Chapter 6: Flying with the Wind
The next few days passed quickly than Sylvia had wished. She had gotten used to the countless moving staircases, talking portraits, trick steps, false doors, pranks from Gryffindors (mostly from James Potter and Fred Weasley who claimed to be Marauders II), and even Peeves.
To everyone's relief, the Defence lessons were not as scary as the very first one. They mostly studied Dark Creatures like Red Caps, Kappas, and Grindylows. The extra lessons, however, were much more advanced. In their second lesson, they learned the basics for proper duelling and were starting to cover Basilisks and Parselmouth. Apart from that, other lessons were getting more interesting. They had worked on transfiguring larger objects in Transfiguration, Wand-Lighting Charm in Charms, Boil-Cure Potion in Potion lessons, and Bouncing Bulb in Herbology. No one really bothered History of Magic, and Astronomy... well, it made them sleepier.
During the second week, they were starting to have Flying lessons with Gryffindors, a thing they have all been looking forward to. The teachers had finally seen sense and didn't put Gryffindor and Slytherin together in these sorts of dangerous lessons. Everyone was starting to boast about their flying experiences, while the Muggle-born students who have never seen a flying broom in their lives were listening worriedly.
"Have you ever tried flying, Mora?" Matilda asked as she finished a story of a time when she narrowly dodged a Muggle airplane, which was confirmed by Sylvia that it was not true.
"I tried flying with dragons," Mora was satisfied with the effect, "Have to keep clear of the fire. I have a Starsweeper XXI."
"Cool," Davina commented, "Pity that school brooms are only something like Cleansweep Five or something."
"Cleansweep Five?" Sylvia echoed, "But that was made like seventy years back!"
"I know!" Matilda sighed, "They hadn't got new brooms in decades."
"How come you all have such cool brooms?" Sam Thomas of Gryffindor groaned, referring to Sylvia's Firebolt Supreme and Mora's Starsweeper XXI.
"I'd be surprised if I can't make it to the team next year." Tim joined them. His father was the Ravenclaw Quidditch team captain when he was in Hogwarts, "I got a Thunderbolt VII."
"I thought Thunderbolts sacrificed safety for speed?" Sylvia commented in a disapproving tone.
"So?" Tim ached an eyebrow, "They're still faster."
"One of them was smashed by a Bludger during the last Quidditch World Cup," said Matilda, "All broomsticks ought to be able to take a Bludger."
"You'll only need to be more skilled." Tim waved it off.
While purebloods and half-bloods were talking about Quidditch like Muggles talk about football, Muggle-borns were worrying about nearly everything.
"What happens if a Bludger hits you in the head?" Septar Gemin from Gryffindor was wondering, "I mean, has anyone ever been killed in Quidditch before?"
"A book called Quidditch Through the Ages might help." Miya suggested to her, along with Ronald Baker and Luke Birch, and they hurried off to the library.
Thursday afternoon arrived with warm sunshine, and perfect weather conditions for flying. They went down to the training grounds after lunch.
"Right," Madam Hooch, the Flying instructor called to them as everyone arrived, "Everyone stand on the right of a broomstick. What are you waiting for? Hurry up!"
Sylvia managed to stand by a Cleansweep Six, which was at least better than a Cleansweep Five, but she suspected it had been caught by a Bludger right in the middle.
"Stick out your right hand over your broom," Madam Hooch called, "And say 'Up!'"
"Up!" Everyone shouted. Sylvia's broom leapt into her hand at once. She looked around to see Tim and Sandy Ludi of Gryffindor holding their brooms as well, while everyone else's were still on the ground. One or two brooms had rolled, but otherwise unmoving. Mora's broom jumped into her hand at second try.
After many tries, everyone finally all managed to get hold of their brooms. Madam Hooch them showed them how to mount a broom correctly and walked up and down the rows to correct their grips.
"When I blow my whistle, you kick off the ground hard," Said Madam Hooch, "Keep your broom steady, rise a few feet then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle – three – two – one!" She blew the whistle and twenty brooms went into the air.
Sylvia wasn't scared at all. She kicked off easily and rose. Most of the others didn't find the experience too comfortable. Their brooms swayed in the air and some didn't really take off.
"Well done, Miss Ollivander, Mr Davies and Miss Ludi!" Madam Hooch called to them, "Now see if you can race to the beach tree." She then turned to help the others who failed to rise only a few feet and dropped to the ground.
