Madam Hooch had sharp golden eyes that resembled those of an eagle. Combined with her neat short grey hair and brisk movements, she gave off an extremely strict impression at first glance.
As Hogwarts' flying instructor and official Quidditch referee, she naturally possessed an intimidating presence.
"Good afternoon, students!"
"Good afternoon, Madam Hooch," the first-years answered together.
Madam Hooch strode quickly between the gathered Gryffindor and Slytherin students before clapping her hands sharply.
"Let's begin your first flying lesson. What are you waiting for? Everyone stand beside a broomstick. Left side, quickly now!"
The excited first-years hurried into place.
Most of them were touching a flying broom for the very first time in their lives.
Lucien, meanwhile, still couldn't understand why Hogwarts insisted on making flying lessons compulsory.
Perhaps centuries ago, before magical transportation advanced, broomsticks had been essential. But now the wizarding world had Floo Powder, enchanted carriages, magical buses, and even proper lifts inside the Ministry of Magic itself.
Why did everyone still insist on flying around on sticks like medieval lunatics?
Unfortunately, nearly every student loved broomsticks. Even if Lucien personally found them pointless, Hogwarts certainly wasn't going to redesign its curriculum for him alone.
Once everyone stood in position, Madam Hooch continued.
"Place your right hand over the broom," she instructed. "Then say 'Up!' firmly and clearly."
"Up!"
"UP!"
"Get up!"
Voices echoed all across the field.
Harry's broom jumped immediately into his hand on the very first try. Draco followed only moments later, smirking proudly as his own broom slapped neatly into his palm.
Lucien frowned slightly.
Something felt wrong.
"Up."
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
"Up."
The broom beneath his feet remained completely motionless.
Lucien suddenly realised something horrifying.
His system talents apparently did not include flying ability.
No matter how many times he repeated the command, the broom stubbornly refused to move even an inch.
As more and more students successfully summoned their brooms, Lucien slowly accepted a deeply unfortunate reality.
He might genuinely become the first Hogwarts student in history incapable of using a flying broomstick.
Then another thought immediately appeared in his mind.
Actually… this might not be so bad.
If he couldn't participate in flying lessons, that meant he would have a perfectly legitimate excuse to skip them and spend the extra time in the library instead.
"Mr. Grindelwald…"
Madam Hooch stared at him with a very strange expression.
Clearly, she had never imagined that the student praised by half the Hogwarts staff would fail at the very first step of flying class.
"As you can see, Madam Hooch," Lucien replied helplessly, gesturing toward the utterly unresponsive broom, "I appear to have absolutely no talent for flying."
Madam Hooch sighed sympathetically.
"Poor child."
She gently patted him on the shoulder.
"There's no need to feel discouraged. It happens occasionally, even in wizarding families."
Lucien maintained a perfectly calm expression. If anyone looked closely enough, they might even detect the faintest trace of disappointment.
Internally, however, he was overjoyed.
Excellent.
He had originally been wondering how to convince Madam Hooch to excuse him from future lessons. Instead, she had voluntarily solved the problem for him.
"Why don't you sit over on the grass for now?" Madam Hooch suggested kindly. "I'll speak with Professor Snape later and arrange alternative study time during flying lessons."
"Thank you for your understanding, Madam Hooch."
Lucien responded politely before walking happily toward the edge of the field.
Behind him, countless students looked at him with pity.
For most young witches and wizards, being unable to fly was practically unimaginable.
Lucien, meanwhile, lay comfortably on the grass, pulled out a fifth-year Potions textbook, and peacefully enjoyed the warm sunlight.
"Everyone, quiet!"
Madam Hooch blew her whistle sharply.
"Mount your brooms. Hold tight and don't slide off. When I blow the whistle, kick off from the ground!"
Fortunately, without Neville's usual panic and without Draco provoking Harry into a fight, the lesson proceeded far more smoothly than in the original timeline.
Madam Hooch watched the students hovering clumsily in the air with visible satisfaction.
