Chapter 7 – First Flight
The short first week flew by, and Iris began to settle into a routine. The weekend came and went – mostly taken up by exploring the House and gardens, hanging out at the Quidditch pitch watching the older students practicing ahead of team selections and cooling off indoors during the hottest part of the day.
There was always so much going on. The prank war between the older boys Iris had seen on her first night was in full swing with a dozen school owls dropping ridiculous shouting letters (called Howlers, Iris was told) on Orson Fringe at breakfast one morning, screaming terrible poetry about his incredible talent for burping tunes. Two days later, Arlo Jordan was walking around with very hairy, bright orange-coloured eyebrows for several hours.
In the evenings after a delicious dinner, they usually played games or explored more of the House. Iris was fascinated with the House, its seemingly never-ending corridors and rooms. It was obviously very old but everything worked and nothing was damaged or falling apart. She got to know her way around the main areas very quickly, but had no idea where the other House Common Rooms were. It seemed their entrances were hidden just like Uluru's.
They did however, find the Games Room. Close to the center of the House, the Games Room was easily found and quite large. Students of all ages and Houses were permitted to use it. High ceilings with a circle of sky-lights kept the room bright and well-lit. Book cases and shelves were filled with books, wizarding game sets and boards, curious instruments and interesting gadgets.
There were groups of arm-chairs here and there, and comfortable large desks with matching chairs that would seat 2, 4 or 6 people at a time. All four House banners were hung high on the walls and the moving paintings were all pretty landscapes or cheerful portraits that were happy to talk to the students.
It was here that Iris met her first ghost. When the pale, translucent shape of a teenage boy in an old uniform that looked rather boy-scoutish drifted through the wall, she stopped dead in her tracks and stared. A couple of other Year 7's actually screamed in surprise.
"Don't freak out," Fae told Iris, "That's only Jasper. He's friendly enough." she said, waving at the ghost who waved back but didn't approach them, instead drifting across the room and vanishing through the opposite wall.
From dawn until bedtime, they seemed to be on the go and busy. The days flew by and every night, Iris slept soundly and deeply.
In their second week, they began some basic spellwork to everyone's delight. Learning a basic charm to lift small objects, a spell to repair almost any item, how to shoot red sparks and then a igh-reaching flare in the international signal for needing help and brewing a simple pain-relieving potion (a wizarding asprin, Iris learned).
In History Of Magic, they had begun working on their personal Family Trees. Iris made a rough draft with those she knew about. Herself and Taj, their parents and both sets of Grandparents. She knew the names of one set of great-grandparents on her mother's side, and Grandpa Vernon's father's name (Vernon Dursley Snr) but then she was stuck.
They were required to do at least 4 generations and so Iris decided to write home that evening, to find out as much as she could. If her own Mum and Dad didn't know, she would need to get them to phone Granny Petunia and Nana and Nani for more. She wondered if Granny Petunia would guess something was amiss. She knew her father hadn't dared to tell her yet that she and Taj were magical.
She pushed that thought aside, not wanting to let herself worry how Granny Petunia would take the news. Dudley had not told Iris about how Granny Petunia had treated her sister, and her nephew – Harry Potter. He hadn't dared bring that up yet. But Granny had never talked about cousin Harry, and never mentioned her sister, Great-Aunt Lily and Iris knew something wasn't quite right there.
"What a suck-up!" Fae growled on their way out of History class. Kendra Gaunt had been very vocal in that particular lesson.
"Sir, do I just do 4 generations? I mean, I can trace my maternal lineage all the way back to Morgana Le Fay herself" she mimicked in a falsetto whiney voice.
"Ugh," Iris agreed, "She is such a showoff."
"She sure has a big opinion of herself," Arin added, "Did you hear her telling Agatha that her Gaunt line goes back to Salazar Slytherin and therefore she is from the purest wizarding bloodlines in the world?"
"Purest bitch-lines in the world." Fae muttered and the three of them sniggered.
