Can't I keep my feet on the ground? on Quidditch Pitch

Coach Amelia Pierce

March 30, 2012 9:31 PM

Flying Lessons for First Years by Coach Amelia Pierce

In her 'Quidditch Coach' hat, Amelia Pierce was only responsible for teaching one class: Flying Lessons, which was given only to first years (though older students could attend if they wanted to and signed up in advance). It was generally a popular class among the kids because there were no homework assignments or tests, and half the class was allowed to play broom tag or a pick-up game of Quidditch for most of it while the true beginners were given basic lessons. The rest were only expected to participate to the best of their ability.

As long as everyone spent the entire period sitting on a broom in the air and at least attempting to do as instructed, they passed. It was not a difficult class by any stretch of the imagination. The final exam was flying from one end of the pitch to the other and back without crashing. That got an A. If they could do in under ten minutes it was an E. Under five earned an O. Most kids earned Es and Os in her class.

"Hello," she greeted her new class of first years once they seemed to have stopped trickling in. She allowed for 'getting lost time' the first week, but she'd dock points for poor punctuality later. She was Head of Crotalus and the Deputy Headmistress; it was practically in her job description to be a stickler for rules. "My name is Coach Pierce. I will be your flying instructor this year."

"Now, I know most of you will not view this as a 'real' class, but I can and will take House Points and assign detention if I catch any of you messing around, and I will catch you if you do. I expect you to show up on time. I expect you to behave and show each other respect. I will not tolerate insults or taunting of any form. I expect everyone to try their best."

She did not assert that there would be no exceptions because she had been informed that sometimes there apparently were good medical reasons for some students not to participate. Those students would be seen to on a case by case basis.

There was one reason she would hear nothing about, no matter how much some of the Board of Governors howled. "For those of you with parents who support WAIL, I assure you, they will not disown you for hovering on a broom and flying across the pitch for one hour, once a week, for one year."

She took a breath, and used the short pause to look around the group to make sure they were still listening. "That said, I am aware some of you already know how to fly. I offer those students the priviledge of forgoing the basic lessons and doing whatever you like so long as you are on your broom and flying for the duration of the lesson. I have Quaffles and other muggle varieties of balls available for your use. Later, once I know I can trust you, I'll allow bludgers and Snitches. If you need anything else, let me know and I'll see what I can do."

She waited a moment to let them try to imagine what other equipment they might need for more creative flying games, then added, "Just remember, this is a priviledge and if I have any problems with you fighting amongst yourselves or interferring with my lessons, you will all be down here hovering five feet over the ground with the beginners."

With that threat leveled, she expected not to have any problems with the experienced kids (in point of fact, in her seven years coaching here, she had only once had to follow through with it and she had only leveled the punishment against the single offending student). "Now I'm going to call roll, and then anyone who feels they do not need basic instruction may go play. Please raise your hand and say 'here' when I call your name. Ammon, Liam." She went through the list and marked attendance. "Okay, that's it. If I didn't call your name, let me know. Experienced fliers, you may take to the air. School brooms are over there, if you don't have your own."

She gave a few seconds for unnamed students to make themselves known and for the fliers to get out of the way. "Everyone else, line up here." Her wand flicked out and a white line appeared in the grass. "If you have your own broom put it down beside you. To your right if you're right-handed, to your left if you're left-handed. Everyone else, just stand in front of the line."

Once they did that, Amelia started distributing brooms to those who didn't have one yet. "Put it to your right if you're right-handed, to the left if you're left-handed," she repeated as she moved down the line. Once they all had brooms beside them, she instructed, "Now hold your wand hand out over your broom, like this," she stepped over her own broom, lying in the grass, so that it was to her right. She held out her right hand over it. "Palm down. Now, in a firm voice, like if you're ordering a dog to sit, tell it to come to your hand by saying 'up' - Up!" she said, louder, in demonstration, and her broom leapt up directly into her hand.

"I'd like you all to try that. You may need to try it a couple of times to get it to work. Once it's in your hand, just swing one leg over it like this," she demonstrated climbing onto the broom, "and just hover there for a bit. Try to keep steady and not drift too much. Raise your hand if you have a question or a problem. Barring too many of those, I'll show you how to manuever once everybody gets into a hover."

OOC: Hello and welcome to Sonora. Your character earns points for their House by participating in classes. Long, quality posts earn the most points, so be sure to follow the posting rules. Have fun!

Subthreads:

This probably fits well with my name by Aria Yale, Teppenpaw with Wesley Kohler, Pecari

Well, there's one step out of the way... by Lucille Carey, Teppenpaw with Lucrezia Renaldi, Crotalus, Lucille

Indulging my curiosity by Jay Carey, Aladren

Disasters in flying by Clara Abernathy with Lucian D'Alesandro, Aladren

Defying Gravity by Aubrielle Thornton, Teppenpaw

Can't I keep my feet on the ground? by Solomon Bensalem with Clara Abernathy

Refusal (Coach Pierce) by Carrie O'Malley, Crotalus with Coach Amelia Pierce

Slightly appalled. by Melanie Lennox, Teppenpaw

1 Coach Amelia Pierce Flying Lessons for First Years 20 Coach Amelia Pierce 1 5

Aria Yale, Teppenpaw

March 31, 2012 8:09 PM

This probably fits well with my name by Aria Yale, Teppenpaw

Aria wasn’t sure she understood the reason for flying lessons. She had no desire to be on the Quidditch team as the sport was far more brutal than her parents felt was safe for her and flying as a transportation seemed silly. Her feet worked perfectly well and, although she had yet to have a need to travel long distance aside from going to Sonora, her family had the ability to apparate. But, this was a requirement and Aria would do as she was told even if she didn’t understand it. The last thing she wanted was for the Deputy Headmistress to think ill of her and fail her for simply not flying.

This morning had been rather nice for Aria. She had awoken with the sun and slipped out of her dorm and went to the gardens. She had spent some time working on her morning exercises and then sat quietly in the morning dew by herself just enjoying the scenery. After a while, she knew that she would have to go back in and get ready for the day. This thought saddened her and almost made her regret coming to the school instead of being home with the family and friends.

So, here she stood in a similar outfit as she had worn to the Opening Feast (a long flowing skirt with an overly large t-shirt and sandals) watching the woman who had given her the potion with interest. Aria liked to observe people. Quietly study them to see just how they really are. It was fun. She learned so much more by doing that than by talking to them. The lesson seemed relatively easy enough for Aria, even if she had no idea what WAIL was or why this was important for their lesson. Were girls not allowed to fly?

Taking a breath, Aria looked down expectantly to the broom that was at her feet. Although she had never ridden one, Aria was not concerned about it. Magic flowed through her as naturally as her blood did. This was what she was meant to do. Just because the community preferred a simpler life despite having magic (and some with money), they held their abilities as proudly as the next person did.

“Up.” Aria commanded and smiled happily when the broom came directly into her outstretched hand. Maybe she had said it with confidence or maybe she just knew what to do, she couldn’t say, but she was happy to know that the broom was cooperating with her on this day. Hiking up her skirt a little, Aria swung her leg over and found herself hovering slightly off the ground. Her crazy mane of blonde hair momentarily blocked her view of the others, so she took a moment to pull her hair out of her face. Finding another student had also managed to make the broom work, Aria smiled to them, “This isn’t so terrible, is it?” She asked, making conversation.

