THE SHADOW PATH ⎯ james potter

[011]

chapter eleven: secrets unravelling

Weeks had passed since Ellie's last visit to the Shadow Path, and the silence from Dumbledore was gnawing at her. The memory of the girl—screaming, trapped in the shadows—haunted her every time she closed her eyes. And yet, despite her pleas, Dumbledore had given her no answers, only cryptic assurances that he was "working on a solution." The waiting, the uncertainty, it was unbearable. Ellie was desperate to return to the Shadow Path, to help the girl, but she had made a promise.

Frustration simmered beneath her skin, turning her restless and snappish with those around her, even though she tried to hide it. And today, of all days, that frustration had followed her to the worst possible place: flying class.

The open field was bright, the air crisp with the first chill of February. Madame Hooch stood before them, barking instructions with sharp authority. Brooms lay on the ground in front of each student, quivering slightly as if eager to be picked up. Ellie eyed hers with unease.

"All right, everyone! On my count, hold your hand over your broom and say, 'Up!'" Madame Hooch's voice rang out, brisk and commanding.

Around her, Ellie saw students already making their brooms jump into their hands with varying degrees of success. James's broom leaped into his grasp with a satisfying snap, while Remus and Sirius were quick to follow. Even Peter managed to get his broom into his hand after a few tries.

Ellie, however, stood frozen. She hesitantly stretched out her hand over her broom.

"Up," she said quietly, her voice uncertain.

Nothing happened.

She tried again, this time louder. "Up!"

Still nothing. The broom stayed resolutely on the ground.

"Up!" she demanded, frustration creeping into her voice.

James glanced over at her and noticed her struggling. While most of the other students were already hovering several feet in the air, Ellie remained grounded. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she heard a few giggles from other students nearby.

"Don't worry about it," James said, landing gracefully beside her. He gave her a reassuring smile. "It's tricky at first. You've just got to feel it, you know?"

Ellie stared at him, biting her lip. Her mind was still preoccupied with the Shadow Path, her frustration bubbling beneath the surface. She wanted to scream at her broom, but instead, she nodded stiffly.

"Here, watch me." James held his hand over his broom again and said, "Up!"

The broom shot back into his hand as if it couldn't wait to obey him.

"You try," he encouraged. "It's about confidence. You can't just ask the broom to come to you—you've got to expect it to. Like it's yours, and it knows it."

Ellie sighed and held her hand over her broom again, trying to push all her frustration aside. She focused on the broom, willing it to respond, forcing herself to believe it would work.

"Up!" she commanded.

The broom twitched, just slightly.

"That's it!" James said enthusiastically. "Now, once more, with feeling."

She glanced sideways at him, her lips curling into the faintest hint of a smile despite her frustration. Maybe this wasn't just about the broom—maybe this was about her being out of sync with everything. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a moment, and tried again.