A/N: So an update on time, that is a first in a while! Thanks to all the reviews, favourites and follows since the last time, I might be terrible at replying but I really do appreciate them!
We got the puppy over the weekend, she's a Jack Russell cross Cocker Spaniel that we've called Merida :) She's so small she has to jump onto your lap even if you are sitting on the floor!
Chapter Twenty Six – Flying
Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were scheduled for their first flying lesson the afternoon after the other two houses had had theirs. The story of Neville's accident had already flown around the school and Mateo had raced up to the hospital wing as soon as he heard it. Neville had been sitting despondently on a bed and Mateo snuck in to sit with him.
"Well at least we know to go easy on you with brooms in the future," Mateo said quietly as he reached the boys bed.
"I'm not getting on a broom again," Neville said firmly.
"Yes you are, we are just going to take it a lot easier next time," Mateo insisted.
"I'll just fall of again," Neville stated with certainty as he stared at his bound arm.
"Well you can sit on mine until you get your confidence," Mateo decided. "Are you alright? How long do you have to have your arm like that?"
"Just until tomorrow evening, Madam Pomfrey fixed it already but I am not allowed to strain it," Neville explained. "And you've never flown, how do you know if you'll be good at it?"
"I love magical healing, it sounds so convenient," Mateo said happily. "And I don't, I'm just going to assume I am until I actually know for certain."
"Draco apparently has my Remembrall," Neville muttered.
"What is that?" Mateo asked.
"It is a glass ball with a gold band, it fills with red smoke if you've forgotten something. Gran sent it to me, and it fell out my pocket as I fell, I'm not sure if he left it on a roof somewhere or if he still has it in on him," the injured child said.
"I'll get that for you then," Mateo said with certainty.
He marched out of the hospital wing down to the Great Hall and was pleased to see his target already there eating lunch. His friends waved to him but he ignored them and strode down the length of the Ravenclaw/Slytherin border until he stood behind Draco.
"Afternoon Draco, I was wondering whether you still had Neville's Remembrall?" Mateo asked politely.
"What is it to you, Mudblood, if I do still have it? Neville is not in your house and none of your concern," Draco drawled.
"Neville is my friend and therefore it is everything to me. Houses should have no relevance when it comes to social interactions as it is merely a different colour of cloth signifying our defining trait," Mateo replied.
"Always the bloody logical Ravenclaw aren't you Mudblood?" Draco huffed.
"Obviously. Now, the Remembrall?"
"I still have it with me," Draco stated.
"Alright," Mateo looked at the boy and then around the hall in consideration. "If I can climb to the eaves of the room then can I have it back?"
"If you do it right now, and if you get to the ceiling, then yes you can," Draco laughed at the seemingly impossible task.
"Thanks," Mateo grinned.
Without further ado he turned and walked the short distance to the end of the table and around to the far side of the Slytherin table. Once he was opposite Draco he smiled again at the boy before turning and running towards the wall. The small burst of speed enabled him to grab the lowest part of the carved eagle and used the wall to push upwards with his legs whilst his hands held him steady.
"Mateo Banner, what do you think you are doing?" Professor McGonagall's voice cut through the chatter in the room like a knife through butter.
"I am fulfilling a bet to get something returned," Mateo explained as he hauled himself up to the claws of the carved eagle.
"Get down this instant, this is no way to settle a problem," McGonagall ordered.
"Unfortunately I have to do this Professor, so if you can let me concentrate for the next five minutes I would much appreciate it," Mateo said in a respectful tone.
"If you don't get down then I shall give you a detention," McGonagall threatened.
"Sorry, but I refuse," Mateo said as he scrabbled over the neck of the eagle.
"Master Banner this is hardly becoming of one of our House," Flitwick said sharply.
"I would have thought this was pretty accurate of our house, sir," Mateo began to explain. "You see I could not report the theft to the staff as Draco could just deny anything he wanted. There were an equal number of Slytherin and Gryffindor students there at the time of the incident so it would be one house against another. You legally cannot search him, nor use legillimency to gain the answer. Veritaserum breaches a whole host of rules too so conventional channels would have failed. Now, I could have stolen it back, but that would make me as guilty as Draco and would take a lot of planning to either break into his dorm or to find a way of stealing it back in the corridors. However doing this is an easy way of regaining the item."
