Violet was still using one of the old school brooms--her grandfather said she didn't need one of her own until she showed more skill and interest in flying. She had pointed out to him that she was unlikely to develop either using a low-quality broom, but he was not impressed with her argument.

Violet hated flying, because being high up in the air scared her, but mostly because she wasn't much good at it and she hated to look stupid in front of others. When she arrived at class and saw the pool and the word on the blackboard, she hated flying class even more, because she also hated getting wet and was afraid that that was what was going to happen shortly. Sighing, she took her place with the other students.