Around midday, in the great hall, many of the students were working on their homework. It just around lunch time, and another feast was in progress that same time. But rather than sitting at the teachers’ table today, Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six chose to sit beside the Gryffindors at their table.
“So… how did every pony’s first day of teaching go?” Twilight asked her friends.
“Aside from almost getting’ eaten by a giant Venus Fly Trap, can’t complain none,” Applejack replied.
“Eaten by a Venus Fly Trap?” Twilight asked, confused. “How did that almost happen?”
“Ah was tryin’ tah teach the young’uns about the different growth processes of varyin’ plants. Apparently young Neville tried to speed up the process with a spell to make it grow faster. The plant ended up takin’ to it too well and next thing ah know, ah’m wrestling the thing to the ground!”
“Goodness darling!” Rarity gasped. “Were you hurt at all?”
“Nah, just lil banged up is all,” Applejack assured. “Ah talked tah Professor Sprout and told her ah wanna help Neville a lil bit more. The boy seems tah have a bit of a harder time getting’ it than the others.”
“I think that’s a very nice thing of you to do Applejack,” Twilight commended.
“Thanks Twi!” Applejack smiled.
“Good thing it wasn’t a ‘singing’ Venus Fly Trap, A.J.,” Pinkie replied casually.
“Wut’s the difference?” Applejack questioned.
“Well aside from the ‘obvious’… they’d be impervious to every form of bullet, rat poison, and not even blades would cut it down. I’d tell you all the things they’d say… but the rating in this story won’t permit me to say it.”
Pinkie’s friends stared blankly toward the party pony, who proceeds to take a piece of cake, take a can of whip-cream from her mane, squeezed the filling deep in the cake, and stuffed it messily into her mouth, chewing loudly. But their attention was interrupted when Rainbow came in, flying a few loops over their heads before shooting into the air and zipped right down.
“Yeah well, I’m super excited to teach the kids some flying later,” She said excitedly. “Finally, a chance for me to both showcase my awesomeness as a teacher and pass on my sick moves to the younger generation.”
“Yeah Dash, cuz the next thing any of us want is a whole new lot of braggers!” Applejack joked.
The others giggled over Applejack’s comeback, while Rainbow glared with a huff before taking her seat at the back of the table.
“I personally love being able to help care for all the magical creatures here at the school,” Fluttershy spoke up. “Especially little Rich here.”
She lifted her cage and opened it up, thereby allowing her little Niffler, Rich, out and about so she could cuddle with him as he nuzzled his head under her chin.
<>
Why she name him Rich?
Nifflers love anything shiny and mostly go after money. The name stuck.
Then why not just call him ‘Shiny’?
Mmm-mm. Can’t… that’s what Twilight calls Shining Armor.
Ooh… right…
<>
Anyway… it was during this moment the Young Six strolled into the Great Hall and made their way toward the end of the table where everyone else sat. Harry and Ron followed closely behind them. The moment they took their seat at the table, Twilight turned over and noticed they seemed pretty solemn and upset.
“Are you kids okay?” She asked concerned.
“Not really…” Gallus replied gloomily.
“Why not?” Pinkie asked them. “This is the most funnest, most fantastical time ever! No need to be a sourpuss while we’re all here. Let’s turn those frowns upside down!”
Pinkie smiled brightly as she grabbed Gallus’ cheeks with her hooves and pulled them till it appeared he was smiling. She pulled away only for Gallus to reach up and adjust his expression back toward a frown.
“Come on y’all, what’s wrong?” Applejack asked.
“We got detention with Snape later today,” Smolder grumbled.
“Why?” Twilight asked. “What happened?”
“He singled out Harry and made him feel stupid just because he’s famous,” Sandbar explained. “Silverstream, Smolder, and I stood up for Harry and Snape gave all of us detention.”
“Yona, Ocellus, and Gallus do nothing wrong!” Yona added. “But Snape punish us too.”
“That’s just terrible!” Rarity said appalled.
“It doesn’t seem very fair to punish all of you for helping a friend,” Fluttershy added.
Harry plopped down beside the Young Six, smiling their way.
“Well regardless, I’m thankful you stuck up for me,” He thanked them.
Turning toward their friend, the Student Six couldn’t help but smile slightly.
“Anything to help our new best friend,” Silverstream smiled.
“Just wish it didn’t get us detention in the process,” Gallus sighed.
In the meantime, at another part of the table, Seamus tried out a spell upon a goblet of water.