Whilst he had been explaining Mateo had pushed off against the wall and had grasped the stone lip of the eave, before easily pushing himself upwards and using the wooden carving as handholds.
"This breaks hundreds of rules Mr Banner," McGonagall called.
"Actually there are no rules on climbing the interior of the Great Hall, or any part of the building for that matter. The thought probably never crossed the minds of the founders, nor any head teacher since. However I do agree that disobeying your orders is disrespectful and I shall accept punishment for that," Mateo admitted. "Is this high enough Draco?"
The Pureblood was staring in amazement as Mateo stood on the top most joist of the roof, half hidden by the haze of the enchantment on the ceiling. With the eyes of the entire hall on him he could only nod.
"Good!" Mateo grinned down at the furious glare the blond was directing at him.
Returning to ground level took about as much effort as it did to leave it as Mateo had to fight gravity to not fall. However it did not take him long to be back on the eagle carving before jumping back down to ground level. He walked calmly back around to Draco and politely extended a hand to receive Neville's Remembrall. A furious looking Draco rummaged in his pocket and slapped the glass ball into Mateo's hand before turning back to his own table and pointedly ignored Banner.
"Thank you," he smiled at the sulking Pureblood before turning and looking expectantly at the Transfiguration and Charms professors.
"How did you even figure out you could do that?" Flitwick asked curiously
"My honourary uncle has a thing for climbing to high places, he taught me how to gauge distances and angles to scale things. I highly doubt he intended me to get into trouble with the knowledge but he probably won't be too upset that I did."
Flitwick had to smother a smile at the child's enthusiasm even when faced with discipline.
"This is no joking matter, boy," Snape snarled as he approached.
"Sorry sir," Mateo apologised and he unconsciously straightened his spine at the sharp tone. He did not feel it prudent to point out he had made an observation rather than a joke.
"Shouldn't we move this somewhere more private?" Flitwick suggested. He had noticed the child's sudden change in demeanour, and it seemed that something that Snape had said had struck a nerve.
"Why? Banner has proven he is comfortable with a very public display of disobedience," the Potions professor snapped.
At the vehemence in the voice Mateo stepped back a bit in surprise at the man. However, Severus misread the situation. "Get back here boy."
Mateo was not sure what the situation had dissolved into, he only saw the fist shooting for his shoulder. Although Bruce had been very good at helping him get over his survival instincts from the five years he had been with the Dursleys, there were some reactions that he could not avoid. However with his recent intense block of training, he reacted more violently than usual.
As the fist came close to his arm he flinched backwards so violently he almost overbalanced, so he spun a full circle on his heels to compensate. He finished the manoeuvre by automatically clenching his hands into fists and bringing them up into a defensive posture. Clint and Natasha had not said anything about his habit of flinching when a blow was directed at him when they had started training him. Instead they had merely helped him change his habit so that he tried to defend himself when attacked, rather than merely standing and taking the blow. The combination of the sharp tone and sharp unexpected movement had caused a miniature flashback and Mateo had reacted out of fear of being struck by the person he had mistaken as being his uncle.
"Ah, er, sorry about that, it seems my training with my family has been a bit too thorough," Mateo dropped his fists and sunk into a low bow of apology when he realised what he had done.
"Follow me please Mateo," Flitwick said calmly and the boy did not hesitate to do so to get away from the stares coming from all around the hall.
Once in a small antechamber behind the teachers table Flitwick paused and waited for any other teacher to follow him. However, they seemed to have felt that the situation was under control and the two remained alone. It was rare but not uncommon for the teachers to discover unsettling situations like the one they suspected was the case with Mateo Banner, and as such they knew how delicate they had to be with the child in question.
"I have to ask, and I hope you can be honest with me, whether your family has ever abused you?" Filius asked gently once he was sure they wouldn't be disturbed.
