Chapter 7

A/N: I apologise for the long lay off. The holiday's have been really busy for me with a lot of travelling around seeing family. But, you all don't want to be reading my holiday story, so let's get back to this one!

Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me :(

Harry awoke having had a horrible dream. He'd had the same dream before, or at least similar. There used to be a flash of vivid green light, followed sometimes by a ride on a flying motorcycle. Harry used to like this dream. Now, though, it had changed. It started with a woman screaming. Then, the flash of green light as usual but this was now followed by a high pitched cackle of a laugh. There was no glorious ride on the flying motorcycle because Harry shot up in his bed, wide awake, at the sound of the horrible laugh. He was worried that his scar seemed to be burning. Harry knew there was no chance he could sleep after all of that so he got up and out of bed. Glancing over at Draco's bed he saw on his alarm clock, in the shape of a golden ball with silver wings, that it was only just after five in the morning. Not knowing if he would get in trouble for being up so early, Harry decided to go and see Hedwig. She would have post to bring him, like the other owls, so if he didn't go to her he likely wouldn't see her all year.

A little unsurprisingly, given the time, Harry did not meet a single person all the way to the door to the grounds. As he walked towards the Owlery he thought he heard something behind him. He was looking over his shoulder as he walked on when he suddenly bumped into something and found himself sat on the floor, looking up at a dark figure. Some eleven year old children may have screamed, Harry merely pulled his wand from his sleeve and muttered "Lumos".

The holly and phoenix feather wand lit a light so bright, he now couldn't see what was facing him due to the little lights popping in front of his eyes. He was just starting to adjust when the thing in front of him spoke.

"Mr Potter. An interesting time for a stroll, don't you think?"

Harry's stomach dropped. It was Professor Snape. "N-no sir, I-I couldn't sleep so I thought I would visit my owl. I don't have anyone to write to, so I thought she might appreciate it." He sounded a lot less terrified than he thought he would. Snape looked at him with a blank expression.

"Even so, Mr Potter, it is not acceptable for any student to be wandering around the castle at this time. If I catch you anywhere except the Slytherin common room or your dormitory again I will have no choice but to give you detention. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Harry replied. The rules at Hogwarts were strict, but Harry had lived with stricter.

"Now, if you would like to visit your owl, I suggest we are quick about it." Snape finished.

"W-we sir?" Harry asked.

"Yes Mr Potter, we." Snape answered. So, Harry had no choice but to march in step with his head of house. They did not say a word to each other on the way up to the Owlery. Once they were there, Harry called Hedwig down to him and stroked her for a bit. He had wanted to tell her all about his first day and even his dream, she was a very good listener. As he didn't really feel like sharing this with Professor Snape, however, he gave her the owl treats he had brought and let her go back to her perch, high at the top of the tower. He turned, nodded at Professor Snape to signal that he was ready to leave and they started making their way back through the grounds. The sky was considerably lighter now. Harry wondered if they might walk in silence all the way back to the common room, but just as he thought this, Professor Snape spoke.

"So, Potter, why were you unable to sleep?" he asked.

"Oh, it was...nothing Professor." Harry said.

"Come now Mr Potter, as Slytherin head of house it is my duty to ensure the well-being of my students." Snape seemed to know more than he was letting on.

"I just had a bad dream sir, I am sure I will sleep just fine tonight." Harry said, a little more confidently than he really felt about the subject. Snape gave him a curt nod. He didn't seem to be done with his interrogation on the issue.

"Well, next time you have a bad dream I insist you either come to speak to me directly, or perhaps you could put it in a note and send it with your owl?" Snape prompted.

"OK sir, I will." Harry was certain he would never actually do this but he did not want Snape to pursue the subject any further. He didn't really know why, either. He just knew that he wanted to keep his dream...private. There was a small part of Harry that wanted to have the dream again and he did not want Professor Snape to give him any potions which may stop it.

Snape walked him all the way back to the common room entrance. "See you at breakfast Potter." He said by way of a parting message. Harry sat on the chair closest to the fire where the older students seemed to have first choice when they were awake. He considered his dream and the events that followed. The more he thought about it, his anger at Snape's nosiness crept up on him. Why should Harry tell him about his dreams?

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

After their second day of lessons at Hogwarts, all of the Slytherin first years were feeling pretty tired. Harry, who had been up a good two hours earlier than his classmates, was feeling particularly sluggish. As he finished his dinner he decided to head back to the common room to do his homework and get an early night but, on his way out of the Great Hall, he noticed Draco was stood face to face with Ron Weasley from Gryffindor. Either side of Draco were Vince and Greg and stood behind Weasley was the boy who had lost his toad on the Hogwarts Express, Neville Longbottom. Harry was just about to walk over and see what was going on when Professor McGonagall swooped into the scene.

