Flying Lesson #1
 

Paul walked out onto the quidditch pitch, early in the morning, dressed in some well worn quidditch robes and a carrying his broom. The fog was still heavy in the air, and clouds were covering most of the sky. He nailed a small sign to the announcement board:
Despite it being a bit cold, he went back and forth from the supply cabinet, dragging a large chest behind him onto the pitch. Going back to his office, he walked back onto the pitch, whistling as he carried some bright orange flags.

Paul began setting the flags out at various places on the pitch. After he was done, he began removing the brooms from a chest, setting them out near the center of the pitch.

Alyssa walked to the field and saw the professor" Morning professor" she said"Need any help' Alyssa asked although she was a 6th year she wanted to help out.

"Good morning professor. I'm Tonya would you like some held?"

Amber walked up to her flying professor. "Hello Professor, need any help with that?" she asked, indicating the orange flags.

Ebony walked outside the castle and onto the field that would be used for flying lessons. "Hi! Professor" she said as she waited for class to began.

Paul looked up at the sudden onslaught of students. At hearing the numerous offerings of help and the word "professor" he turned around and looked behind him, as if expecting someone unnoticed to be behind him.

"Ah. That'd be meself then," he set down the last few brooms and scratched his head momentarily. "Em. Noo. Noo. I've no need fer help. Also, while we're at it, I'm no professor, so call me Instructor Devine or just Paul then, yeah?" He said, addressing the few students that had shown up early, "Soo, just hang about and chat with yer mates fer a bit."

Alyssa smiled "Ok" she said walking off the pitch.

Andrew walked outside the castle and onto the quidditch pitch where the flying lessons would begin. " Hi Professor" Andrew said waiting for class to begin.

"Sure, Instructor Devine." Amber said, smiling nervously. She looked at the rest of the students. "Hey everyone, I'm Amber" she grinned, thinking that the more people she knew in her class, the better.

"ok,er um paul, Instructor Devine."

"hi Amber I'm Tonya anne."

"Ok..um,Paul" Andrew said nervously.

"Hi I'm Andrew"

"hi I'm Tonya Anne what year are you?"

"This is my first year, what year are you in" Andrew replied

"This is my first year as well."

"What is your favorite class so far, Tonya" Andrew asked.

"Potions was really cool how about you?"

"Great! You." Ebony said with a smile. "I can wait to try flying a broom"

"Yeah same here, did you do the Hair-Changing Potion" Andrew said

"Yeah what do you think of my fire engine red hair? its a bit different from blonde."

"It's great" Andrew said.

"Did you change your hair?"

Paul yawned and walked about aimlessly for a few minutes, scratching his head and further messing up his hair in the process. He looked around, taking in the weather, seemingly quite bored.

"Yeah, I changed it into a gold color."

Serilda came onto the grounds and saw Paul standing and looking as though this was a routine thing for him; he looked bored. Serilda, carrying her broom upon her shoulder, approached the clutter of students awaiting the beginning of the lesson.

OOC Edit: Prof. Fox is currently taking care of his baby with his new-found wife somewhere in southern France.

"it looks nice what color was it originally?"

"My origanal hair color is Brown."

Paul stretched and walked over to the few students that had assembled on the pitch. He was unsure as to the time, but figured it was best to get the lesson underway.

"Everyone, grab a broom. These're comet 260's but I've checked all of 'em so they're safe they're safe." He set his own broom on the groun beside him, then turned to the students. "First lesson everyone: calling yer broom. Now, typically people say 'up!' Meself, I like to say 'come now!' Brooms today are intelligent enough to respond to most anything."

He stepped over his broom and raised a hand above it, saying clearly, but in an obvious accent, "come now!" His broom quickly lifted into his hand and he turned to face the students. "Easy enough then. Soo, let's see ye give it a try then."

Andrew stepped over his broom raised his hand above the broom and said "up" clearly and the broom lifted into his hand.

Tonya stepped up to her broom and said "up" the broom floated to her hand. i shoulda brought my broom its a lot better than this.
"Ilike it andrew."

Serilda got onto her broom, smiled lightly at Paul, and then took off into the air, considering she had been trained previously how to fly last year. She hoped Paul won't mind.

ooc: sorry. :blush: :P

Paul groaned as a student took off on her broom. He hadn't yet explained to the students that he put a 10 foot magical ceiling over the pitch for the lesson. He winced as Serilda nailed the ceiling and fell down, sprawled out on the ground with her broom a few meters away from her.

