Chapter 91: Freedom

It was a clear, breezy day.

As Wizard Sean and Jia Jia Siting and the others crossed the sloping grass toward a flat lawn,

the warm wind, like an invisible giant hand, stirred ripples across the turf.

At the far end of the Quidditch pitch lay the dark Forbidden Forest, a place expressly forbidden by Headmaster Dumbledore,

from which strange sounds occasionally drifted, drawing awed and curious glances from the young wizards.

More than twenty brooms stood in neat rows on the ground; they looked old and worn, with some twigs sticking out.

No wonder Jia Jia Siting had voiced his doubt.

"No, because wizards invented the Cushioning Charm,

the Cushioning Charm invented by Eliot Smethwyke in 1820, which advanced the making of more comfortable brooms by a great leap."

Wizard Sean explained softly.

Though Wizard Sean's voice was not loud, several young wizards nearby still murmured, "So that's how it is."

Soon, this picturesque lawn, lovely as a painting, was filled with a crowd of young wizards in robes,

when a brisk clatter of footsteps approached: a plainly capable woman strode forward,

"Well, what are you waiting for? Everyone stand beside a flying broom. Quick, quick, no time to waste!"

Her yellow eyes were as sharp as an eagle's; her short gray hair fluttered slightly, and her voice was rapid and urgent.

"They call her Madam Hooch. Besides teaching Flying, she also serves as referee for Hogwarts Quidditch matches."

Michael popped up from somewhere to add this explanation.

Referee?

At the word, Wizard Sean inexplicably recalled a few amusing anecdotes from Quidditch Through the Ages:

[Over the centuries, there have been many instances of tampering with referees' brooms.

The most dangerous case turned a referee's broom into a Portkey, resulting in the referee being swiftly whisked away mid-match; months later, he turned up in the Sahara Desert.]

A dangerous job, Wizard Sean thought.

"The Comet? Didn't Universal Brooms Ltd., which manufactured it, go bankrupt in 1978?

Where did Hogwarts get hold of such an out-of-print collector's item?!"

As soon as he reached his broom, Wizard Sean heard Michael's despairing whisper,

which prompted him to examine his own broom carefully.

Fortunately, it was a Cleansweep Seven; at least Wizard Sean could still find its instruction manual,

whereas the other young wizards who had received these rare, out-of-print models would simply have to fend for themselves.

"Before you use your brooms, I must warn you:

if anyone attempts to fly off immediately, yesterday for Mr. Longbottom will be today for you.

He was fortunate to break only his wrist, but with bad luck, breaking one's neck can happen in an instant!"

The young wizards instantly felt a chill at their necks; one Hufflepuff even clutched his throat in terror, as if he were about to become Sir Nicholas any second.

"Now, face your brooms and say loudly, 'Up!'"

"Up!"

Soon, many eager young wizards excitedly chanted the command; some succeeded on the first try—Jia Jia Siting, for instance,

whose broom gave two hops before landing in his hand.

Others struggled, such as Terry and Michael; their brooms either remained motionless or gave a couple of half-hearted hops.

Wizard Sean imitated Madam Hooch's tone:

"U—eh?"

Wizard Sean gripped the broom; it was as docile as a fawn.

This left Wizard Sean momentarily stunned. Had he... already spoken?

"Right, mount your brooms. When I blow my whistle, kick hard with both legs and leave the ground. Kick hard."

Madam Hooch called out loudly,

and after waiting for all the young wizards to settle and adjust for a moment, she crisply issued her next order:

"Hold your brooms steady, rise a few feet, then lean forward slightly and drop straight back to the ground.

On my whistle—three—two—"

Atop their brooms, the young wizards were rather panicked; some were trembling all over.

Yet even among the Ravenclaws, Wizard Sean was the calmest.

He had no intention of flying high; rather, he was more concerned with how to employ Sir Cadogan's techniques.

"A broom's flight is driven by the power of charms... master oneself..."

Wizard Sean murmured, and after shifting his entire weight onto the broom,

he suddenly sensed something faintly.

Whenever the broom veered left or right, a hidden force seemed to surge:

"Braking charms, lifting charms, turning charms..."

Wizard Sean quickly deduced the sources of these forces, and as he immersed his full attention in them,

Madam Hooch issued her third command:

"One! Tweep!"

A shrill whistle pierced the air; the young wizards rose like raindrops reversing course toward the sky,

when a Ravenclaw suddenly jerked his broom upward, shouting as he shot straight into the blue; fortunately, his speed was not great, and Madam Hooch brought him down with a silent charm;

while a Hufflepuff did the exact opposite, actually plunging headfirst toward the ground; fortunately, Madam Hooch reacted swiftly and caught him with a bundle of hay.

As for those young wizards who tumbled off their brooms like dumplings from a steamer, there were even more.

Madam Hooch was so busy she was sweating profusely, sometimes even having her hand tightly gripped by a young wizard:

"I'm going to fall to my death!"

Madam Hooch promptly hit him with Aquamenti to bring him to his senses.

Five or six young wizards managed to circle in the sky, but as for the one who flew most smoothly, most decisively, and most elegantly,

there was no doubt: it was that rather pale-faced Ravenclaw.

[You practiced flying to the standard of a proficient hand; Proficiency +10]

[You practiced flying to the standard of a proficient hand; Proficiency +10]

The panel's notifications rang out continuously, and Wizard Sean's flying grew ever more adept.

He could feel that faint magic, and at the same time perceive the mysteries behind the magic,