"Very good," she announced. "I need to return briefly to the castle. You may continue practising freely on this field only."
Her sharp eyes swept over the students.
"And let me make this absolutely clear—anyone who flies beyond the grounds toward the castle will be punished severely."
The instant she left, the field exploded into excitement.
Students immediately began racing each other through the air or attempting reckless tricks on their brooms.
Not far away, Parvati and Padma hovered uncertainly nearby while repeatedly glancing toward Lucien lying on the grass.
After hesitating for a while, the twins finally flew closer.
"Lucien…" Parvati called softly. "Are you alright?"
Lucien looked up from his book.
The two girls suddenly realised how low they were flying and hurriedly dismounted before they could accidentally crash.
"Careful," Lucien warned with amusement. "Try not to fall off."
He casually cast a stabilising charm to help steady their wobbling brooms before closing his book.
"I'm fine," he said calmly. "If I can't use broomsticks, I'll simply learn Apparition earlier instead."
A small smile appeared on his lips.
"Hogwarts surely won't expel me just because I can't fly."
The twins burst into laughter.
"You're practically every professor's favourite student," Padma teased. "They'd never let you leave."
Parvati's eyes sparkled brightly as she looked at him.
To a young girl just beginning to understand feelings of admiration, Lucien's image had already become dangerously perfect. Handsome, talented, calm under pressure, and heroic enough to save her life—he practically matched every romantic fantasy imaginable.
At the same time, many other students remembered how Lucien had helped them throughout the morning classes. Seeing him sitting alone now because he couldn't fly suddenly made several of them feel unexpectedly guilty.
One after another, students lowered their broomsticks and drifted toward him.
"Lucien, it's really not a big problem," one Gryffindor boy said awkwardly. "Most wizards use Floo Powder for long-distance travel anyway."
"Exactly," another student added quickly. "And flying through bad weather sounds miserable. My uncle nearly got struck by lightning once while using his broom!"
"Apparition's faster anyway," someone else chimed in.
Everyone tried comforting him in their own way.
The scene made Ron Weasley's face turn red with fury.
Why?!
Why did everyone treat Lucien so differently?
This morning, when Ron made mistakes in Potions, all he received was criticism and humiliation. Yet now, when Lucien failed at something, half the students rushed over to comfort him.
What Ron found even more unbearable was that many of those students belonged to Gryffindor.
He muttered bitterly under his breath.
"Traitors. Bunch of bloody Gryffindor traitors."
"What did you say?"
Draco immediately jumped off his broom and stormed toward Ron furiously.
Ron's temper exploded as well.
"Was I wrong?!" he snapped loudly.
His resentment toward Lucien had been building since the train ride to Hogwarts. Both of them were first-years, yet Lucien attracted admiration and attention everywhere he went while Ron existed mostly as "Harry Potter's friend."
Every comparison made his inferiority feel worse.
And after today's classes, the difference between their treatment had become even more humiliating.
Now that he finally found an excuse to lash out, he refused to stop.
To his surprise, however, almost nobody supported him.
Instead, students from both houses looked at him with obvious disgust.
Even Harry stepped forward with an annoyed expression.
"Ron, that's enough," Harry said firmly. "Lucien helped Gryffindor. He saved Parvati."
"Who knows if he only did it to pretend he's a good person?" Ron shot back angrily.
Lucien merely smiled faintly and ignored the argument completely. Instead, he focused on calming the surrounding students before the situation escalated further.
Why would an adult waste energy arguing with a jealous child?
In Lucien's eyes, Ron was simply an insecure boy desperately seeking validation. That responsibility belonged to Dumbledore and Harry, not him.
Unfortunately, Lucien's indifferent attitude only made Ron feel even worse.
His face became nearly the same colour as his bright red hair.
Jealousy twisted his expression completely.
Ignoring Harry's attempts to stop him, Ron suddenly mounted his broomstick again and charged directly toward Lucien.
....
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