"Alright then, alright. Everyone stay here." He let go of his broom and while it hovered stationary in the air, he ran to Serilda. "Ye alright there girl? That was a mighty fall that was," he said, helping her up and gathering up her broom.

Serilda grunted and sat up, rubbing the top of her head and her back. "Peacy," she grumbled. "I swear there wasn't a ceiling there before." She laughed slightly and got to her feet, with the professor's help. "Thank you. And I'm sorry; I thought it would be ok for me to fly because I'm a 2nd year and I already know how." She blushed and bowed her head. "Maybe I should just go before I hurt myself more or embarrass myself to death." Serilda picked up her broom.

"That looked like it hurt."

Paul shook his head. "No no. It happens to everyone. You can go stand with everyone else, but keep yer feet on the bloody ground until I say otherwise, yeah? Don't want anyone getting hurt." He motioned for her to go stand with the other students, but leaned over to speak quietly enough so other students didn't hear. "While we're at it though, you should be using a school broom, so." He held out his hand for her to give him the broom. Having chewed her out affectively he looks at her again. "So then, yer sure yer okay? Do ye not need to see the nurse then?"

Serilda glanced over at the Slytherin and gave a weak laugh. "Yeah; it did," she muttered, rubbing her left shoulder blade

edd ran down the field hopefully unnoticed. he carried his broom over his shoulder. he got in line and copyed everyone else.

"Hi edd"

edd waved his arms "no" he whispered he did not want to draw attention to him self. but what did she do, he sighed.

Serilda blushed and bowed her head. "Yes sir," she said quietly. She was horribly ashamed and embarrassed. "No we don't want anyone to get hurt." She shook her head and started to the other students. She paused and listened to the professor; she nodded weakly. "Yes, Professor." Serilda handed her broom to him reluctantly but dutifully. She nodded again, even though she was in alot of pain; she knew nothing was broken. She was just going to have alot of brusies and a couple of cuts. "I'm fine, Professor. Really." Serilda then moved over to stand in line with the other students.

"Sorry edd." Tonya wispered.

edd mouthed "its ok" he smiled then stood straight again.

Paul helped dust Serilda off and set her broom down carefully. He picked up a comet and handed it to her. He turned back to the class. "Right then. That brings me to the next point. Just so noone goes flying off the handle, for the first class, there'll be a 10 foot ceiling on the pitch. So to avoid any tumbles, fly low, and wait until I tell ya to go ahead, so." He let it sink in and examined Edd. He turned to Tonya. "Was yer man here before then?" He asked, pointing to Edd.

"Um he's not my man."

edd looked at tonya and nodded slightly. he thought "say yes say yes"

Serilda took the Comet from the professor; she blushed again, muttered a polite, "Thank you," as he helped her dust off. She stood in line and felt her face turn beet red as Paul explained the ceiling. Serilda glanced at Edd; oh no, she thought. If Tonya lies, she'll get into trouble, if not, she'll condemn Edd! Oh Merlin... Serilda looked away from everyone and glanced at the floor.

"But I think he's been here the entire timme Instructor Devine. I'm not sure."

A piercing shot of pain fired through Serilda's left shoulder from when she fell; she refused to look up at the professor, Edd, or Tonya as Paul interrogated them.

Tonya shot a glance at Serilda and could tell she was in pain, "Um instructor devine maybe Serilda should get her shoulder checked out she looks like she's in pain."

Paul wasn't quite certain if the girl was trying to be smart with him or not. He straightened up and examined the girl for a moment, thinking she must be a little strange. "Right then. You, lad, leave yer broom on the side there and grab a comet," he said, pointing to Edd, and indicating where the comets were. "When we're done here, you can do an extra four laps 'round the pitch. As fer you then girl," he said, turning to Tonya, "that'll be 5 points yerself then, five fer yer man fer being late as well." He smiled reassuringly and rubbed his cold hands together.

"Right then, nevermind all that, let's get the class started so." He announced, smiling to everyone, even the students he chastised.

Hearing Tonya, he turned his attention back to her. "What's that now?" He asked, looking to Serilda. "You sure yer alright there girl? Would you want to see the healer? Or I can take a look at it once we get class started, how's that?" He asked, genuinely sounding concerned.

edd obeyed he put his broom on the side and grabbed a comet. he stood back with the other students. half annoyed at the proffesor half worried for serilda.