0 Aria Yale, Teppenpaw This probably fits well with my name 0 Aria Yale, Teppenpaw 0 5

Wesley Kohler, Pecari

April 01, 2012 1:54 AM

Well that's good by Wesley Kohler, Pecari

http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=226290;article=3545;title=Quidditch%20Pitch

0 Wesley Kohler, Pecari Well that's good 0 Wesley Kohler, Pecari 0 5

Wesley Kohler, Pecari

April 01, 2012 1:54 AM

Whoops, read this one please! by Wesley Kohler, Pecari

Wesley Kohler wasn’t too excited about today. This morning was Flying Lessons and Wesley was not good on one, in fact Wesley hated flying. He hated heights, he hated the wind blowing through his hair. He hated it all, he hated everything about brooms and flying. Sure he and his siblings had a couple of hand-me down brooms they were allowed to fly but Wesley always kept his feet on a feet firmly on the ground. Pureblood or not Wesley wanted nothing to do with flying.

So he had dragged himself down to the pitch, her black hair combed neatly to the side, he wore a pair of black jeans, and a blue polo shirt. He didn’t want to look scruffy just because he was on a Quidditch Pitch. Wesley loved Quidditch, he loved to watch his team win, he just had no wish to play it, ever.

Wesley half paid attention to the Deputy Headmistress as she spoke while he mulled over he wanted to take the beginner class or the just go along to the the experienced class. Finally, the first year chose to be part of the beginner class. If other Purebloods asked he would say that his Mother and Father wouldn’t allow him to fly until he was older.

He stood with the other beginners, held his right hand over the broom and cried “up” The broom flew into his hand easily. He swung his leg over the broom and began to hover. He was relaxing when he heard a voice from the side of him. This isn’t so terrible, is it?”

Wesley shook his head, not wanting to sound like a wimp in front of the girl. “It could be worse.” He said and smiled at her. “I’m Wesley Kohler.” he would’ve held out his hand for her to shake but figured that would be a bad idea, he might slip off his broom and make a fool of himself.

0 Wesley Kohler, Pecari Whoops, read this one please! 0 Wesley Kohler, Pecari 0 5

Aria

April 01, 2012 9:20 PM

As you wish by Aria

Aria took in the boys appearance first. He was neatly dressed much like those who had been on the wagon with her and the girls of her dormitory had been. Even his hair was nicely done. This made Aria somewhat self-conscious with her own crazy head of blonde curls. He was probably much like all the others that she was still processing since coming to Sonora.

Aria sometimes wondered if she was going to meet someone more like her so that she didn’t feel completely outcast by everyone. Not that anyone had made her an outcast or anything. Her roommates all seemed pleasant enough, but Aria had the feeling that they found her strange because she was not from their ‘world’. Aria was proud to be from the community, of course, but she hadn’t realized how different living there would make her from everyone else.

When he introduced himself, Aria relaxed a little. He didn’t say the state in which he was from, that was good. Maybe he wasn’t from one of those families that were big enough to be in multiple states? Aria didn’t know her extended family at all. When her parents moved into the community, they lost all ties to their families. Aria had no understanding as to why this happened. Her father said it was because the family believed they were in a cult. Others felt that they were beneath them. Either way, Aria never met them. For all she knew, she had family in multiple states too and should be introducing herself as such. Instead she said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Wesley. I’m Aria Yale.” She returned his smile with one of her own. She was thankful that the yellow was no longer on her skin because she was sure it would make her like crazy.

“We do not fly where I am from. Everyone prefers to walk. Have you flown before?” She asked the boy beside her. Aria, despite worrying about being so different, was rather curious about the world around her. There was still so much for her to understand and learn that even if she was uncomfortable, she was going to stick it through. She loved her community very much, but the outside world was a mystery to her and Aria wanted to explore it. Clearly, the people were enigmas all of their own and it will take her many years before she truly understood them.

0 Aria As you wish 0 Aria 0 5

Lucille Carey, Teppenpaw

April 02, 2012 3:14 PM

Well, there's one step out of the way... by Lucille Carey, Teppenpaw

Faced with the prospect of flying lessons, Lucille was nervous, but determined not to show it. She was a Carey, more of a Carey than anyone except her two brothers if you looked at the strange situation with her grandmother the way her mother preferred to, and Careys did not show fear, especially if they were really feeling it.

Besides, other classes were bound to be worse for unfamiliarity, since she did at least ride horses at home and therefore owned appropriate outfits for riding, so it was good to go ahead and get practice at not showing her nervousness in a situation where she had a reason to think she might not do too badly. It wasn’t so much the class itself here that was making her nervous as it was the person who was teaching it. Lucille had been acquainted with a disowned person before, but that had been when she was just very small, she didn’t remember it at all, and the person hadn’t been disowned then anyway. She should have been, Mother said, but she hadn’t been then. Coach Pierce, however, had been disowned since before Lucille was born. The thought made her uneasy, as though being so terrible that your own mother would reject you was something contagious, like a disease.

Once the first years were gathered for the class, then, Lucille stood a little way away from the teacher, listened to the long speech without ever looking quite at Coach Pierce, and responded quietly to her name when it was read off the roll, rubbing her hands anxiously on the sides of her yellow riding dress for a moment. The pale color wasn’t really the thing to wear when she might fall off and onto the green grass of the Pitch, but she had felt like celebrating her Sorting a little, and she had always thought she looked nice in yellow, even though Mother thought it made her look washed out. She would have to change after this class anyway, and had others if this one got stained, so she didn’t suppose it really mattered anyway as long as she didn’t fall too early in the class, and it didn’t sound as though that would be as easy as it might have, considering what the directions for the beginners were.

As the groups split up and she got over being frightened by the way it was delivered, Lucille thought over the speech and much of it had seemed reasonable like that. She knew her mother was most annoyed that this class was going to last as long as it did, but it was true that she wasn’t going to disown her over it. There were small sacrifices that went along with going to school to meet proper friends and hopefully a proper husband, after all, and this was one of them. Maybe this wouldn’t be terribly bad. She still had to consciously prep herself not to flinch when Coach Pierce got to her in the broom-distribution line, but since she did not immediately begin to want to go wild after saying “thank you,” she thought the interaction had been a success for her.

Still, though, there was one more hurdle to pass before she could begin to relax about this class: actually flying. Looking at the broom, she said, “Up, please,” and it had no effect whatsoever.

She frowned slightly. She had hoped to be polite, but it seemed that the coach was right about this, anyway, especially since she heard firmer voices around her. “Up,” she said sternly, as though she were telling Baby not to do something – Mal was impossible; her voice was more likely to get shrill if she was speaking to him about doing or not doing something, but Baby was still, well, almost a baby, and a little more reasonable than their brother – and she felt her heart leap as she though the broom was going to obey her, but then it just flopped back to the ground.

She took a deep breath, blinking hard to suppress the beginnings of tears. It was progress, anyway. She just had to think about…well, nothing, actually, since trying to make herself feel better always made her feel worse and yet she did it anyway until she remembered because Stepmother always said she though think good things when she started to feel upset no matter how many times Lucille explained that it just made it worse, but she just had to think and then try again. Her nerves were just over-wound because of how strange school was so far, and how stressful it was to be around all-new people, people who weren’t Careys; she couldn’t let that get the better of her. Theresa and Alexandra had both done fine in school last year. She could, too.

Two tries later, she had the broom in the air, though it didn’t so much leap to her hand as halfheartedly shrug its way there, and she was back to figuring out flying. Carefully, she mounted the broom and kicked off as gently as she could, so she only floated a little above the ground. Five feet was taller than she was, and she wasn’t ready to be that far away from the ground yet. She was higher than this when she rode a horse, but part of the horse was still on solid ground as well.

