Chapter 24: 24: The Dangerous Broomstick

"Up." "Up..." "UP!" "Up?" Nolan was frustrated. He had tried at least a dozen different tones, yet the broom in front of him remained stubbornly still. The Slytherins and Gryffindors stared at him, wide-eyed. None of them had ever seen Nolan struggle with any class this much. Noticing his displeasure, Madam Hooch attempted to console him. "Oh, dear, perhaps flying just isn't your talent. But don't worry, there are always one or two students like that every year..." Eve came running over, her broom in hand. She spoke softly, "Nolan, my broom listens well. Would you like to switch with me?" "Alright..." Nolan accepted her kind gesture. Switching brooms, he tried again. "Up." Still no response. The situation grew increasingly awkward. Watching a genius falter wasn't always as satisfying as one might expect. Without waiting further, Madam Hooch moved on, teaching the students the proper mounting position while Nolan stood off to the side, exchanging glares with Eve's supposedly "obedient" broom. "Miss Eve's posture is perfect! Everyone, take note!" Madam Hooch exclaimed, delighted. "My dear, I'm certain you're destined to be a flyer! Next year, you should consider trying out for the Quidditch team. And for your outstanding performance, Slytherin earns five points!" Eve's face turned bright red, her excitement bubbling over. This was the first time a professor had praised her in class, and the first time she had earned points for her house. At that moment, one of her dormmates sidled up to her. Taking advantage of Madam Hooch's attention being on the Gryffindors, the girl whispered harshly in Eve's ear, "Don't get cocky, Eve, you filthy Mudblood." Eve felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her. She replied in a small voice, "I'm not a Mudblood..." "Oh, yes, you are! You've ruined Slytherin's centuries-old tradition by being the first Mudblood in our house! And how dare you cling to Nolan? You should step aside—he's the prince of all of Slytherin!" Eve felt a wave of grievance wash over her. She hadn't meant to "cling" to Nolan. She only sought a little sense of security in a new and intimidating environment. After correcting everyone's posture for a while, Madam Hooch finally announced, "Alright, everyone, it's time to fly!" The young witches and wizards mounted their brooms, pushed off the ground, and slowly began to rise, climbing higher and higher. Among the Slytherins, Alicia Field struggled. Her broom seemed to prefer flying backward, causing her to bewilderedly ask her classmates, "Why am I moving in reverse?" Miles Bletchley, meanwhile, provided another spectacle. His broom bounced up and down like a carousel horse, and he cried out repeatedly, "I'm going to fall! I'm going to fall!" And fall he did—fortunately, from only half a meter above the ground. Eve, however, performed exactly as Madam Hooch had predicted—she was the best flyer among the students. She rose steadily into the air, her silver hair flowing gently in the wind. For the first time, her view expanded far beyond what she had ever imagined. She saw the vast blue sky, the seemingly endless earth, and a Hogwarts that grew smaller and smaller as she ascended. The enormous, intimidating castle that had once frightened and overwhelmed her now looked like a mere toy. "So this... this is the power of magic." For the first time since becoming a witch, Eve truly understood what that meant. Though her life was filled with uncertainties, unknown challenges, and the contempt and hostility of others, she was no longer the same as before. Once just a helpless little girl, she was now a witch! "Comfortable, isn't it, dear?" Madam Hooch smiled as she flew up to join Eve, soaring high above the others. Eve nodded and replied softly, "I think so, Madam Hooch." ... "You should speak more clearly," Miles Bletchley suggested. "No!" one of the Weasley twins declared. "If it dares to disobey, you should give it a good thrashing!" Alicia hurriedly grabbed the red-haired Weasley by the arm. "Don't be ridiculous. These brooms belong to Hogwarts. If you break one, you'll have to pay for it." Lee Jordan chimed in, "But why is it that Nolan's broom is the only one not listening? We should take it apart and find out!" Alicia frowned and whispered a warning, "Madam Hooch is up in the air. If she catches you, you're all getting detention." To everyone's surprise, Nolan spoke up, "I think you're right. I should take it apart and see. There must be some kind of enchantment inside that makes it refuse my commands. That's not how it's supposed to work." No sooner said than done. While the girls looked on anxiously, the boys paid them no mind. Nolan pulled out a short sword—Merlin knew from where—and began to dismantle the broom, reducing it to a pile of parts. Inside, the broom was a marvel of magical engineering. Intricate magical arrays intertwined and influenced one another, reminiscent of the complex mechanisms in Muggle machinery. The young wizards and witches formed a circle around the disassembled broom, staring at its inner workings in stunned silence. "Guys, do you understand any of this?" one twin asked in a hushed voice. The other shook his head blankly. "I didn't even know there was anything inside these things! I thought flying brooms were just... born that way!" Lee poked at the wooden handle with his wand, muttering, "Apparently not. This might be even more complicated than the wands we use." Miles looked deeply uneasy. "Nolan, do you understand any of it?" Nolan stared at the broom's innards and admitted, "How would I know?" "What do we do now?!" Alicia cried out in frustration. "Madam Hooch is coming back soon, and she's going to give us detention!" "Don't worry." Nolan spoke calmly, though his actions were anything but. With surprising efficiency, he reassembled the broom, albeit with an abundance of tape and adhesive holding it together. If one ignored the patchwork nature of his repairs, the broom didn't look half bad. "Children, I'm so pleased to see how well you've taken to flying," Madam Hooch announced cheerfully as she returned, having just taken Eve for a lap around Hogwarts. "But why are you all gathered around Mr. Von Draugr? Mr. Von Draugr, has the broom finally agreed to let you ride it?" "Oh, not quite yet, Madam Hooch," Nolan replied smoothly, holding the patched-up broom with a perfectly straight face. "I think I just need a bit more inspiration." Madam Hooch nodded. "You'll get there, my boy. Inspiration often strikes when you least expect it. For now, I need to step away for a moment. I'll be back in five minutes. In the meantime, why don't you all share your flying experiences with Mr. Von Draugr?" With that, she departed, leaving the group still dumbfounded, their eyes fixed on the battle-scarred broom in Nolan's hands. ------------------------------- Note: As for vampires, the earliest legends describe them transforming into bats and wolves, though many creative adaptations have emerged since. In this lore, vampires are masters of Transfiguration, but their transformations often take on dark and shadowy forms.