10 Plants and Brooms

The morning saw me again running and exercising. I had taken to a courtyard near the front entrance hall as my exercise yard. "Up early again, Mr Carter", Filch startled me as I was doing some push-ups.

"Mr Filch, good morning," I said, standing up." Pleasant weather, isn't it."

"I don't know what you're up to, boy, but I will find out", Filch said. "Trust me, I've got my eye on you."

Mrs Norris gave a *meow* as if she agreed and then hobbled off.

Passing through the common room on my way to a shower, I was stopped. "Oi, Eddie!" Draco yelled at me, "What the hell are you wearing?"

I rolled my eyes "my exercise clothes" I replied as like it wasn't obvious.

"Well you look disgraceful" he sneered "stop doing it" he demanded of me.

"Draco, I know you think you're important, but the world does not revolve around you. As much as your parents made you believe," I shot back.

"You will do as I say, mudblood, or I'll make your time in Slytherin hell." Draco threatens

Cracks started to appear on my proverbial dam of bullshit I can take.

"Draco, you insufferable prat, I am not your servant," I seethed with anger "so fuck off" I walked away.

I heard something about his father hearing about it and couldn't care less. Slamming my dorm room, Tim shot up out of bed. "I'm awake!" He yelled. I snorted, and some of the tension left me.

"Sorry mate, Draco was in the common room when I got back," I said to Tim

"Oh, what did he have *yawn* to say" Tim said.

"He demanded me to stop exercising because my work out clothes are disgraceful" I told him as I collected my toiletries and towel.

"Well the are unfashionable" he said looking at my attire.

"This is what Rocky wore!" I challenged. Tim just rolled his eyes. "Where's Grant?" I asked

"Don't know just woke up" he shot back.

Shaking my head, I left to go to the shower. I said a quick good morning to Grant as we passed in the hall. He was freshly showered.

I grumbled throughout the morning till breakfast; then my mouth was too full of bacon to grumble anymore. "Gods, do you not have any grace?" Pansy said as I shoved bacon in my face. 'Water ducks back', I thought to myself, making it a mantra. "I mean even Crabbe doesn't eat like such a pig" she continues 'I am a ducks back' "at least show some sophistication, you are a Slytherin" she wouldn't shut up. 'Ducks back, ducks back' "Even if you are a mudblood", she added a cherry.

"That's it! Fuck it!" I snapped and left the Slytherin table. I stormed out of the great hall in my anger. I didn't notice two things: I had yelled the last part, and Grant and Tim had followed me. Anger radiated from me; people seemed to be targeting me now.

"God Dammit" I yelled as I got into the courtyard.

"Eddie mate, calm down", Grant said.

"Calm down. Calm down!" I snapped at him, "That stupid bloody hat!" I yelled. "Ambition is my driving force, so I have to be put with the racist pricks. And live in the echo chamber of racism."

"There's nothing we can do about it," said Tim a bit meekly. "We should keep our heads down and avoid the others like you said."

"Yeah, that's not working," I said. "Our existence is an affront to them."

"So what should we do, Eddie?" Grant said.

"If the target is already on our backs", I said, a thought coming to my mind, "well, there's no problem with making it bigger." I smiled.

"What do you mean?" Tim said.

"Well, Draco has drawn the line that we are a disgrace to Slytherin," I said. "So what's the most disgraceful thing a Slytherin can do."

They looked at me as if they didn't know the answer.

"Make friends with the enemy", I said, "I think it's time we met some lions."

We made our way to the greenhouses for our first herbology; it was with the Hufflepuff, so Grant, Tim and I sat on that side of the class with Susan and Hannah. "Susan, Hannah, this is Grant and Tim, my roommates" I introduced them. "Grant, Tim, these are the lovely Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott."

"Pleasure," Grant said with a nod.

"Hi," Tim said with a slight wave.

"Good morning, first years", Professor Sprout ", and welcome to the greenhouses; today we are studying the devil's snare." She pulled back a curtain to show a twisting mass of black vines." Page 15 in your textbooks"

All in all, it was a good lesson. Sprout really did love her class.

At lunch, we didn't sit with the Slytherins; instead, we joined Susan and Hannah at the Hufflepuff table. "Why are you sitting here?" Said Susan.

"No rule saying we can't," I said.

"Yes technically we only have to sit with our houses at formal events like Halloween and the opening and closing" Grant said.

"Plus, the Slytherins are pricks," said Tim.

"Too right," said a 3rd year.

All in all it was pleasant lunch and we had flying lessons next withe the Gryffindors.

"Hello miss Granger" I said as I fell in step with her towards the grounds where we will be getting our first flying lesson. I had waited for her to tell Grant and Tim I would catch up.

"Mr Carter, what do I owe the pleasure" hermione asked we a fake smile.

"Oh, it just happened to notice you don't much like me. Can I ask why?" I said.

"Umm, well, you're a Slytherin, and you're my competitor," she said, stumped.

"Well, can't blame for the Slytherin aspect. We really do have the worst reputation." I said, "But competitor, I don't think so; you are too brilliant for my talents. And also my interest rest elsewhere." I smiled.

"Like?" She said

"Music, I love music," I said, "in fact, the only reason I'm any good at magic is because I want to be good at magical music."

"So you're not trying to beat me or show me up?" she sighed with relief.

"No, I would love to be your friend," I said.

"Why? You are a Slytherin, and I'm a Gryffindor," she said.

"Yeah, so I'm Ambitious and cunning, and you're brave and chivalrous," I said. "If you could only make friends with people like yourself, that would be very boring," I added with a cheeky smile.

"What's this, Eddie? Got yourself a girlfriend?" Draco yelled at us.

"And if I have to be friends with a pratt like him I'll go mad" I whispered to hermione. She giggled.

I flipped off Draco and paid him no mind. He's about to give Harry a present anyway.

Madam Hooch arrived."Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

Stepping up to the broom, I was nervous.

"Stick out your right hand over the broom and say up!" She commanded us.

A chorus of ups sounds from the class. Harry got his broom on the first try. It took me 5 Ups till I got the broom in my hand. Madam Hooch showed us how to mount and sit on a broom properly. I suspect it to be comfortable for some reason. It wasn't. We were just about to kick off when Neville took off like a rocket. He was 20 feet up in the air before he realised, and when he did, he fainted and fell.

As a result, he broke his wrist, and Madam Hooch took him to the hospital wing.

Draco and Harry's spat started, and I chatted with Grant and Tim, who were more interested in the spat. Professor McGonagall came and took Harry after the excitement, and five minutes later, Madam Hooch came back, and we got on with the class.

A rechecking of our mounting positions and we could finally kick off.

Flying a broom is infact very easy to do, the broom is inchanted just a small pull in any direction and the broom turns and accelerationis just a matter of will however being more aerodynamic helped alot. Professional brooms for racing and quidditch had stirrups to help make more complex turns and make you sit in a more aerodynamic form.

One thing I learned from the experience is that I'm not a prodigy of flying.

Defence against the dark arts was next, and by the time we got to class, it was already out that Harry Potter was the new Griffindor seeker.