Serilda shook her head. "It's ok Tonya, Professor. I'm fine," she hissed; she knew it was only a bruise, even though it hurt like a mother. "It's just a cut and a bruise; nothing that won't heal in a day or two." Serilda glanced sideways at Edd and then down at the ground again. Sorry, she thought. She looked at the professor over the tops of her spectacles.

Paul looked at Serilda for a moment. "I see now. Now look, let me fix it up fer ya, and you'll be off before ye know it." He smiled and pulled out his wand. "Alright then, this'll be quick as a snitch." He walked over to Serilda, and pulled up her sleeve, revealing an already cut and bruised arm. He waved his wand a bit and muttered a charm. The cut closed, and the bruises slightly subsided. "Now then, I want ye to see the nurse once class is done, and that's straight serious girl."

He stood up and addressed the class again. "Now. That we all have our brooms ready, everyone, I want ye to straddle yer broom. Now, there's a cushioning charm on it, so it'll be a bit strange of a sensation. Like sitting on a pillow of air."

He straddled his broom slowly so the students could see. "Once yer straddled, hold the mid-tip with both hands so. Pay attention to what yer doing as well. If ye don't, you'll flip around and fall on yer head." He held up a hand indicating the students should mimick him.

"Yes, Professor, thank you, Professor," said Serilda; she didn't want to go, but she now had an order from a teacher. Now she had to do it. She glanced again at Edd one last time, hoping to catch his eye to try and give him the hit she was planning on doing the four extra laps with him. She picked up her broom and did everything the professor instructed, even though this was just a going over for her.

Andrew straddled his broom just like Paul had showed the class. Andrew then held the midtip with both hands. Then Andrew held up one of his hands and waited for what he was suppose to mimick.

edd straddled his broom and caught serilda glancing at him, he smiled then looked away. he put one hand midtip and raised the other hand.

Amber mounted her broom, careful to follow Instructor Devine's every instruction. She looked around and asked her fellow classmates: "Nervous?"

Paul nodded to the students. "Good, good everyone. Now keep both hands on the broom there." He quite effortlessly floated around the students, examining the closely. He returned to his place infront of them.

"Now then. Accelerating and deccelerating is easy then. Grip the handle tightly, and gently push yer weigth forward. That makes you move forward. Pull back, and you will slow down. Pull yer broom to the side and you'll turn. Does everyone understand?" He looked at them, then pointed around the pitch. "Everyone, spread out, and try accelerating, deccelerating, and turning, yeah? Keep it small, and don't worry about pulling up yet."

Amber gulped. She was nervous - what if she fell off? What if she flipped over? Or went really slow while everyone else zoomed around her? Or even got knocked off? Amber found a little spot of her own and got ready to fly.

Andrew put both hands on the broom again and spread out from the others. First he tried accelerating by gripping the handle tightly and gently pushed his wieght forward wich made his broom go forward slowly. Then he did the same thing but leaning backwards to make him deccelerate. Then he tried turnig by pushing his wieght to one side making him turn. Then he just kept doing the same thing until it became easier.

Serilda, despite her want to just go zooming across the pitch, did exactly as she was told, and hovered, accelerating really really fast and then just before smashing into someone else or a wall, skid to a halt. Serilda continued to do this till she began to just crusie around the pitch aimlessly.

edd hovered slightly so his feet werent touching the floor, then leaned forward then backward. he moved so slightly but surely, then he decided to move around the pitch confidently. he passed serilda a few times and casted her a encouraging look.

Serilda heard a WHOOSH and glancing up, she saw Edd passing her and throwing her a look of support. Serilda smiled at him and nodded to him; she knew if she tried to talk to him she'd probably be skinned alive and lose Ravenclaw more points. She would be skinned, first by the teacher and then by her classmates. She continued to cruise.

Amber kicked hard off the ground. She felt at ease and totally safe, surprisingly, much safer than on ground. Of course, she'd flown before - but not in this environment or at this height. Some sort of force inside her took over her body. Shy, nervous, timid, afraid-of-everything-especially-height-and-spiders Amber tilted her broom vertically and accelerated so fast that the skin on her face was being pushed back. Amber then deccelerated and accelerated again, this time turning a very sharp corner to the left. Then Amber turned her broom vertically again, and zoomed towards the ground. Two inches from the ground, Amber pulled up and evened out a bit higher up, her long, normally stick-straight strawberrygold hair was frizzy and framed her every feature, wild and knotted. Her naturally light pink cheeks were flaming red and her whole face was windburnt. Amber's large, moist, dark-chocolate eyes were wide and alive with excitement. She slowed down next to Andrew, who was the nearest student to her. "Woah....that was fun." she laughed, unable to wipe the grin off her face. For some reason, flying here was so different and more exhilarating to flying at home. "How are you going with it?" she asked him, feeling ridiculously confident and able to talk to total strangers like Andrew.