“I’m fine,” she said to herself under her breath. “I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine.”

After a minute, she started to believe it. Now she just had to figure out how to get as high in the air as she was supposed to be, instead of as high as she was. It looked like a longer way down than she thought it was, but she was still sure she wasn’t more than her own height above the ground right now. Maybe half of her height, maybe, but not even her full height, never mind more. That was her problem now.

0 Lucille Carey, Teppenpaw Well, there's one step out of the way... 0 Lucille Carey, Teppenpaw 0 5

Jay Carey, Aladren

April 02, 2012 4:36 PM

Indulging my curiosity by Jay Carey, Aladren

Jay prided himself on being able to think of how things were for other people, but he had honestly been surprised to find out that they were going to have flying lessons once they got to school. At home, even the girls had, by the time they were six or seven, learned how to use a broom, if only by annoying or blackmailing their brothers or cousins into teaching them in secret because they couldn’t learn officially, and the boys were formally introduced to flying about the time they learned to walk. The idea that they’d need lessons in something so basic seemed strange to him.

Still, though, he went down with everyone else and smiled at the teacher, even if she was not a reputable person, and the other students and waited to hear what they were going to do. His cousins had mentioned that they had been allowed to play Quidditch instead of having to go over the basics again, but that they weren’t sure, after Thaddeus Pierce jumped off his broom last year and got in trouble, if Coach Pierce would still offer the people who already knew more or less how to fly that chance. Jay was under no illusions that he was the best flier in the world, Arnold had been outdoing him on a broom since they were old enough to fly at all, but he knew he was past the hovering stage. He’d hover if he had to and not complain about it, since there was no point in complaining about it, but he thought it would be an awfully boring thing to do every week for a year.

Of course, there was a chance he would discover he had really been doing everything wrong all his life and need to relearn it all from the ground up and end up with a much greater appreciation for brooms and flying – but really, that was the kind of thing he said to his younger siblings to get them to do things they didn’t want to do, and while he believed it sometimes, there were other times, like now, when he knew that if he had to spend a year learning to fly from the ground up, it was probably going to be really boring.

After they got through the part where the girls wouldn’t be disowned for performing the beginners’ exercises, though, she revealed that yes, those who knew how to fly could go do that, provided they didn’t cause any trouble. She wasn’t hugely specific about what interfering with the lesson would be, but Jay was, without Arnold here to egg him into doing stupid things, planning to play it comparatively safe anyway, so he didn’t think he was going to do it, anyway.

Especially since, he had to admit, he was more than a little intrigued by these Muggle balls she had mentioned. He had never seen anything Muggles made before, and had been vaguely under the impression that they were uncivilized, so the idea of looking at the other balls was interesting to him. The reality, though, if he was right about what he was looking at, didn’t look particularly crudely formed, just sort of oddly sized and textured. He lifted a ball and looked at it, then at the person who came up beside him. “Have you seen a ball like this before?” he asked, holding it up and out a little for their inspection. It seemed to have seams of some kind on its surface, but he couldn’t quite see how they’d been made, and the material of it felt strange, too.

0 Jay Carey, Aladren Indulging my curiosity 0 Jay Carey, Aladren 0 5

Lucrezia Renaldi, Crotalus

April 02, 2012 5:06 PM

How about the next? by Lucrezia Renaldi, Crotalus

Lucrezia had always loved flying. There was something about being on top of a broom flying through the sky that gave the little Italian a sense of freedom and purpose. However, liking flying was not the same as liking Quidditch. No, it wasn’t. The little Crotalus thought that Quidditch was just barbaric and horrible, and she couldn’t understand why her older sisters liked it. They didn’t play it because well-raised ladies didn’t, but they loved watching it. They even made bets about the Italian league and liked to invite famous players to some Renaldi Social Functions. It probably had to do with the fact that their father owned one of the greatest Quidditch team Italy had seen, Il Azzuri Tornado. The youngest Renaldi couldn’t care less about that.

But flying definitely had its charms.

The dark-haired first-year listened without interest to what Coach Pierce had to say because she knew how to handle a broom. It wasn’t out of disrespect or anything, but she just wanted to fly and enjoy the day. Her first days at Sonora had been quite exciting and filled with awesome people, and she wanted to continue with that excellent streak of friendliness. She hadn’t encountered anyone or anything that made her frown. She hoped it stayed like that.

Once the Coach gave the signal she flew away. A smile formed on her face as she heard the wind pass and made her robes fly with it. There was no better sense of freedom than flying. It had become a habit of hers to fly whenever she felt pressured. The Renaldi household could be somewhat smothering and from time to time Lucrezia liked to get lost in the vast forest in her backyard. However, she wasn’t feeling smothered or anything, but the elation of flying just made the normally happy girl be happier about life, especially since she missed her house and parents.

Being so far away from home was causing a little bit of sadness in her, but she didn’t want to be the sad girl from her year group and flying helped her with that. Right now there was nothing that bothered her.

She flew around for a few minutes before heading back to hovering with the rest of her class like she was supposed to do. Lucrezia found herself besides a girl that seemed to be quite terrified of flying. Sporting a bright smile she put a hand on her shoulder, “Are you alright?” she asked in her very accented English. Her Great-grandfather Ignatious had told her she needed to work on her English. Lucrezia didn’t see the point, since everyone understood her perfectly, or so she thought.

0 Lucrezia Renaldi, Crotalus How about the next? 0 Lucrezia Renaldi, Crotalus 0 5

Lucille

April 02, 2012 5:54 PM

It doesn't seem to be going as well by Lucille

If she hadn’t already had both hands on the long handle of the broom, Lucille was sure she would have fallen off when a hand fell on her shoulder and she jumped a little, surprised. Blanching, she shifted her weight, trying to keep her balance.

She succeeded finally and looked over at the other girl, the one speaking to her, the color coming back into her face with a little interest as she made her mouth smile while she pretended that the whole embarrassing incident had never happened. It was the only way to handle it, she knew. She just had to keep going forward and pretend that the past had never happened, whether ‘the past’ referred to something as distant as her parents’ divorce or something as recent as the incident just now with her broom. It hadn’t looked as bad as it had felt, she was sure. It never did, when she felt like she was going to panic but looked in the mirror and saw that she still looked okay. If she kept going forward and didn’t mess it up again, then the past wouldn’t matter, and people would forget about it soon enough.

“Oh, yes,” she said after a slight pause, during which she was getting her breath and working through the other girl’s accent to the question about her welfare. “I just don’t quite know what to do next.” She gestured to the small amount of air between her boots and the ground. “I got up all right, but I’m not sure how to go the rest of the way up, up to five feet, from here. I’ve ridden horses before, but they usually go forward, not up.”

She had jumped before, but that was a secret. Mother would throw a fit if she knew Lucille had ever done it, much less that she’d first talked her riding teacher into showing her how even though she knew Mother wouldn’t approve and then sworn the teacher to secrecy. Besides, a broom wasn’t the same thing. It was just…there, a small little thing that hardly seemed like it ought to be able to hold her up at all and which she knew nothing about the workings of. She didn’t think there was even a broomstick in her whole house at home; if there was, she had never seen it.

