...
The first week passed by in a blur for Rodrick. He'd found himself adjusting to the magical school much faster than anticipated, which was surprisingly more than can be said about his friends. Though he had spent most of his free time in the library preparing for his lessons. The first few days having spent them alone before Blaise had decided to start joining him. The boy seemed to open up about himself far more to him.
'And here I'd thought it'd take at least a year.' He was glad of course, Blaise was proving to be more entertaining than he'd originally expected.
Daphne on the other hand had practically settled down into the gossip culture the castle seemed to inspire, with her friend. A fact he had until he'd joined the castle, mostly considered muggle behavior.
A small part of him wanted to see the effect of such information, particularly the similarities between the two, would have on a certain Malfoy. The thought brought a chuckle out of him. An action that earned him a raised eyebrow from Blaise.
Speaking of the blonde pureblood, currently opposite him on the other side of the long table, sat another pureblood he'd had the 'pleasure' of meeting.
One Theodore Nott. A student he, admittedly, couldn't get any read on. The boy's expressions were simply far too passive to get a good understanding of. Though judging by the previous history lesson, he seemed to at the very least try to get to know him.
For whatever reason.
He'd of course asked his small group if they knew anything about him, to a lack of success. At the very least from the two girls before him. Blaise had merely mentioned the fact that the most active the Nott family had been in the past decade, seemed to involve foreign countries. The elder Nott known for his worldly travels.
Other than that, however, he didn't really have enough information to have an opinion on the boy. Though if he showed any further interest in getting to know him, he was certainly not bothered enough about it to refuse. However bad it might be, it probably didn't compare to his own family situation.
Said group of friends was currently enjoying an eventless breakfast, Rodrick was even almost convinced it would end without issu- It seemed the gods were tempting him, or he was tempting them? Given as soon as the thought had popped into his head, a flock of owls appeared to rapidly fill up the Great Hall bearing letters and gifts for the students.
Malfoy, almost as if he'd planned to do so from the start, promptly rose up from his seat and made his way over to the Gryffindor table.
'Here we go,' Rodrick poked Blaise and called towards Daphne and Tracey before pointing over towards their breakfast entertainment.
It took, perhaps, a moment before Malfoy had seemingly decided he owned another student's gift. Rodrick, meanwhile the blonde got into a heated argument, presumably over why his sudden ownership of Longbottom's round glass ball of sorts, squinted his eye trying to find out what it was. Daphne, being the good sport that she was, and on the sight of his admittedly obvious interest, promptly explained what a Remembrall was.
Some of their fellow Slytherins, having noticed the professors marching over towards the table promptly warned the Malfoy heir.
'Too bad...' He was rather interested to see how Malfoy's claims would hold up against Hogwart's faculty.
...
Admittedly enough, there was one subject Rodrick was vehemently against learning. One of, if not, the only subjects taught in the castle that was entirely practical in nature. And more than likely held the highest number of injuries on record.
It was, of course, the bane of physics; magical flying, specifically via enchanted brooms.
Now, truth be told, Rodrick personally didn't have a problem with the art... So long as the flier wasn't himself. He wasn't scared of being so high up per se, but rather of the effects gravity had on him whilst he was fifty feet in the air.
Blaise, to his further irritation, was murmuring something incoherent beside him as they walked to their doom. A fact that had gotten him sharp looks from Malfoy and his two friends; it seemed the blonde was finally wizening up, and as expected, was not agreeable to the competition stealing attention he deserved all to himself.
If Theodore Nott was to be believed at any rate. He appreciated the thought none the less. It felt good, knowing the blonde considered him a threat. Even for the wrong reasons.
He looked forward to the day Draco found out the right reasons.
"Ah, Rodrick!" Shouted an excited Tracey.
Rodrick stopped himself in his tracks and turned to the source of the voice, his face automatically letting off a smile; she'd seemed to start liking him more since he'd helped her through their potions homework.
Daphne meanwhile was currently trying to ignore the commotion her friend was making, unsuccessfully.