"Never sir! My Dad has never done anything to me that could ever be considered abuse. Like I said, some of the Avengers offered to teach me self-defence over the summer and I threw myself into the lessons. It became a game for them to get a reaction out of me, although they never hit me. The combination of the stress of the situation that Professor Snape was creating, coupled with the black clothes and sudden movement caused me to react poorly. Again I'm sorry, and I shall not argue with whatever punishment you decide," Mateo said sincerely.
"And what about how your biological family treated you? I have heard that you lived with them until you were six," Filius pried.
Mateo hesitated and debated whether to tell the truth. He didn't know the man well but Professor Flitwick seemed honourable and that he wouldn't spread anything that Mateo told him. But as soon as Mateo thought about lying he realised he had hesitated too long, and the shrewd professor would know. So he took a deep breath and hoped his trust wasn't going to be misplaced.
"After my parents died the government left me with my aunt and uncle, who were less than pleased to have me around. So I ran away, which was when Bruce found me. He's helping me get over it, but the connotation 'boy' still has bad memories. The training I've had probably hasn't helped the matter as Clint and Natasha focussed on me not being defenceless again, so Professor Snape lunging at me triggered a reaction."
Mateo stood and waited for judgement to be passed, ready to defend Bruce to the death if he needed to. He didn't want to have to have told the truth but having Flitwick on his side might be beneficial in the long run, if the man accepted his story.
Filius stared at the boy who was looking ashamed, worried and determined all at the same time, which was an impressive feat. It was obvious he was completely dedicated to his adoptive father and would fiercely fight any negative comments made about the man. He also seemed like he was quite content to put the past behind him as it held little sway over him anymore, beyond accidental triggers. So the Charms teacher decided how best to act and came to the conclusion that he would take the same stance as the child.
"It seems like your father and his friends have tried to provide a wide learning base for you. As you said, I cannot fault your logic in the reasoning behind your stunt, nor is it against the school rules to climb the building. However it was rather reckless of you and you did disobey Professor McGonagall. I think a week of detentions will suffice as a lesson. Seven o'clock at my classroom on Monday. And perhaps in that time we can discuss your control and see whether I should be concerned with your magic casting," Flitwick finished with a smile, completely ignoring what the child obviously wanted to put behind him.
Mateo got the feeling that these 'detentions' would not be as bad as those that Professor Snape was known to set.
"I shall be there sir," Mateo accepted.
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The afternoon flying lesson was surprisingly less enjoyable than Mateo was expecting. After flying with Thor by hammer-power, and having once been given a slow tour of the skies around the tower on Tony's back, only being allowed to hover a few metres from the ground was incredibly frustrating.
By the end of the lesson they were allowed ten metres from the ground, and Mateo's frustration was slightly mollified by the extra height. There was no extreme zipping around, but they could fly in circles and bob and weave as they wished. Hermione and Kevin were slightly more nervous that he was, but they had had no experience with heights and flying like he had. It also helped that Mateo felt that this was like a second nature to him, which was surprising as he hadn't been on a broom before.
Mateo's concentration was broken as a Hufflepuff accidentally was blown into his path by a sudden gust of wind. In a split second decision, Mateo rolled upside down and continued forward until he was past the girl and then righted himself.
"Nice move Mateo!" Stephen shouted across the group.
Mateo wasn't listening though as he realised the glass Remembrall had slipped from his pocket and was tumbling to the hard path ten metres below. If his wand holster hadn't been charmed to stop it moving without his will then he would undoubtedly have been seeing that fall to earth too. Without thinking about his actions Mateo quickly pushed the broom into a dive and twirled until he was facing the right direction to chase the ball. He was pushed the broom so that he was plummeting towards the ground at the fastest speed the broom could handle. He managed to catch the ball and pull out of the vertical dive in time to avoid slamming into the ground. He did almost collide with Hermione, who was still hesitating near the ground, but he executed the broomstick version of an emergency stop and pulled up next to her. Instead of a head on collision he merely nudged sides with her as they pulled level, and he gave her a rather exhilarated smile of triumph.
Madam Hooch however was less happy with his actions and berated him soundly before announcing that he had to sit on the floor next to her for the rest of the lesson as punishment. At the end of the lesson everyone was dismissed and were chattering happily about the hour off they had before dinner, whilst Mateo was asked to help put all the broomsticks back in the shed with Madam Hooch.
