The Flying class
Rosie never thought she EVER met a boy she hated more than Dudly, but here she is. Draco Malfoy was the Dudly of the wizarding world. But she only had Potions with Slytherins so she didn't have to deal with him that much.
That was until when she was with Ron and Neville and saw a notice in the Gryffindor common room that made them all groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday — and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together.
"Of course," Rosie grumbled, "the one thing I wanted to learn the most HAD to be with Malfoy." After learning that her father was a Quidditch star, she wanted to learn how to a broom as fast as she could and join the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
"It won't be so bad. You're more popular than him, and the teachers love you," Ron said. Rosie brushed that off. She wasn't popular. Sure, she loved speaking with her teachers about the topics they teach. And she helped some of her fellow Gryffindors with their classwork and assignments, but that didn't make her popular.
Roselyn had read how much her dad loved Quidditch, laughing about how when he bought her a broom she shot off like a rocket. It both terrified and enraged her mum, it made her laugh so much.
Ron's assurance that Malfoy was just all talk on a broom brought her some comfort. Everyone she spoke to had some story on a broom and those who came from a wizarding family constantly spoke about Quidditch. She heard from Neville that Ron had an argument with a roommate of theirs about football (soccer). Apparently Ron didn't see the excitement about a game with one ball when one was allowed to fly.
Neville was never on one in his life, said his Grandmother never let him on one. Saying that it was too dangerous, and Rosie kind of agreed with her. As Neville was kind of clumsy even with both his feet on the ground.
Hermione was also nervous about being a broom, the same as Neville. In their dorm room, she spoke about her fear of not doing something right and getting injured. But this wasn't something you could learn from a book, that didn't stop her from trying. She checked out a book from the library called Quidditch Through the Ages. Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that might help him hang on to his broomstick later.
Roselyn also had a copy of Quidditch Through the Ages, it was worn and well-loved by her father. She didn't pack it in her trunk but she remembered most of it content.
When the mail arrived she didn't get anything. But she did snuggle with Hedwig, the owl quickly became spoiled from all the treats and snuggles Rosie was giving her. As Rose gently scratches Hedwig she ignores Malfoy's daily gloating about the gifts and letters he gets from his parents.
She instead listens in when Neville gets a package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and happily showed them a small glass ball around the size of a small marble, which was filled with white smoke.
“It’s a Remembrall!” he explained. “Gran knows I forget things — this tells you if there’s something you’ve forgotten to do. Look, you hold it tight like this, and if it turns red — oh . . .” His face fell because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, “. . . you’ve forgotten something . . .”
"You forgot your robes." Roselyn softly reminded him,
"Oh, Thanks Rosie." Neville thanked her with a smile, which she returned. But they were interrupted when Malfoy was passing by and snatched the ball out of the boy's hand.
Ron quickly stood up in defense, but as quick as a whip Professor McGonagall matched over.
“What’s going on?”
“Malfoy’s got my Remembrall, Professor.”
Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.
“Just looking,” he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.
At Three-thirty that afternoon, Rose, Ron, Neville, and the other Gryffindor first-years hurried to the grounds for their first flying lesson. The lawns were flat and opened as the grass ribbed underfoot. The trees of the forbidden forest loom over them on the opposite side of the field.
The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Rose had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.
Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.
“Well, what are you all waiting for?” she barked. “Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up.”
Rosie glanced at her broom, the broom had twigs that stuck out due to its age. And a passage she remembered from Quidditch Through the Ages said that an improperly maintained broom can cause the rider to lose control of the broom.
“Stick out your right hand over your broom,” called Madam Hooch at the front, “and say ‘Up!’”
“UP!” everyone shouted.
When she said up, her broom quickly flew up into her hand. It was one of the few who did so. Hermione's simply rolled over, but Neville's didn't even twitch. Rosie also remembered that you have to be assertive with a broom, kind of like a horse. It can know you're scared and Neville's voice had a bit of a quiver in it, so she helped him out.
"Hey, Neville." She whispered to him. When he turned, she told him, "You are assertive with your broom, kind of like a horse. It knows you're scared, so it doesn't listen, but when you are assertive, it will listen."
