Local date: September 22, 199X
I had a free class period to myself, so I decided to watch Madam Hooch's broom instruction, which today was a joint first-year class of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
Many of the "ickle firsties," as the Weasley twins referred to them, were taking to their brooms with gusto. Some were having difficulty yet slowly improving, but one student, Emily Windham, was crying softly as the broom seemed to flinch away from her with a grinding noise. An idea came to me and I approached the instructor.
"Rolanda? Do you mind if I try to help miss Windham?" I asked with a soft grin.
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Douglas? She's been having trouble since the start of term, and I cannot figure it out."
"Trust me," I said as I walked over to Emily.
I provided the young Ravenclaw with instruction on meditation and told her to take her free period and meditate with her broom under a tree whose leaves had turned. After that she was to try again tomorrow.
The next day, Madam Hooch approached me, beaming. "However did you know your meditation was what Miss Windham needed to learn how to fly?"
My grin turned shark-like. "Well, many students have trouble learning to fly stick, but just about anyone can fly a broom with an autumn magic trance mission."
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll
I had a free class period to myself, so I decided to watch Madam Hooch's broom instruction, which today was a joint first-year class of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
Many of the "ickle firsties," as the Weasley twins referred to them, were taking to their brooms with gusto. Some were having difficulty yet slowly improving, but one student, Emily Windham, was crying softly as the broom seemed to flinch away from her with a grinding noise. An idea came to me and I approached the instructor.
"Rolanda? Do you mind if I try to help miss Windham?" I asked with a soft grin.
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Douglas? She's been having trouble since the start of term, and I cannot figure it out."
"Trust me," I said as I walked over to Emily.
I provided the young Ravenclaw with instruction on meditation and told her to take her free period and meditate with her broom under a tree whose leaves had turned. After that she was to try again tomorrow.
The next day, Madam Hooch approached me, beaming. "However did you know your meditation was what Miss Windham needed to learn how to fly?"
My grin turned shark-like. "Well, many students have trouble learning to fly stick, but just about anyone can fly a broom with an autumn magic trance mission."
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll