Among the Little wizards, Cho Chang and Shabi performed the best; their broomsticks couldn't wait to jump into their hands.
Next were Nina, Audrey, Stebbins, and others, who also managed to get their broomsticks to fly after a few attempts.
The ones who did relatively poorly, like Eddie, Julia, and Marietta, found that amidst their shouts, their broomsticks just started rolling around on the ground like loaches.
That sight was simply painful to watch, and as for Karl OLaughlin's broomstick...
Well, it was motionless, very steady.
Noticing the gazes from others, Karl OLaughlin decisively pretended to be nonchalant and used the Levitation Charm.
Silent, wandless, and gestueless: "Wingardium Leviosa."
After Karl OLaughlin caught the flying broomstick, the expressions of Cho Chang, Shabi, and Stebbins were all a bit regretful.
What a pity; if the broomstick hadn't flown up, they could have really made fun of him.
Karl OLaughlin: ( ¬ ‿ ¬ )
He leisurely raised his other hand and lightly brushed his sleeve, dusting off non-existent dust.
It was a perfectly normal action, but when combined with that expression, it made the other three feel mocked.
"Merlin's beard! I feel like hitting someone!"
Just as he was teasing Shabi, Cho Chang, and Stebbins, Karl OLaughlin suddenly locked eyes with a pair of smiling eyes.
Nina: ◕ ‿ ◕
"Shh~"
Karl OLaughlin held his index finger to his lips, signaling her not to expose him.
Unexpectedly, after Nina nodded with a smile, she shook the broomstick in her hand.
Karl OLaughlin:...
Fine, fine, so you did the same thing; great minds think alike, I suppose.
Once everyone had called their broomsticks up, Madam Hooch began to teach them how to take off.
"Everyone must be careful! Hold on tight! Do not let go! Keep your legs clamped tight!"
"Get ready! When I blow the whistle, push off the ground hard with both legs, fly up a few feet, lean slightly forward, and then land vertically back on the ground, understand?"
The Little wizards were eager to try: "Understood!"
Karl OLaughlin: Although, nonetheless... why does this feel like when I was learning to ride a bicycle back in the day?
"Whew——"
Following the whistle, the Little wizards began to ride their broomsticks, rising and falling on the grass.
The progress was the same as before, uneven.
Some could only bounce around with their own legs, while others flew up quickly, even letting out gasps from time to time because they rose too high.
Karl OLaughlin's performance was not ideal, falling into the former category, but because his physical fitness was relatively good, he jumped the highest.
Fire Treasure was so anxious that it revealed itself, pulling Karl OLaughlin's hair and using all its strength to fly upward.
Aside from making Karl OLaughlin wince in pain, this maneuver's greatest effect was making Nina laugh so hard she almost fell off her broomstick.
...
The following days were calm as water; in the two months, the first-year Little wizards had gradually adapted to school life and integrated into Hogwarts.
After Flying Class began, apart from the library, Karl OLaughlin had another place he frequently visited: the Quidditch pitch lawn.
Cedric and Cho Chang were particularly baffled by his and Nina's flying skills and often called them for extra practice.
The broomsticks used were kindly sponsored by Prefect Judy; she even gave Cedric a Nimbus 1700 because he passed the Quidditch team tryouts.
At the same time, Prefect Judy claimed that this year's team lineup was the strongest in recent years and could absolutely aim for the championship.
The Hufflepuffs could only say they would believe it for now and would only question it after they lost.
"Steady! Land slowly!"
Under Cedric's direction, Karl OLaughlin landed his broomstick steadily without taking a nose-dive.
"Whew!"
Karl OLaughlin breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling that this thing was even more exciting than a roller coaster.
Flying slowly was fine, but he really couldn't handle maneuvers like nitro-boosted turns or spiral ascents.
"The extra practice is clearly effective, Karl OLaughlin; your flying skills have improved a lot."
"Thanks, buddy, it's your credit."
Cedric shook his head with a smile, "Let's stop here for today; it's time to go back and get ready for the Halloween Feast."
This suggestion was unanimously agreed upon by Cho Chang, Karl OLaughlin, and Nina; after all, they had smelled the sweet and tempting scent of roasted pumpkin this morning, not to mention they were hungry now.
The four of them split into two groups and dispersed, returning to their respective common rooms.
When Karl OLaughlin and Cedric arrived at the Great Hall, they found it filled with colorful Halloween decorations.
With lights and decorations, candles shining, large flocks of bats were flying around in the air, occasionally landing on the walls and ceilings to rest.
Pumpkins of all sizes were carved with ghostly noses, eyes, and mouths; the Professors had placed magical flames of various colors inside the hollowed-out pumpkins, which looked quite atmospheric.
After the Feast began, all the Professors and Little wizards began to enjoy the delicious food.
Compared to the opening Feast, there were many more pumpkin dishes, but everyone was equally satisfied.
And for Karl OLaughlin, what he was more satisfied with was that they didn't need to sing the school anthem tonight.
After the sumptuous Feast, the four houses left under the guidance of their prefects.
When the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw groups passed each other, Karl OLaughlin and Nina exchanged a knowing look.
...
In the early hours of the morning.
After Shabi and Stebbins fell fast asleep, Karl OLaughlin used the Vastayashai'rei transformation to turn into his Jungle Cat form.
Then, he snuck out of the dormitory and the Hufflepuff common room, making his way into the Castle.
At this point, the Halloween Feast had ended a few hours ago; in the dead of night, those decorative pumpkin heads and bats appeared particularly terrifying in the dark and lonely Castle.
Karl OLaughlin had arranged to go on a night tour of the Forbidden Forest with Nina, planning to use love to reform the fierce Acromantula.
However, the first-year Ravenclaw and Gryffindor students had Astronomy Class tonight, which is why he was only acting now.
In his Jungle Cat form, Karl OLaughlin could not only see at night but also walked without making a sound.
He hid his small body in the darkness and moved along the corridor walls to wait at the first-floor staircase.
Class should be over by now; Nina should be arriving soon.
Karl OLaughlin sat on the steps, squinting his eyes in a feigned sleep, his two upright ears twitching to monitor the surroundings.
The reason for doing this was that he didn't want to see that uncontrollable, furry long tail; he always had the urge to pounce on it and bite it—this thing was a built-in cat teaser for felines.
Not long after, Karl OLaughlin suddenly heard a faint sound.
He opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a cat appearing on the stairs above.
Karl OLaughlin recognized it; that was Filch's beloved pet and his great helper in catching students who violated school rules, Madam Norris.
You've got to be kidding me? My luck is a bit bad.
Madam Norris looked at Karl OLaughlin, a bit dazed, clearly not understanding when another of her kind had appeared in the Castle.
Although many Little wizards brought cats to school as pets, they kept them in their dorms or common rooms and wouldn't bring them into the Castle, let alone in the middle of the night.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Karl OLaughlin quickly let out a soft meow at Madam Norris.
Better to keep this cat calm first to avoid making a scene and attracting Filch.
Who knew that right after he finished meowing, Madam Norris immediately became alert.
Karl OLaughlin suddenly remembered that cats didn't seem to communicate like that.
Oh no! He had suffered from not knowing a foreign language!
o _ o