MAIL AND FLYING LESSONS!

SEPTEMBER 1991

1st Year

• • • •

In the great hall, Annabelle sat next to Hermione - across from Ron and her brother as she and all the other students were working on homework.

"Eye of rabbit, harp string hum. Turn this water, into rum," Seamus said, waving his wand, before looking into the cup and shaking his head and trying again.

"What's Seamus trying to do to that glass of water?" Harry asked.

"To turn it into rum," The youngest Potter replied.

"Actually managed a weak tea yesterday," Ron informed, "Before...," He trailed off, and right on cue, the cup Seamus was trying to turn into rum exploded, making the students laugh and for Annabelle to bite her lip to try and stop the laughter, failing to contain her smile, though.

Suddenly, a flock of owls started coming into the hall from the rafters above.

"Ah. Mail's here!" Ron said and the owls soared by, dropping parcels to students, but Harry and Annabelle received nothing.

"Can I borrow this?" Harry asked, gesturing to the paper that Ron had put down beforehand, and the ginger boy nodded in reply, "Thanks,"

Annabelle broke out into a small smile, resting her chin on Hermione's shoulder as they read the letter the brunette received from her parents.

"Hey, look!" Seamus' voice called out, grabbing everyone's attention from their own letters and packages, and onto him.

'Neville's got a Remembrall!" Seamus cried, making everyone's attention turn from their letters and packages onto the boy.

"I've read about those," Hermione said, "When the smoke turns red," She continued as the smoke in the Remembrall turned red, "It means you've forgotten something,"

"The only problem is, I can't remember what I've forgotten," Neville said.

"That's helpful, then, isn't it?" Annabelle mumbled to Hermione.

"Hey, Ron, Anna, somebody broke into Gringotts," Harry said, gaining both their and Hermione's attention, "Listen, Believed to be the work of dark witches or wizards unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach, insist that nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713, had in fact been emptied earlier that same day," He read out.

"That's odd," Annabelle said, "That's the vault Hagrid, Harry and I went to,"

***

Outside, in flying practice, the Gryffindor and Slytherin students were lined up in two rows with brooms by their sidesas the teacher, Madam Hooch - a woman with short hair and hawk yellow eyes - came down the middle of the line.

"Good afternoon, class," The woman said.

"Good afternoon, Madam Hooch," The class said.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson," Madam Hooch said, "Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Come on now, hurry up. Stick your right hand over the broom and say, Up!" She instructed.

"Up!" The class said.

Annabelle smiled as her broom flew into her hand, her smile growing wider as she noticed her brother did the same.

"Whoa," The Potter boy said, looking between himself and his sister in bewilderment as Hermione stared at the two in shock.

"Up!!" Ron said and his broom flew up and conked him on the nose, "Ow!" He cried, grabbing his nose in pain as the Potter twins laughed, "Shut up, Harry, Anna," He said with a laugh.

"Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it. And grip it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end," Madam Hooch instructed and the class mounted their brooms, "When I blow my whistle, I want each of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, and then lean forward slightly and touch back down. On my whistle...3...2...," She said before Neville immediately lifted off as he gripped tighter to the broom, extremely frightened.

"Mr. Longbottom," Madam Hooch said.

"Neville, what are you doing?" Annabelle called after him as he started soaring away.

"M-M-Mr. Longbottom Mr. Longbottom!" Hooch cried.

"Neville!" Everyone shouted.

"Help!!!" Neville screamed.

"Come back down this instant!" Hooch shouted.

"AHH!" The boy cried.

He soared through the sky and hit a wall, conking along it and then swooping off, screaming. He began to zoom back towards the group of students.

"Help!" Neville pleaded as approached, making the students scatter and Hooch dived out of the way before Neville then went through the scatter and up a tower.

He then zoomed past a statue of a man with a sharp spear and Neville's cloak caught on it. He was then flipped off the broom and was left hanging there.

"Oh. Ah...help!" Neville cried as he wavered, then the cloak ripped, and he fell, catching on a torch, but then slipping out and falling to the ground, "Ahh!" He shouted in pain.

"Everyone out of the way!" Hooch said as she ran through the group, and they scattered, "Come on, get up," She told him.

"Is he alright?" Annabelle asked.

"Owowowow," Neville whined.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh dear. It's a broken wrist. Tch, tch, tch. Good boy, come on now, up you get," The woman said as Draco reached down and grabbed Neville's Remembrall, which had fallen and  Hooch began to lead Neville away with her, "Everyone's to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr.Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say, Quidditch," She threatened before walking away, Neville going with her.

"Did you see his face?" Draco snickered, "Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he'd have remembered to fall on his fat ass," He laughed.

"Give it here, Malfoy," Harry stepped forward.

"No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find," Draco shook his head, before he hopped on his broom and soared into the air, "How 'bout up on the roof??" He asked, flying farther and farther away from his classmates, "What's the matter, Potter? Bit beyond your reach?" He taunted.

Harry grabbed his broom and ran to get on it, only for Hermione to stop him.

"Harry, no! You heard what Madam Hooch said! Besides, you don't even know how to fly," She said before Harry flew off, "What an idiot,"

The brunette's eyes widened even more as Annabelle mounted Hee broom as well.

"Annabelle, what are you-?" Hermione started to ask, only to get cut off by the ginger.

"Helping my brother," The Potter girl said before flying towards her brother, coming to a stop next to him.

"Give it here, Malfoy, or I'll knock you off your broom!" Harry cried.

"Is that so?" Draco asked, making Annabelle let out a low growl as she made a dash for him, but Draco twirled around his broom in a 360, "Have it your way, then!" The blonde cried, throwing the Remembrall into the air.

Harry and Annabelle zoomed after the ball, speeding towards a tower. Just as they are about to hit a window, from which McGonagall is working/watching, Annabelle caught it, throwing it to Harry, before they then headed back to the group and the students all cheered and ran to see them.

"Good job, Potters!" A boy shouted as they reached the ground.

"Oh, that was wicked, guys," Another boy said.

"Harry Potter? Annabelle Potter?" McGonagall said, suddenly walking up behind them, "Follow me," She said and the siblings sullenly followed her as everyone watched the three walked away, whilst Draco and his goons laughed.

***

Harry and Annabelle glanced at each other as Professor McGonagall stopped them outside of Professor Quirrell's classroom, before the woman knocked and opened the door to see Professor Quirrell teaching a class of fifth years, whilst holding an iguana.

"An iguana s-such as this is an essential in-gradient," The man stuttered.

"Excuse me, excuse me, Professor Quirrell," McGonagall said, gaining the professor's attention, "Could I borrow Wood for a moment?" The woman requested.

"Oh. Y-yes, of course," Quirrell nodded and a boy - Oliver Wood - got up to leave and Quirrell continued, "And the vampire b-bat...,"

"Potters, this is Oliver Wood," McGonagall introduced, "Wood, I have found you a Seeker and a Chaser!"