As Expected

Draco did not distance himself from Gemini because of the wager. Slytherin's admiration for the strong was no joke.

Although he was annoyed that Gemini thought more highly of a Muggle-born girl, it only made Draco more eager to prove himself in front of Gemini.

At heart, Draco was a jealous boy. His excellent upbringing had made him feel superior to others since childhood. People like that always developed feelings of envy when they encountered someone more outstanding than themselves.

But Gemini was different. The gap between them was on another level entirely, leaving Draco incapable of feeling even a hint of jealousy. All he felt was helplessness. Especially since they attended classes together every day and Draco saw firsthand how effortlessly Gemini handled every subject, his sense of helplessness only grew stronger. Before Gemini, all he could do was look up.

Over the weekend, a notice was posted in the Slytherin common room stating that the Slytherin first-years would have their first flying lesson with Gryffindor next Thursday. Draco immediately went looking for Gemini, who never returned to the Slytherin dormitory.

The second week of the new term was when each House held Quidditch team tryouts. It was also when the first-years began learning to ride broomsticks.

Gemini had grown up in a Muggle Orphanage. He had never ridden a broomstick!

Draco was beside himself with excitement. He realized he had finally found something he was better at than Gemini.

"Have you seen Gemini?"

Stopping several Ravenclaw girls in high spirits, Draco asked.

"No." The Ravenclaw girls went pale and hurried away from Draco.

Generally speaking, when Ravenclaw played Hufflepuff in Quidditch, Gryffindor supported Hufflepuff while Slytherin supported Ravenclaw.

And if it was a Gryffindor versus Slytherin match, then both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw supported Gryffindor...

That was Slytherin's standing at Hogwarts. Not to mention that Draco, who was terribly unpopular, was asking where the notoriously fearsome Gemini was. Who would want to deal with him?

"Have you seen Gemini?"

"Do you know where Gemini is?"

"Excuse me, have you seen Gemini?"

"If you see Gemini, please tell me. I'm begging you—"

Draco did not realize that his attitude grew better and better with every question.

He stiffly stopped Hermione and awkwardly asked, "Do you know where Gemini is?... Excuse me..."

"Oh..." Hermione parted her lips. She suspected Draco had been possessed by someone—he had actually said "excuse me"?

"I saw him in the library this morning. After that, he headed toward the Black Lake."

Draco's face stretched long. He tried hard to open his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing. He merely nodded stiffly and turned away.

Thanking Hermione was too difficult for him to accept. Saying "excuse me" had already been his limit.

Half an hour later, by the Black Lake.

Draco sat expressionlessly on a large rock by the shore.

In the distance, above the Black Lake, Gemini was flying freely on a broomstick.

Sometimes he circled over the lake. Sometimes he shot straight into the sky.

When he flew nearly a hundred meters into the air, Gemini leaped off the broomstick and plummeted downward. Then, as he fell, a strand of web shot out and stuck to the broom in the sky. He swung upward by the web, finally flipping over and landing on the broomstick.

Draco saw that even standing on the broomstick, Gemini looked as though he were standing on solid ground. He simply stood there, surfing across the lake at incredible speed.

After quite a while, Gemini finally noticed Draco sitting by the lake and descended from the sky.

"I found this broom in some forgotten corner. If you could, please keep it a secret."

Gemini smiled gently.

"How did you..." Draco stared at Gemini with a look of utter disbelief. "Was that your first time flying?"

"Yes, my first time." Gemini smiled.

In his previous life, he had worked as a delivery driver for a while. He felt that riding a broom was not all that different from riding a motorcycle, except a broom was much more agile.

With the slightest touch, the broom obeyed his commands as easily as an extension of his arm. Combined with the powerful dynamic vision and reflexes brought by the Spider Serum, he could pull off all sorts of tricks with it.

Unfortunately, the thing did not use gasoline and had no gears to shift. He could not experience that sense of power from an engine roaring beside his ears.

Still, the Weapon Shop had flying motorcycles, and they could even customize the model. He could buy one if he got the chance someday...

Draco looked at Gemini and could not help swallowing.

For the first time, he understood what true talent was.

"Did you need something from me?"

"Ah, right." Draco snapped back to his senses. "Next Thursday, we have a flying lesson with Gryffindor. I came to let you know."

"Thank you for the reminder." Gemini nodded slightly.

For the first-years, everyone was full of anticipation for their first flying lesson.

Over the next few days, whenever Gemini ate in the Great Hall, he could hear Little Wizards talking excitedly at the tables.

Draco, for instance, told the story of riding broomsticks several times. Every time, it ended with him narrowly avoiding a Muggle helicopter.

But whenever Gemini appeared, Draco wisely shut his mouth.

Finally, Thursday afternoon arrived at half past three.

The students came to a flat stretch of grass, the place where first-years had their flying lessons. However, not far beyond the other side of the lawn was the Forbidden Forest. If they were not careful, they might fly straight into it.

According to legend, dragons lived deep within the Forbidden Forest. As for whether that rumor was true, Gemini was not sure. Under the wizarding Secrecy Statute, any dragons discovered in European countries would be controlled by local Ministry of Magic wizards and sent to Romania.

In Africa, they were sent to Egypt. In Asia, they were sent to the Siberian plains of Russia. Those places all had specialized facilities for housing and raising dragons.

When the little Gryffindor lions arrived at the field as well, Madam Hooch, who was in charge of flying lessons, arrived too.

She had short gray hair and sharp yellow eyes like a hawk's.

"Well, what are you all waiting for?" she snapped. "Everyone stand beside a Flying Broomstick. Hurry up, move it."

Gemini looked at the broom by his feet. It was old and battered, with twigs sticking out in every direction. The sight made him grimace in disgust.

"Stretch out your right hand above the broom handle, then say, 'Up!'" Madam Hooch said.

Gemini held out his hand, his tone carrying an unquestionable command. "Up."

Whoosh—

The broom immediately flew into his hand.

Not many people summoned their brooms as smoothly as Gemini did, though Harry and Draco both managed it. Across from Gemini, Hermione's broom lazily rolled over on the ground, as if it were saying: I'm not getting up. What are you going to do about it, woman?

After quite some time, everyone had finally summoned their broomsticks. Madam Hooch walked between the two rows of students, demonstrating how to mount a broom without sliding off and constantly correcting their grips.

"Your grip is wrong. Your arms are stretched so straight—are you trying to snap them off?"

Madam Hooch sharply reprimanded Malfoy. Malfoy hurriedly adjusted his posture in a panic. Heaven knew, he had merely wanted to look cool.

"All right, when I blow my whistle, push off the ground with both feet and rise into the air. Push hard."

Madam Hooch continued, "Hold the broom steady, rise a few feet, then lean forward slightly and come straight back down. Listen for my whistle—three—two—"

A trembling cry rang out. Gemini turned to look and saw Neville flying up on his broom, his face deathly pale.

Gemini: "..."

As expected. No need to panic.