Flying Class

The bell rang, and Madam Hooch, who taught Flying Class, led them across the grounds to a relatively flat lawn. The wind sent waves rippling through the broad expanse of grass, and not far away was the forest, its dark mass of trees swaying in the breeze.

Aya cast several curious glances at the Forbidden Forest. Over the weekend, she had only just managed to explore the castle's public areas. There were still classrooms she couldn't enter because she didn't know how to open them, so she hadn't had time to explore the Forbidden Forest either.

When they reached the lawn, the Slytherin students were already there. Several dozen flying broomsticks lay neatly arranged on the ground, looking rather worn.

"All right, everyone, choose a broom and stand beside it!" Madam Hooch called in a powerful voice. Aya chose a broom that looked relatively bushy, large enough for Xiaohua to perch on.

"That kind doesn't fly as well as one with neat twigs," Ron observed with an air of authority, offering Aya some advice.

Aya didn't listen, though. She thought this kind of broom looked more powerful. It had to be better than Neville's, which looked as if it was about to go bald, right?

"Hold out your right hand over your broom handle and say, 'Up!'"

"Up!" everyone shouted.

Aya's bushy broom trembled twice before flying into her hand. Hermione stood on her other side, and her broom merely rolled over on the ground. On Aya's other side, Ron was praising Harry for succeeding on his first try.

Madam Hooch taught the students the correct riding position and walked among them, correcting everyone before returning to the front. "All right, now, when I blow my whistle, kick off the ground with both legs, hard, and rise a few feet into the air. Remember to hold your brooms steady."

"Three-two-" Madam Hooch hadn't even blown her whistle when Neville took off.

Aya's mouth rounded in surprise as she looked up, watching Neville rapidly climb higher.

"So high! Is that how high a few feet is?" Aya exclaimed.

"No!" Hermione had already gained some understanding of Aya's common sense. She corrected her with practiced ease, but her face was deathly pale and her voice shrill. "That's twenty feet already! He trips even when he's walking on level ground. If he falls from that height, I can't imagine what will happen!"

"Ah, Neville is so brave," Aya exclaimed.

"Come back, boy!" Madam Hooch shouted, hurrying after the broom.

"Merlin, he's in for it now!" Ron's eyes widened. "He can barely hold on!"

"He's going to slip off!" Hermione screamed.

"Xiaohua, Xiaohua!" Aya called in a high voice, imitating their tone. The cat, who had been sharpening his claws on a broom handle, quickly dashed out.

Everyone saw a blur, and then a cat bigger than Madam Hooch appeared before them. Xiaohua swiftly overtook her and leaped, catching Neville as he fell from his broom.

"Merlin's flowery underpants, your cat can do everything," Ron said, relieved, wiping away the sweat from his nerves. "But could you not use that tone with a blank face? It's a little scary."

"What tone?" Aya tilted her head and repeated herself. "Xiaohua, Xiaohua?"

"Oh-" Ron closed his eyes, unable to watch.

"A bit like an uncanny human," Harry remarked, earning a glare from Hermione.

"Don't listen to their nonsense. It was a little strange, but... you saved someone!" She racked her brains before managing to patch things up.

Madam Hooch came back, pulling the stumbling Neville along. Although Xiaohua had rescued him in time and he was unhurt, he had been badly frightened, so she had him sit to one side and rest.

"All right, it's fine, nothing serious. Five points to Gryffindor for Miss Hawthorne's kind help." Madam Hooch looked a little pale herself, but she got everyone organized again. "All right, let's start over. Get into position. I don't want to have to correct you all again-"

Following Madam Hooch's instructions, everyone looked away from Xiaohua and mounted their brooms again.

"Three-two-one-!"

The students kicked off together. Aya rose steadily, and although the broom was a little uncomfortable to ride, she really was flying!

It wasn't qinggong or gliding. It was flying!

"Wow-" Aya wrapped her tail tightly around her broom and sped past Ron, who had only just taken off and was cautiously testing things out.

"I told you not to use a tone that doesn't match your expressionless face!" Startled by Aya suddenly speeding past, Ron shouted angrily at her retreating back.