In Transfiguration, they were learning about their own magical cores. They were guided through meditation, to learn to reach inward and feel their own core. Iris was astounded when she finally got the knack toward the end of the lesson and on her third attempt, and could really feel her own magic within her. Until that lesson she hadn't really noticed it – it had always been there she knew, but she was so accustomed to it she hadn't actually noticed it until this lesson.
"I want at least two pages on the magical core, what it is and the risks of magically exhausting yourself, and the consequences of a depleted or exhausted core by next Thursday." Professor Leuff told the class sternly. "Those who do not submit a detailed enough essay will be receiving extra work."
There were a few faint groans from several students. Professor Leuff quirked the corner of his mouth in a brief half-smile.
"This may be one of the most important and life-saving lessons you will all learn at Nyambi." He explained. "I expect you to understand it thoroughly."
That Friday, they had their first flying class. Iris and several of the other students were very excited for this, the idea of zipping around the skies on a broom was exhilarating and she couldn't wait to try it.
Students from all the Houses were mingling together. Apparently, the Houses had been split in half with one half taking Flying on the Friday mornings and the rest – Iris' group – taking the class on Friday afternoons.
She was severely disappointed when instead of getting straight onto the school brooms lying on the neatly trimmed Quidditch Pitch, their flying instructor had them run 2 laps of the pitch and go through some stretches as a group.
"But sir!" one of the boys whined as he stretched one leg up behind him halfheartedly, "I thought this was a flying class."
"It is a flying class, Mr Kirk." their instructor, Mr Greenfield replied matter-of-factly. "Flying takes a great deal of physical strength and endurance once you start to do more than the basics. Wind, air pressure, thrust and G-forces can whip an unfit flyer straight off their broom which can be fatal." He raised his voice and glared around at the class to be sure everyone was listening.
"What forces can dislodge an unfit flyer, Miss Smith?" he suddenly shot a question at Rosalie who had been whispering in annoyance to Jess. Both girls shut up immediately and Rosalie went red.
"Er, wind?" she asked.
"And?" he prompted.
"Um…" she went even redder.
"Anyone else?" Mr Greenfield asked the class as a whole. Several hands shot up, and Mr Greenfield called on the shortest boy in the class, Katut, for the answer.
"Wind, air pressure, thrust and B-forces." He replied promptly.
"I think you will find it is G-forces, Mr Perbesi." Mr Greenfield replied dryly as several other kids chuckled. "But well done, 10 points to Uluru."
After their stretches, Mr Greenfield had them run through a series of exercises designed to strengthen their core, shoulders and overall posture. By the end of it, half the class was groaning in pain and everyone was red in the face and sweating.
"Fitness is key!" Mr Greenfield called over the groans and complaints. "You will struggle to fly well if you do not have the strength to stick to your broom once the pace begins to pick up."
And then; "Well done, Miss Belcam!" he praised one of the Wollumbin girls who was working through the exercises with relative ease.
"Thanks, Sir." She replied, grinning.
"It's alright for her," Jess muttered under her breath, wiping sweat from her forehead with the hem of her shirt, "Her Dad is a broomstick maker, she spends all day on brooms!"
Finally, toward the end of the class they were all permitted to step up next to a broomstick lying dormant on the pitch. They were instructed to stand to the left side of the broom, right hand out over it and to say "Up!" with determination and conviction.
Iris' broom leapt into her hand right away and she felt a thrill go through her. Glancing around the rest of the class, many others had their brooms in hand already. A couple of the quieter kids down the back of the group were having trouble. Some brooms wriggled a little but didn't lift off the ground at all.
Mr Greenfield reminded them all that intent made all the difference, and to say "Up!" again with conviction and determination. They had to mean it, he said.
One of the boys, Dante Gillstead overdid it a bit, and missed his broom which rose sharply on his third try and flung itself into the sky, arced high over the group and fell earthward again. He ran, red-faced to fetch it as the rest of the class laughed.
Once everyone had their broom in hand, Mr Greenfield showed them all how to grip their handles correctly and to mount their brooms. He strode up and down the lines correcting people where need-be and instructing them how to adjust their position for the best balance.