She looked at the other girl, who seemed much more comfortable on her broom. Maybe she could help her, but anyway, whether she did or she didn’t, it wouldn’t do to not introduce herself. They were going to know each other for seven years at least, and maybe longer for all she knew, so they needed to know each others’ names, anyway. It was important to learn the rest of her classmates’ names as soon as she could, she knew, so she wouldn’t make a fool of herself speaking to them the way she would if someone learned her name and used it and she didn't know theirs. “I’m Lucille Carey,” she introduced herself. “Of the North Carolina Careys. I’m sorry I jumped like that – it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

0 Lucille It doesn't seem to be going as well 0 Lucille 0 5

Clara Abernathy

April 03, 2012 6:32 PM

Disasters in flying by Clara Abernathy

Clara waited patiently with the other first years as Professor Pierce finished roll call. When she heard her name called Clara raised her hand and said "Here." She lined up to get her broom and glanced at it in despair. Clara remembered her very first flying lesson almost very clearly, there were a few patches missing due to her collision with the oak tree and the bump on her head at the time. She wasn't just bad at flying, she was TERRIBLE at it. Her father had joked once that she was an anti-flyer. Why couldn't we be learning to ride horses? she complained to herself as she took her spot on the white line. At least I can do that!

Clara actually was a natural when it came to handling horses. She had 2 Appaloosas at home that she rode all over her father's vineyard and the surrounding land. She had no trouble climbing her small body onto the saddle, slipping her feet into the stirrups, grabbing the reigns and running with the animal across the fields. She loved the freedom the movement gave her and how the wind whipped through her already unkempt hair, making it wilder. When she was on a horse she was definately in her element. On a broomstick she might as be a clown stuffed in a clown car. Despite spending several weeks trying to learn how to fly when her father had tried to teach her, the only part of it she had seemed to master was the falling off part. After her 200th consecutive fall, her poor father had finally decided she was unteachable and announced she would receive no more lessons. I think he feared she might kill herself.

Clara, being the stubborn little spitfire she was, decided that if her father would not teach her to fly, she would teach herself. Great thought process for a nine year old, right? Clara had thought so because then it had meant that she wouldn't disappoint her father. She practiced for almost three days straight. Finally after what might have been due to lack of sleep, not eating or both she had made part of her father's worst nightmare come true. She had managed to get herself and the broom to stay in the air together, but then lost control of it. She found herself flying straight for the barn. She had somehow managed to fly right through the open front doors, but had not been as lucky exiting as she was in entering. She crashed through the wood at the back and then crashed into the large oak tree that sat behind the barn. She had just seen the tree through the splintered wood and was unable to avoid striking it. The impact splintered her broom and sent her crashing to the ground like a discarded toy doll. She was found on the ground at the base of the tree. She awoke later in the hospital sporting a broken leg, a fractured arm, a cracked collarbone and a bump on her head. That was when she decided it was best for everyone, herself especially, that she give up trying to fly.

Now here she was 2 years later getting ready to have history repeat itself. I must be nuts! she said to herself as she laid the broom down on the ground as instructed. At least this place has a hospital wing she told herself cheerfully. Maybe they'll let me stay on the ground if I break anything this time she laughed to herself. She held her shaky hand out towards the broom as she was instructed and licked her suddenly dry lips before issuing her command. "Up!" she told the broom forcefully. The broom leapt up from the ground and into her waiting hand. Well here goes nothing she thought to herself as she mounted the broom and began to slightly hover. She let out a deep breath and allowed herself to raise slightly into the air with the rest of her classmates. Just as she was starting to think she might actually have it this time the broom suddenly stopped hovering send her and it crashing to the ground. Clara moaned slightly as she picked herself up off the ground. Not again! she complained to herself. I'm gonna do this even if it kills me!

Clara silently hoped she would be right about the first part and not the second as she mounted the broom again for another try.

0 Clara Abernathy Disasters in flying 232 Clara Abernathy 0 5

Lucrezia

April 03, 2012 9:23 PM

I can help! by Lucrezia

Lucrezia giggled. She wasn’t laughing at the other girl, no. She was quite amused about the horse comment, especially because she understood it. The Italian rode from time to time with some members of her family, but flying was a better hobby than horse-back riding. “Some horses do go up,” she said with a friendly grin on her face. Her family owned a few palominos. Lucrezia loved them. They were nice but scary at the same time. She even had named one herself. “Don’t worry, it was my fault.” It had really been. Lucrezia had unsuspectedly touched her. It had been somewhat rude, and she was really sorry for startling her.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Lucrezia Renaldi, from The Randolph family. Though, I actually live in Italy. ” Her Great-Grandfather Ignatious had told her to always add her American family because most American families didn’t know the European ones, after she had written them about her encounter with Heaven. American Pureblood society was somewhat different than the one in Europe. Lucrezia needed to get used to it, especially about the long formal introduction. In Europe people didn’t add a branch, because if your family was important the others instantly recognized you by the name, but they were just different ways of handling things. And since she was in their turf it was only right to get used to the way people moved around her.

Lucrezia would curtsy, but it would be detrimental to her physical well-being.

“May I help you? I have some knowledge about flying, and I would love to help.” The grin on her face was friendly and inviting. The little Italian had a mission and that was befriending every decent person at the school. For some reason her family wanted to have a better understanding of Pureblood society in America and sending her to an American school had been the next move. She didn’t mind, not at all. There was something exciting about starting a new life in a foreign, exotic place. The USA was so different to Calambria that she learned something new every day.

If she was honest with herself, Lucrezia missed the food more than anything. Food had always been a source of comfort for her, but the Italian food served at Sonora wasn’t as good as the one made by her house-elves.

0 Lucrezia I can help! 0 Lucrezia 0 5

Wesley

April 04, 2012 1:19 AM

Many Thanks. by Wesley

Wesley smiled when the girl next to him introduced herself as Aria Yale. "Pretty name Aria." Wesley said. He had never heard a name like hers before; he hadn't met a lot of girls though. In fact, his cousins were all males, and his sister was named Elise. He already missed Elise, she was his best friend and he hated leaving her behind for the next three years. She would be coming to Sonora in Wesley's fourth year.

Wesley nodded when Aria asked if he had flown before. "I have, but I don't enjoy flying in least. I'd prefer to walk." Wesley informed his fellow first year. Yet, he wondered if the girl was a Muggleborn, not that there was anything wrong with it, it was just odd for people to prefer to walk. Wesley knew he was an odd Pureblood. He liked Muggles, Muggleborns, and keeping his feet on the ground.

"If you don't mind me asking, where are you from?" He asked, as he slowly took one hand off the broom and scratched his face. He hated being in the air, he wanted off the broom but was glad Aria was keeping his mind off what he was actually doing.

0 Wesley Many Thanks. 0 Wesley 0 5

Lucille

April 04, 2012 7:21 PM

Please do! by Lucille

Lucille smiled at the comment about how some horses did go up. “Yes, but I’m not allowed to do that,” she said, then really hoped she hadn’t sounded like a completely prim little miss, a snotty little person no one would really like to talk to. She had heard what her mother said about other people behind their backs, and sometimes even what others said about her mother behind Meredith’s back, enough to know that sounding anything like that was nearly an unpardonable sin. There were distinctions, with some people being jealous of a girl who was well-behaved and that being no reason for her to misbehave, but there was behaving properly and then there was carrying it to the degree that it was somehow, paradoxically, impolite itself.

This, really, was the thing she had been dreading about leaving home as much as she had been looking forward to leaving it for most other reasons. She knew all these things, about what was proper and what was not, but not always how to recognize them here, outside, in the real world. There were so many ways to mess up, and sometimes it might not matter, but another time, it might make just the wrong enemy, and then you were disowned and in disgrace before you knew what was happening.