"I am glad someone's looking forward to this..." remarked Rodrick, his displeasure to flying was probably rather obvious to see.
"You're not looking forward to this?" Blaise questioned, the slightest bemused at his reaction.
"One can hardly blame him. It's a barbaric form of transportation. Honestly, carriages are so much more elegant." Daphne remarked, nodding her head as she crossed her arms.
He... didn't quite have a reaction prepared for that argument.
"...First world problems aside," He deadpanned, earning a twitch from the girl in question, and chuckles from her childhood friend. "No, Blaise, I am not looking forward to this."
"Don't tell me you're scared of heights?" Blaise questioned, two raised eyebrows as the boy seemingly held back a chuckle.
"No, no. Not Heights exactly. Gravity." Rodrick deadpanned.
"Well. you'll be glad to know the infirmary, I believe, has a twenty-four-hour open-door policy!"
"Great."
"And if worst comes to worst, I am sure my family will be willing to cover any funeral costs."
"Ha. Ha." He stated at the same time Tracey decided to show exactly how little she seemed to understand the other's sarcasm. "Blaise!" The redhead had an alarmed look on her face.
"We're going to be late," Eventually warned Daphne, the girl rolling her eyes as she moved on ahead of them.
"Good maybe we can miss the lesson," Rodrick fired back without a missed beat.
At which point his redheaded friend betrayed by pushing him towards the field.
'I may have chosen the wrong friends.'
In truth Rodrick was at least glad they were flying with Gryffindor, it meant Malfoy was going to be busy tormenting someone else. If the boys non-stop chatter about flying was any basis, he didn't want any challenges with him that involved a broom.
It was probably for the best Malfoy likely wouldn't ever try for any wand-based challenges.
He doubted Snape would approve of him sending another Slytherin to the hospital.
"Nervous still?" Daphne asked while Blaise and Tracey seemed to speed ahead once they saw the field itself.
"No."
"Hm? Really? Over your fears already?" The question was practically dripping with disbelief.
"I have a plan," Rodrick attempted the widest smile he could manage; which hurt his modified mouth.
"Hurting someone else won't make the lessons stop just so you know." Daphne deadpanned towards him.
Rodrick dramatically deflated before he was pulled by the girl towards the field.
Ahead of them, Tracey was chatting animatedly about the lesson; it seemed she'd had plenty of practice riding a broom back at her home, having done so since she was a kid. He had asked Daphne if she felt the same way receiving a definite no. The girls only interest coming from the fact it was a mandatory lesson, and so must be learned for that reason alone.
It was commendable. Even if he didn't quite agree with it.
He had to admit though the field itself was rather pleasing on the eyes if one could ignore the forbidden forest on the side. The headmaster himself had spoken of the dangers that encompassed it at the start of their year.
'Wizards should really consider fences.'
It seemed the Slytherin group was the first to arrive. Malfoy naturally already had half the class surround him as he explained his so-called talent.
"Think you're better than him, Tracey?" he questioned, startling the red-head in the process.
"...Even if I was... Probably shouldn't mention it... You know?"
He blinked at the response, a frown tugging at his lips as no words seemed to come out. He wasn't entirely certain why the words affected him... but for whatever reason, did.
His thoughts promptly turned towards the weather; a breezy day. The wind buffeted them, and in the girl's cases, their hair all over the place.
'Perfect, make it even easier for me to fall,' he couldn't help the thought.
"Don't worry, if you fall I am sure we can fix you up." Blaise's magic words, unsurprisingly, didn't help.
Daphne instead decided to take a different approach by giving him a pat on the shoulder. Bestowing him with all the faith a sheltered rich witch had in regards to the world.
Which of course amounted to nothing in his mind.
Really, if they wanted to help him, they ought to give him a parachute.
It wasn't long before their fellow Gryffindor rivals arrived, each student taking their designated place beside a broom. Rodrick was quite pleased to note he wasn't the only uncomfortable soul there.
Unfortunately, they were all Gryffindors and therefore didn't matter in the grand scheme of Slytherin related matters.
