10
"Now, students, as I've told you before, it's all in the pronunciation: Wingaaardium Leviohhhhsa! Let's try saying it out loud, all together once. One, two, three…"
"Wingaaaardium Leviohhhhsa," the class replied in one droning, monotone voice.
"Good, class, very good!" exclaimed Professor Patil, clasping her hands together. "Now let's practice the motion, very slowly: swish and flick, swish and flick…"
Slumped in his desk in the back corner of the room, Albus was bored out of his mind. He had already made his textbook, Adventures in Charming: Level One, zoom around the classroom three times at floor level, but had to stop and put it back in its bag when he sensed Professor Patil getting suspicious. He had already bewitched the spider on the wall to only be able to crawl backward, but he'd undone the spell because the spider couldn't find its way back to its web and he felt bad. He had already made the feather sitting in front of him change colors from blue to pink to red to white again, then turned it into a chrysanthemum and back. He had already done everything possible, it seemed, to keep himself entertained without anyone else in the class catching on. If I hear the words "swish and flick" one more time, I think I'm going to scream, thought Albus to himself, as he tried to prevent himself from nodding off.
"Let's try them both together now!" said the Charms professor a bit too enthusiastically. "Goyle? Why don't you go first."
She pointed at a big, stocky boy in the front row, who grunted nervously. "Er…Wingardinum Levinoosa!" he bellowed, waving his arms like a windmill. The feather didn't budge. "Wingandilum Leviorra?" Jason Goyle tried once more. The feather, again, stayed put.
"Keep working on the incantation, Goyle, and remember: swish and flick, swish and flick… how about you, Burke?"
Oliver Burke, a thin, pale boy who was generally regarded as the cleverest first year in Slytherin house, stood up, cleared his throat, and rolled up his sleeves. He glanced around to make sure everyone was watching, pointed his wand at the feather, then yelled dramatically "Wingardium Leviosa!"
The feather skyrocketed into the air, bounced off of the ceiling, then shot up and down the rows of students, careening out of control. The first years ducked as it zoomed over their heads, and a few of the girls screamed as it passed them. Oliver stared at the feather in confusion, his eyes wide as it exploded down the last row, the pointy end aimed directly at Albus's forehead.
With a lazy flick of his wand, Albus stopped it in midair. As the class watched in amazement, the feather did three quick backflips right in a row, then flitted lightly and daintily back to the dumbstruck Oliver Burke, where it coasted to a neat stop in the middle of his desk. A hush fell over the room as the first years looked from Albus to the feather, then back again.
The silence was broken by Professor Patil. " Ten points from Slytherin, Potter. Stay with the class."
Albus hadn't enjoyed his first few days at Hogwarts. Charms wasn't the only subject in which he was hopelessly ahead; in every class from Transfiguration to Astronomy he felt as though he was being forced to relearn his alphabet. He spent most of his time in the back row, alternately napping and trying to keep himself amused by putting small, pointless enchantments on the objects around him. He only answered questions or performed spells in front of the class if his professors forced him, then sat down as quickly as he could, usually blushing. Albus's obvious talent for magic, however much he tried to hide it, did not go unnoticed among his fellow Slytherins, especially the jealous Oliver Burke. Through the use of the rather complex Ear Extension charm, he had managed to eavesdrop on many distasteful conversations that the other first years were having about him, which often resulted in him feeling sick to his stomach and wishing he hadn't listened. Needless to say, Albus wasn't very popular; Burke and the others made sure of that. For any normal student, his situation may have been unpleasant, but for the shy and socially awkward Albus, Hogwarts was a waking nightmare.
The only class that didn't feel like hell to Albus was Potions. It often seemed to him like nothing could go wrong in the cool, quiet dungeon classroom, with candles flickering on the walls and cauldrons softly bubbling. Potions was the only class where Albus's talents weren't forcibly shown off to his tormentors; they were hidden, instead, inside his pewter cauldron, which he had come to appreciate much more than his wand. Professor Zabini, the Potions Master, didn't try to hold Albus back or force him to stay with the other students. As a matter of fact, he encouraged him to come early to class and pick out more complex recipes to do, instead of the simple ones that the other first years were still struggling with. His work was passed back to him in a clear, glass vial just like everyone else's, with the same black, spiky grade scrawled on the top. Albus always got a warm, fuzzy feeling inside when he held that vial, a feeling which almost made him think he was normal.
