Flying class was held on the lawn in front of Hogwarts' gates.
On the way to class, Bernard looked at Adam, who was so calm that he seemed out of place amid the lively atmosphere, his expression strange.
"You don't seem very interested in flying class?"
Every time, Adam made him feel like he was a fake Muggle-born wizard. Bernard was curious about everything in the Wizarding World, yet Adam seemed to regard many things with the calm indifference of someone who had seen it all before.
After spending this time together, Bernard had learned that this seemed to be because Adam had too many thoughts of his own, but he still found it somewhat hard to understand.
That was flying!
"I wouldn't say I'm uninterested. Flying is an experience I'm looking forward to, but the skill itself isn't very practical for me."
Adam spread his hands.
"I can't exactly ride a broomstick to my parents' restaurant."
"That's true..."
Bernard nodded. He did not have any tangible family property to inherit, but Adam's words made him feel that perhaps he should also consider whether he wanted to fully enter the Wizarding World in the future.
The professor for flying class was Madam Hooch. She was also the referee for Hogwarts Quidditch matches. She had short gray hair, and yellow eyes as sharp as a hawk's.
"Everyone, stand beside a broomstick... What are you waiting for? Hurry up, hurry up, make the most of your time!"
It was clear that she was a brisk and decisive woman.
Standing beside his broomstick, Adam glanced at the one by his feet and noticed that the twigs at its tail were rather disheveled, with some even visibly broken. Hopefully, that would not affect its use later.
Madam Hooch swept her gaze around and, seeing that everyone was in position, called out:
"Stretch out your right hand, hold it over the broom handle, and say, 'Up!'"
"Up!"
The broomstick leaped straight into Adam's hand.
The students around him had some failures at first, perhaps because they were too excited, but after a few attempts, they all succeeded.
Everyone held their broom handles, their faces filled with excitement.
"Don't rush. Before you truly take off, you need to understand a few precautions about flying."
Madam Hooch began explaining how to properly hold a broomstick and how to sit on it without falling off. As she explained, she walked past every student and corrected their posture.
"Keep your body straight. Leaning too far forward like that will make your broomstick lunge forward from the very start!"
Madam Hooch patted Bernard on the back, then walked over to Adam.
"Mm, very good. You can hold it more casually. If you want to play Quidditch, you can't be gripping the broom handle with both hands."
"What exactly is Quidditch?"
Bernard could not help muttering. He had heard his classmates talking about it yesterday, but he had not been able to get a word in.
"A game where you ride broomsticks and hit and catch balls. Maybe you could read The Origins of Quidditch. I have a copy on my bookshelf."
"I'll read it when I get back."
"All right, children, maintain that posture and remember what I just said! Hold your brooms steady, rise a few feet, then lean slightly forward and come straight back down to the ground. When I blow the whistle, kick off with both legs and leave the ground—kick hard!"
Madam Hooch stood at the very front of the line, looking at the students before her with her silver whistle in hand.
"Listen for my whistle—three—two—one—"
With a sharp whistle, Adam kicked off hard with both legs, and his whole body rose into the air—
Hovering in the air on a broomstick was truly a novel experience. Even though Adam had been mentally prepared, his heart still began racing beyond his control.
At that moment, a burst of commotion suddenly rose around him. It turned out that one student had been too excited, swaying his upper body and causing his broomstick to wobble wildly. Madam Hooch shouted him down from the air and gave him a stern lecture.
After watching the spectacle, Adam turned his attention back to himself. He took several deep breaths to calm down, then began trying to control his broomstick—up—down—
After both feet returned to the ground, Adam stepped off his broomstick and stared at it with shining eyes.
All right, he had to admit that broomsticks were actually pretty fun. He wondered what it felt like to fly with wings.
It seemed he should move up his study of The Fly.
"Whoa!"
After returning to the ground, Bernard stumbled a little as he got off his broomstick. His legs seemed weak, and his face was somewhat pale, but his eyes sparkled brightly.
"Broomsticks are amazing! I never thought that one day I'd be able to fly through the sky too... I mean, without being surrounded by a metal shell."
"The material used for an airplane's exterior isn't iron... but I agree with the first thing you said."
"Hey, hey, hey—watch out! Adam!"
Adam turned and saw Klon banking through the air, his face full of panic as he flew diagonally downward toward him on his broomstick. Adam's pupils contracted, and an invisible magic array rapidly formed beneath his feet—
Thud—
With a dull impact, Klon crashed into the air in front of Adam as though he had struck a heavy shield. Fortunately, for some reason, he had suddenly lost control of his broomstick just now, and its speed had dropped sharply. In the end, Klon merely fell from a height of three or four steps above the ground.
"What did I just say?!"
Madam Hooch rushed over at once, grabbed Klon, and checked him over. After confirming that he was unhurt, she spoke furiously:
"Rise a few feet, then lean slightly forward and come straight back down to the ground—I don't care what flying tricks you've heard elsewhere. In my class, you do as I say! If there's a next time, you'll be in detention!"
After releasing Klon, Madam Hooch swept the other students with an intensely intimidating gaze.
"You lot, remember that too!"
Madam Hooch then explained how to move forward and backward in the air before class ended. She told everyone to remember what she had just taught them, as she would ask questions next class. Anyone who could not remember would not be allowed on a broomstick.
"Are you okay?"
Adam walked over to Klon.
"I'm fine... My nose just feels a little sore."
After thinking about it, Klon decided not to dwell on the strange moment just now. Losing control of the broomstick, crashing into thin air—it had probably been an illusion caused by his panicked and muddled control of the broomstick.
"What happened just now?"
"Uh..."
Klon's eyes darted away.
"I remembered a Quidditch move I saw in the newspaper before and wanted to try striking a pose. I didn't expect..."
"You should be grateful you weren't trying the Wronski Feint."
Uther, who had overheard Klon as he approached, could not help remarking.
"I'm not stupid! And I know I was wrong now, okay? I was terrified when the broomstick went out of control just now..."
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