Following her advice, Neville tried again. This time was an assertive tone in his voice and his broom quickly flew up into his hand. He gave her such a joyful smile she smiled with him.
The two of them listened when Madam Hooch showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the edge and walked along with rows correcting their grips. Rosie had to snuffle a giggle at Malfoy's face when Madam Hooch told him that he had been holding it wrong for years.
“Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard,” said Madam Hooch. “Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle — three — two —”
But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch’s lips.
Seeing this Rosie didn't think she acted. She quickly took off after him, climbing just as fast as him, reaching him Rose grabbed Neville's arm to stabilize him and said. "Neville, remember what I said. The broom is like a horse it knows yours scared, so take a few deep breaths and I'll give us back down."
Neville did so, taking a few breaths as Rosie guided them back down. When they were about twenty feet off the ground, Rosie spotted something falling out of Neville's pocket and she acted without thinking again. She dove after it, quickly catching it and landing with Neville.
Madam Hooch quickly marched up to them, a bit of panic written on her face. "Mr. Longbottom what happened?!" She demanded while checking them for injuries.
"I-it, just flew up. It wouldn't listen to me." Neville answered, "Rosie helped calm me down saying the broom wouldn't listen to me if I was scared."
The boy handed the broom to Madam Hooch who quickly examined it and found the problem. "It wasn't your fault Mr. Longbottom, this broom is on its last life, an accident was bound to happen. And Miss Evans that was expert flying."
Rosie was a little shocked at the praise, she was sure that she would have gotten scolded some way. "R-really?"
"Yes, never have I seen a first-year fly like that. Have you been on a broom before?" Madam Hooch continued,
"N-no, this-this was my first time," Rosie admitted, she always wondered what it was like to fly and she was shocked herself how easy it was.
"Really, now?" the witch thought about something for a moment before she called out to the class. "I need to attend to something, none of you move while I'm gone. You leave those brooms on the ground where they are or you’ll be out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch."
Madam Hooch left and Rosie was quickly crowed by her Gryffindor classmates.
"That was brilliant!" Ron shouted, amazement across his face.
"You were so good!"
"Have you flown before?"
"Uh, no. This was my first time." Rosie managed to get out, she was flustered from all the praise. She wasn't used to this kind of attention.
"Thank you for saving me Rosie, I can't imagine what could have happened if you didn't" Neville thanked the girl, hugging her but back off when he realized what he was doing.
"It was nothing, Neville. Anyone would help a friend." Rosie said, hugging the boy back. "Oh, and here's your remembrall." Rosie tried to hand back the ball to Neville but it was snatched out of her hand.
"Think you so great Evans? Just because you can fly a broom." Malfoy sneered at her, holding the ball in a tight grip.
"You're just saying that because Rosie is better on a broom than you are on her first time!" Ron got between them in his friend's defense.
"Get out of the way Weasly this is between me and Evans." Crabbe shoved Ron out of the way so Malfoy and Rose were face to face.
"Think your little miss perfect Evan? Being the teacher's pet, getting all the praise and attention because you got a little spell right?" What Malfoy doesn't know is that Rosie is used to people trying to downplay her. And she knows she can't beat people physically she used her words.
"If you want that Malfoy, maybe you should run to Daddy. And complain to him that a little half-blood beat you in a little assignment I'm sure that's refined. Or maybe just, you know study? Also, I'm gonna ask you to give Neville's remembrall back as it's you know... not yours." Rosie shot back, and all of the Gyrffindors burst out laughing at her burn.
"Ooooh! Need some Ice for that burn, Draco!" Ron teased before bending over from his laughter, even Hermonie was stuffing a giggle. Rosie was just smirking proud of her comeback, and also who was approaching.
"Why you little-"
"Mr. Malfoy!" the professor's arrival couldn't come at a better time, as Malfoy and his goonies were poised to hit her. McGonagall was with Hooch as the pair marched over to first years. "What is going on!"