“Eye of rabbit, harp string hum. Turn this water, into rum!”
He peered into the cup only to see nothing happened. Shaking his head, he pointed his wand toward the goblet and tried again.
“Eye of rabbit, harp string hum…”
The students and the Mane Six glanced at him curiously wondering just exactly what he was going for.
“What kind of spell is that?” Twilight asked. “Since we’ve been here, I’ve studied a multitude of spell books and haven’t come across anything like that.”
“Probably because it’s not a spell Twilight,” Spike deadpanned.
“What’s Seamus trying to do to that glass of water?” Harry asked Ron.
“Turn it into rum,” Ron replied. “He actually managed a weak tea yesterday, before—”
*BOOM!*
A mighty flash cut off Ron, a loud explosion ensued, and everyone flinched. The cup exploded leaving Seamus charred. Several students, including the Student Six, laughed at his expense while Hermione fanned away the smoke with her hand.
“Now that’s what I call a drink that ‘explodes’ with flavor,” Rainbow joked.
BOO!
*SPLAT!*
A tomato flew out of nowhere and smacked right into Rainbow’s face. The cyan Pegasus groaned, wiping the residue off her face.
“Seriously, where do these tomatoes keep coming from?!” She asked seriously.
Suddenly, a bunch of screeching is heard as a flock of owls come into the hall through the rafters above.
“Ah! Mail’s here!” Ron smiled.
The owls soar through the hall, dropping parcels toward the students. One drops a letter and a newspaper, The Daily Prophet, to Ron, another drops one to Hermione, and Harry… got nothing. Of course, he wasn’t the only one. Neither the Mane nor the Student Six were left with any mail to receive.
“Wonder why we didn’t get any mail?” Applejack questioned.
“Probably because when the alliance was renewed, any pony can come and visit Hogwarts whenever they like,” Twilight explained.
“Guess if any pony wanted to deliver us something, they’d bring it to us themselves,” Spike added.
“WHOA!!!”
A yelling sound drew the ponies and other creatures to look up as a very familiar grey mare with a blond mane flew hazardously through the Great Hall. Suddenly, the pony in question crashed upon the table and sent an assortment of food, cutlery, and plates flying about. Soon as the mare sat up, everyone could see she wore a Ponyville Post Office uniform. However, her most defining feature was the pair of golden yellow eyes that stared cross-eyed at them all. Knowing it was immediately, the Mane and Student Six chuckled and smiled.
“Derpy, you came!” Pinkie stated excitedly.
The pink party pony ran right toward the mail delivery mare, embracing her in a big hug, to which she happily returned.
“So, I see you’ve been practicing that landing,” Rainbow commented.
“Whatever brings you all the way out here darling?” Rarity asked.
“I’ve brought the mail for all of you!” Derpy responded.
Digging into her brown mail bag strapped to her side, Derpy Hooves pulled out an assortment of letters and packages. All of which for the both the Mane and Student Six.
“Yes!” Silverstream shrieked. “Mama’s homemade seaweed fritters!”
Smolder looked through her package to find a huge lava rock from her home back in Equestria.
“Awesome! Now I’ve got a piece of home I can keep with me for the school year. Must’ve been Garble’s idea.”
Harry Potter turned towards the Daily Prophet besides Ron.
“Can I borrow this?” Harry asked Ron, who nods. “Thanks.”
In the meantime, Nevillie unwrapped his gift and out from the box he pulled out a clear glass ball with a gold banner around it. One of his fellow students, Dean Thomas by name, took notice.
“Hey, look!” Dean Thomas pointed out. “Neville’s got a Remembrall!”
Everyone eyed the tiny glass ball in confusion.
“What the hay is a Remembrall?” Applejack asked.
“I’ve read about those,” Hermione answered. “When the smoke turns red, it means you’ve forgotten something.”
As she explained, a small cloud of red smoke filled the glass ball.
“The only problem is, I can’t remember what I’ve forgotten,” Neville replied confused.
“You know Twilight, you could really use one of those,” Spike chuckled, nudging Twilight’s side.
“What do you mean?” She asked quizzically.
“You know how you are always forgetting things? Maybe if you had one of those, you wouldn’t forget as much.”
An insulated look formed along Twilight’s face, but she said nothing. As she looked around the table, toward the rest of her friends, she noticed they all nodded in agreement over Spike’s words. A sigh escaped Twilight’s lips as she looked through her own mail.
“Hey guys, somebody broke into Gringotts,” Harry said suddenly.
