On the Saturday of the first weekend at Hogwarts, Harry woke earlier than most. Following his usual habit, his internal clock woke him up long before the rest of his companions. Very calmly and as quietly as possible so as not to wake up his roommates and housemates, he went down to the common room with a book in his hands to pass the time until it was safe to go out into the hallways without Filch giving him a detention.
It was there that Professor Sprout found him a couple of hours later when his classmates were just beginning to wake up. The woman hid her surprise at the fact that the boy was already awake, something completely unusual considering that the vast majority of children liked to sleep late on weekends.
"Ahhh... Mr. Potter, I was looking for you" His head of house said kindly. "The headmaster would like to see you."
Harry blinked in surprise but nodded. Without saying anything he got up from the chair where he had remained for the last few hours and followed the Professor. In those moments, curiosity killed him. He hadn't done anything that would make them call the headmaster's office, okay he got along well with the Weasley twins, but it really wasn't a reason to scold him, right? And he doubted he knew about his room, it was too abandoned for him to know of its existence.
He pushed those thoughts aside when he realized that they were in front of the gargoyle that he assumed guarded the entrance to the old man's office and reinforced what he considered his mental defense, it would be the first time he could test his defense against an experienced Legilimens like Dumbledore.
"Ahhh... Mr. Potter, I was waiting for you." The headmaster said in a kind voice. "Sit down, sit down. You too Pomona."
"Thank you, Albus." The Professor laughed.
"Surely, you are wondering what you are doing here, aren't you, Mr. Potter?" At the boy's nod, he continued. "Well, during this first week of classes, I have received news from your Professors about your great skills and abilities... We have been discussing and we have come to the conclusion that it is counterproductive for it to remain in the first year."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"Well, we have decided that we are going to advance you one year." The old man said. "During the next few months, your Professors will give you intensive classes to teach you the first-year curriculum and then you will move on to the second year. It will be a tough course, but I think it will be worth it, don't you think, Mr. Potter?"
At the headmaster's statement, Harry's eyes lit up and he almost threw himself at the old man and gave him a huge hug. Instead, he opted for a big smile, making both the old Herbology Professor and her boss smile too.
"Thank you, Headmaster, thank you very much." The boy said to which the Headmaster's smile increased.
"Nothing, it's nothing, Mr. Potter. Here is your new schedule... you lose several hours of leisure, but you will see that it is worth it."
Harry looked at the sheet of parchment and could see that he would have several more hours of class than his classmates. Instead of finishing at three, he would finish at five every day, although he had weekends. Despite everything, Harry was enthusiastic, he liked learning magic, and they were offering him to learn more, he would be an idiot not to agree.
He was willing to spend the rest of the day cleaning his new room, since the day before he had only had time to clean the living room, the other three rooms had been impossible. Although that had been his intention, as soon as he entered the common room, Jonathan and Athenea appeared in front of him and dragged him to one of the couches.
"Where have you been?" Athenea asked. "When we got up you had disappeared."
"Professor Sprout came looking for me, the Headmaster wanted to talk to me."
"What? Why?" Jonathan asked.
Harry explained to them what they had told him and while they went down to breakfast he told them about his change of year, as well as his new schedule, much more congested and hard than the previous one, but with which he could learn much more. The others, who had already noticed how easy the classes were for their new friend, did what they considered most appropriate in this case, they congratulated him. Furthermore, the fact that a Hufflepuff like Harry turned out to be so capable that they even did with him what they had not done with either the Dark Lord or Dumbledore was something truly fantastic.
"So, you're hardly going to have time for anything, right?" Athenea asked, stroking the fur of her cat Ulis, already in the common room.
"I'll be quite busy, yes, but nothing I can't do." The boy laughed.
From that moment on it was very easy to see how several times in each class, the Professors gave different assignments to the boy. At first, some students thought about protesting the clear favoritism, until they noticed how instead of being easier, it was much more complicated. The Professors were truly amazed by the boy's progress, which despite the added difficulty continued to be stable and growing.
One would think that due to the increase in work, Harry was unable to do anything else, but that was not the case. He practically spent all his free time in his secret room where he studied and did his homework. The cleaning had proven useful, letting him discover what was undoubtedly one of Hogwarts' best treasures. The library was magnificent and had volumes that were thought to be lost or destroyed. Surely Mrs. Pince, the Hogwarts librarian, would kill for just one of them.