Mr Greenfield instructed the front row of students to kick off hard from the ground, rise up on their brooms and then level out and move forward half the length of the pitch. Then to angle the handle downward to come back to the ground. He blew his whistle and the first row took off!
The brooms must have had safety spells on them, as they didn't go very fast, nor very high but the Year 7's had a thrill flying their school-owned brooms forward and landed the safely on the other side.
Iris felt her heartbeat quicken and the excitement leap inside her. She had always wanted to learn to fly, and now here was her chance. Her group was next.
When Mr Greenfield blew his whistle, Iris pushed off from the ground as hard as she could and felt her stomach swoop as the broom lifted strongly upwards just a little faster than the others. She leaned forward and began smoothly sailing forward through the air across the Quidditch pitch.
Without warning, a figure on broomstick was suddenly right in front of her, there was a sudden movement, a horrible lurch and Iris was falling before she knew what was happening. She hit the ground with a thump that reverberated right to her bones and a white-hot pain shot through her forearm. She cried out.
Mr Greenfield's whistle sounded again and there were running feet. People surrounded her, panicked voices speaking over one another and the sound of Mr Greenfield issuing orders. Iris wasn't paying a lot of attention, the pain in her arm had her huddled on the ground, cradling it into her chest and unable to make sense of anything much.
A pair of gentle hands helped her sit up. Mr Greenfield asked her some questions about her vision and her head, and a spell was cast which cooled the burning she felt in her arm to a bearable level.
"Fae, will you please escort Iris to the Sickbay?" Mr Greenfield asked Fae who was at Iris' side at once. With tears running down her face, Iris allowed Fae to lead her away toward the House.
"Come on," Fae said quietly, "The school Healer will have you fixed up in no time." Iris was glad Fae was leading her back to the House, she could barely see where she was going through the tears
Miss Karami was the school Healer. She was brisk and business-like, having Iris sit on the nearest sick-bay bed while she cast a spell which made Iris' arm glow, then the rest of her body.
"Just a clean break," Miss Karami said cheerfully, "Easily fixed."
She cast a second spell cast and Iris' arm mended itself immediately. Iris took a deep breath and relaxed on one of the sickbay beds as the pain ebbed away.
"Do you have to tell my parents?" Iris asked the nurse anxiously, taking a tissue from the proffered box and wiping her face with it.
"Of course," Miss Karami replied, "It is school policy to notify all parents of accidents at school."
"Oh no." she moaned, "What if Dad pulls me out of school? I've hardly been here 5 minutes."
"Why would he pull you out of school for something as minor as a broken arm?" Miss Karami asked, surprised.
"He's a Muggo. And magic scares him, he almost didn't let me come to school at all." Iris replied, wiping a tear from her cheek and swallowing hard.
"Ah," Miss Karami's voice softened, "I understand. Don't worry, I will make it clear that it was superficial and that you're already completely healed when I write to him." the dark-haired witch assured her.
"Can you not tell them it was a broken arm? Maybe just make out I scraped an elbow or something?" Iris begged the nurse.
"I will not lie." Was all Miss Karami told her before bustling away, adjusting her hijab. Iris sighed then turned to Fae.
"What happened?" she asked, "One minute I was fine and flying and the next second I hit the deck."
"Kendra." Fae told her seriously. "She came up right in front of you. I don't know how you fell off but she caused it."
Iris felt her blood boiling. Slipping down off the sickbay bed, she stalked out of the room with Fae right on her heels. They made their way quickly back down to the Quidditch pitch where the class were finishing up their flying lesson, landing near the broom shed and putting the school brooms away.
Iris waited silently for the class to end. She nodded when Mr Greenfield asked if she was OK but her eyes never left Kendra. Mr Greenfield gathered the class around to finish up the lesson and reminding them a fit flier was a good flier and then dismissed them for the day. The class gathered up their bags from a shady spot under a nearby gumtree and chattering among themselves, began to make their way back up to Nyambi House.
