J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (Book 1)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter

&

The Sorcerers Stone

by J.K. Rowling

THE MIDNIGHT DUEL

H arry had never believed he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy. Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didnt have to put up with Malfoy much. Or at least, they didnt until they spotted a notice pinned up 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.

Typical, said Harry darkly. Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy.

He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.

You dont know that youll make a fool of yourself, said Ron reasonably. Anyway, I know Malfoys always going on about how good he is at Quidditch, but I bet thats all talk.

Malfoy certainly did talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the house Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. He wasnt the only one, though: the way Seamus Finnigan told it, hed spent most of his childhood zooming around the countryside on his broomstick. Even Ron would tell anyone whod listen about the time hed almost hit a hang glider on Charlies old broom. Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Ron had already had a big argument with Dean Thomas, who shared their dormitory, about soccer. Ron couldnt see what was exciting about a game with only one ball where no one was allowed to fly. Harry had caught Ron prodding Deans poster of West Ham soccer team, trying to make the players move.

Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry felt shed had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground.

Hermione Granger was almost as nervous about flying as Neville was. This was something you couldnt learn by heart out of a book not that she hadnt tried. At breakfast on Thursday she bored them all stupid with flying tips shed gotten out of a library book 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, but everybody else was very pleased when Hermiones lecture was interrupted by the arrival of the mail.

Harry hadnt had a single letter since Hagrids note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course. Malfoys eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened gloatingly at the Slytherin table.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

Its a Remembrall! he explained. Gran knows I forget things this tells you if theres something youve 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, youve forgotten something.

Neville was trying to remember what hed forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.

Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any teacher in the school, was there in a flash.

Whats going on?

Malfoys 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, Harry, Ron, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry 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.

Harry glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

Stick out your right hand over your broom, called Madam Hooch at the front, and say Up!

UP everyone shouted.

Harrys broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. Hermione Grangers had simply rolled over on the ground, and Nevilles hadnt moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Harry; there was a quaver in Nevilles voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground.

Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy hed been doing 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 Hoochs lips.

Come back, boy! she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle twelve feet twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and

WHAM a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay facedown on the grass in a heap. His broomstick was still rising higher and higher, and started to drift lazily toward the forbidden forest and out of sight.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

Broken wrist, Harry heard her mutter. Come on, boy its all right, up you get.

She turned to the rest of the class.

None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or youll be out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch. Come on, dear.

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.

Did you see his face, the great lump?

The other Slytherins joined in.

Shut up, Malfoy, snapped Parvati Patil.

Ooh, sticking up for Longbottom? said Pansy Parkinson, a hard-faced Slytherin girl. Never thought youd like fat little crybabies, Parvati.

Look! said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. Its that stupid thing Longbottoms gran sent him.

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

Give that here, Malfoy, said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

I think Ill leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find how about up a tree?

Give it here! Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadnt been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, Come and get it, Potter!