"Malfoy was getting his goonies to hit Rosie after she tried to get Neville's remembrall back, and he insulted her too!" Ron said, and other Gyrffindors quickly agreed. The teacher snapped her attention to Malfoy.
"Is this true, Mr. Malfoy?" She asked, but he was already caught red-handed as he had the ball still in his hand.
"Disrespecting a student, insulting them, stealing another student's private property, and threatening violence?!" Hooch listed anger written clearly on her face.
"This won't do, Rolanda. Will you deal with Mr. Malfoy's punishment?" McGonagall asked the flight instructor, who agreed. Now, Miss Evans, will you follow me?"
Rose did so, but she quicked a glance. And she smiled as she saw Malfoy and his cronies get crewed out by Madam Hooch. But she continued to follow Professor McGonagall into the castle.
As the girl followed the witch up the marble stairs, she felt a growing pit in her stomach. Was she in trouble? What would she be in trouble for though? She didn't do anything that would be against the rules right?
Professor McGonagall stopped at a classroom and peered her head through. “Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?”
Wood? Why was she calling for someone? Rosie had learned that wizarding family names can be just plain weird sometimes. A burly fifth-year boy came out of Flitwick’s class looking confused.
“Follow me, you two,” said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Roselyn.
“In here.”
Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the blackboard.
“Out, Peeves!” she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and he swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him and turned to face the two boys.
"Evans, this is Oliver Woods, Wood — I’ve found you a Seeker." Wood’s expression changed from puzzlement to delight.
“Are you serious, Professor?” He asked
“Absolutely,” said Professor McGonagall crisply. "The girl is an absolute natural, nothing like I ever seen. Was this your first time on a broom Miss. Evans?"
Rosie nodded, when she heard the word seeker her stomach flipped with hope. Was she getting scouted?
“She caught a remembrall in her hand after a fifty-foot dive,” Professor McGonagall told Wood. “Didn’t even scratch herself she also helped another student down. Charlie Weasley couldn’t have done it.”
Wood was now looking as though all his dreams had come true at once. “Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Evans?” he asked excitedly
“Wood’s captain of the Gryffindor team,” Professor McGonagall explained.
“She’s just the build for a Seeker, too,” said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. “Light — speedy — we’ll have to get her a decent broom, Professor — a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I’d say.”
“I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can’t bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows we need a better team than last year. Flattened in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn’t look Severus Snape in the face for weeks. . . .”
Professor McGonagall peered sternly over her glasses at Rosie. Who quickly spoke up.
"Wait, I'm going to be the new Gryffindor seeker?! " she asked, excitement filling her voice. She had always wanted to play Quidditch when she first read about it in her father's journal. Now she was going to play in her first year; she didn't even need to wait a year!
"Indeed Miss. Evans, now I know you are excited I don't to hear anything about you pushing yourself too hard in training. Or I'll have to give a detention." Rosie quickly nodded in agreement, so Wood was dismissed by Professor McGonagall when they were alone she added, "Your father would be quite proud of you Roselyn he was quite the Quidditch star."
Rosie's smile stayed even at dinner when she excitedly told Ron and Neville the news. Ron who had a piece of stake halfway to his mouth was forgotten about as soon as he heard the news.
"REALLY?!" He asked, shock written across his face Neville's as well.
"Seeker?! Really Rosie?" Neville asked, and Rosie nodded. "B-but first years never — you must be the youngest House player in about —"
"A CENTRY!" Ron finished, but Rosie nodded along. And took a bite from her shepherd's pie feeling a bit more hungry after the exciting afternoon.
Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Rosie.
“I start training next week,” said Rose. “Only don’t tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret.”
Ron's older twin brothers walked into the great hall spotting Rosie they hurried over.
“Well done,” said George in a low voice. “Wood told us. We’re on the team too — Beaters.”
“I tell you, we’re going to win that Quidditch Cup for sure this year,” said Fred. “We haven’t won since Charlie left, but this year’s team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Rose, Wood was almost skipping when he told us.”
“Anyway, we’ve got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he’s found a new secret passageway out of the school.”
“Bet it’s that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you.”
