Harry Potter: Magic and Guns

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"Up!"

At Madam Hooch's command, every student shouted in unison.

Harry's Nimbus 2000 immediately rose to the right height. He had already become quite familiar with his broom, but not all brooms were as obedient. Looking around, Harry saw that only Rolf managed to get his broom to rise smoothly, thanks to his extensive practice at home. Neville and Justin's brooms, on the other hand, were bouncing around on the ground, displaying a bit of reluctance.

However, this teasing did not last long. The practice brooms used at Hogwarts were well-tuned and had been broken in over hundreds of uses. After a bit of effort, nearly all the young witches and wizards managed to get their brooms to respond.

Taking advantage of this new experience, Madam Hooch began to demonstrate how to sit properly on a broom and not slide off the front.

"You should be grateful for the invention of the invisible seat cushion and footrests. Older brooms were much narrower, and witches and wizards had to be very careful when riding them. They even had to use spells to stick themselves to the broom. Back then, brooms didn't have flame extinguishers at the tail end, and an unlucky wizard who slipped off would not only be badly hurt from the fall but also severely burned by the tail flames. But you don't need to worry about that now. After hundreds of years of development, modern brooms are very safe."

As Madam Hooch walked among the students, correcting their mistakes, she emphasized that while the seat cushions and footrests were invisible to the naked eye, they were still very real and necessary for maintaining balance.

"Now that you know these basics, let's give it a try. You don't need to soar high; just lift off the ground and float slightly."

"As soon as I blow the whistle, push off with your legs to lift off. Push hard and use your actions to tell your broom that it's time to support you," Madam Hooch said, placing the whistle in her mouth. "Keep your hands steady, sit firmly, rise a few feet, hover for a moment, then lean slightly forward and descend vertically back to the ground. It's very simple. Listen for my whistle—three—two—one!"

With the sharp sound of the whistle, dozens of young witches and wizards slowly floated up to about seven or eight feet. While the old brooms were slow, they were quite stable once in the air. Excited cheers erupted from the students, and even Neville, whom Harry had been concerned about, managed to do well.

It was clear that Neville's practice with the Nimbus 2000 during the holidays had made him less anxious. The success gave him a boost of confidence, making him think, 'Maybe I'm not worse than anyone else? Perhaps I just lack a bit of self-confidence?'

As Neville's mindset shifted subtly, he began to believe in his abilities, realizing that things he previously thought impossible were now within reach.

After a while, once all the students were comfortably floating in the air, Madam Hooch allowed them to move around freely, though they couldn't go too high. Ten feet was the limit she set, and the old brooms, with their slow ascent, were incapable of reaching much higher. They climbed at a pace akin to an old car struggling up a hill, sputtering and emitting black smoke.

Madam Hooch beckoned to Harry, who smoothly glided over, his control of the Nimbus 2000 impressive compared to the other students' tentative attempts. He maneuvered with the ease of a seasoned pro.

"Excellent! The Nimbus 2000!"

The boy standing next to Madam Hooch exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement as Harry landed.

"I'm Chris Sousa, the Keeper and Captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. It's great to meet you, Harry!"

Chris shook Harry's hand with a firm grip, his genuine enthusiasm evident.

"We've had two regular players graduate this year. Although I've found a promising Seeker, we're still missing a Chaser. Our current substitute, Shelby, is a bit too reckless. I really hope you can surprise me!"

Even though Chris was initially impressed by the Nimbus 2000, his interest in Harry was sincere. His own broom was a Shooting Star, which was considered excellent two years ago, but now had been outclassed by newer models like the Nimbus 2000.

"Madam Hooch, how about letting me take over Harry now? I'm ready to test him. Hufflepuff desperately needs a breakthrough. We've been lagging behind the other three houses for too long, and our last championship was eleven years ago. Although we don't seek the spotlight..."

"Alright, Chris."

Madam Hooch, rubbing her forehead and looking slightly exasperated, struggled to tolerate Chris's incessant chatter. His nagging was a stark contrast to her typically no-nonsense demeanor.

"Take Harry to the pitch for his test, but remember to go slowly. After all, Harry's been flying for a very short time," she instructed.

"Don't push too hard," Madam Hooch added, glancing at Harry with a serious expression. "I don't want any students visiting the infirmary on the first day of class."

"I understand, Professor." Harry grinned confidently and assured her, "I won't push myself beyond my limits. If I'm not confident, I won't attempt it."

"Alright, then. The pitch is over there," Madam Hooch said, pointing towards the distance. Following her gesture, the Quidditch pitch, with its colorful flags fluttering, was visible in the far-off.

"Can you keep up with me, Harry?"

Chris mounted his Shooting Star, which could reach speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. Although the Nimbus 2000 could soar at an impressive 300 miles per hour, leaving the Shooting Star in its dust, the skill of the rider was also crucial. Chris was already adept at handling his broom, and reaching top speed was no challenge for him.

"Perhaps I should put it this way," Harry replied with a slight smile, "Can you catch me, Captain?"

"Good one!"

Chris was not at all offended by Harry's playful taunt. He knew that the real test would be in the practical challenge.

"Let's get going—"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Harry shot off like a lightning bolt, vanishing from the spot in an instant. The fierce momentum of his ascent as he rocketed into the sky made Chris's eyes widen in surprise.

The Shooting Star followed closely behind, but during the initial acceleration, the two brooms appeared relatively equal. However, as time passed, the superior performance of the Nimbus 2000 became evident.

The boy, like a gust of wind, soared above the crowd, becoming a mere speck against the backdrop of the sky amidst gasps of astonishment.

(End of Chapter)