The wind from Aya's departure blew full in Harry's face, but he paid it no mind. He saw Malfoy apparently pick something up from the ground. After seeing that they were all obediently flying low, Madam Hooch had turned to check on Neville, so she hadn't noticed the little disturbance.

When he saw Malfoy tossing it about, he realized it was Neville's Remembrall.

By the time Aya came racing back on her broom, she saw two students standing with their heads lowered in front of Professor McGonagall.

As she flew past at full speed, she recognized them as Draco and Harry.

"Stop right there! Hawthorne, you can't fly that fast!" McGonagall had still been lecturing them-diving and racing gravity was far too dangerous-when she saw a black shape shoot past.

She had taught at Hogwarts for thirty-five years, but she wasn't so old that she couldn't make out a person.

She instinctively followed the speeding figure with her eyes and realized it was Aya—her cat ears were too conspicuous to miss. She hurriedly called out to stop her. When she saw the figure ahead slowly back up and look at her blankly, McGonagall felt her temper suddenly rise—but she knew the child had an expressionless face.

"I'm sorry, Professor." There was now one more person standing in the row as Aya apologized sincerely. Beside her, Draco looked impressed by her utterly unashamed expression—or rather, her lack of expression.

"What did Madam Hooch tell you? Not too high, not too fast! This is your first time on a broom. Although it isn't easy for a wizard to die from a fall, I don't suppose you want to experience a broken arm or leg?" McGonagall folded her arms and looked sternly at the three of them-one had flown high, one had flown fast, and one had flown both high and fast.

But the one who had flown both high and fast showed promise as a Seeker. As it happened, Gryffindor's Seeker had graduated, so she could let Potter try out.

At the thought, McGonagall couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from rising, but she quickly suppressed the smile. "Potter, come with me now."

"It wasn't his fault, Professor!" Ron couldn't help speaking up from the side. "It was all Malfoy-"

"That's enough, Mr. Weasley. Say no more. Come with me, Potter." McGonagall turned and, with a stern face, motioned for Harry to follow. Harry gave his friends a wry smile and trudged after her, dejected.

"Ha!" As soon as Professor McGonagall was gone, Draco grew cocky. "I bet he's definitely going to be expelled!"

Aya gave him a puzzled look. Hadn't the two of them happily shaken hands at the start of term? Why were they suddenly hostile now?

"What's the bet?" Aya asked casually.

Draco was visibly taken aback. Normally, "I bet" was just a way for him to express certainty; he hadn't expected anyone to take him up on it. "Uh, what's the bet?" he repeated.

"Hmm, candy?" Aya thought for a moment. She had already finished the bag of candy she'd helped herself to in the Headmaster's Office last week. She often heard Harry and Ron muttering that Draco's family sent him candy, and she was curious.

"No problem!" Realizing how silly his reaction had been, Draco promptly agreed. Then he raised his chin and looked sidelong at her. "Get ready, A-Aya, uh, Hawthorne?" When Aya had first introduced herself to him, she hadn't had a surname and had only given her first name. Draco had also called her Aya last time, so he stumbled a little this time.

"You can call me Aya," she said, then mounted her broom and rose into the air again.

"Hmph!" Draco was somewhat annoyed. "I'm not calling a Gryffindor by her first name!"

"All right, suit yourself, Mr. Malfoy." Aya sped off, leaving only her wake and Draco stamping his feet behind her.

Aya spent a pleasant afternoon. Flying low over the lawn made her feel as though she had truly become a bird—it would have been even more perfect if her backside hadn't hurt after class.

At dinnertime, Harry returned to the Great Hall to eat with everyone.

"Seeker?" Ron was eating a meat pie, and at the news he forgot to take another bite. "But first-years aren't allowed to—you must be the youngest house team player in years."

Aya was tearing at a whole steak. With a large mouthful, she spoke indistinctly. "So you weren't expelled?"

"That's right!" Harry kept stuffing food into his mouth, looking ravenous. "Wood told me I'm the youngest player in nearly a century."

"Great, I get to try the Malfoy family's candy!" Aya heard Angelina Johnson beside her tell her to swallow her food before speaking, or she could easily choke. She swallowed what was in her mouth and spoke happily.

