The flying lesson took place on the lawn in front of the Hogwarts gate.
On the way to class, Robert looked at Adam, who remained calm and distant, a stark contrast to the warm, lively atmosphere around them. He couldn't help but ask with a curious expression:
"You don't seem too interested in flying lessons?"
Adam always struck him as an odd fit for the magical world, more like a Muggle-born trying to blend in. Despite his natural curiosity about all things magical, Adam often showed indifference to much of it.
After spending time with him, Robert understood that Adam simply had too many of his own ideas. Yet, it still didn't make much sense to him.
This was flying, after all!
"It's not that I'm uninterested. Flying is definitely something to look forward to, but it lacks practicality for me," Adam replied, spreading his hands. "I can't exactly ride a broomstick to my parents' restaurant."
"That's true..." Robert nodded thoughtfully. Unlike Adam, he didn't have any family business to inherit, but Adam's point made him wonder whether he too should reconsider fully immersing himself in the wizarding world.
Their flying instructor, Mrs. Hooch, stood at the front. She was also the Hogwarts Quidditch referee. With short gray hair and sharp yellow eyes, she commanded attention with her no-nonsense demeanor.
"Everyone stand next to a broomstick... What are you waiting for? Move along, come on!" she barked.
She was certainly a resolute lady.
Adam looked down at the broomstick beside him. The tail branches were slightly messy, and a few were even broken. He hoped it wouldn't affect its performance.
Mrs. Hooch surveyed the class, making sure everyone was ready, and then shouted, "Put your right hand over the broomstick and say, 'Up!'"
"Up!" Adam commanded, and the broomstick jumped straight into his hand.
Though some students failed on their first attempt due to overexcitement, most succeeded after a few tries, and soon everyone was holding their broomsticks, brimming with excitement.
"Hold on! Before you take off, there are things you need to understand about flying," Mrs. Hooch explained. She moved down the line, demonstrating the correct way to grip and sit on a broomstick without losing balance.
"Don't lean too far forward, or your broom will shoot off prematurely," she warned, adjusting Robert's posture before stopping at Adam.
"Good. You've got a comfortable hold. If you ever play Quidditch, remember, you can't always hold the broomstick with both hands."
"What's Quidditch, exactly?" Robert muttered, overhearing his classmates talk about it but not quite understanding the details.
"A game of catching balls while flying on a broomstick. You can read *The Origins of Quidditch*—I've got it on my bookshelf," Adam said with a smile.
"I'll check it out when we get back."
"Alright, everyone! Stay in your positions and remember what I said. Steady your brooms, rise a few feet, then lean forward and gently return to the ground. When I blow the whistle, kick off hard from the ground!"
Mrs. Hooch moved to the front, holding her silver whistle.
"Three, two, one—"
With a sharp blast of the whistle, Adam kicked off the ground, and he was airborne.
Flying on a broomstick was a novel experience. Even though Adam had prepared himself mentally, his heart raced with excitement.
Suddenly, commotion broke out nearby. A classmate, too eager, leaned forward too far and lost control of his broom. Mrs. Hooch swiftly ordered him back to the ground and gave him a stern reprimand.
After watching the spectacle for a moment, Adam refocused. Taking a deep breath, he began testing his control over the broom—up, down, hover.
When he finally landed, Adam dismounted, looking at the broomstick with a newfound appreciation.
"I have to admit, flying is a lot of fun," he thought. "I wonder what it would be like to fly with wings?"
Maybe his research into advanced spellcraft could begin sooner than he thought...
"Wow!"
Back on the ground, Robert wobbled slightly as he dismounted, his legs weak, and his face pale, but his eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Flying on a broomstick is incredible! I never imagined I'd be flying through the air without an airplane!"
"The outer shell of an airplane isn't exactly made of iron," Adam corrected him with a grin, "but I agree with your sentiment."
Suddenly, Adam turned as he heard a shout. Mark was flying erratically toward him, his broomstick shaking as panic spread across his face. Adam's pupils dilated, and in a split second, an invisible barrier formed beneath his feet.
"Bang!"
Mark crashed into the air just inches in front of Adam, as though he'd hit an invisible wall. Luckily, the broomstick had lost speed in time, and Mark only tumbled a few feet off the broom.
"What did I just say?!"
Mrs. Hooch rushed over, inspecting Mark before scolding him sharply.
"Rise a few feet, lean forward slightly, and fall vertically back to the ground. I don't care what techniques you've seen elsewhere, you will follow my instructions in this class! Next time, it'll be detention!"
After releasing Mark, Mrs. Hooch shot a fierce look at the rest of the class.
"You all take note of this!"
She went on to explain how to control movement while airborne. When class ended, she reminded them to memorize everything—they would be quizzed next time, and those who didn't know the answers wouldn't be allowed to fly.
"You alright?" Adam asked, walking over to Mark.
"I'm fine... just a little sore in the nose," Mark replied, brushing it off. He didn't want to think too hard about what had just happened. The loss of control, the strange impact with the air—it all seemed like a trick of his mind, confused by panic.
"What happened, exactly?" Adam pressed gently.
"Well..." Mark's eyes darted nervously. "I just remembered some Quidditch moves I saw in a newspaper and thought I'd try something out. But, I didn't expect..."
"You should be glad you didn't try the Wronski Feint," Uther interjected, coming over with a smirk.
"I'm not that reckless! And, okay, I get it—I made a mistake. I really was scared when I lost control..."
As the class wrapped up, the students left the lawn, each carrying their broomsticks and buzzing with the thrill of flying. Adam, though still calm, had a certain spark in his eyes. Something about the experience made him rethink how flying could factor into his magical studies.
Maybe it wasn't all about practicality.
( End of the chapter)
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