Flying Class

Before Flying Class began, Wentworth had worried that, after driving cars all his previous life, he might have trouble getting used to a Broomstick.

But as soon as he tried it, he realized his concerns had been unnecessary!

As it turned out, using a Broomstick was much easier than the practical driving test—and it even had an automatic transmission!

Although some first-year wizards might have been reluctant to ride Broomsticks because they were afraid of heights or for other reasons, Wentworth found the contraption—with no brakes, accelerator, or clutch—easy to handle.

It didn't take long for Wentworth to be gliding through the sky with ease. If you ignored the occasional shudder from the Broomstick beneath him, his flying skills showed no sign of a beginner at all.

This left the other first-years stunned once again. After all, most of them could only manage to skim along just above the ground, while Wentworth was already drawing S-shapes and even B-shapes in the sky.

The only person who could keep up with Wentworth's altitude was Cassandra of Slytherin. What was more, she was every bit as fast as he was.

Some people had already noticed that Cassandra's Broomstick had a pink bow tied to it. Clearly, she wasn't using one of the old Broomsticks provided by Madam Hooch.

Before long, everyone was staring up at the sky as Wentworth and Cassandra flew back and forth above their heads, squaring off against each other.

Cassandra seemed just as intent on challenging Wentworth in the air. Wherever he flew, she followed. Every time he tried to shake her off, it wasn't long before she caught up again.

But there was an adult's soul inside Wentworth, and he really didn't want to keep tangling with Cassandra.

So Wentworth simply turned around, intending to head in the opposite direction.

Cassandra, however, didn't seem willing to let him get away so easily. She drew a semicircle in midair, apparently trying to cut him off.

Soon, the Slytherin and Hufflepuff first-years below let out a chorus of gasps. The two of them seemed to be on a collision course up ahead. At this speed, they would crash into each other in no time.

The two in the air soon realized it, too. Cassandra shouted:

"Wentworth! You'd better get out of my way!"

"No!"

Wentworth had already yielded once. This time, he wasn't going to move aside.

As they drew closer and closer, Cassandra called out again, her voice betraying her nerves:

"Wentworth, I'm a girl, you know!"

Hearing that, Wentworth's resolve softened again. But he still didn't intend to simply get out of the way. He urged his Broomstick on with all his strength, hoping to speed up and slip past Cassandra.

Unfortunately, the Broomstick beneath him couldn't deliver. No matter how much magic Wentworth poured into it, it held the same speed. Clearly, that was its limit.

By the time Wentworth realized what was happening, Cassandra's terrified face was right in front of him. Neither of them could avoid the collision!

"Bang!"

At the loud crash, many of the first-years below instinctively covered their eyes with both hands. When they opened them again, Wentworth and Cassandra were both falling from the sky.

Everyone let out a cry of alarm!

But just as Wentworth and Cassandra were about to hit the ground hard, a spell rang out from not far behind them.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Wentworth and Cassandra stopped just in time, suspended in the air a short distance above the grass.

The first-years turned around and saw Hogwarts' headmaster, Dumbledore, standing nearby with his wand in hand. Only when they saw him did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Madam Hooch hurried over as well. After checking Wentworth and Cassandra and confirming they were both all right, everyone finally relaxed.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, what brings you here?"

Madam Hooch walked up to Dumbledore and asked curiously.

Dumbledore looked toward Cassandra and Wentworth. His gaze lingered on Wentworth for a few seconds before shifting to Cassandra as he said:

"Well, I believe there are a few things I need to ask Cassandra about."

When Dumbledore called her by name, Cassandra froze for a moment. She had no idea what was going on, but hurried over to him anyway. Then Dumbledore took her straight from the Quidditch Pitch.

The sudden turn of events left everyone looking at one another in confusion. Watching Dumbledore lead Cassandra away, Wentworth couldn't help feeling uneasy.

Cassandra herself was full of questions. Several times she wanted to speak, but held back, letting Dumbledore lead her back to the Headmaster's Office.

Once they were back in his office, Dumbledore waved his hand, and a plate of Toffee appeared on the desk.

"Cassandra, would you like to try some of my special Toffee first? The House-elves at Hogwarts made it especially to suit my taste."

Dumbledore looked kindly at Cassandra and asked.

Cassandra slowly shook her head. After taking a deep breath, she asked:

"Headmaster, has something happened?"

At Cassandra's question, Dumbledore fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"Is it... something bad?"

Seeing Dumbledore's expression, Cassandra suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. But she forced herself to push down her worry and asked again.

This time, Dumbledore was silent for even longer.

As the silence stretched on, Cassandra's heart sank. When Dumbledore finally nodded, she was overcome with dizziness and instinctively grabbed the desk for support. She even knocked the Toffee onto the floor, barely managing to stay upright.

"Cassandra, are you all right? Have you still not recovered from the duel? Should we go see Madam Poppy Pomfrey first?"

Cassandra shook her head and straightened up. Fixing her eyes on Dumbledore, she said slowly:

"Headmaster, just tell me what happened. It's all right. I'm not some little girl who'll just burst into tears whenever something goes wrong!"