Madam Hooch didn't blame Ivan. Instead, she quickly ran over to Neville to check his injuries.
"Madam Hooch, is Neville alright?" Ivan asked.
I did cushion his fall a bit, Ivan thought. It shouldn't have caused any major injuries, right?
"He's alright, just some minor injuries," Madam Hooch said after a brief examination, helping the bruised and swollen Neville to his feet.
The sight of Neville plummeting straight down from the sky just now had terrified her. So, even though Neville's injuries weren't severe, Madam Hooch insisted on taking him to the hospital wing.
"Alright, children, I'm taking Neville to the hospital wing. I expect you all to stay put until I get back. No one is to fly without permission!"
After saying this, Madam Hooch led Neville, who still had tear streaks on his face, towards the castle.
Once they were a good distance away, the Slytherin students burst into laughter. Draco Malfoy mocked them loudly.
"Did you see that? The way that great oaf, that blubbering fool, fell from the sky! I bet he'll be too scared to even ride a broom from now on."
"That's enough, Malfoy!" Harry, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward and told Malfoy to shut up.
However, not only did Malfoy show no remorse, but he also ramped up his ridicule. "Oh my, our Potter is actually friends with that great oaf!"
"Of course we're friends! And don't you dare call Neville that!" Harry snarled at Malfoy.
Ivan also frowned upon hearing this. He knew from watching the movies in his past life that Malfoy was just a spoiled brat, but his character wasn't entirely rotten.
Just as Ivan was thinking this, he suddenly heard Malfoy point at him.
"Friends? Like him? The kind of friend who gets points and then drops the great oaf from the sky?"
The corner of Ivan's mouth twitched. He took a step forward, rolled up his sleeves, and threw a punch right at Malfoy's face, neatly knocking him to the ground.
Damn it, spoiled brats really are the worst...
"You dare hit me? I'll have my father expel you!" Malfoy clutched his slightly swollen cheek, scrambling up from the ground and cursing loudly.
Ivan wasn't concerned by Malfoy's threat. While the elder Malfoy was a governor of Hogwarts, he didn't have the authority to directly expel a student. Dumbledore wouldn't expel him for such a trivial matter either, especially since he was now more or less a friend of the "Chosen One," Harry.
"Nice one, Ivan..." Ron said, rolling up his sleeves and stepping forward. He had been itching to have a go at Malfoy for a while.
"That's enough! Ivan, Ron, what do you think Madam Hooch will do if she comes back and sees you fighting? You'll be expelled!" Hermione shouted angrily at them, looking somewhat hysterical.
Malfoy, meanwhile, took advantage of their distraction, jumped on his broom, and flew straight into the air.
Perhaps the advantage of being in the sky gave him a sense of security. Having taken a beating, Malfoy not only showed no remorse but also took out a crystal ball, held it up high, and taunted them.
"Look what we have here! It's the great oaf's Remembrall! Now let me think, where should I hide it? How about I throw it into a tree? Aren't you the great oaf's friends? Come up and get it!"
"Malfoy!"
Harry was about to explode. Ignoring Hermione's protests, he mounted his broom and chased after him into the sky.
Although it was Harry's first time flying a broom, he was remarkably steady. Before long, the two were engaged in a dogfight in the air.
Seeing this, Ivan naturally intended to go and help. He placed the broom between his legs and mimicked Harry's take-off posture, hoping to experience the feeling of flight.
However, the broom seemed to have a mind of its own. No matter how Ivan shook the top of the broom, it refused to move.
Move... move... why won't you move?
Ivan patted the broom's handle in frustration, only then remembering that he hadn't even completed the first step of sensing the broom.
Fortunately, before Ivan could stand there stunned for too long, Hermione had already spread her arms and blocked his path.
"Ivan, are you planning to break the school rules too?" the little witch glared at him, puffing out her cheeks.
"No. I think Harry can handle it himself without me," Ivan quickly took the opportunity to drop the broom in his hands and shrugged nonchalantly, motioning for Hermione to look up at the sky.
Riding his broom, Harry was like a fish in water in the air, quickly gaining the upper hand over Malfoy. Hermione was even beginning to suspect that Harry had practiced before coming to school.
However, Malfoy clearly wasn't going to give up so easily. Seeing that he was no match for Harry, Malfoy decisively threw the glass ball far into the distance.
"Here, catch..." Malfoy said with a sinister tone.
The glass ball flew far under Malfoy's throw. Seeing this, Harry made a sharp dash after it, nearly crashing into the castle's brickwork, before diving down after the ball.
"No, Harry, stop!"
Hermione screamed in terror. Malfoy, on the other hand, burst out laughing, until he saw Harry make a beautiful dive and a sharp stop to catch the glass ball in his hand. Malfoy's smile froze on his face.
However, neither Malfoy nor Harry noticed Professor McGonagall's astonished expression from an open window in the distance.
Hermione and the others, who had been worried about Harry, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Ron drew his wand.
"We're going to teach Malfoy a lesson!"
"{Locomotor Mortis}!" Ron shouted, casting the Leg-Locker Curse he had just learned in Charms class.
In class, Ron had once managed to cast it successfully by a fluke, making a practice toad's hind legs stick together for an entire lesson.
This time, however, luck was not on Ron's side. The dark wand only emitted a puff of strange white smoke and had no other reaction.
Malfoy, flying in the sky, was startled at first and was even preparing to dodge. But seeing Ron's predicament, he burst out laughing.
Ron's face flushed crimson. He was so angry he wanted to jump into the air and shove his wand into Malfoy's stupid mouth!
"Let me handle it..." Watching Ron's exasperated state, Ivan sighed helplessly. He had rested for a bit, so casting one or two spells shouldn't be a problem.
But to avoid any accidents, Ivan turned to Hermione, who seemed a bit bewildered by all the chaos.
"Hermione, you still remember the incantation for the Levitation Charm, right?"
"Of course..." Hermione gave Ivan a strange look and nodded vaguely.
Why is he asking that?
"Good..." Before Hermione could figure it out, Ivan whispered softly as he raised his wand...