Flying Lessons
Harry glared at the tampered case where he stored his contacts. He didn't store them in the trunk (where it is heavily secured with a shock ward and even password protected – a parseltongue password to boot) since it was difficult to keep looking in the trunk to find it. He just didn't expect them to find the case again. It would look like he has to wear his glasses again. Iris is already beside herself knowing that someone was bullying her brother but Harry doesn't want his sister to intervene. Yes, his sister would fight to the death for him if she has to (and he appreciates that of her) but it wouldn't make a good impression for Harry to have her "badger sister" defend him in a house that values reputation and image, especially when even in Slytherin, being a badger is seen as a weakness.
Harry doesn't really understand their prejudice against the badgers. Even the Gryffindors and the Ravenclaws have the same views. Hufflepuffs are also usually the last in the house points since they don't rack up points like the other houses as trying to prove there are brave, ambitious, smart, and powerful was never a thing of that house. In fact, in Harry's opinion, Helga Hufflepuff is the epitome of an educator. While the other founders wanted to teach the ones who were "ambitious", "smart" and "whoever is willing to fight a lion", Helga was the one who wanted to teach those who wanted to learn regardless of whatever value they had. And many of the Slytherins don't seem to take advantage of the resources a Hufflepuff can have for them which is why Harry has a good relationship with the Hufflepuffs. It helped that her sister is in the house.
Harry sighed. Whoever was targeting him is either within his dorm (I'm looking at you, Malfoy) or someone outside. He saw all the sneers and glares he always received from the older members of his house. It's not like he is the only half-blood in Slytherin but he was the only half-blood in the house whose father is very light leaned that they become prejudiced against anyone they considered "too dark", whose father is hated by his head of the house, his father who insulted almost every family in Slytherin, whose head of the house doesn't seem to like him, not to mention that his father is an Auror who has sent a lot of the death eaters (many of them were children of said death eaters) to Azkaban and that his brother is the boy-who-lived. Even though it was already common knowledge that he does not have a good relationship with his father, some people still claim that it was all an act and that he was a spy for the light or that because of his muggle-raised experience made him less than them.
For most, they were testing Harry and his position in the house. He isn't like Malfoy whose family is well respected and no matter how stupid and annoying he can be ("My father will hear about this!" is becoming an annoying catchphrase of the boy) they'll still listen to him especially since his father has both the money and prestige that can also have a negative impact towards their families if they pissed him off which also translate to his son. This also is why Mauricius Burke follows Draco around being one of the scions of the Burke family who is known for their dark magic and the fact that the boy's relatives wanted to side with the Malfoys – this is already known to most of the house.
Theo Nott is also another who comes from a long line of purebloods and is part of the dark faction in Wizengamot like the Malfoys but Blaise's family has always been neutral. Blaise is also a foreigner even though his lineage can be traced back to Great Britain and the Zabini even has a seat (though a noble one) in the Wizengamot. Though Blaise keeps complaining about how his mother is always absent and that the rest of the house does have a negative view of him and his mother (his mother has a reputation as a black widow with over 7 husbands who died and left her their fortunes).
Zacharias Smith however is not the person whom Harry would expect to target him because not only is the boy raised as a Hufflepuff, he doesn't talk to any of them. Smith would disappear for long hours at a time after their classes, and nobody is sure where he went. The only person whom he seems to have been close to is Morag Macdougal and she's a girl so she isn't present in their dormitory. Either way, his roommates remained unscathed by all these pranks, especially at the time when someone tampered with his shampoo and Harry has to sport green hair the rest of the day which led to a day of teasing from both the Gryffindors and the Slytherins.
Harry just sighed and huffed as he grabbed his glasses and he made sure to grab his scarf because the common room will feel like the inside of a refrigerator in the morning. The Slytherin common room has always been cold being in the dungeons, underwater and the cold marble floor and the green stone walls while meeting the Slytherin aesthetics, made the common room even colder than when they exited from it. There are only two fireplaces in the common room, which are occupied by the sixth and seventh years. Not only is that place the warmest but the place also has the most comfortable seats.
