Flying Lessons
Ioana wasn’t quite sure how it happened, that she found herself back at the Quiddich stadium on her day off, with a world class seeker intent on teaching her to fly.
“This really isn’t necessary,”she babbled for probably the hundredth time as Viktor unlocked the broom closet with a key and a press of his hand to bypass the wards. Viktor, by this point, wasn’t even bothering to respond as he grabbed his own broom from it’s set of wall hooks and turned and surveyed the other options.
“Here -” he finally said. “Try this one. It’s Vulcahnov’s spare that he uses when he’s supervising practice. A Czech-made Obloha 15. Better for hovering, more stable, and less sensitive than a Firebolt. A Firebolt really isn’t ideal for learning, though it is fun.”
“Oh, I couldn’t possibly borrow his broom without asking!” Ioana protested. “Maybe we could ask tomorrow.”
“I’m sure the captain wouldn’t mind you borrowing it, I know he lends it to his daughter all the time, and I doubt we’ll have you doing anything more than circles, today. It will be fine,” Viktor said firmly.
Ioana took the broom from him, holding it out at a distance and inspecting it with the distrustful air of someone holding a thrashing, venomous snake.
“The Obloha Broom Company was founded in České Budějovice in 1735 by the Drtina brothers,” Ioana recited. “They are known for their use of linden for their broom handles, and rather than more commonly used mahogany, favoured by the Nimbus company, or the ash used in your Firebolt. They primarily produce recreational and leisure brooms. Linden is a very light wood that’s not commonly used in broom or wand making, but the Obloha company claims it’s well suited to flight due to it’s lightness. Competitors claim, however, that the wood is more fragile, and not well suited for professional quidditch play. It’s an unusual choice for a beater, really – most beaters favour brooms with flexible willow twigs while Obloha favours hazel -”
“Vulhanov loves flying,” Viktor interrupted. “He was on the trick flying team at Durmstrang. It’s a good, stable broom for trick flying, I’ve seen him hang off of it upside down, with the broom handle between two toes, and it still flies steadily.”
“I really shouldn’t – we could come back another day,” Ioana said thrusting the broom back towards him and looking desperately in the direction of the floo. “It’s far too nice of a broom for learning – Hogwarts always uses older brooms, because there are so many accidents... I wouldn’t want to break it, I’d be so embarrassed if I broke it-”
“Old brooms are horribly unsafe, particularly for new flyers!” Viktor said. “Nothing will happen, I won’t let it.If anything DID happen, I’ll pay for the broom, and say it was all my idea. They’re not going to fire me, with only weeks to the World cup, I’m by far the top ranked seeker in Bulgaria, and one of the top ranked in the world. We wouldn’t be in the World Cup without me. Besides, he’s a beater – he’s broken brooms before. I’d lend you my spare, but it’s far too temperamental for a new flyer. If we call him, he’ll want to help, and I’m not sure that watching him show off is going to help your nerves, and he needs the day off with is family. Come on,” he said, grabbing his own broom. “Let’s get you in the air.”
“Really Viktor -
“It’s no imposition at all. I love to fly, and right now, I’ve been grounded at home, and really shouldn’t even have flown to my aunt’s, there’s too much worry about security before the cup, I’m not even supposed to go into the Wizarding District to visit friends. My parents may not love me playing Quidditch as a career, but they certainly expect me to be the best. Truly, this is better than sitting and memorizing Quidditch plays all weekend, or going over my opposition research on the other teams, for the tenth time. It’ll be fun. I like teaching.”
Ioana followed reluctantly. How had she gotten talked into this? Why had Iskra agreed? She was just fine with her two feet firmly on the ground, thank you very much. “If you say so...” she said, doubtfully.
“Now – stand there, and hold up your hand, and say “up!”
“ ‘The determination of the witch or wizard is integral to the success of the endeavour. The broom responds to the commands of the caster, and latches onto the determination to produce a satisfactory response to their magical call.’ ” she muttered.
“Up!” she said firmly.
The broom obligingly shot into her hands and she almost dropped it before lunging to catch it again.
“It worked! I never got it on the first try, on school brooms!” Breathlessly, she turned and looked at Viktor, who was grinning at her.
“See? New brooms are much easier. Now – swing your leg over, and mount the broom.”
“ ‘For optimal stability, although not performance, the ideal location to mount a broom is at five eights of the broomstick length, with the dominant hands located at approximately one eight from the handle tip, and the secondary supporting hand one quarter from the broom tip..., and the shoulders squarely over the broom, with the spine at a 35 degree angle to the broom handle, and the elbows bent 50 degrees from the body...” she recited to herself.