Hermy was a little nervous as she tilted her broom to accelerate, very conscious of those whizzing along beside her. As she started to move though, she felt a lovely sense of freedom, even at this restricted height. She gently lifted the front and came to a smooth stop. Hermy found she only needed the smallest of a touch to move, and she smiled as she practiced again, wind rippling through her hair.

Paul flew around the pitch, watching the students. "Edd! Stay in yer area and stop showing yerself off!" He called from across the pitch, not in an angry tone.
"Good job there girl! Keep at it there!" He called to Amber.
He nodded approvingly as he passed the other students as well, similarly giving them words of encouragement or praise where necessary.
"I don't want show offs in the class everyone. We're here to learn the basics, and to learn them well. All the quidditch greats were good because they could handle their brooms well enough and because they didn't try fancy maneuvers." He called aloud as he passed by the students, "Yerselves'd all do well to take a page from their book."

edd heard the prof call to him. he lowered his head and moved swiftly away. he just moved backwards and forwards yawning.

Amber nodded. "Thanks, Instructor Devine." She hadn't meant to be a show-off, it had been on full instinct, she hadn't thought at all. Amber spotted Hermy. "Hey Herms!" Amber smiled. "Haven't seen you in ages! How're you going there, flying?"

Through the wind rustling, Hermy heard Amber calling to her. Turning carefully, she accelerated to pull up alongside her. "I'm not too bad" she replied, before swerving to the left and decelerating to a controlled, easy stop.

srimathi kicked hard off the ground.she had never flied before it did seem a little easy.she was now hanging up in mid air.she slowly accelerated as told and was very happy to see that she could fly properly upto some extent

lizzy mounted her broom and kicked off hard from the ground. she hovered for a moment, shifted her wait forward and grasped the handle tightly. she began to move forward increasing her speed."i did it!" lizzy whooped and threw her arms in the air, she quickly lost her balance and touched back down to the ground. she kicked of once more hovered forward a few feet shifted her weight to the right and to her amazement she turned 180 degrees. "amazing" she thought to herself. flying was a very strange sensation to lizzy yet once which she enjoyed. even though she did not reallf fly it was nothing more than a hover, yet she moved, and that was good enought for her. feeling pleased with herself, lizzy waited for the professors next instructions.

Paul nodded to the students. "Good. Good everyone. Yer all doing grand. Now, keep it up fer a bit, I'm going to keep an eye on everyone." He said, flying slowly around the pitch, stopping momentarily to give some pointers to the students and to compliment them when they did a good job.

lizzy noticed paul flying round the pitch observing other students and hoped that he wouldn't notice her for her nerves combined with her inexpert flying created a funny sight as she hovered, hiccoughed and began to giggle.

After Erin figured out how to mount her broom correctly, she pushed off the ground timidly. She slowly started experimenting with shifting her weight to controll the broom, and found that it came quite easily. Soon, she was flying around the pitch happily, loving the new-found feeling of freedom flying gave her.

"Hello, Paul." Allie said, easily, even though she was late.
Allie picks up a broom without asking for permission. She stretches out her right hand. "Up!" It flies up to her hand and she grabs it. She mounts the brrom without any effort and starts soaring in the air towards Tanya-Anne and Andrew.
Allie overheard the conversation about changing the color of your hair. All eyes laid upon her interesting hair as she walks up to Tonya-Anne and Andrew, spontaneously participating in the conversation.

"Hi, I'm Allie. Nice to meet both of you. I heard your conversation about changing the color of your hair. As you can see, mine turned hot pink and then started on fire. I didn't manage to put it out; the teacher didn't manage either." Allie laughs at her own unachievment and puts her hands in her pockets, letting go of the broom and gradually becomies accustomed to firey hair.

Paul turned, about to give some advice to the latecomer, as well as assign them 4 laps around the pitch. He then noticed her hair was apparently on fire.
"Agrippa's wand girl! Yer hair's on fire!" He yelled, flying over to her he hopped off his broom and pulled out his wand. A quick incantation and she was knocked off her broom and on the ground. He ran close to her and with another incantation a burst of water gush from the tip of his wand, soaking the girl and her head in cold water until the fire was put out.
He ran over to her to help her up. "Are you okay there girl?!" He said, quite worried that a student of his had shown up to class with their head on fire.

edd laughed as he watched the prof douse the firstie. he stopped laughed and got back to his backwards and forwards while yawning.