Hearing this, everyone turned toward Harry in shock.
“WHAT?!” They all asked together.
Harry nodded and gestured toward the paper, as all the ponies (Even Derpy) and the students gathered around him to see what he spoke about. If someone broke into Gringotts Bank, a place meant to be impenetrable, this was clearly a serious matter. They gaze toward the paper as Harry read the article.
“Believed to be the work of dark witches or wizards unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach, insist that nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713, had in fact been emptied earlier that same day.”
The Student Six looked toward each other, the last part of that story catching them off guard.
“That’s odd,” Ocellus replied. “Harry, wasn’t that the vault you and Hagrid went to.”
“Yeah, it was,” Harry answered.
“Ooh… so mysterious!”
A voice drew them over and they finally acknowledged Derpy Hooves eying curiously toward the article, nodding her head as if she were pondering.
“Um… Derpy dear,” Rarity spoke up. “Not that we don’t enjoy your company on these trips, don’t you have a route you still need to complete?”
“Hmm?” Derpy looked over, realizing. “Oh yeah! Of course! I really should be on my way; places to go, packages to deliver. We really should get together more often. Any-who, I gotta be going! Have a muffin day!”
The group waved as Derpy Hooves quickly took off into the air…
*BAM!*
“OW!”
The group winced as Derpy Hooves crashed into a part of the ceiling. She pulled her face from the hard service, chirping birds swirling around her head, as her eyes rolled round and round. Shaking her head, clearing herself, she turned back toward the group, smiled with a light chuckle, then took off through the opening. Rainbow Dash, among the group, shook her head.
“Sometimes I worry about that mare…”
<>
Later that afternoon, just outside Hogwarts castle, the Student Six, alongside the students of both Gryffindor and Slytherin house, lined up in two straight rows. By their sides, each student had a broomstick specifically for today’s class. Their teacher, Madam Hooch, strolled down the line. She had short hair and hawk yellow eyes.
“Good afternoon, class,” Hooch greeted.
“Good afternoon, Madam Hooch!” The class answered back.
“Good afternoon, Amanda, good afternoon…”
By the time she reached the end, Madam Hooch turned to address the class.
“Welcome to your first flying lesson,” Hooch began. “And this year, we have someone very special joining us for our lessons this semester. An experienced flier and member of a prestige flying squadron in her homeland. All the way from Equestria, please welcome…
“ME!!!”
At rapid speed, Rainbow Dash flew in beside Madam Hooch performing a loop-de-loop around the class before pausing in mid-flight hovering over the kids. A majority of the Gryffindors, specifically the Student Six, applauded for Rainbow Dash. At least ‘one’ student from Slytherin actually clapped hands for the cyan Pegasus, but the moment her classmates looked… the applause stopped.
“What’s up Gryffindors and Slytherin?!” Rainbow called out. “I hope you’re all ready for your first flying gig because there is no greater joy than being up in that blue sky, feeling that rush of wind against your face, and soaring at incredible speeds! Now I know there are some of you among this class who can already fly without broomsticks. I’m looking at you guys.”
Rainbow acknowledged the following members of the Student Six who already have wings: Gallus, Ocellus, Silverstream, and Smolder. Ocellus was slightly timid from the attention she received from the students, while Smolder gave a thumbs up toward the Wonderbolt.
“All jokes aside… there’s going to come a time when you want to be able to fly and those wings for whatever reason won’t work. That’s what we’re here to teach you with these brooms. So you’ll still have a means to be fly, and be awesome, and…”
“Are you quite finished Professor Dash?” Madam Hooch asked, stiffly.
“… Yeah Madam,” Rainbow replied, chuckling. “Carry on.”
Rainbow Dash assumed her position next to Madam Hooch, standing as seriously as possible beside the Hogwarts professor. For some reason, when it came to Hooch, she reminded her of some pony Rainbow Dash recalled before. As if history was repeating itself in some way.
“All right, what are you waiting for?” Madam Hooch questioned. “Everyone step up to the left side of their broomstick. Come on now, hurry up.”
All the students did just that, assuming their spot on the left position alongside their individual brooms. On instruction, Madam Hooch held one hand over the broomstick.
“Stick your right hand over the broom and say, ‘up’!”
“Up!” The kids shouted.
The moment Harry Potter shouted ‘Up!’, the broom immediately flew into his hand. Hermione and the Student Six stared toward him as the class continued.
“Wow!” Harry gasped, in amazement.