“You’re just going to be flying around the stadium, Ioana – there’s absolutely no need to meticulously follow the rules from High Performance Flying. Two thirds and a few hands widths are good enough.”
Nervously, she complied, mounting the broom.
“Feet hip width apart, a stance that is too narrow or too wide reduces the power and precision of the takeoff...” she muttered. “Although – Footloose Flight suggests that a slightly wider foot position, with outward facing toes can be better for beginnners. Viktor, what’s better?”
“Did you memorize every book on flying ever written?!” he asked incredulously.
“Not all of them!” she protested. “Mostly just the ones I read to try and learn how to fly or for my final essays.”
“What did you read?”
“Umm... Quidditch Throughout the Ages, From the Ground Up, Footloose Flight, A Concise and Condensed History of the Prominent Broomstick Manufacturers of England and Europe, The UK Aerobesomal Information Manual, The Complete Flying Manual,Introduction to the Theory of Flight, Flying beyond the Bludgers, High Performance Flying, Higher Performance Flying, Flying with the Cannons -” Ioana shut up as Viktor put a his hand over her mouth, silencing her mid list.
“Okay! Enough! Enough!” He said, removing his hand from her mouth. “So far more broom books than the average witch, certainly. The Cannons – isn’t that the joke British team?” Viktor interjected. “The one that never wins? Surely there wasn’t anything useful in that?”
“I think a friend must have lent it to me -” Ioana had a vision of red hair clashing with an orange jumper, but no more, cursing how unreliable her memory had been lately.
“Well, your friend has horrible taste in Quidditch teams. I’d not recommend listening to whoever that was for flying advice. But other than that, I think you probably would do best to just... ignore everything you’ve read.”
“But where should I put my feet?!” she demanded, stomping her foot in frustration.
“Wherever is comfortable. It really, really doesn’t matter. We can work on technical flying when you’re more comfortable and have a feel for it. For now, let’s pretend you’ve never flown before at all, or read anything. Toddlers learn to fly long before they ever learn to read – in fact, I’m not convinced Dimitrov CAN read, and he’s on the national team – you can too.”
Ioana shot him a glare, but complied, leaving her feet wherever they’d landed. Well. Mostly complied. She shifted her weight to be standing more squarely and moved her feet so they were symmetrically angled, tightening her white knuckled grip on the broomhandle.
“I’d rather fly on another hippogriff,” Ioana muttered. “At least there’s something sensible to hold onto.”
Wisely, Viktor ignored that.
“OK – now I want you to gently push off the ground...”
“Would you push off, first?”
“I could – why?”
“On my first lesson, someone lost control of their broom the moment they pushed off, climbed really quickly, couldn’t regain control, and fell and broke his arm. I’d be more comfortable if you were able to catch me before I hit a wall.”
Viktor’s eyebrows raised. “Someone REALLY needs to replace the Hogwarts brooms. That should not happen. But of course I can, if you’ll feel safer.”
He worldlessly activated his broom and swung over it, rising lazily off the ground.
“I trust you don’t have any worries about my ability to catch you? I think you’ve watched me fly enough for that, at least. A witch in freefall’s a bit more predictable than a snitch.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Ioana didn’t sound particularly convinced, and Viktor rolled his eyes.
“Well then - come on up.”
Gritting her teeth, Ioana flexed her feet, just a little, in preparation, but the responsive broom lifted off and she squeaked as it rose up, settling about a handspan off the ground.
Viktor looked away, and Ioana was pretty sure he was hiding a snicker. “All right – now point the handle up, and rise a bit more.”
“No, I think I’m good here – this is a really safe height.”
“It’s not, really – a bit of height is really helpful to have some cushion. It’s really advanced trick flying to skim the ground like you’re doing, doesn’t leave much room for the way the broom sways when you turn. You don’t have to rise too far – just to head height.”
“But what if I fall?”
“You’re a witch, Ioana. It takes a very high fall to damage a witch. A few meters off the ground is nothing.”
Reluctantly, she angled the handle up, and the broom smoothly rose a foot, before she lowered the broom handle and it leveled off again. Then she tried again, rising another two feet all at once before levelling off.
“Just a bit more – you’re doing good!”
“It’s certainly less jerky than the school brooms,” she admitted as she rose a few more feet, until she reached the same height as him.
“You know, I don’t normally spend much time down here among the stands,” Viktor commented. “It’s kind of nice – no buffeting from the wind.”
