Lunch was a sad affair for Arthur.
Never had he ever stopped to question that a magical school might involve homework.
Mind you the homework itself was not magical in anyway.
It just involved writing some boring essays.
The difficulty was only added by requiring then to use a parchment paper and feather quills.
If you’ve never used them, then just know that the ink tended to go everywhere.
That was especially the case if you left inkpots lying around around a bunch of kids which was just a fact of life in a school.
Any complaints Arthur had on the topic, he kept to himself.
He had a strong hunch that Cedric would only offer to help.
Sometimes Arthur thought the boy just wanted to mess with him with his kindness act.
They only had three classes for the day, the immediate one being Transfiguration.
Arthur was not looking forward to the subject.
In his opinion, any magic that had a long list of precautions and things to remember before the actual spell casting process should not be taught to kids.
He dreaded to think of the homework he would get there.
…
Arthur had some idea of what to expect in class.
Professor McGonagall was not a teacher you wanted to cross.
She had a strict magnetism about her.
Arthur thought that it was a mix of experience and competence in her field of knowledge that made her appear both strict and knowledgeable.
He took that assumption to heart, transfiguration would demand nothing less that being strict and careful with yourself.
The Professor started her class with a warning.
“Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts,” she said.
“Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned.” Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again.
It was always impressive to see a master at work.
Arthur didn’t think any of them would be casting anything so complex anytime soon though.
Arthur was even more aware of the fact when the class started by taking notes.
Where in Charms they learned the spell first, Transfiguration demanded the utmost caution.
After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and told to start trying to turn it into a needle, emphasis on the ‘start trying’.
The professor clearly didn’t expect any of them to succeed.
By the middle of the lesson, only Cedric had made any difference to his match.
He had managed to make one end of it pointy.
Professor McGonagall, clearly happy with the progress, had showed the entire class the pointy stick and awarded Hufflepuff a point.
Arthur never knew Cedric liked to brag, he suspected it though.
The kid appeared polite and helpful but never let anyone tell you that he was innocent.
After the compliment Cedric went around showing his pointy match to everyone who would look.
When Cedric showed him the match for the fifth time, Arthur finally had enough.
He acted like he wanted a close look to get hold of the match and threatened to break off the pointy part.
Arthur only relented after Cedric admitted to his bragging.
For all the times he complained about his father, he had clearly learned something from him.
…
It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.
The Slytherins were already there, and so were the broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground.
Arthur had heard the seniors complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.
If you’ve ever assumed that a flying broom would look any different from a regular broom then you would’ve kind of right.
Looking at the old rickety stick with a few twigs stuck to one end, Arthur hesitated to even call it a broom.
At least the one’s he had seen at the Diagon Alley had thick and luscious bristles, these ones looked like someone was playing a prank on everyone of them.
Arthur had not really noticed it before but the Slytherin kids stood far away from the Hufflepuff students, whispering among themselves.
They always did that.
Maybe he had noticed, just never focused on it.
Although Arthur would bet good money that they would be more lively if some Gryffindors were around.
“What’s up with them?” Arthur asked Cedric.
“They’re Slytherin.” replied Cedric as if that was reason enough for their behavior.
Before he could ask more on the topic their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived.
She had short, gray hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk.
Everyone looked at her for instructions.
“Well, what are you all waiting for?” she barked.
“Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up.”
Arthur glanced down at his broom.
It was old and a total of five of the twigs, he counted twice, stuck out at odd angles.
“Stick out your right hand over your broom,” called Madam Hooch at the front, “and say ‘Up!”‘
“UP.” everyone shouted.
Arthur’s broom jumped rolled around the ground, acting like a teenager getting out of bed.
Cedric’s jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did.
“What’s the trick?” Arthur asked Cedric who looked up ready to help anyone in need.
The other Hufflepuff’s were also curious so they all paid closed attention.
“You have to want it in your hand.” Cedric explained, “It’s like using your wand.”
As vague as the description was, Arthur understood it.
He did have some experience getting his wand to do some instinctive magic.
Focusing Arthur thought about the broom jumping up to his arm and said, “Up.” The broom jumped right up to his hand.
Satisfied with his progress, Arthur joined Cedric in helping his friends.
With their help Lucian got it in a few tries and so did Flora.
Patricia and Anna were trying to help Teddy but to no avail so they let Cedric and Arthur try.
When even they couldn’t get him to summon the broom Madam Hooch took a look at it. Get faster updates on g.com.
After watching for some time she switched Teddy’s broom and the new one… relatively new one worked perfectly.
After everyone learned the trick Madam Hooch then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips.
To Arthur it felt like he was sitting on a cushion when he mounted the broom.
“Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard,” said Madam Hooch.
“Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle — three– two –”
The feeling that came when your feet left the ground with no apparent means of propulsion was in one word-magical.
Personal flight didn’t have to be a dream anymore as Arthur looked down at the ground getting farther away.
Although, the experience would have been even more pleasant if his broom didn’t try to sabotage him.
It kept pausing right in the air, like some kind of a signal lag.
Arthur didn’t trust the broom to keep him safe so he followed the instructions and landed back down safely.
“You’re grinning.” Cedric said coming down with him.
“I just flew.”
“I saw. Your broom is pretty bad. How about I give you my broom and you give me the card?”
“Keep dreaming Diggory.”
“What will it take?”
“A miracle.”
They practiced flying till late that evening.
…
Arthur laid out a piece of parchment to write a letter to his mom before going to bed.
He would deliver it to his owl the first thing in the morning.
Dear Mom,
School’s good.
Food’s delicious.
Magic’s magical.
I want to buy a broom.
Need money.
Yours lovingly,
Arthur Smith.
Arthur was always impressed with his talent for literature.
Not everyone could manage to convey their meaning through such concise words.
It would surely to earn the admiration of any reader.
“Arthur.” Cedric said from his bed, “How about I buy you another chocolate frog?”
“Go to sleep Diggory.”
“Good Night.”
“Good Night.”