At least jumping wasn’t being held fatally against her. She smiled as she learned the new name, which she thought explained the accent. Lucrezia Renaldi. It sounded so exotic. So unlike her own, very boring name. The only person she’d met so far at school with a name as ordinary as hers was Melanie.

It was a little strange, too, the girl introducing herself as being from the Randolph family – had her parents died and left her to relations, or was she in some situation like Alexandra’s, having to associate herself with her mother’s family instead of her own? Though even Alex didn’t really introduce herself as a Carey, it was just quietly understood that she was really more of a Carey than she was a Devereux, because there wasn’t much of a reason to be a Devereux. It would, though, be terribly impolite to ask, she knew that, so Lucille said instead, “Oh, how lovely. Do you like it here in the United States so far?” because that seemed safe.

Once she worked through her accent on the longer statement again, Lucille looked over at the other girl gratefully when she offered her help with this awful thing Lucille was being forced to try to maneuver. “I would appreciate it,” she said. “I think I’m all right with being in the air like this now, but I can’t figure out how to go any further now that I’m here.” It made her feel foolish, which she didn’t like to do, but that was the problem, anyway. She had to figure out how to do this thing, which always seemed so easy when she saw boys do it but which was proving incomprehensible, or she would fail, and she could not fail.

At the thought, her hand pressed down on the broom handle, and she dropped back toward earth with a startled “Oh!” before, instinctively, she pulled the broom level and recovered her balance. “Unless that’s how you do it,” she added to Lucrezia, looking at the broom handle and trying to work up the nerve to try pulling it up a little. “Is it always that…sudden, when you move a broom?” It occurred to her to wonder how the other girl knew how to fly, but that was another thing she couldn’t ask. If Lucrezia’s knowledge helped her not make a fool of herself in public, she didn’t think she would even care, either.

0 Lucille Please do! 0 Lucille 0 5

Lucrezia

April 06, 2012 7:42 PM

Glad to! by Lucrezia

Lucrezia was trying to stifle a giggle, but failing miserably. Lucille was funny, and Lucrezia was already thinking of her as a friend. There hadn’t been anything going horribly wrong in their friendly exchange. The little Italian landed and got off her broom to help Lucille. She liked feeling useful, and she loved that her thick accent wasn’t making communication harder than it should probably be. She needed to practice her English in order to become better. His Great-Grandfather had told her that if she wanted to be part of the American Pureblood society she needed to learn to speak English flawlessly without any tinge of an accent.

She crossed her arms and began circling Lucille trying to come up with the best explanation she could provide about flying. “Well, you seem to have the gist of it, but you are too afraid of what happens with the slightest moves. The broom knows when you aren’t ready to fly,” she said matter-of-factly. “Or afraid of it.” The eleven-year old didn’t want to sound condescending or bossy, and she hoped Lucille didn’t take it that way. She was just trying to help.

“Yes, the broom will move depending on your hands. If you want to go up, you just use your hands to move the handle up. To go down you move the handle down, it is the same for any given direction,” she smiled and hoped that her simple explanation helped Lucille see there was nothing to be afraid of, though people being afraid of flying was something rather common. Back at home she was the only one that actually flied, since her friends were afraid of it or their parents had prohibited it. Thankfully, her parents had been more lenient with her on that account.

The Crotalus hopped on the broom she had left by her side, “Yes, movements are sudden, but you get used to them.” Lucrezia couldn’t understand why Lucille seemed so jumpy about flying. There was nothing better than feeling the air play with your hair. “I think there is nothing better than flying. My parents gave me permission to learn it after my older brother took me out once.” She smiled as her broom hovered at the same height as Lucille’s. “Are you ready to go higher?” she smiled, “I won’t leave your side.”

0 Lucrezia Glad to! 0 Lucrezia 0 5

Lucille

April 07, 2012 6:48 PM

That is wonderful to hear by Lucille

Lucille bit her lower lip for a second when Lucrezia giggled for some reason she didn’t really understand, but it seemed like it was all right, so she didn’t ask. Giggling wasn’t what most people did when they were offended, so it probably meant that, so far at least, she was doing well. Or at least not so terribly that she should never be spoken to again and shunned by all of polite society.

She nodded to the statements about the broom having some sense of the person riding it. “I don’t feel afraid,” she said. “Not now, anyway – “ and really, the feeling she’d gotten when she realized she had gotten in the air had been more of a really overwhelming relief than fear, relief that she wasn’t going to fail, but she supposed there could have been some fear under that she had been too distracted to think about, since Lucille more or less regarded being afraid of making a mistake as a constant background event in her life – “just like I don’t know how to make it do much. I thought I wouldn’t go very high at first in case I was afraid of it, but we’re supposed to go higher, and then I couldn’t figure out how to get there.”

Figuring it out was completely accidental and more than a little scary by itself, but it turned out that she had gotten the idea right in the end. Carefully, thinking it might be less abrupt if she was doing it deliberately, Lucille pulled the broom up and returned to her previous height with only one wobble, which she could tell felt bigger than it had looked. Her stomach had lurched with it, but she couldn’t help but feel a little proud of herself at the same time. She was doing it. She was staying on the broom, she was starting to work it out…she wasn’t completely incompetent, at least in this respect.

She smiled when Lucrezia said she thought there was nothing better than flying, and that she’d gotten permission from her parents to learn. “You’re lucky,” she said, supposing perhaps the rules were not as strict in Italy. “My mother would never allow my brothers to show me.” She knew Mal knew how, at least a little and more than she did, but it had never even occurred to either of them, that she knew of, that he might show her. It simply wasn’t done.

She smiled again when Lucrezia asked if she wanted to go higher, refusing to feel nervous about the idea. She was not going to look weak and silly in front of another girl. “All right,” she said. “Thank you, Lucrezia.” She pulled her broom up a little higher, keeping an eye on Lucrezia, and steadied out after a way up.

“It’s not so bad,” she said after glancing around her for a moment. “You don’t have to wait around for me, though, if you’d rather go play with the more experienced ones.” Which she supposed was half-code for asking if Lucrezia played Quidditch, but she did mean it. She didn’t want anyone to go to trouble, stay away from something they wanted to do, on her behalf, that was just horribly embarrassing to even think about.

0 Lucille That is wonderful to hear 0 Lucille 0 5

Aria

April 08, 2012 8:24 PM

Many Welcomes by Aria

“Thank you.” Aria commented when he complimented her name. People at this school seemed to have a thing about names. The girls in her room apparently had to ask on what Aria felt was the best name to call her by. She still did not quite understand this concept. Unless a person did not feel that their name adequately represented their true self, Aria did not feel like there is a reason to be called anything else. But, she was honestly thinking that people outside the walls of the community. “My parents wanted me to have a name to fit me well and have an elemental base to it.” That probably meant nothing to him; it hadn’t seemed to matter to her roommates when she told them.

Aria gave a nod when Wesley confirmed that he had flown before and, like her people, preferred to keep both feet on the ground. Aria was sure that there were some in her group that might have preferred to use a broom, especially when it came to planting and harvesting. Aria was not part of that group. Her mother was the Witch Doctor, or so they dubbed her. The Medicinal Woman. She created herb potions, or herb remedies to help those of the community. All were plant based considering they do not believe in the sacrifice of the flesh. Her father was one of the ‘Elders’ though he was not old at all, just in his last thirties, but his background was in Public Relations (prior to meeting her mother) and so they felt he could speak well with the community. This was all decided before Aria was born, but it meant that her parents held important positions in the community and she would be following in her mother’s footsteps as Medicine Woman. Aria had been learning the ways for as long as she could remember. She had plants memorized from the long hours she spent out in the woods or fields collecting them.