But in his room, he had not only found books, he had found potion ingredients that would make Professor Snape green with envy, many were incredibly difficult to obtain and were worth a fortune, others had simply been considered impossible, such as chimera meat or spikes. Manticore and others were simply extinct. That laboratory was undoubtedly the most desired place for any potion maker. Furthermore, there was the fact that it was so well protected that no one outside it would be able to know what was going on inside it.
Taking advantage of this last advantage, Harry had chosen to experiment with his magic in there, something he had never been able to do except clandestinely and in very small quantities in the forest near his house. He didn't even want to think what would happen if one of his parents had discovered him! It was there that he finally dared to experiment with the elemental ability he had discovered before his accident in the lake years ago. At that time he knew that he had some kind of control over the natural elements and Remus had offered him all the help he could with his books, but it had not been until that moment that he was able to practice freely. He knew that that power could be useful to him one day.
After only two and a half weeks of practicing, he had managed to control the air and was working on fire, he still didn't know if he would also have control over water and earth, but he would find out later... for now, he needed to work in the fiery element.
"Today we start flying lessons." Athenea said, at breakfast, approximately a month after the start of the course. "We share class with the Ravenclaws."
"That's why almost everyone is so nervous." Jonathan said amused. "Your friend Hermione has been reciting 'Quidditch through the ages' to her housemates since she sat down twenty minutes ago. They have that class with the Slytherins right after us."
Harry turned after his friend's comment and saw that Hermione really did not stop reciting the book, with Neville's full attention. He also noticed that his classmates were about to explode, especially Ron Weasley, Fred and George's younger brother, who had a very bad temper and little patience, a bad combination.
"Will you excuse me for a moment?" He asked before getting up and heading towards the Gryffindor table. "Hermione, Neville, can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Yes, of course." The girl said, closing the book and getting up at the same time as Neville, to follow him out of the Great Hall. "What do you want, Harry?"
"Calm down." The boy said calmly. "Your companions were about to explode and say some pretty ugly things. Why don't you leave that book alone?"
Hermione looked like she had been physically hit because she was so flustered and Neville looked dejected, but the Gryffindor didn't say anything, probably realizing the truth of the comment.
"But Harry, I need the book! I don't know how to fly! I have never done it and I need to prepare!" The girl exclaimed.
"Hermione, just because you read a book about Quidditch won't prepare you to fly. Handling the broom is an art and you must merge with it, if you think about what a book tells you you will never be able to learn... you should not know everything in advance."
"It's very easy for you to say it, you will have flown all your life."
"The truth is that I have never touched a broom. My parents never taught me how to fly, much less how to have a broom."
"Oh..."
"Now, calm down, and above all, enjoy the class."
After those words, he returned to the dining room, sat next to Athenea and Jonathan, and continued with his breakfast without paying attention to anyone else. He also did not pay attention when Hermione and Neville entered the dining room again and began to eat, leaving the book aside and talking about other things, ignoring the perplexed looks of the rest of the Gryffindors.
"But what did you tell her?" Jonathan asked, amazed.
"Nothing important.- He answered. "Let's go? I want to learn to fly."
Ignoring the perplexed looks, he began to make his way towards the school grounds, quickly accompanied by the other two and ignoring the looks that the Gryffindor table was giving him.
Mrs. Hooch was already waiting for them outside, together with several brooms that were neatly placed in two rows, ready for each student to take one. The woman, who had raptor-like eyes, gave them a speculative look, especially at Harry, and then turned around completely.
"Mr. Potter, I know that your father will have already taught you how to fly, being a quidditch fan as he is, but I will appreciate it if you follow the class like the rest of the students."
"But, he hasn't taught me to fly." The little boy murmured.
"How do you say?" The woman was amazed.
"He has never taught me..."
"I'll swear I heard him bragging that he was teaching his son to fly."
"He has taught Brian, but not me." The boy said in a whisper.
The woman stared at him with a disbelieving expression on her face and Harry knew why. He knew quite well those stories about his father and his obsession with quidditch and broomsticks, in fact, he had lived through it although as a silent observer while his father and brother went and enjoyed the flight, but he had never been allowed to participate.
The arrival of the rest of the students made the Professor say absolutely nothing on the subject, although she gave him a look of disbelief. Adopting a strict Professor's expression, she waited until everyone was there before exclaiming that each one acquired one of the brooms that were on the floor.
"Okay, now that everyone has a broom, put a hand on it and shout 'Up.' "
The Professor watched as several children shouted 'up' decisively and how the broom reacted to them. Harry looked first at his friends, who lazily climbed up to his hands, and then at Terry, who had climbed up quite quickly.