"What is going on here?" She asked impatiently.

"Malfoy has Neville's Remembrall, Professor!" Shouted Weasley

"Just looking." Said Draco as he handed the clear glass ball back to Longbottom. As Longbottom took the ball into his hand, it filled with a scarlet red smoke-like substance.

"Oh no. I can't remember what I've forgotten!" Said Longbottom. Draco smirked as he turned away from the Gryffindor's but he didn't make any more comments in front of Professor McGonagall. She had a way of making students behave, without having to tell them to which was similar to Professor Snape.

Draco walked towards Harry with a big smile on his face.

"Why are you so happy?" Harry asked.

"Oh, it's nothing." Said Draco "I just can't wait to see that fat lump on a broom in our flying lesson tomorrow. We have it with the Gryffindorks, didn't you know?"

Harry had not known. He felt very uneasy though. Just seeing his best friend, flanked by the enormous Vince and Greg, facing up to Weasley and Longbottom like that reminded him of Dudley and his gang, who only ever started a fight if they had a size or number advantage. Which, to be honest, they had both most of the time. Harry had no feelings of loyalty towards the two Gryffindor boys but he did not like bullying. He made a conscious decision to say something to Draco if he saw him doing anything like that again. After all, Draco was an only child and may not know that how he was being was not okay.

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

The Slytherin boys had all got on with their homework the previous night and, to Harry's surprise, they had all followed his lead in having an early night. Thankfully he was not disturbed by any dreams either so Harry had woken up feeling really refreshed. As he walked with Draco into the Great Hall for breakfast and looked up at the enchanted ceiling to see how the weather was looking, Harry noticed Weasley and Longbottom looking over at them. He smiled and raised a hand in greeting but the two boys glared back at him and Harry found his good mood slide away. These boys looked like they hated him and he realised, as he glanced sideways at Draco, that this could be due to his company more than anything. While he ate a single crumpet, trying not to look sad, his face must have deceived him because Draco nudged him with his elbow and said "Hey, what's wrong Harry? Nervous about the flying lesson?" he asked. Harry was not worried at all about his flying lesson. He had been looking forward to it more than anything else he would get to do at Hogwarts. Mr Malfoy had never let the boys fly on Draco's brooms over the Summer, as Harry had never flown before and he wasn't often around during the day to keep an eye on them.

"No, it's not that. It's just...those two boys from our year in Gryffindor, Weasley and Longbottom. I don't think they like me." Harry finished rather lamely.

"Of course they don't like you Harry!" Draco exclaimed. Harry looked at Draco in shock at this statement. Did he know something about Harry that Harry did not know himself? "You're a Slytherin and they are Gryffindorks. Everyone knows there's a rivalry between us."

"There is? Why?" Harry asked.

"Because the other houses don't really matter. Hufflepuff house is known for mediocrity in it's students. Sure, Ravenclaw's are all supposed to be clever but they won't come close to us in the House Cup by the end of the year. No, it will be between us and them." Draco jabbed a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the Gryffindor table. Harry looked over at them. Surely there was a difference between friendly, healthy rivalry and pure hate? There must be more to this. He resolved to speak to some students from the other houses so he could make his own mind up on the matter.

"Well, eat up Harry, remember our first flying lesson is with them and you need to do well. Can't show ourselves up in front of them. You know, it's a real shame they don't let first years in to the house teams. Father thinks I would make an excellent Seeker already." The final part of this sentence was spoken a lot louder than the first and seemed to be to the hall at large, rather than to Harry. Draco had given Harry nerves that he had not been feeling for today's flying lesson. What if he got on the broomstick and it just refused to take him into the air?

HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP

Madam Hooch was a strict, intimidating lady. Her grey, flyaway, hair and yellow eyes drew the attention of all the students towards her. Meaning they listened intently when she spoke. They probably would have listened intently anyway, considering the dangerous task they were about to be asked to do. Some were more confident than others. Ron Weasley, who was stood to Harry's right, was to be heard talking about his exploits on a broomstick with his older brothers. Draco certainly had experience in flying and there were quite a few others from the wizarding families who had flown at some point already. Hermione Granger, stood to Harry's left, was frantically reciting everything she had read about flying a broomstick under her breath. She answered all of the questions correctly, which Madam Hooch had asked the group. Now that Harry was stood in the grounds, with a broomstick on the floor next to his right foot, he realised his nerves were gone. There was something about the broomstick that felt familiar to him.