Iris followed the main group, glad that Mr Greenfield was heading off in the other direction across the pitch toward one of the spectator towers.
"Kendra." Iris said loudly. The girl ignored her, walking purposefully away with her two friends who were also in the class.
"Kendra!" Iris called. The other girl finally stopped and turned around with a sneer on her face.
"What do you want?" Kendra folded her arms, glaring back.
"You made me fall off my broom." Iris said hotly, "On purpose."
"No, you fell off your broom because you're a Muggo-born." Kendra shot back.
"Why did you do it?" Iris demanded.
"Are you deaf as well as stupid? I just told you I didn't." Kendra replied. Her two friends stepped in closer, the girl twirling her wand between her hands casually. Iris could barely restrain herself from punching Kendra in her smug face.
"You came up right in front of her." Fae replied. "I saw you."
Some of the other kids from the class saw that something was up and had hung back, surrounding them to see what would happen next.
"She wasn't paying attention and flew into me. She should be glad she didn't hurt me or my parents would have her in front of the Disciplinary Commission tomorrow." Kendra snorted.
"You did something to my broom." Iris accused.
"You did something to your broom. You fell off it." Kendra replied, turning her back and making to march away.
"Touch me or my broom again, Kendra…" Iris began threateningly.
"And you'll what?" Kendra laughed over her shoulder, "Cry at me?"
Iris saw red. She pulled out her wand from her pocket and aimed it square at Kendra's retreating back. Before she could say the words to the only spell she could think of in the moment, a hand descended from beside her and pushed her wand down to point at the floor.
"Miss Dursley!" she heard an adult voice, shocked and angry, "We do not cast spells on fellow students, particularly when their backs are turned!"
Iris' heart dropped and she turned to see the furious face of the teacher who called their names at the sorting. How she had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Iris didn't' know but she was red faced and frowning down at her.
"That's twenty points from Uluru, and detention with me every afternoon next week!" the plump Professor told her. "I will also be making sure the Headmistress knows of this."
Kendra had heard the fuss and turned around to watch. Iris could see the smirk from the corner of her eye but she didn't dare turn away from the teacher.
"I…" she began. But she didn't know what to say.
"You will apologise to Miss Gaunt right this minute, and then get a move on back to the House." The teacher snapped.
Face burning in embarrassment and residual anger, Iris turned to Kendra not meeting her eyes.
"Sorry." She said shortly, staring at her feet.
"Now everyone get on back to the House." The teacher told the rest of the students firmly. "It's a hot afternoon and there's cool drinks and fruit snacks in the Hall."
Iris waited as Kendra and the rest walked away up the lawn, chatting quietly. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to leave yet.
"Miss Dursley, I am disappointed in you." The teacher turned to her, frizzy fly-away hair sticking out at all angles below her broad brimmed hat. "I didn't See you as a bully."
Iris didn't reply, she knew any attempt to defend her actions would just get her into further trouble.
"Now get going." The teacher gestured toward the House where the rest of the students had nearly reached. "I will send you a note with the details of your detention later."
Iris trudged back across the lawn, deflated. Thankfully, Fae, Arin and Eddy had waited for her a little further up.
"What?..." Eddy began.
"Don't." Iris replied, "I already got told off enough for one day."
"It was absolutely Kendra's fault." Fae said staunchly, "I saw the whole thing."
"It doesn't matter now, does it?" Iris replied, "I've lost points and got detention. And my parents will get a note about my arm. I hope they don't get one about my detention or I will have to go home for sure!" she said, suddenly worried.
"Nah, they don't notify parents for minor stuff like this. If you'd actually hexed her though…" Eddy reassured her.
"At least that's something." Iris sighed.
"One of these days, Kendra and me," Iris continued angrily, "We are going to sort this out. I won't put up with this forever."
"We can ask Brick." Arin suggested, "Danni and Hal say he knows some excellent hexes."
"He's a Prefect!" Fae said, exasperated, "Iris doesn't need to get into any more trouble."
