By the time Alvin finally reached Ravenclaw Tower, he felt like he had run a marathon.
The physical strain wasn’t the problem.
The real exhaustion came from earlier.
To catch Hermione, he’d pushed an old school broom far beyond its intended limits, continuously feeding magic into it just to keep it from falling apart in midair.
By the end of the rescue, his concentration had been stretched to the breaking point.
All he wanted now was a bed.
Preferably for the rest of the afternoon.
The moment he stepped into the common room, however, he realized something was wrong.
It was quiet.
Far too quiet.
Every conversation had stopped.
Every head turned toward him.
Dozens of eyes locked onto him at once.
Alvin immediately had a bad feeling.
Then the silence shattered.
“That was incredible, Alvin!” A seventh-year witch was the first to speak.
The room exploded.
“You actually caught her!” “I heard you dived after her!” “That rescue was amazing!” “You should try out for the Quidditch team!” “Is it true your broom exploded afterward?” The common room erupted into excited chatter.
Alvin stood frozen.
The news had spread this fast?
Flying lessons had ended barely an hour ago.
Had someone enchanted the castle’s walls to gossip?
Before he could process what was happening, a familiar figure broke through the crowd.
Cho.
She hurried straight toward him and threw her arms around him.
Alvin instinctively caught her.
“Cho?” She ignored the question.
“Are you alright?” The worry in her voice was impossible to miss.
Pulling back slightly, she grabbed his shoulders and looked him over from head to toe, searching for injuries.
“You scared me.” Her expression was serious.
For a moment, the noisy common room faded into the background.
A warmth spread through Alvin’s chest.
“I’m fine.” He gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“Really.
Nothing happened.” Cho continued examining him for another few seconds before finally relaxing.
Then she pinched his waist.
Hard.
Alvin nearly winced.
Ah.
There it was.
The delayed reaction.
The little witch had clearly heard the details of the rescue.
More specifically, the part where he’d thrown himself after Hermione.
Alvin could hardly blame her.
Still, what was he supposed to do?
Ignore a classmate falling to her death?
He could only offer an apologetic smile.
Fortunately, Cho wasn’t unreasonable.
After one final glare, she stepped aside.
A mistake.
The instant she moved, the rest of Ravenclaw surged forward.
“Alvin, how did you make the broom go that fast?” “Was today really your first flying lesson?” “Is it true you caught Hermione with your bare hands?” “You don’t look that strong.
Let me check.” A hand immediately reached for his arm.
Alvin’s eyes widened.
Hold on.
Was he being inspected?
Or assaulted?
Before the situation could escalate further, salvation arrived.
“Out of the way!” Roger Davies bulldozed through the crowd like a one-man rescue squad.
The Ravenclaw Quidditch captain finally reached Alvin and grabbed his shoulder.
“Professor Flitwick wants to see you.” Alvin’s eyes lit up.
A lifeline.
A glorious, beautiful lifeline.
“Everyone, please excuse me.” He rose immediately.
“The professor is waiting.” The disappointed Ravenclaws reluctantly stepped aside.
Alvin didn’t waste the opportunity.
He escaped.
Quickly.
Very quickly.
A few more minutes in the common room and he wasn’t entirely convinced he would have survived.
While Alvin was making his escape, the events of Flying Class had already spread across Hogwarts.
After all, a single lesson had somehow included enough drama for an entire week’s worth of gossip.
First, Alvin had saved Neville Longbottom with a perfectly executed Levitation Charm.
Then Harry Potter had chased Draco Malfoy through the air to recover Neville’s Remembrall.
And finally, Alvin had launched himself after a falling Hermione Granger and caught her moments before impact.
It was exactly the sort of story students loved.
Gryffindor Tower “And then Harry dove straight down!” Ron waved his arms enthusiastically.
“Like this!” He demonstrated with such passion that nearby students instinctively leaned away.
“He grabbed Neville’s Remembrall just before it hit the ground and pulled up at the last second!” Judging by his tone, one might have assumed Ron himself had performed the feat.
Suddenly, two arms draped themselves over his shoulders.
Fred and George.
“Alright, Ronnie.” “We’ve heard about Harry.” “At least twenty times.” “Maybe thirty.” Ron looked offended.
The twins ignored him.
“Tell us about Alvin.” “The rescue!” “What happened?” Angelina Johnson, one of Gryffindor’s Chasers, immediately looked interested.
Several nearby students leaned closer.
Faced with overwhelming demand, Ron reluctantly switched topics.
Soon he was describing Alvin’s pursuit of Hermione, the desperate dive, and the catch that had saved her from disaster.
By the time he finished, half the common room was listening.
Hufflepuff The Hufflepuffs responded very differently.
Most of them cared far less about the aerial stunts.
What impressed them was the choice Alvin had made.
He’d seen someone in danger and acted immediately.
Without hesitation.
Without concern for himself.
Among Hufflepuffs, that sort of thing mattered.
By dinner, Alvin’s reputation in Hufflepuff House had risen considerably.
Slytherin Slytherin was divided.
Some students remained furious about the Sorting Ceremony.
To them, Alvin Gaunt had publicly rejected Slytherin House.
Now he was gaining attention again.
Winning points.
Receiving praise.
Stealing headlines.
Needless to say, they weren’t pleased.
Others saw things differently.
Alvin was talented.
Exceptional in class.
Strong in practical magic.
Remarkably skilled on a broom despite being a first-year.
And perhaps most importantly— He kept proving himself.
Slytherins respected results.
As a consequence, two camps gradually emerged.
Those who disliked Alvin.
And those who admired him.
Both sides were growing larger by the day.
Completely unaware of the political storm brewing elsewhere in the castle, Alvin arrived outside Professor Flitwick’s office.
He knocked politely.
“Come in!” The familiar cheerful voice answered immediately.
Alvin opened the door.
The office looked exactly as he remembered.
Bookshelves covered every wall.
Towering stacks of books occupied nearly every available surface.
The entire room felt as though it might collapse under the weight of accumulated knowledge.
“Please, sit down, Mr.
Gaunt.” Flitwick looked positively delighted.
Alvin took a seat.
The professor beamed at him from behind his desk.
“Mr.
Gaunt, your performance today was magnificent.” Alvin suspected Flitwick had been waiting to say that.
“Thank you, Professor.” “No, no.” Flitwick waved a hand.
“I mean it.” “Casting a Levitation Charm with that degree of precision under those circumstances is extraordinarily difficult.” His eyes sparkled.
“Many adult witches and wizards would have failed.” Alvin scratched his cheek.
Being praised this enthusiastically was strangely embarrassing.
“I was just trying to save Neville.” “And later Miss Granger.” “Exactly!” Flitwick looked even happier.
As though Alvin had somehow provided the correct answer.
After a moment, the professor leaned back in his chair.
Then casually changed the subject.
“Tell me, Mr.
Gaunt.” “How familiar are you with Quidditch?” Alvin immediately became alert.
Here it comes.
Was this his version of Harry’s famous recruitment?
“I know the rules fairly well, Professor.” “Though today was actually my first time flying.” That much was technically true.
Having a Quidditch fanatic as a girlfriend came with certain educational benefits.
Cho had explained the rules countless times.
She had also spent an alarming amount of time convincing him that the Tutshill Tornados were the greatest team in Britain.
Flitwick’s smile widened.
“Excellent.” The professor folded his hands together.
Then asked directly: “Would you be interested in joining the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team?”