Chapter 6
Herbology with Neville as his partner was fun as well. Neville knew a great deal of the herbs and plants they studied. They didn’t’ even start with practical’s, only starting a small herb garden with plants like Dittany and Moly.
And mostly studied the more dangerous plants before even working with them.
Ed had stayed behind one day to ask questions when Neville had offered to help Professor Sprout in the garden.
In the end Ed helped out with the fertilizer. They were working with a Venomous Tentacula when a Slytherin walked in.
He didn’t see them, and asked if he could help Sprout in the garden. She had pointed at them and Neville squeaked in fear while Ed waved him over.
He introduce himself as Peter Vanity and he was friendly, and enjoyed herbology as much as Neville.
They worked together with the different plants, at some point Al joining them.
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Charms was interesting since it had a great deal of magical theory Ed was interested in, practical lessons were mostly practicing wand movements which was boring.
Ed actually practised the movements without using his wand unless Flitwick was looking.
Defense was okay, he learned more in books then listening to Quirrell. He also learned more about History of magic from books then from the teacher, even asking his goblin friend to send history books to read.
Astronomy was interesting as well, mostly because he met the centaurs in the forest, but it was also boring since they didn’t learn much else until more years.
Ed sat in his study lesson with a bunch of other students. It was something all first-years had to do, when they had a study hall or free lesson, they are to go to the library and do study groups on all the subjects.
So far for all the subjects, he was mostly tutoring his groups, since he learned faster than most and was technically now on third-year material he knew more than the other first-years.
Al normally join them in these times, mostly to watch but sometimes help the students. No one questioned Al on his intelligence when he severely burned a Gryffindor kid about how wrong he was with his potions homework.
And of course Al kept his politely tone and his cheerful smile through the whole thing.
Ed was so proud.
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Flying lessons was something Ed was dreading a bit. Scientist back home had been looking for ways to fly, even alchemist have come close, but he couldn’t believe a broom could do it.
He did all the research he could, on the how’s and what’s.
When it came to the lesson, he stood next to Neville and Peter, Harry and Ron and Draco a bit away from them.
He could see Neville was nervous “Relax Neville, everything fine, and if you call, I’ll catch you” he smiled.
“Thanks Ed…” Neville said anxiously. Peter looked bored. He wasn’t much of a talker, unless it was about herbology.
Madam Hooch then told them the instructions, Ed broom needed him to call it twice before it was in his hand.
He saw Neville kick off before the whistle, and before he could fly any further, Ed grabbed his cloak and pulled him back down. “Mr Longbottom! Please don’t kick off until I whistled!” Madam Hooch scolded. “Sorry Professor!”
“Quick thinking Elric” she nodded.
They tried again. Ed held tight on the broom and kicked off. He floated a few meters off the ground, and a grin broke on his face. “Wow” he gasped.
He felt the broom respond to his magic. It felt like a wand, sentient. He felt the broom, and took note of what it was made of before he started zooming around, ducking under legs and through others. He saw Harry was doing the same.
Neville stayed behind him, too scared to go further. Ed stayed by his side while Hooch had them go through some opsicles. “I think, I’m going to be sick” Neville went back to the ground, where a few others were as well, not being able to handle heights or the motion. “You okay?” Ed asked, floating above the ground “I’ll be fine, I think I’ll sit out the rest of the class” he said looking a bit green.
Ed nodded and flew off. Peter had went off on his own, so Ed flew close to Draco, and they got to talking a bit. “I can’t believe were flying right now” Ed grinned.
“Please, it’s not that impressive” Draco scoffed but Ed could see he was excited as well.
They flew through another hoop.
“Hey Harry, looks like you’re having fun” Ed said as they flew up to him. “Yes, it is very exciting” he said breathlessly. Ron was grinning next to him but held suspicion at the two new comers.
“Where are Crabbe and Goyle?” Ed asked. “Down there, Crabbe has an intense fear of high and Goyle is keeping him company” he explained. Ed nodded.
They flew to a lower hoop were Evelyn was by “How you think brooms fly?”
“With magic of course” Ron said. “Brooms are similar to wands” Evelyn said, mostly ignoring them, but answering Ed when he asked for more information.
“While Wands have personally traits, and can casts spell without the wizard holding it, brooms are somewhat sentient, if it is well taken care of, it will be your best chance of survival, if you treat it bad, it will make sure you fall” she explained. “My uncle works with brooms, he knows a lot about it”
“Sounds a bit farfetched” Draco said scowling. “No, no, she had a point, I could tell immediately when I held the broom, not like a wand where they lit up, but more so of a vibration of being held and being able to fly” Ed explained.
“I’ll take your word for it” almost everyone Ed has met know about his and Al’s weird connection to magic, how they can feel and see it. Most who grew up around magic knew it as magic sensitivity.
Ed didn’t miss the observant look Evelyn gave him. “I can’t wait for quidditch, why can’t first-years have brooms” Draco said a bit mournfully.
“What’s quidditch?” Harry asked. Ed had heard it a few times, by Takashi and Dean, and pretty much every other student here.
“I keep forgetting you didn’t grow up with magic” Ron huffed.