"Join the Duelling Club." Eddy suggested, "Year 7's don't get to duel right away but you should be able to learn something good."
"Yeah," Iris pondered, "I might do that."
By this stage they were heading into the cool Entry Hall of the House. Following the rest of their classmates they headed into the Main Hall for afternoon tea and Eddy split off to go and sit with the rest of his House while Iris and the rest went to their usual spot at the Uluru table.
"Who is that teacher anyway?" Iris asked the others, eyes on the frizzy grey-haired teacher who entered the Hall behind them and was now taking a seat at the teacher's table. None of her friends seemed to really know but the red-haired girl Brianna overheard and answered her question.
"That's Professor Belcher, she's the Divination teacher." She told them. "You guys won't have her until Year 9. Divination is one of the Electives you get to choose."
"Divination?" Arin asked.
"Fortune telling, basically." Brianna replied, "She's pretty good too. It's a bit weird the stuff she knows."
"Is that how she knew my name and appeared out of nowhere?" Iris asked curiously.
"Probably." Brianna nodded. "What happened, anyway?"
Iris and the others told her, interrupting one another but all agreeing at least, that Kendra was at fault and had gotten away unpunished. Brianna nodded along, and when they had finished the retelling, she glanced around to check for authority figures nearby.
"So, why didn't see See that Kendra stuffed up my broom and caused my accident?" Iris scoffed. Everyone shrugged.
"Kendra needs to learn she's not invincible." Iris grumbled, "That she can't get away with this."
"Wait here, I think I can help you." Brianna said before bouncing to her feet and scurrying away to the Arnhem table. She hurried back again with another girl with red hair following her. It was clear from how very similar they looked that they were related.
"This is my older sister, Celeste" Brianna introduced her. As Iris and her friends waved and said hello, Brianna turned to her sister and made a flurry of hand movements. Iris understood at once. Auslan - sign language.
"Celeste is completely deaf, a magical accident when she was a baby." Brianna explained.
Celeste Fraser sat down beside Fae, across from Iris and grinned. She began signing quickly and Brianna translated for them. "She is asking who is it that you want to get back at?"
"Kendra Gaunt." Iris leaned forward and spoke quietly, the others leaning in too to keep the conversation private. Brianna was already signing to her sister who answered quickly.
Brianna nodded and signed back again,
"Yeah, that uppity short kid with the black hair and blue eyes." Brianna said to her sister as she signed the same. Brianna paused as her sister looked around the group and began signing again, and watched her hands carefully. Her smile grew quickly into a broad grin and she shuffled in her seat to turn her back to the teachers table and block Celeste's hands from their sight.
"Celeste has an idea." Brianna told them and the four of them leaned in as she lowered her voice. "Meet us both up at the eastern end of the gardens by that big old fallen log in about half an hour." Brianna said, "And we will explain everything."
They all nodded in agreement, wondering what Celeste Fraser had in mind. Brianna and Celeste got up, waving goodbye to the younger students and made their way out of the Main Hall. Iris looked up at the teacher's table but Professor Belcher seemed to be deep in conversation with Professor Giovanni and didn't seem to notice anything was going on.
"Let's go and get rid of our robes and bags." Fae suggested. "And I'll get Eddy."
The group rose and left the Hall, Fae only stopping quickly to tell Eddy to put his school things away and meet them at the front door. They made their way back to their dorms to get out of their school robes and leave their belongings in their rooms. Iris took only her wand and hat when she left her room, feeling much more comfortable in the heat of the afternoon wearing shorts and a shirt.
Eddy met them in the Entry Hall and the four of them walked down on to the lawn and turned to head east, away from the coast and into a part of the gardens they hadn't been into before. The fallen log was easy enough to find, it was on the edge of the gardens and it was huge. Eddy climbed it at once, and the others followed, seating themselves comfortably along the broad trunk – the wood polished smooth by generations of students using it as a climbing apparatus and seat.
They didn't have long to wait, before Brianna and Celeste turned up, both sporting very similar grins as they made their way up onto the log as well.