“Up!” Draco spoke.
His own broomstick flew directly toward the palm of his hand and he smugly grinned. While some of the students were able to get their broomsticks on command, the rest were having a slight difficult time.
“Up!” Yona grunted. “UP!”
“With feeling!” Hooch instructed.
“Concentrate!” Rainbow added.
Most broomsticks were slow to rise upon command, and both groups of students found themselves struggling to get their own broomsticks to cooperate. Ron found himself having trouble as the broom wouldn’t get off the ground. Even Hermione, with all her studies, found herself working with a particularly stubborn broomstick.
“Up! Up!” Hermione commanded, repeatedly. “Up! Up!”
“Up!!!” Ron shouted.
His broomstick immediately shot up and whacked him on the nose.
“Ooh!” Sandbar and Yona winced.
While Ron recovered, he noticed Harry laughing.
“Shut up, Harry,” Ron replied.
“Heh! Heh! Heh!” Gallus chuckled. “Guess somebody didn’t hit off well with their broom! Heh-heh-heh-heh!”
Little did Gallus realize that his own broomstick slowly rose beside him. Gallus stopped laughing the moment he saw the broom floating in mid-air. For a moment it just hovered beside him and even more puzzling was how Gallus initially didn’t utter the command.
“Uh…”
*WHACK!*
“OW!!!”
The griffin cried out as he clutched behind his flank, but the broomstick kept whacking him at that very tender spot. The majority of the class, especially the Slytherins, laughed at Gallus’ expanse as he found himself running away from the seemingly crazy broomstick. The teachers just stood there watching the scene, as the griffin kept crying out between every whack of that broom.
“Should we do something?” Rainbow asked.
“Believe it or not, that’s not the worst thing I’ve seen happen with a broom,” Madam Hooch replied. “Give him time, he’ll figure it out…”
<>
Eventually, all the students finally got their broomsticks in their hands though for how long none can say. Gallus massaged the tender feeling in his flank after a brief scuffle with his own broomstick, glaring at the magical item as if making sure it wouldn’t perform any mischief. But otherwise, the class continued as scheduled.
“Now, once you’ve got hold of your broom, Professor Dash and I want you to mount it,” Madam Hooch instructed. “And grip it tight, you don’t want to be sliding off the end.”
They watched the entire class mount their broomsticks one-by-one.
“Now normally, I’d do things rapid quick and very fast,” Rainbow added. “But Madam Hooch insists we’d do things nice and slow. So what we’re going to want you to do is just kick off the ground, on our command, nice and hard.”
“Keep your broom steady, hover for a moment, and then lean forward slightly and touch back down,” Hooch instructed further. “On my whistle… three… two…”
Just as Hooch blew the whistle, something unusual occurred. Somehow, Neville’s broomstick somehow lifted him off the ground and Neville looked quite frightened.
“Mr. Longbottom,” Hooch spoke.
“Neville, what are you doing?” Silverstream asked.
“We’re not supposed to take off yet!” Sandbar added.
But poor Neville kept soaring away uncontrollable and there was nothing the boy could do to stop himself.
“M-M-Mr. Longbottom!” Hooch called out. “Mr. Longbottom!”
“Hey Neville, where do you think you’re going?!” Rainbow shouted.
“Down! Down!” Neville screamed. “Help!!!”
Harry and the others could only watch as Neville immediately skyrocketed toward the sky.
“Come back down this instant!” Hooch demanded.
“I’ll get him!” Rainbow spoke.
The cyan Pegasus quickly took off after Neville, who flew uncontrollably in the air. At one point, Neville crashed against a wall, conking along it and then swooping it off. All the while, the poor boy screamed his head off as he clung to the broom for dear life. The Pegasus flew as fast as she could to reach out for the boy. And yet she found that this broom was flying much faster than she could flap her own wings. Soon, they were zooming toward the group of students while Hooch quickly held out her wand to stop him.
“Mr. Longbottom--!” Hooch shouted.
However, she and the students saw that Neville was coming in too hot. The students quickly stood aside as Neville flew right past the scattered students. Rainbow Dash saw she was flying towards Hooch, but was too late to go up and…
*WHAM!*
The cyan Pegasus crashed right into Madam Hooch, sending the Professor and her assistant tumbling head over heels. The Student Six turned back and saw Neville go up toward a nearby tower.
The boy screamed, hollering till he zoomed past a statue of a man holding a mighty sharp spear. Neville’s cloak caught the speak, flipping him off the broom and he hung there.
