31 Chapter 31: Turbulent Flying Class

[Vote Stones Plz]

On Wednesday, a notice was posted in the common room: Ravenclaw students would have their flying class together with Hufflepuff students on Friday afternoon.

The common room erupted in excitement. Unlike Gryffindor, Ravenclaw had no mortal enemies and maintained lukewarm relations with the other three houses. So, their mood was not as dreadful as Gryffindor's first-year students when they found out they had to share a flying class with Slytherin. Instead, they were looking forward to the flying class.

Gryffindor and Slytherin students couldn't stay as calm as the Ravenclaw wizards. Draco Malfoy spent all his time in the Great Hall boasting about his flying skills. He complained about first-year students not being eligible to join the house Quidditch team while telling stories. His stories had many variations, but most of them ended with him narrowly avoiding a Muggle helicopter.

Some Muggle-born wizards secretly chuckled upon hearing these stories.

Justin Finch-Fletchley, a Hufflepuff first-year who Tom met in Potions class, told him, "I'd bet £100 that Malfoy has never seen a real helicopter. Not to mention why the people in the helicopter didn't see him, the sound a helicopter makes when flying would have scared Malfoy."

However, it seemed that almost all wizards born into wizarding families loved to tell tall tales about Quidditch. For example, Seamus Finnigan claimed to have spent his childhood on a broomstick. According to his description, Seamus spent his days on a flying broomstick, similar to spending childhood days playing football in America or baseball in Japan. This was strictly a violation of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.

But on Thursday morning, a rumor spread like wildfire across all four houses: Malfoy had teased Neville Longbottom during flying class the previous day. However, Harry Potter displayed his skills by diving fifty feet and catching a small ball. The accepted template was that the size of the ball was debatable; some said it was as big as a fist, while others swore it was the size of a quail's egg.

After this incident, Malfoy's spirits plummeted. He no longer talked about his flying abilities in the Great Hall. Although he was indeed a decent flyer, he couldn't compare to Harry, who had become a flying sensation. Malfoy's newfound sadness even extended to his candy from home.

In the afternoon, when over twenty students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff stood on the Quidditch pitch, their hearts were in their throats. Flying was the most primal desire in human hearts, and everyone secretly harbored the thought: if Harry Potter could do it, maybe I could too? I've never even touched a flying broomstick before, perhaps I'm a natural talent as well?

However, true growth meant recognizing one's mediocrity. Most wizards couldn't even get past the first step: making the broomstick rise into their hands.

Professor Hooch instructed everyone to stand next to a flying broomstick and place their right hand on top of the handle. She then told them to shout, "Up!"

Everyone did so, but not all broomsticks behaved as expected. Some old, tattered broomsticks rolled over, while others remained stationary. A very few wizards' broomsticks obediently jumped into their hands, such as Tom's ancient broomstick.

[Talent: Flying: 7 (Naturally Skilled at Flying)]

Tom was surprised to discover that he possessed the talent for flying. What could this talent be used for? Although flying was not as convenient as Apparition, Portkeys, or Disapparition, it was cool! Quidditch was the national sport of the wizarding world, and excelling in Quidditch was equivalent to being skilled at basketball in the United States or soccer in Japan. It could earn you preferential treatment in finding a partner.

As seen from Ron Weasley, who had been a loser for five years but was no longer single after joining the Gryffindor Quidditch team and performing excellently.

Tom was excited, not because of the preferential treatment but because it was a great opportunity to earn Magic Stones. Think about it; how many achievements could Quidditch bring? Not to mention the missions that would follow.

"Alright, everyone, look at me!" Professor Hooch had everyone's attention, "I'll demonstrate how to ride a broomstick. This is important because many young witches and wizards struggle in their first flight. The way you hold the broomstick is crucial..."

As she demonstrated the key points and corrected mistakes in the group, she noticed another unexpected event. Pansy Parkinson, a first-year Ravenclaw student, was unique in a way. She was the only set of twins among the first-year students. She also had a sister in Gryffindor, Pavarti Patil, and both sisters were beautiful.

However, Pansy Parkinson's flying talent was clearly not as high as her looks. She performed adequately during the class, not belonging to the first group to get their broomstick to rise but also not being the worst. She was currently sitting on her broomstick, watching the conversation between Professor Hooch and Roger Malone.

"Land safely!"

(End of this chapter)