Like A Flower Blooming

Chapter 10

When everyone was finally there, the woman with the whistle introduced herself as Madam Hooch. She had a naturally loud-piercing voice that make my eardrums pound and gave me a major headache.

She taught us how to mount the broom, correcting grips. Malfoy smirked at me during the whole time. When she told him he’d been doing it wrong for years, I smirked back and Ron looked like he just went to heaven. 

Neville had been having trouble ever since the class started. He had this nervous quake in his voice that told all of us, he wanted to keep his feet firmly on the ground. 

“ When you kick off the ground, you will hover for a few seconds and come down. On my whistle, 3-2-1!” shouted Madam Hooch. She blew her whistle and Neville kicked off first. He rose up in the air and started shouting wildly.

He’d lost control of his broom. His broom carried him away from us and high up in the air. Madam Hooch was panicking with a vein in her forehead pulsing up and down. 

“ Neville!” we all shouted as the broom flipped him and sent him crashing down to the earth. Madam Hooch ran over to him and started fussing over him. 

“ Oh.... poor dear. That’s probably sprained. First-years! If any of you touch your brooms before I’m back, you’ll be home before you can say ‘ Quidditch’.” Madam Hooch left with Neville clutching his wrist desperately as he whimpered in pain.

When they were out of sight, Malfoy started talking.

“ Did you see his face? The big wimp?” said Malfoy. 

“ Shut up, Malfoy,” I said, annoyed. Malfoy strode over where Neville had landed and picked up a large glass ball, a Remembrall that Neville’s Gram had sent him that morning. “ Give that here!” I said, walking over and holding out my hand.

“ You know what. I’m going to put it somewhere for Neville to find. How ‘bout in a tree?” he said, mounting his broom and kicking off. He circled around us and hovered high in the air. “ Or on the roof? Come on, Potter! Or are you too scared?” he said. 

I mounted my broom and started to kick off when Hermione tried to stop me. 

“ You don’t know how to fly, Ari!” she said. I kicked off and blew past her. “ What an idiot,” I heard her mumble. 

“ Give that here, Malfoy!” I yelled as I brought my broom level with his’s. He looked surprised. I didn’t know how but I could do this... and I could do it pretty good. 

He raced backwards but I swerved and cut him off. He tried to do it again but I cut him off again. 

“ Try to get it then.... Potter!” he said and threw it as far as he could in the opposite direction. I flew past him as quick as I could. The ball started its descent down and I reached out for it. I pointed the handle down and reached out towards the ball. The ground was coming really fast closer. 

I pulled the handle up and slid on the soft grass, catching the ball in my fist. Ron ran over to me, gaping. I raised my fist, showing them the intact ball. The Gryffindors started cheering as they jumped up and down around me. 

“ ARIANNA POTTER!” I heard a loud shout. I turned around and my smile faded. “ Never, in all my years, have I ever seen...” Professor McGonagall said, looking completely bewildered. 

“ But, Professor...” said Ron, trying to explain.

“ Enough, Weasley!” said McGonagall. 

“ But, Ari was baited,” said Hermione, trying to cover for me.

“ Not a word out of you, Granger! Let’s go, Potter!” said McGonagall. 

I smiled gratefully at Hermione and Ron. Malfoy was looking like Christmas had come early and that he’d gotten everything he wanted. I scowled at him and turned around, clutching the Remembrall tightly in my hand. 

I followed McGonagall wondering where she was taking me. I guessed Dumbledore’s office. But soon we were standing outside a classroom where McGonagall barged in. 

“ Excuse me, Professor Quirrell, but can I borrow Wood for a moment?” she asked. Her tone made it clear that he couldn’t say no. 

“ Y-Yes, o-of course, P-Professor,” stammered Professor Quirrell. 

What’s Wood? A special cane she’s going to beat me with? Actually I prefer a beating over getting expelled. If I get whipped, well I can stay away from the Dursleys longer. Until summer break at least.

Wood was a fifth-year Gryffindor boy who looked extremely confused. He glanced at me, curiously as McGonagall led us to a private classroom. My hopes sank. I was getting expelled. 

“ Wood, this is Arianna Potter. Ari, this is Oliver Wood, the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team,” said McGonagall. I shrugged. I had no idea what that meant. 

“ What’s going on, Professor?” asked Wood, looking more confused.

“ I’ve found you a Seeker, Wood. She’s a natural, just like her father. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?” asked McGonagall. I nodded, not trusting my voice.

McGonagall and Wood kept on talking while I thought about some stuff. My dad? He had been a Seeker? Whatever that was. 

“ Um... what’s a Seeker? And Quidditch? And am I going to get expelled?” I asked. 

“ She doesn’t know the basics?” asked Wood. 

“ Um... I was raised in a no-magic house so I don’t have that much knowledge about this world,” I tried to explain. 

“ Quidditch is a game played on broomsticks. The Seeker is one of the most important players. Normally, first-years aren’t allowed to play but I can ask Professor Dumbledore to make an exception,” said McGonagall. 

“ She’s light and speedy,” said Wood, circling around me. “ She’d be great on a fast broom. Maybe a Cleansweep Seven or a Nimbus Thousand.” 

“ You’ll work your hardest, Potter. Or I might think about expelling you. Anyway,Quidditch is in your blood. Your father was an exceptional player. He won a lot of Quidditch cups while he was here,” said McGonagall. 

I gulped and nodded. I was going to do my best with this sport. Maybe I was a natural. I had no idea what had happened on the broomstick and catching the ball a few minutes ago. Maybe this is what I would shine at here at Hogwarts.