Not wasting a second, Sylvia leaned forward and shot to the beach tree by the lake. Tim and Sandy were doing the same. Cool breeze made her robes flap behind her as she urged the old broom to go faster.
Tim was level with her now, his hair went wild against the wind.
"I win!" He announced and halted right past the tree. Sylvia arrived a second later, and Sandy was only inches behind.
"Race you to the astronomy tower?" Tim smirked.
"I'm in!" Sandy agreed instantly.
"I don't think we're supposed to..." Sylvia trailed off. It sounded fun, and they've got nothing to do right now, "Fine. See you there!" She turned her broom to the tower's direction and began speeding up.
"That's not fair!" Tim shouted and shot off behind her.
"Life isn't fair!" She called back.
They zoomed higher and higher. Air soared all around Sylvia. She thought something else was pushing her, helping her up. The same feeling she had experienced when she cast the wind spell came to her.
"I win this time!" She declared and whirled around.
"What do you think you three are doing?" Madam Hooch had cast a Sonorus on her voice to make herself audible to them, "Come down at once!"
"Right away, madam." Sandy murmured and dived.
They were clearly natural players: diving at a hight of fifty feet or more and pulled pack without a scratch.
"You could have been killed!" Madam Hooch scolded them sternly, "I will not dock points, however, seeing you as talented flyers. Be more sensible next time." Her voice softened, but was still hard for most people.
"We could have got off much worse." Tim grinned cheerfully as they sat down on the grass to watch the others.
"True." Sylvia agreed, "What's your Quidditch team? Mine's Montrose Magpies."
"Puddlemere United," Tim answered with a smirk, "Remember the legendary crossfire?"
"When both sides' audiences started to throw jinxes and hexes at the game of Holyhead Harpies against Puddlemere United?" Sylvia laughed, "Sure, no one will forget that in a hurry. What about you?" She turned to Sandy.
"Holyhead Harpies." Sandy replied.
"Cool." Tim commented.
"I still don't see how diving from a tower with a reasonable broom can kill anyone." Sylvia frowned.
"Not everyone can pull back in time though," Sandy pointed out, "They could crash right in the face."
"Well, not us!" Tim smiled.
"Wonder why we didn't make it to the team," Sandy muttered, "Harry Potter did it by just diving from fifty feet and catching a stupid ball."
"Maybe they want to wait for another century?" Sylvia suggested, "Can't have this as a tradition."
"Do you think we can sign up for the tryouts?" Tim wondered aloud, "No one would know we're first-years until we showed up at the pitch."
"Then they would chase you off." Sylvia finished for him, "Besides, we haven't got our brooms here. You're not going to ride a Comet 180 at the trails, are you?"
"Comet 180?" Sandy exclaimed, "They could be sold into the museums!"
"Exactly." Said Sylvia.
"I was just saying!" Tim protested.
"We should practise," She suggested, "Come on!" Sylvia mounted the old broom and kicked off, while the other two followed.
The rest of the lesson passed by as they practised Quidditch moves and charmed stones to fly at them as Bludgers. By the time they got back into the castle, they were laughing and joking all the way.
"How come you're not in Gryffindor?" Matilda frowned at Sylvia, "I thought only Gryffindors are wild."
"The hat did consider it," She responded, "But it's not only Gryffindors who are up to no good!" Sylvia said the last bit in a sing-song voice, "Why do you think every house has a Quidditch team, then? You can leave it to only Gryffindor and Slytherin at this state."
"I guess you're right." Her sister sighed good-naturedly.
With all the lessons and extra lessons, along with keeping up with Sylvia's Animagus research, and sneaking brooms for Quidditch practise, as well as spending time exploring the castle and trying to find the kitchen's location, while staying on top on most of the lessons, time flew for her at Hogwarts.
On the weekend after their first Flying lesson, the Quidditch team tryouts took place. The Ravenclaw Quidditch team hadn't changed much this year: Toby Partum, Tonda Nordum, and Andy Egwu in seventh-year as Seeker plus captain, Chaser, and Keeper; Pridi Planus in fifth-year as Beater, along with Hayden Rivers; Dorcas Mollis and Alnia Lilium in fourth-year as Chasers to replace the two that graduated last year. Sylvia had the intention to try out as Seeker next year, while Tim wanted to play Chaser.