Fred and George then disappeared, and Rosie turned to Ron and Neville again. "By the way what happened to Malfoy and his goons?"
"They were banned from the next couple of flying lessons and had to serve detention with Madam Hooch. Heard they'll be timing all the brooms in the broom shed." Ron answered, laughing a little and so did Rosie but that was cut short when Malfoy with Goyle and Crabbe at his side as usual.
"What's so funny half-blood, I won't be laughing when you got punished for being on your broom."
"Actually, I got praise from Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall for my flying" Rosie corrected "Said I'm a better flyer than most second years, and remember who got in trouble for stealing a remembrall, for threatening to beat me up, and insulting me. Which caused him and his dumb friends to have detention with Madam Hooch and get banned from flying lessons for the next couple of weeks?"
Malfoy's face was turning purple from the humiliation and embarrassment as Rosie called him out. But his usual protectors couldn't do anything as the head table was full of teachers so they couldn't do more than crack their knuckles and look tough.
"Think you better than me Evans? How about a wizard's duel? Wands only — no contact. What’s the matter? Never heard of a wizard’s duel before, I suppose?” Malfoy challenged, Ron was about to interject but Rosie swiftly grabbed his arm. Having dealt with bullies of all kinds all her life she knew how to deal with this.
Boys like Malfoy won't get their hands dirty, they'll mutilate the situation to their favor. Knowing him, he'd tattle to a teacher or a Flich about the duel and get her into trouble but Rosie was smarter than that.
"Fine, I accept." Rosie accepted, and Malfoy smirked believing she fell into his trap but he fell into hers. "Ron, would you be my second?" The redhead nodded but looked confused.
Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up.
“Crabbe,” he said. “Midnight all right? We’ll meet you in the trophy room; that’s always unlocked.”
When Malfoy had gone, Neville spoke. "Why'd you agree?! You know Malfoy not going to show!"
"Exactly," Rosie said, and now both boys looked confused so she explained. "Boys like Malfoy? Their spoiled to the core, too used to running to teachers or their parents and playing the victim. Not wanting to get their hands dirty, so they play the victim. That's what I'm betting on, Malfoy will likely tell a teacher about the duel and get us in trouble. But if I don't show, he'll get in even more trouble."
"But it's a wizard's duel, you can't just skip one," Ron said,
"What are the chances that Malfoy actually showing? Knowing he lets Crabbe and Goyle do his dirty work." Rose pointed out, and when Ron thought about it.
"Yeah, you're probably right.” The trio then went up the tower, but Rosie noticed something weird next to the second-floor stairs.
"Hey, wait guys." The boys turned around to see Rosie drag her hand down the wall before she grabbed a ledge and pulled. When she did a passage was reviled.
"Woah," They all said,
"Where do you think it leads to?" Ron asked as he stuck his head inside the passage. Rosie did so as well, the passage was dark only lit but the light of staircases.
"I don't know, want to check it out?" Rosie suggested, and Ron immediately agreed. But Neville hesitated.
"I-I don't guys. Wh-what if it's dangerous?" He asked,
"Don't worry Nev, if anything it's probably just dark," Ron said as he stepped into the passage. Rosie and Neville shared a look and she could tell Neville was still nervous a voice spoke behind them spooking them.
"What are you guys doing?" Hermione demanded, her shoulder bag stuffed full of books.
"Just exploring," Ron said,
"In a secret passage? You know you'll get in trouble for this right?" Hermione pointed out but Ron argued.
"You won't get in trouble you don't get caught." But when Rosie heard a familiar meow, she snapped her head to the sound and found Mrs. Norris she quickly got in between them.
"Uh, not to interrupt this lovely conversation. But unless you want to get in trouble and not explore the cool secret passage. I suggest we hide if we don't want to get caught by Filch." The others had looks of shock before they quickly clambered into the passageway and Rosie slammed the door shut.
They were in darkness, "Ah! I can't see anything!"
"Neville Let Go! I can't balance!"
"Guys! Quite Flich will hear us!"