Amber swerved her fellow students in the air and came down to the ground.

Yauvan confidently flew as fast as she could around the pitch. She loved to be moving like it was back home and flying reminded her of that. She swerved past another student, her hair rippling behind her and her adrenaline pumping.

Hermy kicked off the ground and hovered above the ground for a few seconds before accelerating towards the other end of the pitch. On the way back, she practised swerving from side to side and found that she could control her broom fairly easily.

Allie kicked of her broom and hovered smoothly for a few seconds. Then practiced coing back down. Once she got the hang of that, she went back up in the air and started to fly along the pitch. "Woah!" Her broom dipped down and she quickly came back up. She gasped for a minute and then said, "That..was...awsome!!" She continued to fly around the pitch.

Yauvan continued to practice by putting pressure on the broom with her hands to dive and then pulling back to climb. Not long afterwards she was feeling more keen and willing to do anything so she began to dive and climb more steeper and sharp.

Allie flew around the pitch getting used to the feeling. It was wonderful. She started to swoop up and down and speed down and up.

Caitlin looked down at her broom nervously; it was her first time flying.

She carefully put both hands on the broom and leaned forward; she took off at a slow speed. She then leaned back and slowed down. She couldn't help but to giggle; this has highly amusing. She leaned some, managed to turn, then planted her feet back on the ground.

"Awesome!"

Yauvan soon became bored with diving and decided to drift sideways, zig-zagging across the pitch. She would lean her body to one side and forward and then to the other side and forward. She soon mastered a swift flowing but then decided to be more sharp.

Minerva was just trying to hover, accelerating was not in her plan just yet. You would think with three older brothers she would be an expert flier but she just didn't have the confidence yet. She was a little too worried about falling off as she had done the first time when she rode a broom. But she had to admit that she did enjoy the feeling of flying, it just made you feel so....free. She leaned forward to move forward and whooshed ahead a liitle to hard scaring herself. But she just kept at it and tried again.

Having taken care of the student, Paul handed her back a school broom. He called his broom and it flew over to him. He hopped in the air and mounted his broom, then flew around the pitch. "Oy! I didn't recall telling any of ye to fly around the bloody pitch!" He chastised the students, flying by them. "Everyone, line up on the far end of the pitch and wait in place fer me once yer there!" He called, attempting to round up all the students.

edd thankfully pulled out of the endless loop. he touched down at the end of the pitch. he waited for the other students follow suit so he could get this over with.

Marissa walked out onto the quitage pitch. She was very nevous but exited, because this was going to be her very first time flying!

Melany went and lined up, waiting for the next set of instructions.

Marissa saw what everyone was doing and joined the line feeling even more nervous.

Paul flew over to the students that had lined up. "Alright there, is everyone comfortable with what we've learned then?" He asked, floating in front of the students. "Now if there are any questions, just let me know. I've set up some flags, in pairs, down the pitch. Soo, everyone, I wan tyou to take turns, fly to the opposite end of the pitch, going as slow as ye need, and going between each set of flags. Once ye reach the opposite end, raise yer hand and the enxt students will go. Does everyone understand?" He floated around, watching them for a moment. "If so, the first student can go then." He said, indicating the first student to go.

Lola called her firebolt 500 to her and began flying down to the end of the pitch. If there was any class ahe was going to accelerate quickly in it would be this one. Even though she was a first year she knew she was a great flyer. She remebered what her dad taught her. When she got to the other end of the pitch she lowered herself to the ground and raised her hand...so that the next person could go.

Paul groaned silently and flew down the pitch to Lola. "Hey there girl. There's no personal brooms in class now. So, yer going to have to go and pick up a comet 260 over there." He indicated the class brooms laid out on the pitch. "Now, we've been over this before, so I'm going to have to take five house points fer that. Hand over yer broom, and ye can have it back after class is done." He held out his hand for her to give him her broom.

" I'm so sorry professor," Lola said as she walked over toward the teacher a little embarresed,"It will never happen again." Lola turned around and called a Comet 260 to her and waited in line for her next turn.

Paul nodded appreciably. "It's alright there. Ye did good." He turned and faced the students at the other end of the pitch. "Alright then, next student! Take care the flags now!" He yelled to the other end of the pitch, holding up his hand so they could see.