Sunday.
In the classroom.
Hearing the Hogwarts bell, Sean naturally packed up his notes and picked up his Nimbus 2000.
He knew the flight test was starting. His flying was already at the adept level, and together with an expert-level Levitation Charm and adept-level Transfiguration, those were his highest-proficiency magics at the moment.
Even so, he couldn't help feeling a little nervous—there was only one shot at this.
He'd been at Hogwarts for quite a while now and had made headway in every branch of magic.
He had adept Transfiguration, one expert-level charm, five novice-level charms, and he was about to learn Finite.
To be safe, Sean planned to grind Finite straight up to expert.
As for longer-term goals like Protego and Apparition, he doubted Professor Flitwick would teach them to him so soon.
And since his Charms title was still only Novice, he was also planning to pick three charms to push to expert; with a new title backing him up, he ought to pick up harder charms much faster.
Transfiguration was his specialty, and he wasn't far from expert there either.
So Sean opened his panel:
[Name: Sean Green]
[Identity: Wizard]
[Titles: Charms—Novice; Transfiguration—Mastery]
[Proficiencies]
[Levitation Charm: Expert (200/9000)]
[Lumos: Novice (600/900)]
[Advance: Six Adept-level charms or three Expert-level charms unlock the Charms—Adept title]
Pick three charms to raise to Expert?
Sean thought that besides Finite, he still needed one more. He considered it for a few seconds. He already had an offensive option—Transfiguration—and once he learned Finite, he'd have a defensive tool too. So learning some concealment, like Disillusionment, sounded good.
He hadn't checked his panel in a while, so he scrolled down:
[Transfiguration: Adept (6100/9000)]
[Advance: Transfiguration—Expert unlocks the Transfiguration—Expert title]
[Wizard Talents]
[Potions: Green]
[Herbology: Green]
[Charms: Blue]
[Transfiguration: Purple]
[Dark Arts: Gold]
[Flying: Gold]
Compared to before Hogwarts, it was night and day.
Sunday afternoon was clear and cold.
Carrying his Nimbus 2000, Sean went to the changing room to get dressed—still school robes; he didn't have any warmer kit anyway.
At the same time, in the changing room, Harry and the other players were pulling on their bright red Quidditch robes.
Sean heard a familiar voice again:
It was Wood, clearing his throat to call for quiet.
"All right, lads," he said.
"And lasses," a clear female voice added.
"And lasses," Wood agreed. "It's time."
"We're starting important drills," said a voice that wasn't Wood's. Sean followed a wind-ruffled curtain with his eyes—it was Fred Weasley speaking.
"Every practice is for the moment we've all been waiting for," George picked up smoothly.
"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred and George told a mortified Harry. "We were on the team last year."
"Shut it, you two," Wood said. "This is the best Gryffindor side in years. We train hard for the best chance!"
He glared at them all as if to say: "Or else."
"We know," Fred muttered, much quieter now, still whispering to Harry while Wood looked away. "Harry, you're the best Seeker right now."
"No kid out there is better than you," said George.
"And you've got the brand-new Nimbus 2000—Merlin, you're the only one in the House with one," Fred added, eyeing the broom with open envy and making Harry blush.
"Right. Eyes on the tactics now. As soon as that first-year's flight test is over, we're up!" Wood finished.
Hearing all that, Sean quietly quickened his pace.
Madam Hooch was already waiting on the Quidditch pitch. She took out an iron ball and said to Sean:
"The test is simple. Catch the Quaffles and dodge the Bludgers. You've got fifteen minutes. If you grab three Quaffles and avoid every Bludger, you pass—"
She rattled off the rules, then gave Sean a once-over and softened a touch. "Don't be afraid of taking a real hit; I'll be watching you the whole time. But if I have to step in, your test is a fail! All right, Mr. Green—what are you waiting for? Mount your broom and warm up with two laps!"
Holding his nerves in check, Sean swung onto the broom, excitement pricking at him.
The moment his feet left the ground, he went calm. He circled the pitch twice, then made a few simple turns around the goalposts.
While he was flying smoothly, two sneaky figures appeared in the stands.
"Justin, are you sure this is the time?" Hermione scanned the pitch, but couldn't spot the first-years—only a few blurs were zipping through the air; the pitch hadn't been cleared yet.
"I see Sean!" Justin said loudly.
Hermione squinted; all she could make out was a streak—the pace was too fast. Justin handed her a pair of binoculars, and this time she saw Sean's face clearly.
"How did you see him without these? And… do you have another pair—"
Before she finished, Justin waved the binoculars in his hand. "Two, exactly. Mum always thinks ahead."
"All right, Mr. Green!" Madam Hooch called, windmilling an arm. "Watch closely—I'm releasing the Bludgers. Just like we practiced: avoid them!"
Sean watched her loft the ball high—then it whooshed straight at him.
Bludgers are enchanted balls in Quidditch; they go after anyone, no matter who. They used to be made of stone, but those had a major flaw:
Fifteenth-century Beaters, with their extremely powerful bats, would smash them to bits. After that, every player had to dodge the flying gravel for the rest of the match.
As Agatha Chubb, an expert in ancient magical artifacts, wrote:
"There's no question—they're Bludgers, not cannonballs."
Left to their own devices, Bludgers attack the nearest player. That's why Beaters exist: their job is to drive the Bludgers as far from their own team as possible.
Sean, of course, had no Beaters.