Aria sat completely content on her broom, hovering slightly above the ground. Flying wasn’t so terrible now that she thought of it, but she still preferred to use her feet for her main source of transportation. “I’m from a Spiritual Community in New Mexico for Magical Beings.” Aria said with a hint of pride. Although their group did not have a name, people who wanted to leave the material world always seemed to find them just fine. “We have adapted to live from the land and only the land. Magic is still used, but we tend to try not to way our lives so heavily onto it.” Aria explained, she didn’t want anyone to assume they were something when they weren’t. People chose this life happily. “Where are you from, Wesley?” She asked because he had just asked her.

0 Aria Many Welcomes 0 Aria 0 5

Lucian D'Alesandro, Aladren

April 09, 2012 1:45 AM

Practice makes perfect? by Lucian D'Alesandro, Aladren

Lucian woke up on the day of his flying lesson with a great anxiousness. His mother never allowed him to try flying at home. His younger sister was given that privilege because, according to his mother, she showed “promise that he was lacking.” However, when his parents were away on business, which was most of the time, brooms were kept away from the children. Luckily for Lucian he was very observant and sneakily watched where his parents hid them away. When he worked up the nerve to try flying against his mother’s advisement last summer, he decided to take one of the brooms for a spin. After retrieving one from the secret hiding place that wasn’t so secret, he had went out to the backyard for a test run. He managed to get off the ground and hover, but to his dismay the broom seemed to have other ideas. He went sailing over the large weeping willow tree, which was a good 100 yards from his house, and crashed into the pond behind it. His parents just happened to return home from their trip that night to find him bruised, sore, and soggy. That was the one and only time he attempted to fly.

This time Lucian was looking forward to proving his mother wrong. Hopefully.

He stepped eagerly, and nervously, onto the field and waited for his name to be called during role. He responded with a quiet “here” and returned to giving himself a silent pep talk. After he lined up for his broom he looked at it laying on the ground next to him. He held out his hand as instructed and said a forceful yet cautious “Up!” and watched with enthusiasm as his broom rose to his hand. Well, that’s a good start at least, he thought to himself. He breathed in and out slowly as got onto the broom and hovered a little above the ground. So far so good. He watched as the girl next to him crashed to the ground after hovering for a bit, and then got back up and climbed onto her broom once more.

“Practice makes perfect, I suppose.” he said smiling, hoping to reassure her and himself.

0 Lucian D'Alesandro, Aladren Practice makes perfect? 0 Lucian D'Alesandro, Aladren 0 5

Lucrezia

April 10, 2012 5:39 PM

Lets fly, then! by Lucrezia

“You are welcome,” Lucrezia responded with another smile. She didn’t mind helping Lucille out; especially because she remembered how afraid she had been the first time she had done it by herself. Having Carlo fly her around was infinitely different than doing it herself. Her parents had been nice enough to hire a flying tutor for her and her older brother had been with her throughout the whole experience. Carlo was nice like that. Alana and Aimee had taken bets on when she would injury herself and how severe. Her older sisters were the epitome of brats and it was worse because there were two of them. “I really don’t mind.”

She looked over the more experienced fliers and saw then playing a game of Quidditch, “oh no, I don’t play Quidditch. It is horribly brutal and dumb.” Lucrezia went a tad bit higher on her broom, “never liked it. My father owns a team in Italy and for the love of Merlin I have never seen what people like about it.” The Italian spent a lot of her days stuck inside a box in the stadium cheering for a team she didn’t even like. It was a family thing, and she couldn’t say no. Father, Mother, Carlo, the Twins and she were supposed to be there. No matter what. There were a handful of times were they couldn’t make, but they were life and death reasons, like important parties and events. Some of the players had been drafted into the Italian team. Her father loved his team and usually spent a lot of time and money on it.

“Do you like Quidditch?” even when Lucille couldn’t fly, she may enjoy the game from time to time and if she did, Lucrezia would respect it. She couldn’t impose her over the top dramatically life choice to everyone on her path, even when she knew she was right. It was rude to point the mistakes of other so directly. The best way was by doing it subtly. The Crotalus had seen her family do just that, she hadn’t experienced it, but she was quite certain it would be easy to pick it up. It seemed so easy.

A gust of wind played with her long ponytail, small strands of her hair were ticking her face. She looked up, “How about we go higher? Just a little bit?” Lucrezia extended her hand at Lucille.

0 Lucrezia Lets fly, then! 0 Lucrezia 0 5

Clara Abernathy

April 11, 2012 5:39 PM

It does? by Clara Abernathy

Clara sat on her broomstick gearing up for her next failed attempt when she a voice next to her speak. "Practice makes perfect, I suppose," the boy on the broomstick next to her smiled encouragingly. Clara couldn't help, but smile back in response. If only he knew just how many time Clara had tried practicing. She cringed slightly at the memory. "I suppose you might be right," she agreed, smiling crookedly still sitting on her broomstick. "Although in my case continuing to practice may mean a lot of time spent in the hospital wing," she laughed at her own bad joke.

"Besides, I'm really kind of hoping that if I can prove I'm more of a flying hazard than a flyer that they might let me keep my feet on the ground." She gripped the broomstick tightly as she tried psyching herself up to try again. Clara couldn't keep the butterflies from flapping around in her stomach. She licked her dry lips again and let out slowly the deep breath she had been holding. She kept trying to tell herself that maybe he was right after all and maybe all she really needed to do was practice. She hoped he was right. "Thank you for saying that," she told him sincerely. "My name is Clara Abernathy," she introduced herself. "What's your name?" she asked as she held out her hand to shake his.

0 Clara Abernathy It does? 232 Clara Abernathy 0 5

Aubrielle Thornton, Teppenpaw

April 12, 2012 12:43 AM

Defying Gravity by Aubrielle Thornton, Teppenpaw

Aubrielle had been looking forward to flying lessons almost as much as she’d been looking forward to coming to Sonora. She wanted more than anything to fly, feel the air through her strawberry-blonde-ish red hair. The shows she knew she would perform in the air when she was fully trained up would be wonderful, she knew. Brielle could see it now.

I’ll be the best Elphaba ever! I’ll really be flying! she thought as she pictured herself singing ‘Defying Gravity’ loud and clear. What she didn’t realize was that she’d been humming it as she thought about the song that was one of her favorites. Words soon crept into the mix as she walked down to the pitch. “Something has changed within me, something is not the same. I'm through with playing by the rules
of someone else's game. Too late for second-guessing, too late to go back to sleep! It's time to trust my instincts, close my eyes: and leap!” she sang with a little leap as she had sung it. Still walking, carrying the borrowed broom, seeing the Quidditch Pitch not too far off she kept on singing.

She got to the Pitch by the other first years and Deputy Headmistress/Coach Pierce and she kept singing (not as loudly, but she kept it up ’til the end of her song. “I'm through accepting limits 'cause someone says they're so‘. Some things I cannot change, but till I try, I'll never know! Too long I've been afraid of losing love I guess I've lost. Well, if that's love it comes at much too high a cost!” She reached the others and finished the song “I'm defying gravity, and you can't pull me down.” just in time for Coach Pierce to start talking.

She greeted them and introduced herself before she went on to tell them that this class they would have points taken from them and could get detention if they didn’t follow the rules. Brielle nodded to show she understood. Coach Pierce went on about WAIL and then if they knew how to fly they could go ahead and play while the others learned with a threat of having to hover just above the ground if they messed around. Brielle knew how to fly. She wasn’t so good at it, but being taught by someone who was an adult was better than by her sisters. B knew that Clara would be learning with the Coach so she decided that she would too.