"Good morning Essie!" Harry quietly hissed at the stone snakes that guard the entrance to the dorms as he passed by.
"Good morning, Harry." Essie hissed back discretely.
The stone snakes have helped give Harry some information about Slytherin's common room, like how comes and goes and what they talked about. There wasn't a lot of entertainment they could do being stuck in one place for life. It was the time that Harry tested the waters in the common room and the snake portraits to know if his parseltongue would work and it did. Unfortunately, the stone snakes are stuck in the opening between the dorms and the common room so they can only see and hear what is going on in the common room and not within the dorms.
"What's going on?" Harry asked when he noticed the first years gathered at the bulletin board near the entrance.
"Classes for this morning are canceled," Blaise answered.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Flying lessons," Malfoy answered gleefully.
"Finally, something fun to do," Harry said. He likes flying and there isn't exactly a lot to do in Hogwarts aside from their classes and quidditch season hasn't started yet so they don't have anything to watch to enjoy themselves. Music doesn't work unless you have a wireless (yes, wizards and witches have a radio) but the channels are mostly sports announcements and the occasional music from the WWN (wizarding wireless network). Compared to the muggle world there aren't a lot of songs available for the magical community and only a handful of musicians take up such a career.
There is also the fact that most if not all of the clubs in school are subject-related, quidditch, gob stone, and there are also the exclusive sphinx, dragon, and hippogriff clubs (A/N: It's mentioned in Hogwarts Mystery) which are focused more again on the studies and these clubs are usually available for students when they reach the fourth year since they have to be good on certain core and elective subjects. Although rumor has it, it is also the best place to establish rapport with other students as these clubs can extend outside school but it is normally not available for first years. Even Iris complained once, "No archery, no fencing, no conservation clubs, no business clubs, and what's with this student body where the teachers still have the run of the place? There are mostly homework clubs, and there was even a book club but that's just it. There has got to be something to do around here. We can't always study!"
"You wouldn't say that if you know whom we're partnering with." Blaise frowned.
Harry sighed. "Really? Gryffindors again? Have we had enough? For once I would like to hang out with my sister. At least she doesn't have a red-headed best friend who is easy to anger. She only has a red-headed friend who is terrifying." That person was Susan Bones. The girl has developed a reputation in the Hufflepuff House for being very firm which is probably due to her aunt, Madam Bones who is the head of the DMLE.
Malfoy snorted. "Only you would like to hang out with the puffs."
"If you meant that as an insult, you failed." Harry rolled his eyes at him. "Getting the loyalty from the Hufflepuffs has a lot of advantages you know."
"Like what?" Malfoy scoffed.
"You'll see." Harry sneered at him.
"We also got the list of our mentors too," Blaise said. In Slytherin, it is common for the head of house to set up the first years with a mentor who is usually a fifth year. They serve as guidance for the first years and establish connections – if your mentor is willing.
"I got Graham Montague. Who'd you get?" Blaise turned to Harry.
Harry peeked at the list and almost groaned. "Marcus Flint?"
Blaise grinned. "I feel sorry for you."
Everyone knows who Marcus Flint is. The fifth-year quidditch captain. He is known to be one of the most ruthless Slytherins. Despite his lack of high grades (which he still managed to pass because hey, his best friend is Percy Weasley), he has a wide variety of skills in curses, his stature can intimidate anyone, and he can do both physical and magical ways to hurt you. To Harry, he is basically the scariest jock in the house.
Malfoy groaned when he stared at the list. Blaise turned and chuckled. "Oh, Merlin. You have Percival Weasley!"
"I cannot believe this! I'll write to father about this!" Malfoy stormed off back to the dorms.
"Why is that funny?" Harry asked. Aside from Ronald, Harry has a positive opinion of the Weasley brothers although he never really hangs out or have talked to them. He heard it from others. Percival Weasley, the genius fifth year, and the Weasley twins the terrors of Hogwarts – the duo are never to be messed with. Everyone was warned about it.