“You seekers always fly far too recklessly high,” she huffed. “Does it really make a big difference? Aren’t there wind charms? Did you know that the first international wizarding patent was for a wind reduction charm, by Obloha Broom Company in 1854?”
Viktor wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Wind reduction charms ruin the balance of the broom for high speed flying – goggles are better.”
“But Higher Performance Flying says -”
“Ioana, do you always quote books when you’re nervous?” Viktor asked, swooping down to look her in the eye.
“No!”
Viktor didn’t bother to hide the skepticism from his face.
“Well, okay, maybe a bit.”
He swooped in, and pecked her on the cheek. “You are adorable,” he said. “Don’t ever change.”
Ioana’s face went bright red, and her mouth dropped open. With a smile, he closed her mouth with one finger, than backed away.
“Okay – let’s fly,” he said. “Let’s have you do a figure eight of the arena, at this height, maybe a bit higher.”
Ioana complied, slowly circling the arena. It was... peaceful. Unlike Madam Hooch, he didn’t blow a whistle, or yell for her to go faster, or yell to correct her form, or grab the broom handle; he just silently paced his broom next to her, as she slowly maneuvered around the arena. She inched the broom handle a little more forward, inching her speed up, and he beamed at her. “Awesome work – let’s try circling to your left,” he said, and she complied, making a wide swoop to the left.
“Can you work the circles any smaller?” he asked, and Ioana nodded determinedly, leaning just a little further to tighten the turn until she was practically pivoting on the spot.
“Very nice!”
“It’s all the broom,” Ioana admitted, pulling the broom back to a stop. “It’s so smooth!”
“It really helps to have a good broom,” Viktor agreed. “Let’s switch to circles to the right, and see how you do?”
Ioana did, starting out with wide circles, and methodically working them tighter, finding herself smiling.
“Fantastic work,” he said, and Ioana hovered again. “Is that all for today, or are you ready to try something new?”
Ioana opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again. “I never thought I’d say this, but yes, I’m ready. Let’s do a bit more.”
He grinned again, and Ioana thought to herself that if Madam Hooch had had a smile like that, she’d have enjoyed flight classes a lot more.
“Okay – let’s work on elevation changes – figure eights again, but I want you to swoop down until your feet almost touch the ground in the centre, and tap the first stand, on the end of the loops.
“You want me to take my hands off the broom? What is that, 20 feet off the ground?!”
“Just one hand,” Viktor wheedled. “Let’s say... use your left hand on the south side, and your right hand on the north side.”
Ioana wrinkled her nose and dipped her broom lower, instinctively.
“Okay. Maybe not then. Umm... Stay right there, hover, and lift and wave your left hand at me.”
Ioana tightened her right hand impossibly tighter as she loosened her left hand, and the broom bucked. She grabbed it again, squeezing both hands and it bucked again.
Viktor flew to her side. “Gentle does it, deep breath...” he said and Ioana forced her hands to loosen a bit, as she controlled her breathing and her panic. “Very good. Okay – raise your pinky finger?”
She laughed, a bit hysterically, but complied. “Oh, I’m so stupid!” she wailed. “I know this is ridiculous.”
“Not ridiculous, you just had a poor teacher. Okay, next... Umm. Put your pinky down again, and raise your index finger?”
She did, and realized her whole hand was loose, just like it had been when she’d been relaxed after flying. “Wonderful. Can you raise your thumb? Okay... now thumb and pinky.” He coached her through it, and suddenly she found herself with just her left palm on the broom, and then, without even coaching, she lifted it so just the heel of her hand was touching, and then, arm shaking, her whole hand was an inch off the broom.
“Well done!”
With a show of Gryffindorish bravery, she took another deep breath, raised her hand further, and waved it at him, then carefully replaced it on the broom, and, one finger at a time, pried her right hand off.
“You’re getting it!” Viktor cheered, and Ioana noted there wasn’t a hint of mockery or impatience in his voice. By this point in her lessons, she’d always had Malfoy and his goons, taunting her, and even her friend – an impression of red hair and impatience, before she forced the thoughts away, and concentrated on her broom again. She waved her right hand, replaced it, then set out on her figure eight, swooping low to the ground and then climbing slowly, both hands fixed firmly on her broom, and her eyes on the first row of stands and NOT on the rapidly retreating ground below her feet. She could do this.
She approached the stadium wall determinedly, then shrieked as the broom sped up, pulling backwards to try to slow it, but it just sped up more. She screamed, and she could hear Viktor shouting, as she fought the broom, trying to pry it away from the rapidly approaching wall.
Distantly, she heard herself scream again, and heard more than felt her bones crunch, as she collided into the stadium stands, and felt no more.