What would happen? (Hogwarts marauders era)

8: Hogwarts' rainy days

The second spell I had learned was a spell to quickly dry things.
The reason? James' plan that I had turned against him.

As we ran through the rain towards the greenhouses, Remus pointed out that I knew the spell now. I sighed, I was going to use that spell a lot, huh.

The bad weather had taken everyone by surprise, though it did not change the noticeboard bringing the latest news; The first flying classes were the very next Thursday, in two days.
In the greenhouses I asked Professor Sprout for permission before I started drying everyone with just a wave of my wand. Sometimes it took a few tries though, it wasn't the easier spell.

"What about you?" Remus asked, still drenched in rain.

I shrugged, casting the spell quickly. Remus gestured for me to dry myself, but Marlene required attention first and there I went.
Class started and Remus sighed.
"Cast the spell on your own clothes!"

I remembered that I could and quickly did so, apologising for not doing it before.
We put away our stuff before we started to learn about a new plant. Mostly we had to watch. Our new wizarding hands couldn't yet touch the plants in fear of harming them.

As we stood staring at the plants, a yawn left me.
I felt tired as class continued. Maybe I shouldn't have stayed up to read. The past logic of staying up till three wasn't applying to me anymore, and it shouldn't, but the books here were too interesting not to.

After class Professor Sprout held me back.
"How did you even learn that spell?"

I gave her a shrug. "I practiced, Professor, after all, the book said it was a spell for first years."

"Yes," Professor Sprout said, "I suppose that makes sense." She must have not remembered that a year has a beginning and an end, and that spell was for the end of first year. Still, an easy charm, was an easy charm. Even if it was a lot harder.

And then it came.

Two days from the text above, was the first flying lesson.
We all stood next to our brooms. I almost jumped up and down in excitement, finding a broom under my hand.
Remus held his hand over it.
"I read about this," he said excitedly, "You do this, and you say 'up'."

Madam Hooch blew a whistle loudly.
"Hush!" She said with instant authority, and we all stopped to pay attention, "Next to your brooms, all of you! Now first we need to call two broom to go 'up'. So hand over your broom, like this, and say loud and clearly, otherwise it won't listen, say 'up'!"
The whistle blew again and everyone started.

"Up!" Went the messy chant through the field.
"Up!"

James' broom shut up in his hands. "See! It's easy."

"I bet you had practice at home," Marlene said, her broom shooting up in her hand next, "So stop boasting already."

"Well—" James said, but he paused when Sirius' broom shut up and nearly hit him in the face. They laughed about it before Sirius tried again.

I stood there, shivering in the slight drizzle.
"Up!" My voice shook. I knew I couldn't do this.

"More confident," Peter told me, "Madam Hooch told us to be confident!"

I nodded and took a breath. Maybe if I just tried to be confident, "Up!"
The broom shut up into my open hand. I clutched it and grinned.
"Awesome!"

"I bet you're joining the quidditch team next year," Peter said as he was next to 'up' his broom. He excitedly told me to do it, that I had a lot of skill.

I shook my head at him, telling him that he did it almost just as fast as me. Remus laughed at it before he succeeded as well.

We all went to mount our brooms, and I stood nervously.
What if I did a Neville? Nothing against him of course, but we all remember the iconic scene.

Some students started floating, but I felt my feet planted on the ground.
The idea crossed my brain and I shook my head.
"I think I'm afraid of heights."

Remus, already on his broom, looked down at me before he floated down again as was instructed.
"You're afraid?"

I shrugged.
"Not comfortable, that's for sure."

Madam Hooch told us to hurry and I sighed.
I didn't want to fail the class, so I clutched the broom.

"I can do this," I whispered before I did as everyone else. Then I floated, and I felt my stomach drop. Once I was on the ground I felt my legs shaking with mocking fear.
I let go of the broom and managed to excuse myself from the class.

I was going to fail flying class.
Oh Merlins' soggy balls, I was going to fail a class...!
I would have to try harder, I knew I had to.