“Oh. Ah… help!” Neville cried out.
The boy wavered as the students and teachers looked up from below. All of a sudden, he heard a slight tear and looked up. In that moment, his cloak ripped through the spear sending him falling. But his cloak caught onto a nearby torch, making the boy slip off his cloak a second later and fell to the ground.
“Ahh!”
*CRASH!*
“Everyone out of the way!” Hooch called out.
She and Rainbow Dash raced through the group, as all the students scattered about. They cautiously approach Neville, who laid face first upon the ground unmoving.
“Hang on kid, we’ll get you up,” Rainbow assured.
“Is he alright?” Ocellus asked.
“I don’t know,” Smolder answered.
Hooch and Rainbow Dash helped Neville to his feet. Apparently, he had broken his wrist after his sudden fall.
“Ow-ow-ow-ow…” Neville cried.
“Oh, oh, oh, oh dear,” Hooch muttered. “It’s a broken wrist.”
“Ooh… I’ve been there before Neville,” Rainbow nodded, clicking her tongue. “Don’t worry, you’re in good hooves—hands. We’ll have you all fixed up in a jiffy, right teach?”
“Right then. Good boy come on now. Up you get.”
As the professor and her assistant help Neville to his feet, Draco reached down and grabbed Neville’s Remembrall, which fell from him. All this goes unseen, as the teachers begin to lead Neville away with them.
“Everyone’s to keep their feet firmly on the ground while we take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing,” Hooch instructed firmly. “Understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say, Quidditch.”
“Um yeah, so…” Rainbow replied. “Just try not to do anything… ‘reckless’. We’ll be back.”
By the time the teachers left to take Neville to the hospital wing, a snicker escaped Draco’s lips as he displayed the Remembrall before his ‘goons’. Among them, a green haired girl who looked toward the boy quietly and nervously.
“Did you see his face?” Draco asked. “Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze, he’d have remembered to fall on his fat arse.”
Draco and his goons laughed, but Harry and his friends were not pleased. They approached the boy as he displayed Neville’s Remembrall in one hand.
“Give it here, Malfoy,” Harry demanded.
“It’s Neville’s present,” Silverstream added. “It’s not nice to take what’s not yours; will you ‘please’ return it?”
“No,” Draco replied. “I think I’ll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find.”
The blond-haired boy hopped upon his broom, soaring around and through the group of students.
“How ‘bout up on the roof?”
Before any student can answer, Draco had already soared off with the Remembrall in his possession. He hovered several feet above the grounds, as if the boy himself were on top of the world.
“What’s the matter, Potter? Bit beyond your reach?”
Finally having enough, Harry got onto his broomstick. Getting the idea, the Student Six hopped on their own broomsticks despite several already having wings. Hermione reached out to stop him.
“Harry, no way!” Hermione objected. “You heard what Madam Hooch and Professor Dash said! Besides, you don’t even know how to fly.”
“Sorry Mione!” Smolder apologized, extending her wings. “But the time for talking is over!”
Harry and the Student Six take off to confront Draco, the rest of the students completely ignoring Hermione’s warning.
“What idiots!”
Soon, Harry and his friends were now high in the air, right across from Draco himself.
“Give it here, Malfoy, or I’ll knock you off your broom!” Harry demanded.
“You’d better listen to him, Mouthful,” Gallus growled.
“Yona want smash Malfoy for long time!” Yona threatened.
“Is that so?” Draco smirked.
Harry made a dash toward Malfoy, but Draco twirled his broom around a 360 degree angle. Draco looked toward him triumphantly until he realized he no longer held the Remembrall.
“Impossible,” He whispered.
“Oh… Malfoy!”
Draco looked up toward the young dragon, who clutched the Remembrall in her scaly claws.
“Looking for something?” She teased mockingly.
Draco snarled and sped towards her… only for Yona to crash into his side and knock him off course.
“SMOLDER FLY NOW!!!” Yona called out.
Smolder sped away with the Remembrall in her claws, the others flying off in separate directions. Draco recovered quickly enough, fixed his hair, and took off toward the dragon. Smolder clutched tightly to the Remembrall as tightly as she flew, looking back to see Draco catching up with a fierce gleam in his eyes. Looking up, she whistled toward Silverstream who flew over her.
“Heads up Silver!”