Another reason that Albus like Potions so much was that it was the only class that Slytherins and Gryffindors had together- his only class to see his friends Rose and Scorpius. Albus missed spending all day with his cousin like they always had, ever since they were babies. They were as different as two people could possibly be, but Rose and Albus had always been best friends. It was Rose who had stood up for Albus when the neighborhood boys had teased him, who had whispered sarcastic comments about Uncle Percy to keep him from dying of boredom at family reunions, who had prevented him from accidentally burning down the house with out-of-control magic when he got too angry. It was Albus who had listened to Rose's plans for greatness and promised to go with her to battle dragons and giants and Dark wizards, who had let her copy his homework when she had forgotten to do it the night before, who had calmly defended her to her mother when she ran off to play Quidditch for the fifth time that week. Together, they had suffered through five years of Muggle elementary school, Rose's dad's attempts at cooking, and their first panicked trip through the invisible barrier leading to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Now they saw each other for two hours every other day.
Aside from Rose, Scorpius was the only other first year that Albus thought of as a friend. Like Albus, he had always been considered odd and was used to being given funny looks. He felt as out of place in Gryffindor house as Albus felt in Slytherin, and was as eager to prove himself as Albus was to fade into the background. Albus felt as though he understood Scorpius's fear of his parents, which was strangely coupled with a desire to please them. Scorpius, in turn, seemed to understand Albus's longing to be just like any other eleven-year-old wizard. Sitting at their table in the Potions room with Scorpius and Rose, Albus actually felt as though coming to Hogwarts was worthwhile.
Just that Monday, however, Albus had received some news that had made his heart both leap with delight and pound with anxiety. The poster, which Albus had seen upon arriving in the Great Hall for breakfast, read:
Flying Lessons
First Years Only
Ravenclaws/Hufflepuffs- Tuesdays, 8-9 am
Gryffindors/Slytherins- Thursdays, 9-10 am
All lessons will take place on the West side of Potter Stadium
Questions? Talk to your Head of House and ask to meet with Coach Wood.
Albus's first reaction to this notice had been one of happiness. Flying lessons meant more time out of the classroom and less opportunities for boredom and unpopularity. Besides, Slytherins and Gryffindors were together yet again, meaning more time for Albus to spend with his friends. On the other hand, however, the notion of flying was not one that particularly appealed to Albus. Like most Wizarding children, he had been given a toy broomstick at a young age, but unlike his peers, Albus had only touched his broom once or twice. While his siblings and cousins had graduated to full-size adult brooms quickly, Albus had found himself unable to get over his fear of heights, and had insisted on remaining on firm, solid ground. He knew that it was an unusual plight to have; both of the elder Potters had played on the Gryffindor Quidditch team back in their day, with his father, the Hogwarts stadium's namesake, being arguably the best Seeker in school history. James, Albus's older brother, had eagerly carried on the Potter Quidditch tradition upon arriving at Hogwarts. In only his third year, he had shown exceptional prowess and had become the youngest member of the Gryffindor team that season. Now that he was a fifth year, James was the team's star Beater, and was considered a shoo-in for being chosen for the captain position once the season started.
Albus often felt inferior to his brother, and Quidditch wasn't the only reason. Unlike his younger brother, James Potter was the most popular boy in his house, with scores of friends, clusters of girls, and a Prefect badge to prove it. His grades, though not exemplary, were still quite good, especially considering the minimal time that the elder Potter spent on his studies. Despite the lack of effort, however, James was a favorite with all of his teachers, due to his natural charm and inborn intelligence. Students and teachers alike fell in love with James's sparkling personality from the moment they met him, a feat which Albus, who struggled to make even a few friends, could never even hope to match.
Perhaps these flying lessons were the answer, Albus had decided as he stared at the poster in the Great Hall. Not only would he get to see his friends, but he would also have a chance to prove that he wasn't a freak. If he could fly as well as the rest of his family, the famous Potter Quidditch tradition would hopefully attach itself to him and mask his awkward personality. Flying was the key to success, and to preserving his image, not only in his own eyes but also in the eyes of his family. But the main reason that Albus was excited to fly had nothing to do with his classmates, his family or his reputation; by facing his fears, Albus could show his bravery, and prove that he was a Gryffindor once and for all.