"Keep that one out Mateo," the woman called.
"Yes ma'am," Mateo replied and returned to the woman with one broomstick, slightly confused as to why.
"I want to see how much you can do; you seem to have some obvious skill on a broom. So, as long as you do not come too close to the ground, the Forbidden Forest, or the school buildings, you are free to play," Madam Hooch gestured to the air.
"Are you sure?" Mateo almost didn't dare believe that he would have free rein.
"Go ahead," Madam Hooch nodded.
Mateo needed no second urging, he quickly scrabbled onto the broom and kicked off. With the wind ruffling his hair and the ground rapidly disappearing below him Mateo could finally see the enthusiasm the kids from wizarding families had for broomsticks and Quidditch. Without any hesitation Mateo rolled as he shot forward, before pushing into a steep dive. With his body pressed flat to the shaft of the broom he plummeted once more, chuckling madly at the feeling of exhilaration. Whilst still a good fifteen metres from the floor he pulled out and completed a full loop the loop before breaking to a halt again. From his raised viewpoint he could enjoy the grandeur of the whole school bathed in late afternoon sun. He looked down at Madam Hooch who was standing about fifty metres away and grinned joyfully at her, and she smiled back. His battered watch told him that he still had a lot of time left of freedom, so he wrenched the broom around and zipped off upside down, giggling madly, and tested his manoeuvrability and the limitations of the broom.
After a further ten minutes he was exhausted so he slowly and gracefully executed a teardrop stoop before dismounting fluidly in front of the teacher.
"Madam Hooch you have given me the wind, thank you for that opportunity," he beamed at the woman.
"Have you been on a broom before this?" the woman asked as she took the item from the boy in front of her.
"No, I haven't had the pleasure. I saw them being sold in Diagon Alley and I have to admit I couldn't understand the hype. But now I can see why so many of the students rave about flying and Quidditch," Mateo replied.
"You certainly are a natural, it would be a shame if you couldn't join Ravenclaw's Quidditch team.
"I am only a first year, I can't try out. But perhaps next year I'll have a go," Mateo shrugged.
"I shall see you next week Mr Banner," Madam Hooch said farewell to the boy, and watched thoughtfully as he walked alone up to the castle.
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That evening Mateo was joining the rest of the first year Ravenclaws at a large table together as they started on their reasonably small pile of homework. Snape's potion essay on the use of porcupine quills was easily the hardest and longest, so they were going to attempt to figure that out first before the others. They had hardly begun when the door to the common room opened and Flitwick appeared through it.
"Mr Banner, may I have a word?" the part goblin asked.
"Are you in trouble again?" Anthony rolled his eyes.
"I honestly have no idea what I've done this time," Mateo shrugged but did head over to the man.
"I have been in discussion with Madam Hooch," Filius started once they were outside the common room and in reasonable privacy.
Mateo stayed quiet and looked curiously at the man.
"She told me of the test she ran with you today, and the talent you show on a broom. As you said to her, there is a rule that first years cannot attend try-outs for the house teams. However, we feel that for you we can make the exception and allow you on as the reserve seeker. Although this means you might not be participating in an actual match this year you will still receive extra training and will be in a very good position to try out next year. What do you think?" Flitwick asked.
"I would love that!" Mateo said excitedly. "If I'm the reserve seeker and have a potential of flying does that mean my family can come and watch the matches?"
"Certainly, we can arrange for a portkey to be made to get them here and they would be allowed to watch the game," Flitwick assured him.
"Then I will certainly be the reserve seeker, I accept!" Mateo buzzed with excitement. "Can I tell people if they ask?"
"They will find out at the next match, so you certainly may," Filius bid the boy goodnight and left him to regain entry to the common room to celebrate.
A/N: OK I seem to be making Mateo to be exceptional at everything, which is kind of unintentional. Yes I wanted him to be above average, that idea worked with my plans. However the awesome flying skills are mostly for my own benefit as I love the idea of flying and Quidditch, I've had quite a few dreams of flying and I would give anything to fly!