#26 - Moon's Slingshot

Thursday finally arrived, amidst everyone's tense anticipation, bringing with it the first flying lesson.

At the breakfast table, Neville deliberately chose a seat right next to Hermione, hoping to memorize the flying knowledge from her books.

Although Hermione had read 'Quidditch Through the Ages' five times, unfortunately, Neville hadn't retained a single flying rule.

Fortunately, the arrival of the owls that morning solved some of Neville's memory problems.

He received a clear, magical Remembrall, said to be able to detect whether the holder had forgotten something.

However, Neville's joy at receiving the Remembrall lasted no more than three seconds, as the clear glass ball in his hand turned red.

"What should I do? What have I forgotten?"

Just as Neville was seeking help from those around him, Malfoy suddenly darted out from behind him and snatched the Remembrall away.

Seeing the smug grin on Malfoy's face, Harry and Ron immediately stood up.

These two had been saying in their dorm room that they couldn't wait to have a fight with Malfoy, and now that the opportunity had presented itself, they naturally wouldn't let it pass.

Moon also stared intently at Malfoy, his hand leaving his spoon and slowly reaching into his pocket.

The imagined conflict didn't materialize, as Professor McGonagall, with her keen eye for trouble, arrived in time.

Malfoy could only throw the Remembrall back onto the table and quickly flee the Great Hall.

The morning also included a Transfiguration lesson, where Professor McGonagall explained how to transform a needle back into a matchstick, a spell that was more difficult than the previous week's.

Ron, sitting in the back, had already blown up two silver needles, one of which belonged to Harry.

While casting the spell, Neville accidentally sent his needle flying, shattering a chandelier on the ceiling.

Professor McGonagall had to cast a 'Reparo' to restore the shattered chandelier back to the ceiling.

Moon finally managed to produce a match after two attempts, while Hermione accomplished it on her first try.

In the afternoon Charms class, Professor Flitwick introduced a new spell.

"Alohomora."

This was the second charm Moon had mastered: the Unlocking Charm.

Perhaps because she was anticipating the flying lesson, Hermione actually took two tries to successfully unlock the lock on her desk.

......

The weather was lovely in the afternoon, with only a few lazy white clouds drifting across the clear blue sky.

Today was a perfect day for flying, according to Madam Hooch, the flying instructor.

"Alright, hurry up now, everyone stand next to a broom."

Madam Hooch's words were firm and forceful, but they couldn't quell the trembling hearts of the young wizards.

"The school's brooms are so old and broken," Ron muttered.

Moon agreed wholeheartedly; the broom he was assigned was worn and dilapidated, and he could even see several bristles broken off at the tail.

"Extend your right hand, place it above the broom, and say, 'Up!'"

The first thing Madam Hooch taught was how to communicate with the broom, which involved shouting at it.

"Up!"

"Up."

"Uuuuup!"

Different voices echoed across the lawn; Moon had thought Hermione would be the first, but he was wrong this time.

Harry's broom jumped obediently into his hand after only one command.

Moon achieved the same effect after two shouts, as did Malfoy on the opposite side.

When the Slytherin boy got his broom in hand, he even gave Neville a disdainful look.

Neville's broom hadn't moved at all from beginning to end, and his voice trembled with fear.

Hermione fared slightly better; her broom rolled around on the ground five or six times before finally leaping into her hand.

"Alright, now everyone grip your broom tightly."

Neville bent down and picked up his broom.

"Good, now be sure to hold on tight to the broom, and when I blow the whistle, push off with both feet..."

Madam Hooch hadn't finished explaining the rules when Neville, in his nervousness, pushed off with his legs; Moon didn't even have time to grab the corner of his robe before he was already airborne.

"Come back, child!"

Words couldn't bring back the ascending young wizard, and the consequences of unauthorized flight were severe.

Neville had broken his wrist.

As Madam Hooch escorted him to the hospital wing, she ordered everyone to put their brooms down and not move, or they would be expelled.

Moon immediately placed his broom on the ground; he was also afraid that he wouldn't be able to resist the urge to push off with his legs.

Hermione had been reciting the flying rules every day this week; Moon had already memorized them, and now all that was left was practice.

Just as Moon was recalling the key points of flying in his mind, the Slytherin students and Gryffindor students in the group started arguing.

Malfoy was holding a glowing ball in his hand, showing it off to everyone.

It was Neville's Remembrall, which he must have dropped when he fell.

"Come and get it, Potter!"

Malfoy said, and immediately mounted his broom and took off.

Harry followed closely behind.

Moon didn't reach for a broom, but instead picked up a pebble from the ground.

While everyone was watching the two flying in the sky, Moon had already pulled out his slingshot and aimed at the head of Malfoy's broom.

Bang!

The head of the broom was hit, and Malfoy was so startled that he quickly grabbed the broom with both hands, struggling to maintain his balance.

The Remembrall had already been thrown down.

"It's too high!"

Seeing the Remembrall falling, Moon put away his slingshot and ran towards the middle of the field.

Although they were on the lawn, Malfoy had already flown as high as a five-story castle; if the Remembrall fell, it would definitely shatter.

However, to Moon's surprise, Harry quickly flew down through the air and managed to catch the Remembrall just as it was about to hit the ground.

At that time, Harry's distance from the ground was only the length of a wand.

Before Harry, clutching the Remembrall, could celebrate, Professor McGonagall angrily called him away.

Moon kept staring in the direction Harry left, and he noticed that the wizarding aura of the well-mannered boy had actually increased quite a bit.

A quarter of a bar.

"Could flying be Harry's special talent area?"

Moon returned to the group only after watching Professor McGonagall lead Harry into the castle.

"Who was it? Who hit me!"

Malfoy glared angrily at the people around him; he had spent a great deal of effort in mid-air just now to stabilize the broom.

If his flying skills weren't good, he would probably have been sent to the hospital wing like Neville.

"No one hit you, could it have been a bird?"

"A bird? Do you think I can't see a bird! Goyle! Someone hit me, with a pebble."

No one around admitted to it, and Malfoy could only give up after failing to find the culprit.

However, Hermione had keenly noticed the person who had joined the group last.

Moon sat with everyone as if nothing had happened, discussing the aerial battle that had just taken place.

"Do you think Harry will be expelled?" Ron asked cautiously, leaning closer.

"Probably not, Harry was helping Neville," Seamus agreed.

"It's okay, if Harry is expelled, we'll explain the situation to the professor, Malfoy was the first to fly up on his broom."

It was Parvati Patil who spoke, a very courageous Gryffindor girl, but she didn't seem to be on very good terms with Hermione, as they were never seen exchanging many words.

"That's right, if Harry is expelled, we'll all go to Professor McGonagall to explain the situation."

Amidst the assurances of a group of young lions, the first flying lesson ended hastily.