"Merlin's underpants, why would he give you any?" Ron stared at her.

"Because he bet me this afternoon that Harry would be expelled," Aya said.

"...You bet with him?" Harry was a little angry. "I was scared to death!"

"But he was the one who bet with me. I wanted to try his candy. His family is so rich, their candy must be delicious too," Aya said longingly. Harry and Ron exchanged a look. After spending the past few days with her, they knew how fixated Aya was on food. Both a little angry, they huffed and turned away, ignoring her.

"I'll give you a piece when I get it?" Aya looked curiously at Harry, who had suddenly turned away. "Two pieces? No more than that. If I give you two, you can share one with Ron."

"Why don't I get one of my own?" Ron demanded.

"Because you didn't take part in the bet." Aya spread her hands.

Ron grew even angrier.

But the angry Ron was soon squeezed aside by the Weasley brothers, who had heard the news and come rushing over to Harry.

"Well done! Wood told us. We're on the house team too," George said in a low voice. "We're Beaters!"

"I'm telling you, we're definitely winning the Quidditch Cup this year," Fred said. "We haven't won since Charlie left. Wood was so excited when he told us, he could hardly get his words out. You must be brilliant!"

The two soon left, though, apparently wanting to check out some secret passage.

After they left, Draco came strolling over with his chin raised again-Aya thought things were lively around Harry—and sneered at him in an irritating tone. "Having your last meal, Potter? You..."

Before he could finish, Aya stood up and held out both hands. "You lost the bet, Mr. Malfoy. My candy."

"What?" Draco frowned at her, then, after a moment, asked incredulously, "McGonagall didn't expel you?"

"Obviously. With your two lackeys here, you're feeling confident again, I see," Harry said coldly.

"I'm willing to take you on alone anytime," Draco said. "Tonight, even. A wizard's duel, wands only..."

"Candy." Aya held out her hand, unwilling to be left out, and reminded him again.

"...You're so annoying. Let me finish!" Draco cursed and continued speaking to Harry. "You have heard of a wizard's duel, haven't you?"

"Of course he has!" Ron cut in. "I'm his second. Who's yours?"

"Candy!" Aya raised her voice, and several older students nearby looked over.

"Here, take it!" Draco lost his train of thought again. Annoyed, he pulled a handful of candy from his pocket. "Were you a starving ghost in your last life? You want it that badly?"

"Thank you." Aya didn't mind at all. Losers always liked talking trash; she understood. Those words weren't nearly as filthy as the insults players hurled while gaming. She eagerly unwrapped a piece and popped it into her mouth, narrowing her eyes in satisfaction.

Draco was momentarily speechless at her reaction. Seeing her eat the candy made him angrier still. If reason hadn't reminded him that the professors were right there at the staff table, he would almost have shouted, "I'll meet you in the Trophy Room at midnight tonight. It's never locked. My second is Crabbe!" With that, he stormed off.

"Here, two for you." True to her word, Aya gave Harry two pieces of candy in green wrappers.

"...Honestly, I don't want candy that came out of Malfoy's pocket. It's definitely got his stink all over it." Harry poked at the candy on the table in disgust. The moment he finished speaking, Aya swiftly snatched it back.

"You're the one who didn't want it~" Her face was blank, but her voice was lilting.

"I told you not to talk in that voice-" Ron really didn't want to see Aya's expressionless face. Forgive him; he was still young and couldn't see any excitement or happiness in those big, pitch-black eyes. All he could see were two black balls.

"His family's candy tastes really good," Aya said, setting even her dinner aside for the moment. "It's among the best candy I've ever had."

"Sorry, excuse me," Hermione said, putting down her cutlery and turning to Harry. "I don't think you should have accepted that invitation. If you're caught wandering around after curfew, Gryffindor will lose points, and you're bound to get caught. You're really too selfish."

"This has nothing to do with you." Harry only wanted to duel Malfoy now. He turned back to Ron. "What's a wizard's duel? And what does it mean for you to be my second?"

"So you can leave the common room after curfew?" Aya looked at Hermione in surprise. She had thought it would be like those maps from before, closing at a set time so that no one else could get in!

"No, you can't!" Hermione said sternly.