Without Sylvia even noticing, October was starting to draw an end. Halloween is nearing, and the teachers were preparing the decorations. She had seen the huge pumpkins at Hagrid's, and, as she had heard from Gerhaze, there would be real bats.
"Where do you think they would get the bats from?" Mora frowned.
"There'll be bats?" Davina stared at them, "What if- "
"They won't suck your blood," Miya said dreamingly, "Or at least I hope not. Lysander and Lorcan didn't say much about it." She had a pair of twin brothers in Gerhaze's year, both in Ravenclaw.
"Do you think they'll be vampires?" Mora suggested.
"And where do you think they'll find so many?" Matilda chuckled.
"Wonder what the evil twins will do," Sylvia referred to James and Fred, "It's a surprise they didn't pull a prank lately."
"They seemed to know where everyone is at all times," Matilda sighed, "Wonder how they did that."
"What do you reckon they'll do?" Davina wondered.
"It's won't be fun if we warned you off, won't it?" The redhead boy revealed himself from behind a bookshelf.
"What a surprise to see you in the library, Fred." Mora huffed.
"Ah, pranksters need to research as well, you know?" Fred winked and grinned.
"Where's your twin?" Davina looked over his shoulders as if expecting to see James.
"He's here somewhere," Fred smirked, "Disillusionment Charm."
"I don't believe you," Sylvia narrowed her eyes, "Disillusionment Charms are fine in distance, but you can actually recognise it when you get close. Nice try, though, a lot of people would have believed that. How is he hiding?"
"It's our secret." Said Fred.
"Either he isn't here at all," Sylvia continued, "Or," She brainstormed for other ways to be invisible, "He has an Invisibility Cloak."
"You first-years are getting smarter," Fred sighed, "James?"
As Sylvia had guessed, it was indeed an Invisibility Cloak. James Potter emerged from nowhere as he pulled it off.
"I thought we're not going to tell anyone?" James glared at his company.
"They already know." Fred shot back.
"Are you going to tell us how you seem to know every single step of Hogwarts and where people are at all times?" Matilda questioned.
"We've been here for five years." James replied.
"That only explains the first part," Mora retorted, "And it's only four years and nearly two months."
"Are we going to tell them?" Fred leaned to his friend.
"No way! It doesn't belong to me yet!" James exclaimed a bit too loudly, earning a suspicious looked from Madam Pince.
"What doesn't belong to you yet?" Matilda asked.
"Alright, alright," James gave up, "You got me. This," He pulled out a piece of old parchment, "Is the Marauders' Map, made by the first Marauders. I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." He tapped the parchment with his wand and a map started to show on it.
Sylvia snorted at the phrase but watched with interest at tiny dots moved around the map, with names labelled on them. "So that's how." She understood and saw Professor McGonagall in her office and a few students in the Ravenclaw tower, "I assume the passageways leads to Hogsmeade?" She looked up from the map.
"I really regret this now," Fred muttered, "We could be luring first-years out of the castle."
"No worries," Matilda sniffed, "We've been there."
"What do you mean when you said this doesn't belong to you?" Davina asked.
James looked rather uncomfortable, but Fred nudged him, "Come on, just tell them, they already know this much."
"Fine," James sighed, "I nicked it from Dad's desk. Don't tell anyone about this, okay?"
"I swear on my magic." Sylvia winked, "Ravenclaws can be up to no good as well."
"Don't you dare try challenge our title!" Fred joked.
"Oh no," Sylvia smirked, "We're thinking of our own. Ravenclaw's known for creativity."
"So that's the Marauders' Map?" Miya chimed in, "Mother thinks it's a brilliant resource but lacked both depth and detail."
"Why's that?" James vanished the writings and turned the map back into a blank parchment by saying "mischief managed", and put it back into his pocket.
"I'm not very sure, as I haven't seen the map before." Miya chuckled.
"Want to help with the prank?" Fred suddenly suggested.
"You're kidding right?" James groaned, "They're first-years!"
"Innocent first-years that won't be suspected," Fred argued, "And first-years who nearly defeated Rose!"
"You've got to be kidding." The messy haired boy muttered.
"So, you are planning to prank at the Halloween feast?" Davina rolled her eyes.
"Yup, you in?" Fred grinned.
Sylvia looked at her friends and they all nodded, mischief flashing in their eyes.
"Yes." She answered with an evil smile.