Don't Even Think About It

"Come back, child!" Madam Hooch shouted.

However, her command had no effect. Neville shot straight upward like a champagne cork blasting out of a bottle. He was incredibly fast, not like it was portrayed in the movies, so even though Gemini fired his webbing immediately, he failed to pull Neville down precisely.

Fortunately, Neville flew up fast and fell fast too—he slipped off his broom and dropped straight down from twenty feet in the air.

On the ground, Gemini swiftly drew his wand and aimed it at Neville.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Whoosh—

When he was still five meters above the ground, Neville's falling body abruptly froze in midair.

As Neville was slowly lowered to the ground, Madam Hooch rushed over, pale-faced. Neville was even paler than she was, considering he had just personally experienced high-altitude bungee jumping.

The students gathered around. Madam Hooch grabbed Neville and examined him carefully. Only after confirming that he was unharmed did she let out a long sigh of relief and turn to Gemini.

"Sharp reflexes, precise spellcasting. Ten points to Slytherin."

The little snakes immediately erupted in cheers. The Gryffindor lions had no objections to the points, and Neville looked gratefully at Gemini. "Thank you, Gemini. You saved me again..."

Gemini smiled helplessly. "If possible, I'd also prefer it if you didn't give me opportunities like this..."

"Sorry, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to fly..." Neville mumbled quietly.

Gemini shook his head and spoke gently. "I think you're overthinking it. Everyone has magic inside them. If others can do it, there's no reason you can't. Confidence plays a huge part in it."

"Maybe you're right..." Neville looked utterly dejected.

"All right, I'll take him to the school hospital for a checkup. None of you are allowed to move! Put the Flying Broomsticks back where they were, or you'll be thrown out of the Hogwarts gates before you even get the chance to say 'Quidditch.'" Madam Hooch led Neville away as she spoke.

Gemini felt somewhat helpless. So he still had to get checked out after all...

But thinking about it, that made sense. It involved a student's health, after all. A checkup was perfectly normal.

"Look what I found?" Draco held a transparent glass ball that glittered in the sunlight.

It was Neville's Memory Ball, which his grandmother had mailed him that morning.

"Give it here, Malfoy." Harry glared furiously at Draco.

Draco snorted and looked at Harry mockingly. Just as he was about to say something, the Memory Ball flew out of his hand, arcing through the air before landing in Gemini's palm.

"Don't do anything stupid and unnecessary, Draco." Gemini held the transparent Memory Ball up to the sunlight, examining it with mild curiosity. "And don't make yourself look like an asshole."

Draco awkwardly turned his face away, and the little snakes who had been laughing also fell silent.

In Slytherin, no one dared provoke Gemini.

"Please give this to Neville."

Gemini handed the Memory Ball to Harry.

"Uh... thanks." Harry hurriedly accepted it.

Having successfully changed the original history, Gemini felt pretty good about it. At least Harry would not be exceptionally admitted to the Gryffindor Quidditch team now.

Although Gemini did not particularly like the way Slytherin students handled things, and had initially chosen this House just to disgust Snape, he was still a member of it. There was no reason to let Gryffindor take advantage.

Before long, Madam Hooch returned with Neville and continued their flying lesson.

Fortunately, no one had another accident this time.

Since most of the students were riding brooms for the first time, Madam Hooch stipulated that they could not fly higher than twenty feet. She kept flying alongside them in midair, wand raised and face full of vigilance, ready to prevent any student from accidentally falling. Most of the time, her attention remained on Neville.

Fortunately, Neville seemed to have taken Gemini's words to heart. After calming down, he did not make any more mistakes.

Gemini made the school's battered Flying Broomsticks look impressive. Standing on the broom, he darted all over the place and circled the castle several times, leaving the other students staring in envy.

"Can that thing be flown while standing on it?" Harry quietly asked Ron.

"Impossible. No player can do something like that." Ron watched Gemini zip around with an expression like he was constipated.

At that moment, Gemini made Ron, a child from a Pure-blood family, feel like he was a Muggle...

Flying while standing on a broom was difficult even for someone with Harry's Quidditch talent, let alone doing it as effortlessly as Gemini. In the end, Madam Hooch could no longer tolerate Gemini shattering her common sense while darting around everywhere. She told him to fly higher and stop disturbing the other students.

"I want to join the Quidditch team."

After class, Gemini found Snape and stated it bluntly.

After riding a broom twice in a row, he had proven to himself that he really liked the sport.

"It seems one flying lesson has made you overconfident, Mr. Fox." Snape did not even look up from behind his desk.

"I can fly while standing on a broom."

Snape finally looked up, a flicker of astonishment appearing in his eyes. After several seconds of silence, he slowly said, "Very good. You have successfully convinced me."

Quidditch had existed for a thousand years, and he had never heard of anyone being this bold.

But when he recalled Gemini standing on the roof before, Snape suddenly realized that he truly could do such a thing.

Outstanding reflexes, nimble movements, a terrifying physique, and for some reason, he could stick himself to any surface at will. Such a natural Quidditch player had been wandering around under his nose for so long, yet he had failed to notice!

"Fine, I agree." Snape said indifferently, "The previous team captain was beaten into retirement by you. You are the perfect replacement."

Only then did Gemini remember that Marcus Flint had been the previous Slytherin team captain.

"Is there anything else?"

"Can I use Web-Shooters during matches?" Gemini asked, showing the Web-Shooters on his wrist.

"Using them on other people violates the rules. Using them on the ball is not allowed either."

"I understand." Gemini nodded. So using them on himself was fine, then.

Seeing Gemini still standing there, Snape asked impatiently, "Anything else?"

"If conditions allow, could you provide me with a Nimbus 2000?" Gemini asked.

It was not that he could not afford a broom. It was simply difficult to explain pulling out a Firebolt at this time.

"Don't even... think about it." Snape remained expressionless.

Gemini rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Harry performed very well in flying class. I heard Professor McGonagall intends to make an exception and recruit him as Gryffindor's Seeker."

He was not lying. Professor McGonagall had seen Harry's performance during flying class. As for making an exception to let Harry join the team, she was probably already considering it, and the chances were high. Although he had not caught the tossed Memory Ball in midair as he had in the original story, his talent had still shown itself. Once Gemini was allowed to join the team as an exception, Harry joining it would be all but certain.

This was not some convergence of worldlines. In fact, during the latter half of flying class, Professor McGonagall had been watching Harry's performance.

After all, Harry's father had been the most outstanding Quidditch player at the school back then. There was no reason for Professor McGonagall to pass up his son...

Although she appeared stern, rigid, and cold, Professor McGonagall was actually a die-hard and fanatical Quidditch fan.

Professor McGonagall was principled in ordinary times, but if it meant winning the Quidditch House Cup, she could even temporarily abandon those principles. In the original story, she had excused the Gryffindor players from their Transfiguration homework more than once so the team could win...

"You think... that will threaten me into giving you the best broom on the market? Don't even think about it, you annoying brat."

Snape snapped, "Don't foolishly assume the world revolves around you! Solve the broom problem yourself. If you can't, then swing through the air on that ridiculous webbing of yours! Now get out!"

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