She hurled the Remembrall with great precision, expertly hurling it toward Silverstream. The hippogriff managed to catch it within her talons. While the other students were distracted, a red-and-yellow haired girl from Gryffindor snuck away and seemingly rushed off to get help. Unbeknownst to her, a ‘Slytherin girl’ watched her take off and silently made off to follow her without drawing attention.
This display kept up for a good ten minutes, the girls tossing the Remembrall over Draco’s reach like a game of ‘Monkey in the Middle’ with broomsticks. Eventually, Silverstream turned toward Ocellus who waves for a pass. Just as Silverstream made to toss it toward her Changeling friend, Draco finally lost his patience.
“That’s it! I’ve had enough!”
He pulled out his wand and aimed directly towards the Remembrall.
“Accio Remembrall!”
The Remembrall shot right out of Silverstream’s talons before she can throw it. She turned back and saw the object return to Draco’s hands. The Slytherin smiled triumphantly once more, holding it up for them to see.
“Have it your way, then!”
Draco hurled the Remembrall into the air, like a baseball. Harry zoomed after the ball, speeding toward a tower. Just as he was about to hit a window, from which McGonagall is working, he caught the Remembrall. McGonagall noticed this and looked surprised as Harry, along with the Student Six, flew back down to the grounds. All the students, apart from the Slytherin house, cheered as Harry and his friends landing back toward the ground with ease. They all rushed toward them, surrounding Harry and his friends.
“Good job, Harry!” One student cheered.
“Oh, that was wicked, Harry!” Another added.
“Thank you! Thank you!” Smolder bowed. “It was nothing! All in a day’s work!”
“Harry Potter?”
Harry Potter and the students turned around and took notice of McGonagall who appeared in the grounds, along with two familiar girls behind her.
“Follow me,” McGonagall commanded.
Harry sullenly followed her, while the Student Six looked on.
“Professor McGonagall…” Smolder spoke up.
“You too child,” McGonagall interjected. “Come with me.”
Smolder’s eyes widen, as she dropped her head with a sigh. She faced her friends for a moment before reluctantly following the professor and Harry. All the while, Draco and his goons (Except one) snickered in delight over a small victory. The others completely ignored them for the time being, their concerns only toward Smolder.
“This just hasn’t been a good day for us,” Gallus muttered.
“Oh no… what if Harry and Smolder are going to get kicked out?!” Silverstream asked, panicking. “What if we have to spend the rest of the semester without hearing from them again? How will we--?”
“Calm yourself, Silver,” Sandbar assured. “Maybeonce they explain themselves, McGonagall will go easy on them.”
“Maaybe?” Yona questioned.
<>
Back inside the school, McGonagall, along with Harry and Smolder arrived just outside of Professor Quirrell’s classroom. Inside, the teacher with the turban hat was teaching his students while holding onto an Iguana.
“You wait here,” McGonagall instructed, walking inside.
“An iguana s-such as this is…” Quirrell stuttered. “… an essential in-gredient…”
“Professor Quirrell, excuse me, excuse me,” McGonagall interrupted. “Could I borrow Wood for a moment, please?”
“Oh. Y-yes, of course,” Quirrell nodded.
One of the students, an older boy called Oliver Wood, got up to leave while Quirrell continued his lecture.
“And the vampire b-bat…”
As Smolder observed, wondering what was going on, she noted how each time someone entered or exit the classroom, an eerie roar emerged. Smolder was a slight uncomfortable, as she and her friends had yet to attend a Dark Arts classroom.
“Potter, Smolder, this is Oliver Wood,” McGonagall introduced. “Wood, I have found you a Seeker!”
“A Seeker?” Smolder questioned. “Um… wow… that’s… great! But what about me?”
“Well Smolder, I saw all the commotion along the grounds. I was on my way when I was informed by some students that one of them possessed remarkable talent on their part and should look into it.”
“… Meaning?” Smolder asked further.
“How would you like to represent the Gryffindor Quidditch team… as a Chaser?”
“I guess that sounds fun,” Smolder shrugged, confused. “But… what’s Quidditch?”
“Meet me at the grounds before school tomorrow morning,” Oliver Wood spoke up. “And I’ll explain everything to you both.”
“… Sure! Why not?”
While Smolder was most vocal over this sudden news, Harry Potter stood silently the entire time. So many thoughts raced into his head. Initially he assumed he and Smolder were in big trouble, probably at risk of being kicked out. But as soon as his friends find out about this big offer they had been given, shortly before the day was over, they too would be surprised. Yet that still begged the question… how did things suddenly turn around so quickly?