"Because their family and the Weasleys don't particularly get along. Malfoys and the Weasleys have a feud with each other that has lasted for centuries. Plus, the Malfoys criticize the Weasleys all the time for being poor and shabby." Blaise muttered.
"Malfoy's lucky," Harry replied. "Percy Weasley is at the top of his year and is talented in magic. You got the second-ranking student after Weasley." He pointed at Blaise. "While I got Flint."
*******************
Harry was looking forward to the flying lesson. But it was a disaster for the Slytherin-Gryffindor group.
The brooms used in the flying lessons were not exactly the old lanky brooms that the school was used to. The board has made sure to update the brooms to a Comet two-sixty at least. Though the Nimbus 2000 is the most recent and most popular one, this comet two-sixty was the next best thing. They were also second-hand instead of new ones (courtesy of quidditch athletes who sold their brooms when they received their new Nimbus). The reason the board of directors of Hogwarts wanted the used brooms is that these brooms are already broken in by previous owners so there is little need for the students to adjust for the first time and cause themselves accidents compared to a new one.
However, that did not stop Weasley to get slammed in the face by a broom or Neville Longbottom who immediately zoomed into the air before Madam Hooch can even tell them to start and crashed among the trees breaking his arm and having to go to the infirmary. Malfoy during the absence of a teacher managed to find Neville's Remembrall.
'Did you see his face, the great lump?" Malfoy burst into laughter.
"Shut up Malfoy!" snapped Parvati Patil.
"Ohhhhh, I didn't realize you like fatty crybabies, Patil." Pansy Parkinson cackled earning a glare from the girl.
"Look here, the whiny baby's Remembrall!" Malfoy sneered as he snatched something from the grass. Longbottom's Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.
"Give it here, Malfoy!" Godric growled as he stretched his hand toward the blonde.
Harry also wanted to intervene and tried to grab the Remembrall from Malfoy's hand but the boy jumped on his broom and flew off. Harry heard about the Remembrall over breakfast and how Neville mentioned that it was a family heirloom. Neville is his Herbology and Potions partner and he'd rather have a good relationship with him. Aside from the benefits, he'll get with Neville, he genuinely likes the boy. If only he can have some confidence in himself.
"I think I'll leave it somewhere for the crybaby to find. Up a tree perhaps?"
"Give it here!" Godric yelled as he also mounts his broom.
"Bad idea," Harry commented.
"You can't!" Granger shouted and even grabbed the boy's sleeves. "You'll get in trouble!"
But Godric ignored her and Harry as he zooms off toward the blonde. Harry has to admit that his brother is rather good at the broom judging from how he maneuvers it straight to Malfoy. It is so obvious the two have experience with it. This makes sense since Harry found out his father was a famous chaser of Gryffindor back in his day.
"Give it or I'll knock you off the broom!"
"Oh yeah? Catch it if you can then!" he shouted as he zoomed off and then threw the Remembrall further away.
Godric pointed his broom and dove off to catch the Remembrall. He was only a foot from a window when he managed to do a sharp turn and catch it which erupted cheers of joy from the Gryffindors as he raised the Remembrall like a trophy not realizing that Malfoy is already on the ground grinning as he looked behind them.
"GODRIC POTTER!!!"
The entire class turned towards Professor McGonagall who is looking furiously at the messy-haired boy still hovering in the air. "Get back down this instance!"
"It wasn't his fault, Professor!"
"Be quiet, Ms. Patil."
"But it was Malfoy's fault!"
"Not now, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now!"
Little did they know, Malfoy intentionally threw the ball straight to that window, knowing that it was the staff room.
Harry turned to the blonde. "What was that about?"
Malfoy snorted. "Canned it, Potter. At least there is going to be one less Potter in the school."
They never got to fly that day to the dismay of everyone, except Granger who admitted, "I'd rather ride a plane than a broom. At least my feet still touch something!"