"Mr. Potter, may I know why you have not obeyed me? I think I indicated that everyone should call their brooms," said Mrs. Hooch, to which the boy sighed.
"up"
As if propelled by propulsion, the broom shot into his hand, before the boy's astonished gaze. Honestly, he had expected it not to even move, although, from the Professor's expression, it seemed that was to be expected.
"Very good, now... assemble your brooms."
Professor Hooch inspected each of the students, correcting them if necessary and not saying anything if necessary. She didn't say anything to Harry although she nodded smiling. He didn't know what the woman was thinking, but it was obvious that she hoped he would do well on his broom, even though he himself believed that it would go badly for him, but hey, he would find out. After having checked all the students, Mrs. Hooch returned to the front and told them that when she counted three, they would all kick the ground and go up a couple of meters, no more... it would be to become a little more aware of the broom and then she would tell them what else they should do.
When the Professor counted three, sixteen brooms rose into the air, although the vast majority remained still, some began to rise into the air, ignoring Mrs. Hooch's orders. Harry was divided, on the one hand, there was his desire and his knowledge that he had to obey his Professor, and on the other hand, it turned out that he knew what to do! Somehow, he knew what he had to do to fly and in some strange way he needed to let go and fly without any type of barrier, his body craved it and his tattoo seemed to vibrate...
"Very well, those who already have an idea can start flying." The Professor said resigned.
It was like a weight was lifted off his shoulders, Harry shed all his inhibitions and allowed his body to take control of his actions. His mind only focused on the magnificent feeling of the wind on his face, the freedom that surrounded him, the adrenaline... If he had paid more attention, he would have noticed what he was doing was much more than flying... He was flying, yes, but also He performed dives, climbs, and tricks that even more than a professional would have had trouble performing. Nor was he aware of all the attention he was receiving from his companions, who had abandoned their own activities to watch him fly attentively, ecstatic. Even Mrs. Hooch seemed very surprised, although the boy's euphoric scream brought her back to reality.
"Mr. Potter! Get down immediately!"
The little boy was interrupted in his fun when he heard Mrs. Hooch's voice, and with a sigh, he went down to see what he had done wrong. Maybe he hadn't known what he should do despite what his body had told him.
"Yes ma'am?"
"Mr. Potter, I thought you told me it was your first time on the broom," the woman said very seriously.
"That's right, ma'am."
"What he was doing up there was much more than anyone would do during their first time."
"Well... when I went up, it seemed like I already knew what I should do, it was as if my body knew it in advance."
"A natural..." The woman said in amazement. "Not even his father was a natural, someone very good yes, but a natural, no. Class canceled… Everyone return to the castle. Mr. Potter, you come with me."
"Yes, ma'am," he murmured dejectedly.
Harry followed Mrs. Hooch through the hallways of Hogwarts to what appeared to be the staff room. He didn't know why she took him there, but surely it wouldn't be for something good, the experience with his parents had shown him that if he had drawn attention for something, it was never good. Two seconds later, Professor Sprout was right in front of him and Mrs. Hooch and after approaching an empty classroom she turned around asking for explanations.
"Well, what's happening?"
"Pomona, you know I had your first years now, right?"
"Of course, but that's not what I was asking."
"I just taught Mr. Potter, or if you can call it that... Pomona, the boy is a natural! You should get the first-year restriction lifted."
"Do you want him to be part of the quidditch team?"
"Yes! He has talent on the broom, I'm sure he would be a great player... or a chaser, or a seeker... although I would opt for a seeker."
"It will be complicated, but if you're right it would go well for us… I would like to win the Quidditch Cup this time."
"Excuse me..." Harry interrupted. "But do you want me to be part of the Quidditch team?"
"That's right, Potter." Mrs. Hooch answered. "Your abilities cannot be wasted."
"But I'm not much either." The little boy murmured. "Surely there are many more people who will play better than me."
"Mr. Potter, please let us try to get the captain to give you a test... if he thinks you are good enough to join, would you do it?" Sprout asked.
"Well... if he said it... I guess..."
"Perfect." Professor Sprout fussed. "You leave it to me."
After that, they let Harry go off to do whatever he wanted, and his head of house walked out to the headmaster's office to ask them to make an exception for him, and let him join the team.
[T/N, Yeah! "Fly Harry! Fly!" Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, if you did leave a comment, and if you didn't also leave a comment to tell me why. Drop some stones for the novel and remember there is a P@treon- [p@treon.com/PuddingLord]- Replace "@" with "a"
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