"Wait a second, Lumos." A light was shown through the passage, coming from Hermione wand. And it reviled Neville clinging on Ron. The two boys realized this and quickly got off each other, Rosie giggled quietly at them along with Hermonie.
"What are gonna do?" Ron asked, as Rose got out her wand and did Lumos as well. Shining her light through the passage.
"Through, we can't go out." She led the way as the others followed her, the passageway was a bit cold and damp. They reached a staircase that led both up and down, and the group decided up.
"Maybe it could lead to the Gryffindor dorms, I mean the castle had tons of secret passageways right?" Rosie asked, and Hermione nodded.
"Yeah, they were mentioned in Hogwarts: a History." The boys seeing nothing wrong with the reason agreed, as the group climbed the stairs they reached a door Rosie pushed it open and the hidden door opened.
when she opened the door they were greeted with a long corridor. It was darkly lit with only torches lighting the way.
"Come on the stairs are over there," Hermione stepped out of the doorway to the entrance of the carried "AH!" but when she tried to leave she fell, like she ran into a wall.
"Woah, Hermione! Are you okay?" Rosie quickly helped her up, worried for her roommate.
"I'm fine, but it was like I ran into a wall." She answered, Ron reached for a handout and sure enough, his hand fell flat at the entrance of the corridor.
"Wait," Rose quickly realized something, "We're in the third-floor corridor." The group snapped their attention to her, shock and horror across their faces. "I mean, didn't Dumbledore say an age line was placed here?"
"You're right," Neville confirmed, recognizing the magic. "What are we going to do?! We can't leave!"
"Maybe there's another passageway or something?!" Ron questioned,
"What about the one we came through?!" Hermione asked, and Rosie tried to find the secret door again but it was too dark. Couple that with her poor vision she couldn't find the door. But then they heard a meow again they locked eyes with Mrs. Norris, everyone was horror-struck for a moment before the cat dashed out the corridor to alert her master.
"Go! Go! Go! Move!" Rosie said, the kids took off running. They raced through hallways, dodging building materials, and jumping over tools, and other builders' stuff before they reached a door that wasn't sealed off.
Rosie tried to open it but it was locked, "Alohomora" She whipped out her wand can cast the spell, she then shoved the door open. The others followed her, panting from their run. It was silence with their pants up then they felt a puff of air on their necks and a soft growl.
Turning around they looked straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog that filled the whole space between the ceiling and the floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowish fangs.
It was standing quite still, all six eyes staring at them, and Rosie knew that the only reason they weren’t already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.
Rose reached for the doorknob — between Filch and death, she'd take Filch.
They fell backward — Rosie slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back down the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they didn’t see him anywhere, but they hardly cared — all they wanted to do was put as much space as possible between them and that monster.
They didn’t stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor, through the passage they entered as Rosie had more time to find the doorway.
“Where on earth have you all been?” she asked, looking at their robes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.
“Never mind that — pig snout, pig snout,” panted Rose, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling, into armchairs.
It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as if he’d never speak again.
“What do they think they’re doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?” said Ron finally. “If any dog needs exercise, that one does.”
Hermione had got both her breath and her bad temper back again.
“You don’t use your eyes, any of you, do you?” she snapped. “Didn’t you see what it was standing on?”
"The trapdoor on the floor?" Rosie noticed that too whenever she was in danger or in 'Harry Hunting' she analyzed her surroundings for escapes or hiding places. So in the room, she quickly spotted the trapdoor. She could have reached it if she had a running start and she could have slid under the dog.
"Yes, it was properly guarding the trapdoor," Hermione said her theory.
"I'm sorry for not noticing the little door, I was too busy staring at the giant THREE-HEADED DOG!" Ron quipped, at his response, Hermione glared at him and said
“I hope you’re pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed — or worse, expelled. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed.”
Ron stared after her, his mouth open.
“No, we don’t mind,” he said. “You’d think we dragged her along, wouldn’t you?”
Heromine did give Rosie something to think about though, by the time she said goodnight to Ron and Neville. She was already in bed with her curtains closed. Rosie sunk into her covers, she thought about the events that happened. Specifically, the package that Hagrid had said he picked up.