Tracey stood to his side, in an as of yet unknown attempt at trying to help him. A fact that, despite the fruitlessness of it, had Rodrick rather grateful.
Blaise was on his other side, there to probably tease him relentlessly. A fact he could do without.
Staring down at his broom; his displeasure only grew worse when he realized exactly how bad their conditions looked to the naked eye.
"We're supposed to fly in these?" he questioned with the slightest hint of panic in his wavering voice.
"Oh do relax, it's very safe," Blaise waved away his concerns.
"Don't worry if you fall I'll catch you with my wand!" Whispered Daphne; she had apparently made her way over to his side.
"Break my fall with a wand? Why didn't I think of that?" He deadpanned towards her, an action that had him recoiling the slightest when he took in how serious the girl had been. thinking about it for a moment he felt a bashful look take over as he realized he'd unintentionally insulted her.
For all he knew, the girl probably did know a powerful enough levitation charm...
Still, if only to try and make up for something, he immediately decided to swap positions, taking the girls right-hand-side, as opposed to Blaise's left.
'It's no parachute... On that thought why hasn't grandfather taught me a useful spell for this!? You'd think a Dark Lord would know a spell or two to deal with gravity trying to kill you.'
Then again, maybe it was because he knew Hogwarts could teach him that themselves? It certainly made more sense when he thought about it that way.
In all fairness, his grandfather didn't need to make sense. What he was famous for proved he didn't care much for the concept.
He was going to pay for that thought later.
He just knew it.
To his credit, Blaise pretended to feign an offended look before he quickly shrugged at the action.
Daphne looked quite surprised at the turn of events, "Feel better?" she questioned amused.
"Not really, but ill take a positive attitude over Blaise's grim fortune-telling any day." Earned a laugh out of the three around him, though Rodrick didn't understand the humor.
Their teacher, Madam Hooch had chosen that moment to finally show up. The woman immediately falling to rule explanation and the know-how to getting a broom to jump into one's hands.
He was fairly sure it would be faster to just pick up the brooms.
And as if to contradict him, to his misfortune, he didn't even need to say a word before his broom made its way onto his hand.
It seemed quite eager to hurt him.
His friends much like himself didn't have as much trouble as most of the other students.
"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "On 3, I want you to kick off hard, rise a few feet before coming back down."
The teacher had counted to two before an impatient Gryffindor decided to push off. and judging by the look on his face, he couldn't control it... Which suggested-
Dropping his broom to the ground, Rodrick let out a mild nope.
The other students around him simply stared at the flying commotion with shocked faces. The boy had reached 20 feet before falling back down, breaking a wrist in the process.
And, as if the events so far hadn't been enough to sate his idiocy.
Malfoy decided then and there would be the best time to start a fight with Harry Potter over the... Magical memory thingy..? Rodrick couldn't actually remember what it was called, though he took it for what it was.
A blessing, he avoided flying. Magic (And cursed brooms) helped prove his paranoia right, and again, he didn't have to fly!
His pleasure seemed to show as Daphne reprimanded him for looking too happy. Blaise was paying more attention to the little show between Potter and Malfoy while Tracey was currently sulking.
'I almost feel sorry... almost.'
Moving on to more immediate concerns Daphne promptly asked him if he could help her and Tracey more with potions. It took a bit of coercing, but he finally agreed to spend another evening in the library, though only after Blaise decided to join.
"You're all hopeless." He remarked, shaking his head.
"I am sure everyone would love to hear your unique take on broom flying," Daphne's green eyes seemed to sharpen with every word.
"Coming from you? Miss car-" He froze at the possible upcoming meaning, immediately turning his gaze ahead of him and away from the girl. "Forget I said anything," He remarked, his heart beating the slightest faster.
He probably wasn't at that point in a friendship just yet. Though, really he doubted jokes of that kind, even accidentally, would go well with anyone.
"Can always watch him suffer next week" Blaise idly remarked.
Rodrick groaned loud enough to wake Tracey out of her dejected stupor.
Out of sight and hearing, for one side at any rate, a lonely and ancient ghost held back her smile.
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