"I can't believe you did that behind my back!"

  "Sorry," I apologized, cringing.

  "Okay, I get it, I'm a nag, I would blow it all on your face," I hadn't said that, "but you should have told me after you did it! I shouldn't have heard it from some gossipers in the common room!"

  I wasn't sure why I hadn't, honestly. An unconscious shit-test on my part, to see how willing she was to stick with me, or sparing myself the trouble had me challenging Draco before the entire house was the final nail in the coffin for our relationship, because associating herself with me had turned ten times riskier?

  If it was that, I was disappointed in myself. Thankfully, Tracey was a very forgiving gal. "I'm guilty, guilty," I said, raising my hands. "Cut my bill, whatever punishment you deem worthy, I deserve it."

  "Hmph. I'll let you off the hook this time. But don't forget! I'm in this together with you!"

  I smiled as her words warmed my insides. "And I'm grateful." I looked at the ceiling. "For a change of topic, how do you like my chances against Malfoy?"

  "Hmm." She put her chin on the back of her hand. "I like them very much, actually. As reckless as you had been, you are a good student. Better than Malfoy could ever hope to be. Haven't you gathered at least twice as many points as he did, already? And Flitwick was muttering about awarding too many points to a student, too. I think the risk lies in academic performance not being the only way to get points."

  True. Despite how I had framed in back in the common room, points could be won via good behaviour, club success or simply being the teacher's pet.

  "There's claims of Draco's father being a friend of Snape's. It's possible Draco will abuse that connection, I mean, Snape's focused on him as his sole target for awarding points already. You get more points from every other professor, but Snape is the exact type of person I'd expect to take the purpose of closing that gap on himself."

  "Makes sense."

  "There is also the support he'll get. Seniors might give him tips and rundowns of the classes they had in the first year, or personally train him even."

  "Some might. Others want a fair contest. They'd like to see who is more talented."

  "Maybe. But seeking out people willing to help you cheat is a virtue in the eyes of many... By the way, are you really not worried about your homework getting stolen? To lose you points?"

  "Not exactly, I just think I gave them enough reasons to not do that as much as I gave them reasons to do so."

  "If you say so." She leaned closer. "I think Draco has thought of something. A way of gathering points outside the classes. I feel like you lit a fire under his bottom."

  "Oh? What's the big idea?"

  "I think he wants to get into the Quidditch club. He is planning something for our flying lessons."

  I rolled my eyes. Boys. "That earns you points?"

  "Not sure about the specifics, but I think so, yeah. Depends on Snape's mood.

  I shrugged. "Aren't first years not allowed into the team?"

  "He's been complaining non-stop about that too. But well, he is used to side-stepping the rules enough that he thinks of it as a mere suggestion instead whenever he comes across one. He is talented too, at least, even if half of the stuff he says are lies."

  "How do you know?"

  "The magical world is small enough that it's really easy to meet people, especially among, erm, snobbish pure-bloods. My parents weren't too hot about stuff like that, but my grandparents insisted, and I have met some of our housemates as a result. I watched Draco race and beat Theodore Nott on brooms in a summer evening, for an example."

  "Y'know, I hadn't thought much of it, but you are pretty knowledgeable on both the magical world and the muggle world. I have come to realize that's a rarity here."

  She shrugged.

  ...

  I waved at Harry and Ron as the Gryffindors arrived. I could see some were excited and some were nervous, just like us.

  Me, personally? I probably had as much experience as the kid here who had flown the most growing up. Back in Bet, I'd been carried around by Laserdream, and had controlled Atlas to fly, and I assumed that particular experience to turn out somewhat similar to flying on a broom. Or rather, I hoped.

  Before Madam Hooch could take word, she was interrupted by a group of upperclassmen. Looking at them... The way they looked at the brooms, how Malfoy nodded at one particularly muscular guy who smirked back.

  Oh, so this was his idea. Get the members of the Quidditch team watch and vouch for his performance.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  It wasn't very impressive, as far as ploys went.

