By the time Alex finally reached the entrance of the Ravenclaw common room, his body felt heavier than stone. The flight itself hadn't exhausted him physically — what truly drained him was the magical strain. Sustaining protective magic on a broomstick while forcing it to fly beyond its limits… it was no joke.
Definitely need a long nap after this, he thought, yawning as he touched the eagle-shaped knocker.
But as soon as he stepped into the common room, he knew something was off.
Too quiet.
Much too quiet.
The moment he entered, every single Ravenclaw student looked up — eyes wide, mouths slightly open, like they'd all been waiting for him.
Alex froze.
"…What the hell?"
And then, like a Quidditch goal set on fire, it exploded.
"That was amazing, Alex!"
A senior girl near the bookshelf was the first to speak. Her voice was quickly drowned by a tidal wave of chatter and cheers.
"You were incredible!"
"You should definitely try out for the Quidditch team!"
"I heard you saved a Gryffindor girl in midair! Was it true you caught her in your arms?!"
The common room, usually filled with quiet readers and softly spoken debates, had turned into a den of excitement. Most of the Ravenclaws were girls — and now they all looked like they were about to burst with questions.
Alex stood rooted, blinking at the excited crowd.
How did news spread this fast?!
Before he could say a word, a blur of black hair and familiar perfume launched itself into his arms.
"Alex!"
It was Cho. Her arms wrapped tightly around him as she pressed herself against his chest. Alex instinctively caught her.
"Are you okay?!" she asked breathlessly, her hands urgently checking him over for injuries.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Alex murmured, gently running a hand through her hair, warmed by her worry. "Not even a scratch."
Only when she was sure he was unharmed did Cho breathe a sigh of relief. Then, with a glare that could kill, she pinched his waist — hard.
"Ouch!"
That one definitely wasn't magical.
Yeah, he got it. She was jealous. Not of Hermione, per se — but of the fact that he'd pulled a heroic stunt for another girl.
There was only so much a proud girlfriend could tolerate.
Alex gave her an apologetic grin, trying to pass it off with charm.
Cho, being the reasonable sort, didn't press it — especially not with so many eyes on them. She gave him one last pout before stepping back.
Which, unfortunately, signaled to the rest of the crowd that it was open season on Alex Gaunt.
"Alex, how did you fly so fast on a Comet?!"
"Wait — are you sure this was your first time riding a broom?"
"They said you caught that Gryffindor girl like it was nothing! You must be super strong! Can I touch—"
"Whoa!" Alex yelped as a curious hand reached for his arm. Or was that his chest?
This was getting out of hand.
Thankfully, salvation came barreling through the crowd in the form of one Roger Davies — Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain and hopeless romantic.
"Oi! Clear a path! Move, move!"
He shoved his way forward, eyes locking on Alex. "Flitwick wants to see you in his office!"
Those words were a godsend.
"Sorry everyone!" Alex shouted as he bolted toward the door. "Gotta go! Professor's orders! Ask me later!"
The sea of Ravenclaws reluctantly parted. Alex didn't wait for them to change their minds — he slipped through and fled like a man escaping a stampede.
He exhaled in relief the moment the common room door closed behind him.
One more minute in there, and I'd have been devoured.
...
Meanwhile, the story of the wild flying lesson was spreading like wildfire.
Across Hogwarts, it was the talk of the day.
First, Alex Gaunt used a perfect Levitation Charm to save Neville Longbottom. Then came the high-speed duel between Harry and Malfoy. And finally — the dramatic, utterly cinematic moment where Alex soared after a falling Hermione and caught her in his arms.
All of that in one flying class?
The gossip practically fed itself.
...
Gryffindor Common Room
"I'm telling you — Harry dove from like twenty feet in the air, caught the Remembrall inches from the ground, and just stopped like it was nothing!"
Ron was reenacting the scene with dramatic flourishes, clearly relishing the role of storyteller.
Until he was rudely interrupted.
"Okay, Ronniekins," said George, slinging an arm around him. "You've sung Harry's praises enough times for the entire tower to know."
"Yeah, it's time to tell us the real story," Fred added from his other side. "What about Alex? How did he catch Hermione?"
"Come on," said Angelina Johnson from nearby, eyes gleaming with interest. "Was it really that dramatic?"
Ron grumbled, but under the pressure of two Weasley brothers physically leaning on him, he caved and retold Alex's mid-air rescue in full detail — even miming Hermione's scream for added effect.
...
Hufflepuff Common Room
The Hufflepuffs — usually quiet and unbothered — were buzzing with admiration. To them, Alex wasn't just talented.
He was brave. Selfless. The kind of person you could rely on.
"Risked his own neck for someone else," one boy murmured, shaking his head with respect. "That's real courage."
"He'd fit right in here," someone else added, and the others nodded.
...
Slytherin Dungeon
The vibe in Slytherin was… complicated.
On one hand, many of the snakes still held grudges. Alex had humiliated them during the Sorting, after all. And now, once again, he'd stolen the spotlight — and even managed to upstage Malfoy.
That didn't sit well with several of them.
Plans for "putting the Ravenclaw brat in his place" were already being whispered in corners.
On the other hand, a small faction of Slytherin girls had very different opinions.
"He's really good at spells."
"And flying too…"
"And he's got style. Did you see the way he caught that girl?"
It was enough to split the common room into rival camps — those who wanted revenge, and those who were quietly swooning.
...
Meanwhile, Alex had no idea just how much of a stir he'd caused.
He was now standing outside Professor Flitwick's office, straightening his robe and knocking gently on the door.
"Come in!"
He entered to find the familiar sight of the cozy, parchment-strewn room. Flitwick beamed at him from behind a stack of books.
"Take a seat, Mr. Gaunt!"
Alex sat down, curious.
"I must say, your performance today was outstanding," Flitwick said warmly. "Casting a Levitation Charm with such precision — under pressure, mid-flight? That's remarkable."
Alex gave a modest smile. "I just did what I could, Professor."
The Charms professor chuckled. "No need to be modest. You saved a life, and impressed quite a few people while you were at it."
Then his tone shifted slightly.
"Tell me, Mr. Gaunt — are you familiar with Quidditch?"
Alex's eyebrows lifted. Here it comes.
"I know the rules," he said carefully. "My girlfriend's a huge fan, so I've heard plenty. But I've never actually played."
"Excellent," said Flitwick, clapping his hands. "That's more than enough. I wanted to ask — would you be interested in joining the Ravenclaw Quidditch team?"
And there it was.
Alex blinked. He hadn't expected things to escalate this quickly.
But then again, why not?
He'd saved a student, shown great flying instincts, and cast a complex charm under pressure.
Just like Harry Potter…
He was about to be offered the chance to soar.
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