Unexpected

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Gryffindor First Years trudged nervously out onto the Quidditch pitch. Whilst we were waiting for our flying teacher, Mr Wood (incidentally, one of Harry's school friends), Marie and I were talking to two of the Gryffindor boys, the dark haired one who had liked the common room (Mike Solomon) and a boy with brown eyes and messy brown hair called Finn Hypeson.

"Alright, hello First Years," Mr Wood - who had walked over with the First Year Ravenclaws - clapped, "Please go and stand next to a broom."

He was one nice looking man, that was undeniable.

"Clara, come over here." Rose grabbed my wrist and dragged me over to the line of brooms. I hadn't even noticed she was there.

"Now, extend your hands and simply tell your broom, 'Up'!" Mr Wood demonstrated, it looked easy enough.

"Up." I said in a confident voice, and my broom flew into my palm.

"Good job, Gryff. What's your name?" Mr Wood walked over to me, looking rather impressed.

"Uh, Clara. Clara Adams, sir." Beside me, Rose wasn't having much luck with her broom.

"Tell me, Clara Adams, have you flown before?"

"No. No, sir, I haven't. I've watched a lot of people doing it though." My confidence seemed to have disappeared a little.

"Like who?"

"Harry, Ginny and James Potter, and Ron Weasley."

"Really now? When was that?" Mr Wood quickly scanned the line, no one else had their brooms yet.

"Well I live next door to them so, I know them well." I explained.

"She does," Rose cut in, "She practically lives at the Potters'."

"Yes!" Someone to the left of me yelled. People were beginning to be successful.

"Hold that thought." Mr Wood said as he went along the line, congratulating and helping each student in turn.

When everyone had successfully managed to get hold of their brooms, he divided us up into houses and genders, and practised with us group by group.

Gryffindor girls were last.

We all sat down as we watched some Ravenclaw boys fly nervously into the sky.

"Can't believe you got it first time, Clara." Thyme moaned.

"Yeah, it took us 16." Harper said.

"And we've flown before." Marie added.

"Mr Wood's lovely." I said, as I watched him with the Ravenclaw girls.

"He's your teacher." Harper said.

"And you're 11." Marie pointed out.

"And he's your teacher!" Thyme sounded just a little horrified.

I turned to them, "But he has a Scottish accent!" He did. And Scottish accents just happened to be my favourite thing ever.

"He's like, 4 times your age." Harper said, picking at grass.

A while later, Mr Wood made his way over to us, "Adams, you're up first." He jerked his thumb upwards towards the sky I would shortly be in.

"So, mount your broom, push off and will yourself up. Not too high mind." He told me.

I followed his instructions to the letter. Kicking off from the ground, I began to rise upwards. It was simultaneously the most terrifying and exhilarating experience of my life.

I laughed as I rose higher.

"Okay Adams, come down." Mr Wood yelled.

"How?" I yelled back.

"Exactly the same as you just did, but downwards." He replied.

Let's just say that flying is a whole lot easier than landing.

"Very nice, Clara." Mr Wood grinned when I returned to the others, "Work on control in the sky and that landing, and I reckon you could go places on that broom."

"Thank you!" James was going to be so happy.

The rest of my first lesson at Hogwarts was spent watching my newest friends flying.

Harper and Marie were surprisingly equal-skilled, but Thyme had the opposite problem to me. She could easily get to the ground, the sky was what she had issues with.

"Yeah, not a huge fan of flying." Thyme laughed as she crashed spectacularly into the ground.