  We proceeded with the lesson, Madam Hooch ordering us to order the assigned brooms to our hands. Mine, Harry's and the a few others' jumped up without complaint. The rest were varied between "slowly floating up" and "thrashing on the ground."

  Everyone managed it eventually, though Madam Hooch pulled me aside before we could get to the next step.

  "Listen, Hebert," she said, her eyes sliding to my missing arm, "it's fine if you want to skip this part..."

  I shook my head. "I'll do it, Madam."

  I walked back to my place, and as I did, my eye caught the frightened face of Neville.

  "Now, when I blow my whistle," Madam Hooch was saying, but my eye was on the sweating boy.

  He looks real trigger-happy.

  Was I a seer or what? Neville kicked off before Madam Hooch can finish her sentence, rising to the air. He did NOT look in control at all. I tore through the crowd, leaping after him. My grip found his broom.

  Neville fell on his head from eight feet up. A bad fall, though it could have been much worse. As Madam Hooch rushed to his side, I asked her loudly, "Isn't this too early, Madam?"

  She nodded, absent-minded. "Seems so. We'll get ready thoroughly first."

  Behind me, I heard Draco groan, and saw from the corner of my eye that the team members were shaking their heads, annoyed. One got up to leave, clearly on a tight schedule, and the others followed soon after.

  I smirked. I hadn't even intended to ruin Draco's plan, but it seemed like I just couldn't stop wining.

  ...

  "You going out to practice...?" Tracey mumbled, her face smushed to her pillow.

  "Yeah," I said as I tucked my wand to my belt.

  "It's risky, you know that..."

  I laughed. "I do, Tracey."

  "We are in it together though? When are you taking me with you..."

  "Later. You're super tired after all that flying around. Just sleep, and I'll let you come with me another night." I honestly wasn't looking forward to that for a multitude of reasons, but I didn't have it in me to outright reject Tracey.

  "We only flew towards the end... Whatever... Good practice..."

  "Good night."

  With that, I left the dorm, wandering deep into the endless corridors of Hogwarts.

  I had gotten better at casting the bubble that cut sound off. I still couldn't make it move, but I was casting and nullfying it like a gamer spamming a move. Tracey had said it was risky, but I was even more confident I wouldn't get caught now.

  I jumped as Mrs. Norris rubbed on my leg. Right. One disadvantage of the bubble was that it blocked the sound from getting in as well, leaving me without hearing potentially important stuff from outside. The echo of the step of an approaching professor could be crucial. Still, I continued on without issue.

  Mrs. Norris was more insistent than usual though, biting and pulling on my leg and circling around me. Scratching her back and neck didn't do anything, unlike how it went most of the time.

  Observing her, it almost looked like she was trying to make me move. But to where?

  I followed her gaze, a classroom with its door closed. She was trying to get me walk the opposite direction.

  Naturally, I had to check it out.

  Her meows and hisses didn't register, and she slipped in between my legs, to distrupt my advance dare I say, as I approache the classroom.

  Inside was like what I'd gotten used to, scattered stools and desks, a blackboard and the like. The only exception was the big, dark cupboard at the corner. It was shaking slightly, like something was inside. It wouldn't be a good idea to come too close, but I approached anyways, with small steps. Mrs. Norris was hitting my legs now, but I ignored her.

  I honestly don't know why I didn't immediately turn around and ditch the place the moment I realised what was inside. Overconfidence? Too much curiosity? Some would say I wasn't the type of ask for help until too late, dead set on figuring it out on my own.

  Or maybe, I had figured it out, deep down, and had wanted to see what my biggest fear was.

  Before my big head could deflate, though, the handles of the thing flew open, and I came face to face with my boggart.

  Realizing my mistake, I turned around to dash after Mrs. Norris who had dipped, but it was too late. I took two steps before I lost control of my arm I had thrown back in the motion and my right foot on the floor. It swung, entirely out of my control, pulling my body back and making me fall to the ground with the help of my rebelling foot.

  And with that, I fell prisoner inside my own body.