Hogwarts Fanfiction: The Beginning

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR

Lily sighed. It was time for flying class. She had gobbled down breakfast and the other first years were leaving the hall. She saw the two Ravenclaws that kept having scenes before the whole school. She found it idiotic. Sabine meowed as Lilian speedily walked to the Quidditch field. Grace and Zoey were patiently waiting. Grace was okay at flying. She was on the first-year team. She was good at flying – Lily wasn't sure about Zoey. If she had flying class at Beauxbatons she wouldn't understand. Would she?

Madame Hooch came out with tons of brooms enchanted behind her. They laid themselves in neat rows. They were organized by house. Grace and Zoey were near Lily, and they were staring at Madame Hooch, waiting for instruction.

Madame Hooch spoke briskly, "Tell your brooms 'Up'. Then get on your brooms and wait for the whistle. On the whistle push upward and steer. Quite easy."

Lily said, "Up." The broom rose and went into her fingers. She watched Grace. The broom gleefully flew upward being stopped by Grace's stern hand. Zoey was getting frustrated.

"UP!" Zoey shouted; she was so loud that everyone who was seated on their brooms stared at her. She smiled politely. "Up." She sounded calmer that time, but her smile was forced, and her broom wouldn't move.

"GET UP YOU STUPID BROOM!" She screamed loudly. Lily winced at the loud voice and Sabine slipped behind her. Grace stepped backwards, so did all the other Ravenclaws.

Zoey kicked the broom and screamed at the top of her lungs, "Get up! UP! UP! UP! Get up you stupid broom! You're only meant for housecleaning!" She stepped on the broom and snapped it in two. Madame Hooch started marching towards Zoey. She mumbled a spell, and the broom went back together but it wouldn't move, so she gently kicked it – no, nudged is the proper word. It snapped again.

Madame Hooch assessed the situation, "Shield, what did you just do?" Zoey shrugged at the ground. "You broke a broom, that's what. To McGonagall's office! Now!"

Grace said, "She didn't mean to. She just got frustrated. That's all."

"You think she didn't do anything wrong GOODWIN!" Madame Hooch said – irritated.

"No, but she shouldn't be in trouble. She is just back. She hasn't flown before," Grace pleaded.

"Actually, I have. At home I fly my mum's broom sometimes," Zoey said making it hard for Grace to defend her. "Then again, that is a proper broom!"

"She doesn't mean that," Grace insisted. She was pleading for Zoey to agree and get out of detention. Grace didn't know that it was impossible for Zoey to get detention.

Lily interjected, "Madame Hooch, just give the Zoey another chance. She was just at a very stressful school. Cut her some slack!"

"You three are troublemakers!" Madame Hooch hollered. Quietly, almost to herself she said, "Reminds me of Nora, Adelaide and Penelope." Back to her yelling. "HWU! GOODWIN! Shield! To McGonagall's office!"

Lily thought of what the order meant. She was like Nora! No way. She could see how tricky little Zoey was like Penelope, but neither Grace nor herself matched the other two.

She walked with the two Ravenclaws to McGonagall's office. When they knocked McGonagall said, "Welcome Lily and Grace." She forgot about Zoey.

They stood before her desk. McGonagall looked at them with a death stare. "What happened?"

"I defended another student," Lily said with a roll of her eyes.

"I defended my friend," Grace said defensively.

"I broke a broom," Zoey said. "And might've called it worthless – maybe trash?"

McGonagall sighed a deep sigh. Zoey winced. "Can I give you an exception?" McGonagall thought then rang up another teacher. None of the students could hear who she was talking to. Then only a few minutes later Professor Binns came in.

Binns said, "Hello Shield. Goodwin. Hwu." He faced McGonagall, Zoey's disappointed expression turned to a sugar sweet face – her mother would approve of her having passing grades and not getting in trouble. This would sugarcoat the Hufflepuff thing, she thought. "Minerva, what may I help you with?" Grace giggled at his soulless voice. Lily rolled her eyes at it.

"Cuthbert," McGonagall said. "I need a punishment for Ling- sorry I mean Hwu, Goodwin, and Shield. I know you don't have class, so are you available?"

"I think that Shield because of her BIC in my class should be excused," Binns said. While they were engrossed in conversation Zoey pumped her fist. No punishment.

"What about Hwu and Goodwin and Li-, those two students?" McGonagall asked struggling to not say Ling. It was so natural.

"For Hwu and Goodwin, I think they need more study with History of Magic. On Wednesdays instead of going to flying come to my classroom. You don't have an O in my class," he said. Zoey knew that focusing on main teachers' classes was important. In her "Herbology" notebook is a History of Magic textbook, he was fairly close to McGonagall, so her plan worked.

Lily had to go with Grace and Zoey to Binns' room for another History of Magic lesson. Zoey was gleeful, Grace worried, Lily was okay. She had an E, but that still earned her a bad grade! Zoey smiled the whole time and Grace doodled or slept. Lily just sketched Sabine.