Coach Pierce called roll and she waited as the names were called ahead of hers. When hers was called, she raised her hand and said, “Here!” as the names went on after hers. With that the experienced flyers were sent off and Brielle walked closer to Clara to show her cousin that she was there. The children that needed to borrow a school broom got one. Brielle had been lucky to be allowed to borrow Arista’s broom for class so she didn’t need a school one, but she walked towards them with Clara anyway.

Once a broom had been obtained by each student they were told to line up. A white line appeared on the grass and she followed the directions given and put Ris’s broom on the ground to her right. When told to hold up their wand hand over the broom she did as she was told. “Up.” she said when they were told to, in her firm voice and the broom responded right away.

“Wow…” Brielle said as she glanced at the broom in her hand. “Cool.” She swung one leg over as she was shown and hovered steadily. Wow… This is easy! Why wasn’t it this easy when Arista and Amira were trying to show me? she thought as she turned towards Clara to check on her. She was hovering too!

“Atta-” she started to say to her cousin as she crashed to the ground. Aubrielle leaned back to the ground again and dismounted her own borrowed broom to be sure her cousin was okay but by the time she got down, Clara had gotten back up again and made to start hovering again. B got back onto her broom and hovered once more, satisfied that Clara was alright.

0 Aubrielle Thornton, Teppenpaw Defying Gravity 0 Aubrielle Thornton, Teppenpaw 0 5

Lucille

April 15, 2012 9:48 PM

Here we go! by Lucille

Lucille was never sure if she should take people at their word about what did or didn’t bother them, but right now, she was going to do that, because she really didn’t want Lucrezia to leave her. She was not stupid or superstitious, she knew she would not magically fall off because no one was with her, but she just felt safer because someone who did seem to know what they were doing was with her. At the very least, Lucrezia might not, if Lucille fell or something, panic and instead do something useful, like yell ‘help!’ really loudly instead of sitting there frozen, as Lucille imagined she would.

She followed her new friend up a little almost by reflex as Lucrezia talked about Quidditch and why she didn’t like it, but did have an investment in it. Lucille nodded, too, to that. She didn’t think her family owned any Quidditch teams, or at least she didn’t know if they did, but she did know that owning things and working with property and money were things that men did, and they didn’t necessarily have to like or even know about them for them to still make money keep appearing when the seamstress came, or a party needed to be held, or she went to visit relatives somewhere. That was how it went. That was why you were supposed to have a father and uncles and, eventually, a husband, to take care of those things. Lucille didn’t know who was doing it for her family, but she assumed someone was.

“I’ve never seen it,” Lucille said honestly when Lucrezia asked if she liked Quidditch. “It does sound very violent, though. My brother’s told me about it, he always sounds so excited, but I don’t know why. I don’t understand why you’d want to see someone get hit in the head with something heavy.” Lucille didn’t object, she thought, to the idea of that woman being hit in the head with something, but she didn’t think she wanted to see it even so. Pain bothered her, it upset her when people were upset, she just didn’t want to deal with it.

She smiled, then, hoping to mask her own unease, when Lucrezia suggested that they go higher. It was always, in her experience, easier to do as she was told, as others wanted her to do, so that was what she was going to do now. She had to fly higher for the class anyway, so it was just better. “All right,” she said, and pulled up the broom again.

She meant for it to be gently, but the broom jumped, taking her higher and faster than she’d meant for it to. She caught herself, though, and steadied up again, glancing around for Lucrezia until she found her. “I think I’m getting the hang of balancing, anyway,” she said cheerfully, looking for the best. There were some things, she was firmly convinced, there was just not much good in, but most things weren’t like that, and this fell into the category of most things in her mind.

0 Lucille Here we go! 0 Lucille 0 5

Solomon Bensalem

April 17, 2012 1:48 AM

Can't I keep my feet on the ground? by Solomon Bensalem

Solomon knew he hadn’t made a very good show of himself the night he got to Sonora. He had listened to his elders as he’d been taught at home on the Island. In that respect he’d done well. It was what had happened with ‘Carrie O’Malley of the Colorado O’Malley’s’ that hadn’t gone over all too well. He knew that she didn’t see him as anywhere near her in the respect department and he wasn’t too keen on that. He knew he would be important one day, mayhaps even more than Carrie O’Malley and that was what he’d kept telling himself in the days that followed the fateful first day.

Solomon had learned so much in the first few days and weeks. For examples, how to send a letter home by Owl, the fact that a stick could help him perform magic and it was called a wand, and many other things besides. He was totally new at the magic thing and he felt utterly stupid for the first time in his life. Those at home called him the smartest boy in the Village, but here? Here he felt stupid, and he hated it.

Thoughts ran through his mind as he stood on the Pitch. He’d been early for Flying Class as he was always taught to be on time, even early. The lanky boy didn’t even notice the rest of the first years had all come already and the Deputy Headmistress was starting with a welcome and re-introduction before going to the rules. Solomon paid close attention to his Head of House’s words. He took care to repeat the rules in his mind right after she spoke them. His need and desire to follow rules would either help or harm him, or both. He would be willing to bed they’d help more than hurt though.

She went on telling them about something called WAIL. He had no idea about and he mentally added that to the list of things he didn’t know anything about. His list never got shorter, only longer and he felt like he was disappointing his village in more ways than one. He didn’t know how to fly, what a quaffle or any of the other balls she mentioned were either. He felt lost and alone, in a way, homeless. Brainless. Useless.

"Now I'm going to call roll, and then anyone who feels they do not need basic instruction may go play. Please raise your hand and say 'here' when I call your name. Ammon, Liam." she said as she called name after name on the list. When she got to Bensalem, Solomon, he raised his right hand and spoke softly, “Here.” When all the names were called and she’d sent off the experienced flyers, he lined up with the others and spotted Carrie. He hoped she didn’t catch his fear of this, or that he looked even more ridiculous than he had the last time she’d seemingly seen him as inferiour to her.

Amelia gave those without their own brooms one of the school ones and told them to put the sticks down on the grass to their dominant sides. He did as instructed and put his hand over the wooden stick. “Up.” he whispered in as firm a voice as he could make come from his vocal chords. The broom barely turned over on the grass. Other children around him had their brooms in hand now and were mounting them as if they were horses.

Still on the ground the awkward boy sighed and tried again and again until the broom turned around in circles when he uttered “Up.” Groaning inwardly, the boy looked at Amelia almost with helplessness in his stature.

0 Solomon Bensalem Can't I keep my feet on the ground? 0 Solomon Bensalem 0 5

Carrie O'Malley, Crotalus

April 20, 2012 6:44 AM

Refusal (Coach Pierce) by Carrie O'Malley, Crotalus

Flying was not a proper activity for young ladies. That was common knowledge. It was so simple that even Carrie's moronic brother could have figured it out. Therefore, the first year was absolutely not going to do it. Carrie didn't want to, and that was all there was to it. She didn't have to do anything she didn't want to do and she didn't want to do this. Coach Pierce could not make her. She was so far below the Crotalus that the idea of Carrie doing what that woman told to do was ridiculous anyway.

In fact, the first year had considered not even showing up for flying as there was no need for her to be here when she was not going to do the lesson in the first place. Oh, Carrie was certain that she was capable of flying. Ryan couldn't and of course, she was better than he was so, of course, she could do it. It was simply that she didn't want to and therefore was not going to. Carrie didn't have to because she was special. Coach Pierce would just have to get used to that.

