"Mr. Potter, a word if you please," Madame Hooch requested as he came out to the pitch with the rest of the students.
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Mr. Potter, I am aware you are an apprentice for all subjects and while technically this includes flying, I want you to know that I am not placing any conditions on your performance today or in the near future."
"Ma'am?"
"There's no easy way to say this so I'll just come straight out with it. I was intrigued about having an apprentice in this class to help me monitor the students in the air so I contacted your father to get an idea of your prowess on a broom. He and I spoke for a bit and as much as it pained him to do so, he did give me a rough idea of your ability."
"Really? And what did he say?" Harry knew this would be enlightening.
"Please understand that if it wasn't for the safety of other students in the air, he would never have said anything. He said you were competent and had the terminology down but you weren't instinctive like your brother Leon. He also brought up your little foray into the cemetery over the summer and how you wrecked a broom."
"You don't say," Harry ground out. He was going to have to send his father a nice little letter about that. Or better yet, a good shadow hand jerk of his pyjama pants one night.
"Mr. Potter, I take every class seriously. I cannot realistically afford not to when there are students dozens of meters off the ground and one fall could seriously injure or possibly kill a boy or girl. I had to know your ability before I tasked you with any obligations."
Harry calmed himself. She was right. If he were lousy on the broom, it wasn't fair to make him teach others, and in some respects it was downright criminal to put him in charge of a potentially dangerous situation. "Well, professor, I'm not sure if my dad knows everything about me or my abilities. So why don't you see how I do in this class and if you still think I'm not good enough to be a flying apprentice, I'll accept your decision."
"Mr. Potter, I was planning on doing that anyway, but thank you for your open mindedness. Go take that broom over there."
Harry went and stood over a broom next to Hermione. She was still breathing shaky while others were laughing around her (but not at her). Longbottom was showing Dean and Seamus a Rememberall he'd gotten from his folks (but had forgotten what it had been for), and laughing all the while saying it must not have been anything important. That he already knew how to fly. Oh, wait, now he remembered. He ran over to Madame Hooch.
A moment later, she said loudly to a still-arguing Neville Longbottom, "For the last time Mr. Longbottom, the answer is no. First years cannot try out for a Quidditch team unless at the sponsorship of a faculty member. And I make it a habit to never sponsor any first years."
The class began and people were soon saying 'Up!' to get the brooms off the ground. Hermione's broom remained on the ground while most everyone else's brooms were in their hands.
"Hermione, I know you can do it; don't try to command it. Feel it. It's not just a thing; it's like a living creature with emotions. Try and feel its emotions and summon it." Harry said encouraging her once. "Here, touch the broom first. Feel its rough edge. Now the bristles. Almost as if they could break at any time. But they won't. Feel its strength? That's the magic you are sensing. Now stand up again and this time, feel your command to the broom actually work. It wants to work for you, but you need for it to work just as well."
That was all it was needed for her to get her broom. "Up!" It instantly shot up to her hand, a large grin on her face. She gave Harry one of her actual pleased smiles. "I did it."
"Yes, Hermione, you did."
Cough
They looked behind them to see Madame Hooch giving Harry an impressive look.
"Hello," Harry said cheerfully.
....
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