"Now, when I say so, you will raise your right hand above the broomstick and say UP". Said Madam Hooch. "OK, now!" She ordered. All of the students did as they were told. Harry's broom flew straight into his hand at the first attempt, but it was one of the few that did. Once they had all managed to get their brooms into their hands Madam Hooch gave her next order. "Now I would like you to mount your brooms and hold tight. Stay in that position so I can check your form." They all did this and the silver haired instructor walked up and down the row of students, giving them tips on how to adjust their positions. Draco looked furious when she corrected his grip. He said it was the way he had always done it and Madam Hooch told him that he had been doing it wrong for years! Harry heard Ron Weasley snigger on his right hand side and looked at him. The two shared a small grin before Weasley's became a grimace and he looked away.

"OK class, I am going to blow my whistle twice. On the first whistle I would like you to kick off from the ground, hard, raise the broomstick so you rise up a few feet. On my second whistle I want you to gently lower the end of the broomstick to bring yourselves back to the ground. Understood?"

"Yes Madam Hooch" They chorused.

"OK, on the count of three. One, Two..." She did not make it to three. Neville Longbottom, determined not to be left on the ground, had kicked off at two. He clearly couldn't control what he was doing either, because he was rising high into the sky and started to spiral as he went up in a corkscrew motion. The rest of the group scattered, afraid that he would fall on them, but Harry stood his ground next to Madam Hooch. When Longbottom was about twenty feet in the air, he slipped sideways off his broomstick and started to plummet towards the ground.

"ARRESTO MOMENTUM!" The roar of the spell echoed throughout the grounds. Everyone looked in shock at Harry, who stood, wand pointed at Longbottom suspending him about ten feet in the air still. Madam Hooch, who had dived out of the way as Longbottom came off his broomstick, got to her feet in slight awe.

"POTTER!" she shouted. Harry did not expect this as she was only about a foot away as she shouted his name. He jumped and let go of his hold on the spell. Longbottom fell and landed awkwardly. Harry turned to see a bundle of robes crying behind him and Madam Hooch rushed over. "Oh dear, a broken arm. Come on Longbottom, I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey. The rest of you, stay on the ground. If I find out any one of you have been flying those broomsticks before I get back you will be out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch! Potter, I want a word with you when I get back too." She finished. Harry could not see how he could be in trouble. Longbottom had broken his arm from ten feet in the air. If Harry had not stopped him falling it could have been much worst from double that height!

"Look at this." Harry turned to see Draco pick something up from the ground. "It's Longbottom's Remembrall. Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he would have remembered to fall on his fat arse!" He taunted.

"Give it back Malfoy!" Shouted Weasley

"No, maybe I will leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find it, how about the roof?" and with that, Draco jumped on his broom and kicked off from the ground, soaring into the sky with little effort. He had not been lying, he could fly well. Weasley glared at him from the ground and made to mount his own broomstick. Hermione Granger, however, grabbed his arm to stop him from flying.

"Ron, no way, you will get yourself expelled. You heard Madam Hooch." She said reasonably.

"I don't care, I want to get Malfoy!" Ron retorted.

"I'll get it back from him." Harry stated. He did not wait for anyone to try and stop him. Before anyone had a chance he was already in the air and pulling level with Draco. He didn't know what he was worried about. This was the easiest thing he had done at Hogwarts so far. He knew how to manoeuvre this broom without being taught.

"Draco, I know you don't realise it, but you are being a bully. I grew up with my cousin, who was a bully and it's horrible to see. I know you're not really like him. Just come back down with that thing before Madam Hooch gets back and we get in trouble." Harry pleaded.

"Oh, am I being a bully?" Draco asked. "Well, as you put it that way Harry, I will go back down." He said. Harry felt relieved and made to lower the end of his broomstick to go back to the ground, when Draco said "As soon as I have finished hiding this Remembrall." With that, he pulled his hand back behind his head.

"DRACO, NO!" Harry shouted, but it was too late. Draco threw the clear orb as hard as he could towards the castle. Harry leant low on his broom and, somehow, he knew that he would be able to kick forwards with speed if he did this. He did not take his eye off the Remembrall and as it started to dip, he shot towards the ground. Harry stretched out one hand a few feet from the ground and caught it, before pulling the broomstick up hard and landing gently on the grass. The rest of the students ran towards him, the Slytherin's cheering along with a few of the Gryffindor's, at the impressive show of flying Harry had just displayed. Draco looked a mixture of shocked and impressed. Despite himself he grinned and held the Remembrall above his head to show that it was safe and still in tact before...

"Accio Remembrall" the orb forcibly flew from Harry's hand. He turned around to watch it fly at speed and stop dead in the hand of Professor Snape. "Potter! Come with me." said Snape. Harry looked back at his classmates. Draco mouthed the word sorry to him but Harry was too angry to respond. Instead, he turned, dropped the broomstick on the floor where he stood and followed his head of house back to the castle.