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Chapter 36: “Small dispute”
🕑 Added 2024-01-19 15:25:09 +0000 UTCThe next day, a notice appeared in the Gryffindor common room. Flying lessons will start on Wednesday, that is tomorrow. James was very happy about this. They were supposed to have started last week, but the flying instructor was ill.
The bad news was that Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together. Something that upset all the first-year Gryffindor students. Especially Sirius who cursed all through breakfast.
James had heard a lot about the flying instructor. He thought he could learn a lot of tricks from her.
In Charms class, Professor Flitwick made James do a demonstration of Flipendo. It had come to his ears from the incident in Potions class.
With no choice, he had to satisfy the little professor's curiosity and sent a wooden dummy several meters backward, "Fantastic! A perfect wand movement," praised Flitwick as he clapped his tiny hands together.
After that, he had Herbology and later Transfiguration classes, both teachers left him a lot of homework that he had to ignore since he had to go to his punishment with Professor Slughorn.
He had no luck today either. The professor didn't come out for the whole hour, "He'll never leave his office with a first-year student in there," said Lupin, sitting in an armchair in the Gryffindor common room, around him was the whole group.
"Besides it's only an hour. It's not too long for him to have to go to the bathroom or anything," said Peter.
"What if you make him drink a lot of tea? That way he'll get the urge to go to the bathroom," suggested Sirius.
"I offer him tea in his own office...? Besides our desks are a considerable distance apart," said James, shaking his head.
"W-won't he notice when he's short of ingredients...?" asked Toby, unsure.
"Stop being such a crybaby. They're insignificant ingredients. There's no way he's going to notice that mountain of hundreds of ingredients," said Sirius grumpily at having to clean the trophy room for an hour.
"W-well..." said Toby, not too sure. It wouldn't be a good thing if James got caught stealing a professor's belongings. As for the plants they got from the greenhouse, they weren't important and were usually used by students in beginner classes, so taking them wasn't a bad thing.
"Don't worry, Toby. If they catch me, I'll go down alone," said James with a smile.
"You're very noble, Potter," said Sirius sarcastically.
Wednesday, was the long-awaited day of flying lessons. Many of the Slytherins, especially Rabastan bragged about his broom-flying skills and said that the first classes would be very easy.
Rabastan was complaining loudly about the freshmen being banned from playing quidditch, and for the first time James agreed with him on something.
Most of those, who came from wizarding families were very enthusiastic about the flying lessons. As they kept talking about Quidditch, James was one of the most enthusiastic, if not the most enthusiastic.
His father and grandfather had always loved quidditch and had instilled in him a passion for the game.
On the other hand, there were people like Peter from a wizarding family, but who had never handled a broom in his life and were very nervous about today's class, although he liked quidditch and joined in the conversations, he wasn't as enthusiastic about getting into the action.
Sirius had flown in before just to annoy his mother, plus he was planning to join the quidditch team next year at least and see if he was accepted. Just to follow James and be popular, since all the team members are very popular students and Sirius doesn't mind being the center of attention.
Lupin on the other hand, although his father was a wizard, didn't seem keen on the subject and didn't look kindly on heights and high speeds, a bad and dangerous combination.
Lily Evans, ever since the flying class was announced, had been reading books about flying, where they gave tips and techniques. As a muggle daughter, she didn't want to be left behind in anything and wanted to prove her worth.
Lily at breakfast that Wednesday, was reading aloud from a book entitled: Tips for Beginners: How to Fly and Not Fall Down Trying. Two of her new friends made exasperated faces but listened quietly.
Toby and Peter, who were nearby, listened very attentively, not missing a word.
Rabastan Lestrange, who was walking past the Gryffindor table, took the book from Lily's hands, "Hey give me that!" said Lily, standing up from her seat and noticing Rabastan's haughty expression.
"Tips for Beginners: How to fly and not fall down trying," read Rabastan mockingly and slurring his words.
"It was to be expected from a muggle-born person," he added with contempt.
James and Sirius jumped out of their seats, their glares filled with fury and hatred towards Rabastan. They wished they had a reason to fight the arrogant Slytherin.
"Give the book back, Rabastan!" said James, trying to control his impulse and not throw a punch at the arrogant Slytherin boy's face.
Before the conflict escalated, Professor McGonagall, who spotted trouble faster than any other teacher in the school, was already there, "What's wrong?" she asked.
"I'm taking my book away, Professor," Lily replied, pointing to the book in Rabastan's hands.
McGonagall looked sternly at Rabastan, who quickly spoke, "I was just looking at it," he said, frowning and leaving the book on the table, then walked away followed by Avery and Mulciber.
"Thank you, Professor," Lily said, sitting back down in her seat again. A boy with greasy black hair sat back down at the Slytherin table as he looked at Lily.
James and Sirius were following Rabastan with their eyes, "You must control your impulses, Black and Potter. Otherwise, you will continue to get points deducted from your houses, and I wouldn't want that to happen," said McGonagall, noticing the look on both boys' faces.
"You're right, Professor. We're sorry," said James, scratching his head. McGonagall nodded with a faint smile that instantly disappeared and returned to the teachers' table.
'I never thought I'd meet a boy who got on my nerves so much' thought James surprised at himself. Like Edward, he had never had such a thing happen to him of losing his temper, 'Still, it's funny,' he thought with a slight smile.
Having a common enemy with your friends, making fun of him, confronting him, and having the hatred be mutual, were the things James wanted to live like a normal school life, even though it wasn't quite normal.
"Calm down guys. He'll get his comeuppance soon enough," said Lupin, sitting up. However, he had a wand in hand, showing that he wasn't as calm as he appeared. Like James and Sirius, he didn't like people being denigrated for their muggle origins at all.
"Yeah, I already want to see him with a vase on his head in front of everyone," said Sirius grumpily.
"Did you see, Lily? James Potter stood up for you," whispered Jasmine laughing. In these early days of Hogwarts James and Sirius' popularity was the most important among the first-year Gryffindor students.
"Shut up Jasmine," said Lily with a frown and slightly blushing. She opened the book again and started reading on the page where she left off.
To the redhead, both boys seemed arrogant and rude, though deep down she was grateful that they were helping her. Besides, these days she understood more about the discrimination of pureblood wizards and could understand more precisely why James and Sirius made fun of that girl who seemed to be another supremacist, although she still did not accept being called fat, pig, among other unpleasant insults.
Comments
Alkole
Nice hopefully Lily doesn't hate James too much early
