Hogwarts: The Adventure Begins - BOOK 1 (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

5: Quidditch

The next morning, during breakfast, the owls arrived. Hundreds of owls were flying above everyone and I spotted Zeus. He dropped a letter on my toast and I gave him the rest of it, making sure Nico didn't spot me doing it so he thought I had eaten it all. He was honestly like a mother.

I opened the letter and started reading.

Dear Molly,
I am so glad you have been put in Gryffindor, and I am sure your father would have been as well! Things are great here and I am glad you are having a great time! It's intriguing you were a hat stall, I'm sure you would have succeeded in either house equally as well. But if you're happy with where you ended up, I'm delighted.
About Snape. Harry's dad and your dad were ruthless to him. They bullied him mercilessly, made his life a misery. Harry's mum and I tried to make them see sense, but they did things they couldn't take back. I imagine Harry looks similar to James, and I can tell you that you are your father's double. I'd guess having miniature versions of your childhood bullies turn up to your class would cause a negative reaction.
Try not to annoy him too much. I don't think it would take much for him to lose it with the both of you.
I am glad you have made friends and if you are going to play pranks, please be careful! I don't want any letters from Professor McGonagall about your behaviour.
I will see you in the holidays!
Remus x

I frowned. So he hated us because our dads were bullies? I felt a pang of guilt. I was disgusted by the thought and I suddenly felt bad for Professor Snape. Maybe I should try to be careful in his class.

The first lesson we had was flying lessons. The professor for that was Madam Hooch and she would take no nonsense. She didn't need to speak for us to realise it and, for once, even Draco Malfoy didn't open his mouth. It was finally peaceful, as he didn't stop for breath normally when he was running his mouth.

We all lined up next to a broom and she told us to put our hands out and say, 'Up!'

'Up!' we all said and me and Harry's were the only ones that came flying up into our hands first time. Next was Nico, Draco and Hermione and eventually everyone else's as well. I was super happy I had managed to get my broom up immediately, it was a great feeling. A sense of accomplishment.

'Mount your brooms and, on the count of three, I want you to kick off and hover!' said Madam Hooch.

'One, two...' said Madam Hooch but she didn't get to three because a boy called Neville Longbottom, scared of being left on the ground, had kicked off too early and was floating upwards.

'Neville!' everyone was yelling as he flew higher and higher before the broom started throwing him around like a Bucking Bronco.

Some people yelled in fear and I could see Neville was quickly losing grip on the handle. I was frozen in fear as I predicted what was about to happen. Neville was thrown off his broom and it floated off towards the Forbidden Forest. Neville hit the ground with a thud and everyone ran over to check if he was OK. He was surprisingly unharmed, bar a wrist that looked broken.

'I will take you to the hospital wing. If I see any of you with your feet off of the ground, you will be expelled faster than you can say Quidditch!' Hooch said and led Neville off.

Draco Malfoy had found something that had fallen out of Neville's pocket. It was a small round ball thing and he jumped on his broom and flew upwards, grinning maliciously. It was Neville's Remembrall!

'Let's play a game of hide and seek with Neville!' he said but me and Harry had jumped on our brooms and were flying towards Draco.

'Molly, come down!' Nico yelled but I ignored him. I wasn't going to let the bully get away with it.

'Put it down, Malfoy,' I sneered but he just laughed, tossing it in his hand.

'Okay, but you better go and get it!' he yelled and he threw it away. Harry and I both went barrelling after the ball but I stopped just before I got to it otherwise we would have crashed into one another.

'MISS BLACK! MR POTTER! COME WITH ME!' yelled McGonagall rushing outside. Draco and the rest of Slytherin all laughed as Harry and I followed McGonagall.

The Gryffindors gave us pitying looks but none of them said anything as Harry and I walked with our heads down. It was our own fault, but it was still unfair as we were just helping Neville. It looked like me and Harry were thinking the same thing. We were going to get expelled.

She went and collected a boy called Wood from a classroom and took us into an empty one, still looking stern.

'Wood! I think I have found you a new Seeker!' she said looking at Harry.

A Seeker was from a game of Quidditch which consisted of one Seeker, one Keeper, two Beaters and three Chasers, two teams and four balls. The Quaffle, the Golden Snitch and two Bludgers. The Chasers had to get the Quaffle into one of three hoops to score ten points, the Keeper had to stop the ball getting in, the Beaters hit the Bludgers at other players and the Seeker tried to catch the Golden Snitch. The Golden Snitch was worth one hundred and fifty points and ended the game.

While McGonagall spoke to Harry and Wood I just stood in the corner, looking down. She probably wouldn't have the same leniency with me. Golden Boy Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the one who defeated Voldemort, or the daughter of his parent's killers? I know which one I would use to make an example of.

Harry left and McGonagall kept Wood in the room. They both stared at me and I tried not to show how scared I was. If I was expelled, I'd never be able to get a job and then I couldn't repay Remus for all he gave to me! We'd have to continue struggling and he'd be so disappointed - he expected me to excel, not get expelled within the first week.

'I think I also found you a Chaser!' she said looking at me. I was shocked. Me... A Chaser!

McGonagall must have noticed my astonishment because she said, 'You really are skilled on a broom, Black. I think you would be the perfect Chaser. Maybe this year, Gryffindor will finally win the house cup.'

McGonagall took me to Defence Against the Dark Arts and explained to Professor Quirrell that I was late because she was talking to me. I was still super excited and couldn't hide that I was shaking. I thought I was going to be expelled, but instead, I managed to do what no first year should have been allowed to do!

I explained to Nico quietly when I sat down and he looked radiant. He had expected me to be expelled, especially after Madam Hooch's warning, so was ecstatic that I came back with good news.

The happiness didn't last though because DADA was a terrible lesson. Professor Quirrell took about ten minutes to say one sentence because he was stuttering so hard. It seemed so pathetic, especially since he was supposed to have travelled the world and had experience with Dark Arts. You would have expected him to be super brave, instead, he seemed to be breaking down in a first year class.

We had some free time after classes ended so I decided to explore Hogwarts with Nico. We chatted to some paintings until we had to go for tea, where Nico was annoyed at my lack of eating again. He finally seemed to give up lecturing me, as he didn't force food down my throat.

We then went to bed and, exhausted, I fell asleep. I dreamt of becoming an international Quidditch star and giving all my riches to Remus so that we could finally live happily and care free. He would be able to afford the potion that I had seen him researching, the one that would make his condition easier, and he wouldn't look so tired all the time. The future seemed so bright and it made me smile.