Stray Thoughts and Brooms

My mind can't seem to leave the topic of Hermione. Throughout Herbology, DADA, and even History of Magic she haunted my mind. It's not like I have fewer friends now. I've been hanging out with Hagrid much more after Halloween. It's not like not having Hermione has affected me much. She never contributed to the study group anyway.

"Catlyn?"

Speaking of which, we had to change it to once a week during Study Hall, before dinner. Cedric has Quidditch, Penny has Prefect work, and I have extra work so it's really the only time we're all free. Half of it is dedicated to mainly helping Anne and the rest is spent with me miserably failing on the Quidditch field. One or two of them do occasionally join me at the library if they're free so it's not like I'm completely alone.

"Catlyn!" Anne exclaims, bursting in front of my vision, forcing me out of my mind. I jumped in response, almost knocking into another student moving down the hall. I give her a mostly playful glare as she gives me a cheeky smile, golden hair almost dancing in the soft light let through the arched windows.

"Have you been listening to a word I've been saying?" She asks, probably on a sugar high from her lunch, and I use the term loosely.

'Sorry, I was just lost in thought,' I write as we start moving again to the next class, admittedly at a slower pace due to my need to write and walk.

"It's fine, It wasn't that important anyway. It was just me rambling," she explains as we get to the door. As if to spite us, the wind rattles through the building as heavy rain starts crashing through the bright sunlight.

"Seriously! A sunshower? And it was perfect flying weather before!" Anne groans.

'This is why we wear sweaters!' I joke, annoyed at the rain for a different reason. Of course, it starts raining right before my only class outside! It's not like I need dry paper to communicate or anything!

"Have I seriously not mentioned this to you?" she questioned. I respond with a shake of my head, slightly curious. "I'm never really cold. Ever since I was little I was like this. Even when it's snowing I only feel the need to wear a light coat or sweater."

'How come you never complain about being hot?' My question raises her lips into a smirk as we move off to the side, waiting for the rest of the class and teacher before going outside.

"Who would ever complain about being this attractive?" She jokes, shaking her hips a little. "But seriously, It's not like I'm always hot. It's just that I'm never cold. I get hot when most people do," she explains as I use this interesting fact to keep my mind off weird thoughts.

***

"Attention!" Madam Hooch commands, with a blow of her whistle, as she hovers in the middle of the field. Her voice and high pitch scream of her whistle booms through the, now still, air as everyone stops mid-air. Well, not everyone, I think as Anne continues to rocket around the field, struggling to stop.

"Brooms down!" At her command, the class starts to make their descent to a landing. Some, still unsteady with flying, jerkily descend while most cleanly descend. As for me, it doesn't take me long to hit the ground. It didn't take long for I was struggling to remain a few inches off the ground.

One Gryffindor decides to speed straight down. I'm barely able to watch as he levels out, barely avoids a collision with the ground. Rocketing about an inch off the ground, he performs an aileron roll. At the full rotation of the roll, he lets go, sending the broom into the distance as he rolls on the ground.

Roll ended, he bursts out with laughter. The sound of the wind gushing takes me away from the actions of the idiot. Look up, I watch as Madam Hooch takes off with a great burst of speed towards the broom. Looking at the rogue broom, I realize Madam Hooch's sense of urgency; the broom is heading for the Whomping Willow.

As she closes the distance, she lowers herself to the rogue broom's level. Only about a car's distance away from the rogue broom, she takes out her wand, "Stupefy!"

A trail of blue and white energy exits her wand and hits the back of the broom with a puff of fire-like energy. As the spell hits the broom, it stops accelerating. Even though the broom's about six car lengths away from the Whomping Willow, the speed that it's built up so far makes that feel like nothing.

The rogue broom no longer gaining speed, Madam Hooch using a final burst of acceleration to close the distance. Snatching the broom, the Whomping Willow reaches out at Madam Hooch. Performing a hairpin turn, she barely scrapes by.

Decelerating, the wind whips through the students spectating on the field as she drifts to a stop. Catching her breath, her scowl impales the Gryffindor, "Five points from Gryffindor! I'll remind everyone that if they ever lose a broom their house will lose thirty more points. I thought that this class would be able to handle flying out in the field, do not make me regret it. If even one of you loses your broom then we'll be practicing in the courtyard."

At her lecture, Anne finally manages to land. I say land but it was more like a controlled crash. "Now that everyone's on the ground," Madam Hooch glances at Anne, still on the ground, "You are free to go."

Moving over to Anne, her bright hair and buzzing smile managed to persist through the crash.

"Thanks," Anne says as I offer her a hand.

Offering a smile in return, glee hits me as I realize I can use my notepad, 'At least the ground dried up,' She chuckles as I help her up.

"Ms. Ollivander!" Madam Hooch yells, "I need to speak with you for a moment."