
The great hall was dead silent for a moment. Then everyone started to panic and shout. Not even the too cool Slytherins were acting calm and collected now. Everyone was standing up getting ready to run for it when there was a loud bang sound coming from Dumbledore's wand.
"Prefects. Lead your houses back to their dorms. Use the emergency passageways. Teachers will follow me and we will look for the troll. It could have moved since Professor Quirrell spotted it," Professor Dumbledore ordered.
"But! He said it was in the dungeons! Our house is towards the dungeons," Justin said in worry.
Tonks was the one to answer as she and the other two RAs made sure to collect their first years. "That's why we're using the emergency passageways. They're near here and go straight to the common room for each house," she said.
"Couldn't someone sneak in that way?" a third-year girl asked in worry.
A sixth year Prefect shook his head as they gathered the students into lines. "Only us Prefects know where they are and we only remember them when the Headmaster or Head of House tells us to use them. Come on all of you. RAs, do you have all of your first years?" he then asked as they all three nodded. "Follow me," he said as they did so.
Harry suddenly found himself and the rest of his house in Hufflepuff. Hermione was holding on to him again. Susan and Hannah were also nearby and Tonks was taking a headcount again just to triple check. Harry couldn't remember how they got there, just that they followed a prefect and Dumbledore told them to use an emergency passageway.
"We're all here," a seventh year Prefect said assuring everyone they made it. "The teachers will deal with the troll. Don't you worry. The feast will be continuing here. Take a seat," he said as the tavern like tables and chairs seemed to increase in number and size. Music started playing as well. A few of the older students used magic to provide some decorations and soon everyone started to calm down and enjoy their revised feast plans.
"Too bad we'll miss the ghosts' entertainment," a fifth year said with a sigh.
"Maybe! But that doesn't mean you won't have good company!" the Fat Friar ghost then said with a smile. Some of the students brightened up to that.
"Indeed, you are right, Friar Puck!" a voice the first years hadn't heard from since the first night at Hogwarts said.
"Helga Hufflepuff! My Lady. You grace us with your presence as well?" the now named Friar Puck said.
"I figured why not. I may not be able to fly in formation, but that doesn't mean I am boring either, especially with you around," Helga's portrait said with a warm and friendly smile.
With that, the Hufflepuff Halloween feast began anew. Plates appeared piled high with various foods from the great hall. The Fat Friar and Helga Hufflepuff's portrait provided them a grand source of entertainment as they joked with each other and shared stories for all to hear. The two actually knew each other in real life and were good friends, since Friar Puck was one of the earliest students at the school. He started his study at Hogwarts three years after the school was founded.
Hermione was torn by the turn the feast took. She wanted to ask so many questions, but she also wanted to enjoy the feast with her friends and hear the stories Helga and the fat friar shared. She also didn't want to be rude and interrupt them. This was their founder and one of the first students talking about Hogwarts! When she heard Harry let out a laugh, she decided this was better than trying to grill the portrait more about Hogwarts. She still had a lot of narrowing down to do with her questions anyways.
[-] [-] [-]
"Nice to see everyone still enjoying the feast," the students heard their Head of House speak after she entered through the main entrance. "I guess everyone is accounted for then?" she asked as a Prefect assured her that was the case. She then joined them and listened in on the stories the house ghost and their founder's portrait shared. The two even gained up on her to get her to share some of her own stories.
By the time the feast ended and the students went to their rooms, everyone felt sated and happy despite the tension from earlier in the night. People asked about the troll and Professor Sprout told them it was being investigated. Their theories ranged from Peeves letting it in as a holiday prank to the troll stupidly managing to blunder its way through, even if the latter theory was mostly refuted. She had assured them no students were harmed and all houses had a full count of students and troll had been dealt with before she returned.
As Harry and Hermione were getting ready for bed, Harry turned to her and asked, "How often do you think someone faints forward?"
She blinked for a moment and gasped. "Very rarely… Usually it is backwards or to the side. I suppose it can happen if they sway first, but he fell straight forward…" she said. Harry nodded in agreement.
"He also didn't stutter at all that time," Harry said.
"What do you mean? Stutters usually are unpredictable. They don't happen…" she started as her eyes widened.
"They don't happen in a manner where you can literally pick up on a pattern?" Harry finished for her. Hermione nodded. "I've noticed that for a while now. I've been around people who stutter. It is never as measured or seemingly intentional as Professor Quirrell's is."
"What does this mean?" Hermione asked in shock.
"I don't fully know. It is clear Professor Quirrell is putting on a show, but for what reason? I don't know. It could be he just cares that little for the class he teaches. It could be he wants to seem so terrified and useless he won't ever have any extra duties as a professor. Perhaps he fainted because he's so cowardly he didn't want to help the others face a troll. I don't really know," Harry said.
"We should tell someone!" Hermione exclaimed.
Harry shook his head. "We would need actual proof and not just something that can be explained away as coincidence. We are students. He is a Professor and member of the staff. Unless he is doing something personally to us, what we say won't count for much," he told her.
"What do we do then?" Hermione asked as she slumped in defeat.
"We keep an eye on him. We study him. We also keep a distance from him. We can't be too obvious about it, or it might tip him off. Pretty much do like we have been except pay more attention and have more awareness. For all we know, it could be he's using the whole stuttering thing as a means to slack off and make easy money as a professor for the year," Harry said.
Hermione nodded. It would be difficult, but she was going to do what she could. "Do we tell the others?" she asked.
Harry was in thought for a moment. "We can. Let's leave Tonks out of it though. She is very busy with her NEWTs. Maybe if we find out more, we can talk to her as well. If we discover something and need to report it, having a seventh year aiming to be an Auror could help our case," Harry said.
"Okay. This is all kind of shocking…" Hermione said.
"Don't think on it too much tonight. We need to get to sleep," Harry said to her kindly.
Hermione gave a slow nod and got ready for bed. She made mental notes to reanalyze everything she knew about Professor Quirrell and rethink their interactions thus far, even though they were very few. That was something for the morning though. "Goodnight, Harry," Hermione said again feeling pleasant warmth at saying the words to him.
"Goodnight, Hermione," Harry replied with a smile she couldn't see as he lay down and went to sleep. Tomorrow they would tell Hannah and Susan what they discussed tonight. Maybe later they could mention it to the other Hufflepuffs as well, but this was something that needed to be handled carefully. Being a Street Knight, Harry knew how to handle things carefully.