On Tuesday, the first-year students left Hogwarts Castle and gathered on the Quidditch field for their first flying lesson.
During the morning spells class, Seamus caused another small accident when he attempted the unlocking spell and ended up blowing up the lock instead. (Just say whether it worked or not!)
Fortunately, the explosion didn't cause much damage—only Seamus himself was left a little blackened by the smoke and fire.
This flying lesson was easily the most enthusiastic class David had ever seen. Groups of students gathered together, excitedly discussing their experiences with flying. Among them, Gryffindor and Slytherin were the most vocal, each boasting about their incredible broomstick adventures. Their conversations were so exaggerated that even the Ravenclaw students, including David, could hear them from a distance.
"They said they caught up with a plane on a broomstick," Terry, a Muggle-born, scoffed. "Have they even seen a plane before?"
Catching up with a plane? How fast would a broomstick have to be for that? The claim was ridiculous.
David smirked. "Don't expect wizards to know much about the Muggle world. Maybe he was just racing a toy plane."
It was almost laughable. Fighter jets could travel at Mach speeds, and even regular commercial planes flew at hundreds of kilometers per hour. If a broomstick could move that fast, no one would be able to sit on it without being blown off.
But David understood why wizards made these claims. The Muggle world had advanced rapidly in the last century, and many wizards still had outdated knowledge of it. Some of them probably thought airplanes were no faster than the automobiles from a hundred years ago.
"When you ride your broom later, remember to hold the handle in front of you with both hands," Gene advised, ignoring the plane debate. "That's how beginners control their direction."
Gene had grown up in a wizarding family and was already experienced with broomsticks, so he shared a few tips with his friends.
The Start of the Lesson
When class began, Madam Hooch arrived with a cart of school brooms and handed one to each student.
David glanced at his broom and felt a strong urge to complain. Where had Hogwarts' funds gone?
The broomstick was old, its tail almost bald, and there were visible cracks along the handle. He had seen better brooms in the Room of Requirement—antiques that looked newer than these.
"Alright, first step: call the broom into your hand," Madam Hooch instructed.
David had no trouble with this, and his broom obediently leaped into his grip. Many other students managed to do the same.
But not everyone succeeded. Hermione, for example, was struggling. No matter how many times she called "Up!", her broom just rolled over on the ground like an untrained pet.
David nearly laughed out loud—she really had no talent for flying.
Ron wasn't doing much better. Earlier, he had been bragging to Harry about his skills, but the moment he tried, his broom shot up and smacked him in the face.
After about ten minutes, everyone had finally managed to get their brooms in hand. David even noticed a few students sneakily using their toes to nudge their brooms into the air.
Madam Hooch then demonstrated the proper way to mount a broom and corrected everyone's grip.
"Alright," she announced. "When I blow my whistle, kick off the ground, hover a few feet in the air, then lean forward slightly and land back down. Wait for my whistle..."
But before she could even blow it, Neville panicked and took off uncontrollably.
He rose higher and higher, completely unable to control his broom. Madam Hooch shouted for him to come down, but he was too frightened to listen.
Within seconds, he was soaring dangerously close to the top of Hogwarts' towers.
Then—
"Ahhh!"
With a terrified scream, Neville lost his grip and plummeted toward the ground.
David was stunned. Was this professor serious? She just stood there, shouting? Shouldn't she use magic to help him?
How was she even qualified to teach? Was she a relative of Dumbledore or something?
Before Neville could crash, David reacted instinctively.
"Shock Absorption!"
With a flick of his wand, he cast a deceleration spell, slowing Neville's descent.
Neville still landed face-first in a bush but quickly scrambled to his feet, unharmed.
Madam Hooch rushed over to check on him. Aside from being frightened, he was perfectly fine.
"Ravenclaw, ten points!" she declared, looking at David with appreciation.
Cassandra and Hermione turned to stare at him. David had just made a huge impact in their first flying lesson.
"I'm taking this student to the hospital wing," Madam Hooch continued. "The rest of you, put your brooms down and wait here. No one is to move until I return!"
With that, she helped Neville toward the castle.
Draco's Plan Fails
While Neville had escaped injury, his Remembrall had fallen from his pocket and landed near Draco Malfoy, who quickly snatched it up.
"Hey, look what we have here!" Draco taunted.
David sighed. This again? Just like in the original story.
Without even drawing his wand, he gestured with his hand, and the crystal ball flew straight out of Draco's grasp.
"Harry, pass this to Neville," David said, tossing the Remembrall to Harry.
Harry grinned. "Leave it to me!"
Draco stood frozen, his face red with frustration.
He had been planning to use the Remembrall to bait Harry into flying and embarrassing himself. But now, his plan had completely backfired.
And it was all David's fault.
Draco clenched his fists, resisting the urge to yell. He wanted to threaten David by bringing up his father, but that would only make him look even weaker.
When Madam Hooch returned, the lesson resumed without further incident, and the students continued practicing under her supervision.
Aerial Competition
When David finally lifted off the ground, he briefly worried about the discomfort of straddling a broom. But to his surprise, he felt nothing uncomfortable at all.
Unseen magic formed a cushion-like support, making the ride surprisingly comfortable. (The Cushioning Charm, invented in 1820, had truly revolutionized broomstick travel.)
David found flying easy. Either he had a natural talent for it, or his experience as a skilled driver in his past life was helping him adapt quickly.
Before he could enjoy himself for too long, Cassandra zoomed past him, flashing him a smug look.
Was she challenging him?
David ignored her at first and continued flying at his own pace.
But Cassandra wasn't done. After a quick maneuver, she circled back and overtook him again, deliberately trying to provoke him.
This turned into a mini competition.
Cassandra chased him, determined to prove she was the better flyer, while David dodged her effortlessly, never letting her gain the upper hand.
Their little duel quickly caught the attention of the other students, who stopped practicing to watch.
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