April was so exited she was practically skipping to her next class; Vayvar had to run to keep
up.
"Why are you so excited about our first flying lesion? You didn't even notice the Gryffindor
boy blow his drink up." April shrugged and turned a corner. Vayvar stoped. "Hey, the class is
this way; you're heading to the kitchens."
"I know," April called over her shoulder, "I've just got to get something from my room, I'll
meet you there!" When Vayvar couldn't see her April bolted to the kitchens, quickly tapped
on the barrel, and rushed into the dorm room. She pulled out the trunk under her bed and
giggled to herself; this was going to be fun.
"Good afternoon, class." Madam Hooch called as she walked between the rows of students.
"Good afternoon, Madam Hooch." The class chimed back.
"Welcome to your first flying lesion." The professor announced. "My class before was
made up of Gryffindor's and Slytherin's, I had to leave half way through the lesson because
Mr. Longbottom couldn't control his broom, and of course when I came back Professor
McGonagall had already court two student in the air. I don't want to have another trip to the
hospital wing, so please do as I say. Right, well, what are you waiting for? Everyone step up
to the left side of their broomstick. Come on now, hurry up. Stick your right hand over the
broom and say, Up!" Once all the students had their brooms Madam Hooch continued her
lesson: "I probably should have asked this in my last lesson: who actually knows how to fly?"
"I do Madam Hooch." The class turned to see April with a broom over her shoulder, and
goggles over her eyes. She was dressed from head to toe in Quidditch gear. "Sorry I'm late,
I had to get dressed." Madam Hooch stared at the Hufflepuff girl for a minute before asking
her name. "April Thompson, my mum was part of her Quidditch team at school." April stood
beside Vayvar and smiled; all the other Hufflepuffs were staring at her.
"I didn't know you're mum played Quidditch." Vayvar whispered.
"That's probably the one thing you don't know about my family."
"Alright everyone," Madam Hooch called, "let's get back to the lesson."
April and Vayvar were walking into the dorm room, April had easily controlled her broom;
a Clean Sweep Seven that her dad had gotten her for her birthday last year. Vayvar however
was almost as bad a Neville. Izzy, Linda and Ellura were already there.
"Well, how was I supposed to know that saying 'Up' when someone was bending over my
broom was a bad idea? It hadn't been working before, so I thought 'Why not?'" Vayvar was
complaining as they walked in. Izzy looked up and grinned, Linda, Ellura and Izzy didn't
have their first flying lesion until tomorrow because there class was too big.
"I'm guessing Vayvar didn't like flying?" Izzy teased. April giggled as she pulled the trunk
from under her bed.
"You should've seen her trying to hover on it!"
"That's not funny!" the frizzy haired witch complained. "I was scared." April looked up and
raised an eyebrow.
"...really? Hovering one foot in the air is scary?"
"It was NOT one foot!"
"True, it was half a foot." Vayvar crossed her harms and sat on her bed.
"...suffice to say that my trauma, coupled with you meanies teasing me has convinced me
never to set foot near a broom ever again, unless vital." As she turned her head away from
everyone April couldn't stop laughing.
Suddenly a bur of black shot across the middle of the room and hid under Linda's bed. The
pink girl squealed and jumped into Ellura's arms. Vayvar jumped onto her bed
"What was that?" she squeaked. April pulled out her wand and slowly walked to the frilly
pink bed, she was still wearing her flying pads so she was safer than the others. She slowly
knelt sown and pulled up the sheet. April smiled and reached under the bed
"Don't worry, I think it's safe." She said as she pulled a tinny kitten from its hiding place.
It was almost completely black with half its face white. All the girls, excluding Ellura, where
suddenly surrounding April.
"Aw, it's adorable." Linda almost purred. "What's its name?" April looked at the little tag
around his neck.
"Erik. I wonder if Andy knows who he belongs to." As the group of girls walked to the
Common room Izzy spoke up.
"If there's no owner, can we keep him?" Ellura rolled her eyes
"Izzy, if he has a nametag then he has an owner." Izzy pouted slightly.
"But he's so cute…" suddenly her mood brightened. "Shotgun waking him up!" the red
haired witch licked her finger and stuck it in the sleeping boy's ear. "Wake up Andy-Pandy!"
she yelled. Andy flailed his arms wildly.
"It wasn't my stink-bomb." he said still half asleep.
"We're not here for that, were here for him." Izzy said pointing at the kitten. "Do you
know who owns him?" Andy rubbed his eyes and looked up. A smile spread across his face
instantly.
"Erik!" He climbed over the back of the couch and quickly picked up the cat. "I'm so glad
you're safe, I thought I'd loosed you." He said snuggling into the cat. April heard a sniffle
and looked over at a nearly-crying Linda.
"T-That's just, s-so cute." She sniffled. April giggled, even Linda's tissues where pink.
"Hey, you're April, right?" everyone turned to see a tall blond boy come out from the boys
dorms. "I'm Cedric," he smiled, "I'm the Seeker for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team." April
heard Izzy, Vayvar and Linda whisper behind her.
"He's gorgeous."
"Look at his hair."
"He looks like a prince." Cedric seemed oblivious.
"Madam Hooch said you really know how to use a broom, and I see you've already got
Quidditch Pads." April shrugged.
"Yeh, my mum was a Hufflepuff Beater when she went to school. She holds the record
for 'Most injuries in a single game'." The blond seeker smiled and the three girls behind
April began whispering again.
"Really? How did she do that?" April giggled slightly; her mum had shown her a picture of
her in the hospital wing after the game.
"She loosed her bat half way through the match but kept trying to stop Bludgers from hitting
the other players. She ended up with both her arms broken, most of her ribs crushed, and all
the bones in her right leg and foot basically shattered." He nodded slowly.
"Look at how his hair moves." Vayvar whispered as the other two swooned.
"Hey, if you're not busy tomorrow, I'd like to see you at Quidditch trials. If you're even half
as good as your mum, we could use you." Cedric walked past the still whispering girls and
turned back before going up the ladder. "I hope to see you there, April."