Draco and Ron then went to explain what quidditch was, and at some point Neville showed up, looking a bit better than before. “It sounds violent” Harry said. “Sounds like my type of game” Ed grinned. Draco laughed “it can get exciting with violence yes”
“I think I’ll try out next year, sounds like a good thing to get frustration out” Ed told mostly to himself. “And you Neville, interested in the broom sport?” Ed asked, ignoring Ron and Draco’s offended yells. “Ah no, too violent for me, I don’t think I’d even make the team” he said bashfully.
“I’m sure you could have if you wanted, though I agree that you work better on the ground then the air” Ed nodded to himself.
“How about we play some quidditch, you, I, Potter and Weasley, see how we fair?” Draco smirked.
“Sure, can I invite a friend? I think he knows more of quidditch then any of us” Ed asked. “Who?”
“One of my housemates”
“And what am I?” Evelyn asked. “Yes, you two Eve” Ed grinned.
They stopped at the last hoop and Ed really felt like racing off with his broom, but Hooch was still there and didn’t think she’d allow that.
Ed turned to Neville to ask about homework, when something loud startled all of them.
Neville shrieked before falling off his broom. Ed ignored everyone and dive down, catching Neville. However, since they were so close to the ground, Ed used himself as a cushion so Neville wouldn’t get hurt, that meant that Ed got the impact of the fall.
He hissed in pain, feeling the broom snap. “Oh my! I didn’ think he’d be that startled!” A voice cried. Looking up, it was Peeves, the prankster.
“Are you two alright!?” Harry, Ron and Draco landed by them, Evelyn looking worried as she landed as well. Hooch ran over “back! Let me check, Potter, Weasley help Mr Longbottom off Elric” she instructed.
“I’m fine, I’m fine, and I think it’s just a bruised spine” Ed gritted out trying to sit up. It hurt to do so. Neville got off with the help of Harry and Ron “I’m taking you to the hospital wing” she said transfiguration a stretcher. “Malfoy help me get Elric on the sketcher” Draco nodded and helped.
Ed hissed again and the stretcher levitated up. “Lie down Mr Elric, you can’t move if it’s a serious spinal injury” Hooch rebuked.
Ed listened, mostly because it was so painful. “Mr Longbottom come with, everyone, class is dismissed!”
“I’m so sorry Edward! I-I!” Neville looked near tears stuttered through his apology. “It’s okay Neville, I’m fine, I’m sure Madam Pomfrey will have me healed in lighting speed” he assured him.
They made it up to the hospital wing soon enough and Ed was set on the bed.
Madam Pomfrey was at work at once. She casted a diagnose spell on Ed first. He felt the magic over him, taking note of his injuries.
“Your lucky is was only a bruised spine, if it was broken or snapped, you’d be set to St.Mango’s” she scolded.
Ed huffed “I’m fine, it’s just a bit sore” he grumbled.
She glared at him and Ed shut his mouth. “I can heal it with a spell, but you’re taking a potion as extra caution and staying here over night to rest” she said leaving no room to argue when her glare tightened at Ed, who looked to protest.
Once done with Ed, she checked on Neville, who just had some bruising and would be cleared after the lesson was done.
While Ed wasn’t too upset with missing work, he can find time to get it all done. Hospital rooms were boring and he had nothing to do.
Al had actually come soon as Pomfrey was done with Neville and after making sure he was fine, scolded him.
“Hey it was either I get a small bruise or Neville get a broken back, which would you have preferred?”
“One where no one gets hurt, though I guess that’s hard to ask with your track record” Al grinned.
He had left to get some books and games for them to play and it gave serious De’jav for when he first arrived in the hospital wing.
He, Al and Neville all played some games and since Al was not a students and family, Pomfrey could only scold them for the noise.
Harry, Ron and Hermione visited right after lessons, and Draco a little later passing out recover well messages from some of his friends in Slytherin who couldn’t come, Peter and a fifth-year Slytherin, Agatha Dinnet.
He had met her through Oliver, the two were dating. She was neutral face that reminded him a lot of Hawkeye and took no bullshit. But she seemed to like him when he search for Oliver to ask for some advice on some fourth-year work he was reading up on.
He had gone to Oliver for a lot of work on higher grades, he actually borrowed Ed all of his passed works he kept.
He had spotted his hazel-brown hair in the corridor and called out to him. He noticed he was just with one girl, a Slytherin girl with long straight black hair and piercing green eyes.
She had leveled him with a neutral face, not emitting any emotion to him.
He had ignored her for the moment, and when Oliver went to answer his questions, she answered, and the two got into an intelligent conversation even Oliver had a hard time keeping up with.
She knew a lot of science and the theory of magic, her goal in life was to find ancient relics and find out the truth.
And his Hufflepuff friends also check on him, he only knew the one girl Katie but she brought her own friends who wanted to check up on him.
“I didn’t know you had so many friends” Neville was clear to leave, only waiting for the bell.
Ed shrugged while Al looked weirdly smug.
“I mostly met them in class and got to talking” he told him.
“I’m just glad brother is making friends” Al smiled.
Ed rolled his eyes but smiled, he was also kinda happy he is able to have friends.