That was why the first year had decided to go to this lesson in the first place. Just so she could have the satisfaction of telling that woman that she wouldn't be flying. Carrie was certain that her mother would be very proud of her for this-and if anyone didn't give her what she wanted, she would certainly let her mother know and Mother would have a word with the school. Carrie could not be expected to be treated like the others. She was better than them and thus deserved to be treated as such.

She lined up with the others, making sure she had the best school broom, even if she did have no intention of using it. It was the principle of the thing, after all, and the best got the best-and that was Carrie. She was the best. It was simply a fact. It would never do to have anything shabby near her. That was a positive crime. Having something used by others-even possibly touched by mudbloods-was bad enough but of course, Carrie did not own a broom of her own. No respectable pureblood girl ever would.

Nor did she have a relative who had a broom she could use to protect her from touching something touched by people who were impure. It wasn't as if Ryan had one. No, he was a loser, who couldn't fly at all. It was one thing for Carrie to never fly, because she was a girl, but boys were supposed to. Besides, she would never want to use anything he did either. Her mother hadn't even allowed him to eat off the same dishes as the rest of the family.

The first year nearly laughed when the woman said her mother wouldn't disown her for participating in flying lessons. Of course Mother wouldn't! It wasn't Carrie that was the one in the wrong-because she never ever was of course-it was the school and Coach Pierce. Flying was supposed to be for boys and the only women who liked it were manly ones. Like the coach, which was probably why she wasn't married.

Carrie waited until role was called and the experienced fliers were released to play their barbaric games-taking note, of course, of who went where given it was another way to figure out who was worth associating with. Boys who went with the experienced group most likely were and girls who did were not. It was a given that most pureblood boys could fly after all and that any girl who did, pure or not, was probably not from a good family or was the sort that was improper. Those who stayed with the beginners were more likely to be either proper girls or mudbloods. Of course, Carrie also paid attention to who answered to what name in order to make sure.

She was also quite offended by the fact that Coach Pierce apparently had muggle balls as well. How utterly dreadful! Just the fact that anything muggle would be brought into Sonora was offensive to Carrie. Mudbloods were bad enough and certainly, their...contraptions had no place here either. This was supposed to a magical school and any bit of filth who happened to show up needed to get used to it or get out. Their games certainly couldn't be around corrupting purebloods. Coach Pierce was apparently even trashier than Carrie thought.

As soon as the beginners were given their instructions, however, the Crotalus turned and began to walk away from the pitch, her head held high and her nose in the air.

11 Carrie O'Malley, Crotalus Refusal (Coach Pierce) 230 Carrie O'Malley, Crotalus 0 5

Clara Abernathy

April 20, 2012 8:43 PM

Can I help? by Clara Abernathy

Clara sat on her broom geared up for another try at flying when she happened to turn her head, looking around at the other beginners. One in particular caught her eye and she watched him curiously. She recognized all to well the look of hopelessness that seemed to be smeared all over his sad face. There were many times she too wore that same look. Every time she mounted the dreaded broom she always wished she could just put it down and walk away. Trying to fly had always made her feel helpless especially since every time she attempted it, she and the ground became the best of friends much to her poor posterior's dismay. She mentally rubbed her tush just thinking about all of the failed attempts and crash landings.

Clara dismounted her broom and carrying it with her she went to see if she could at least make the poor boy smile if nothing else. "I remember having that same problem," she told him, watching his broom move around in circles on the ground. "I felt like I'd never get the silly thing to stop doing it. My dad once told me it looked like I was trying to dig my way to China," she laughed aloud. "I'm Clara Abernathy," she introduced herself. "Its nice to meet you." She leaned closer to him dropping her voice slightly. "Just between you and me I'm TERRIBLE at flying," she whispered to him. "I'd much rather keep my feet firmly planted on the ground." She pulled back so she could see him better again. "Now, I may not be any good at flying," she began "but lets see if we can't at least get your broom up off the ground, shall we?" she smiled at the boy. "Put your broom back down on the ground and say very firmly, in a strong loud voice, "Up!" she instructed, showing the boy what she meant with her own broom.

0 Clara Abernathy Can I help? 232 Clara Abernathy 0 5

Melanie Lennox, Teppenpaw

April 20, 2012 11:10 PM

Slightly appalled. by Melanie Lennox, Teppenpaw

Unlike her older sister, Melanie had to take flying lessons. She didn't have a medical reason to get out of them and being here was just something that the Teppenpaw had to accept. She wasn't especially excited to be here, but there were much worse things that people had to deal with. Odds were, this class would be the only time in Melanie's entire life that she'd ever get on a broom. There were better ways to travel and it wasn't for girls.

Still, it really wasn't that big of a deal. Obviously, her mother didn't want her to take flying lessons either but her mother had nothing to say about it. Melanie was a girl, but she was a reasonably healthy girl and quite frankly, she'd rather suffer a little now then have to feel the way Valerie did all the time. The Teppenpaw hated seeing her sister put through all that and she couldn't even begin to truly understand how it must have felt for the older girl.

Melanie worried a lot about her sister too. Maybe too much, but it often seemed like their mother didn't worry about Valerie enough-except when she was getting attention and sympathy from others. Plus, the third year had not had a very good summer and the Teppenpaw wasn't really sure she was okay now. No sooner had Valerie been home then she'd gotten bronchitis-which apparently, had kept recurring during the previous spring, then the older girl had been plagued by a really intense, painful sinus infection that just had not seemed to let up. Valerie also seemed to stress a lot during the moments she was well enough to do her summer homework, and Melanie knew that didn't help matters. She had, naturally, done all that she could to help Valerie with it, looking up information on different forms of transportation and whatnot.

Once roll had been called and the experienced fliers released-even if Melanie had been on a broom before, she still would have stayed with the beginners, not at all wanting to play Quidditch or anything else-the first year made her way over to where the school brooms were kept. She reached for one but got jostled out of the way. The Teppenpaw remembered the name of the girl who'd done it from roll call too, because it had stood out to her. It was her cousin, Carrie, whom Melanie had never met-and so far, she wasn't impressed. Some people just had no manners.

She grabbed a broom of her own, a little miffed but not too bent out of shape. It wasn't as if the Teppenpaw had been hurt or anything, it was just rude and someone raised in a proper household should know better. Then again, Carrie was Ryan's sister, and Valerie had said that the fifth year wasn't as close to his own sister as the two of them were, but Melanie hadn't expected that . She'd expected politeness at least.

The brunette stood with the school broom, listening to instructions. Okay, there was absolutely nothing to worry about. It actually sounded quite easy-which Melanie had to admit was a good thing, because there was no point in spending a lot of energy on something she didn't care about or need. Stress might not have been as harmful to her as it could have been to Valerie, but she still didn't like to have too much of it. What if Melanie somehow got sick and gave it to the older girl? She'd be mad at herself then. Anytime that the Teppenpaw had ever had a cold or anything and her sister caught it-and she always did-she'd felt horribly guilty. Especially if Valerie ended up hospitalized.

She placed her hand over the broom and said "Up." It flew into her hand and Melanie was just trying to figure out how to mount it in a skirt, without letting everyone see too much-that would be most improper and embarrassing, but the Teppenpaw literally owned nothing that was appropriate for flying, her mother did not want her or Valerie ever looking the least bit unfeminine-when she spotted something out of the corner of her eye. Carrie was leaving ? The audacity was just...disgusting. Sure, Melanie's parents did not approve of Coach Pierce or girls flying, but the brunette still had to do what the woman told her,even if she didn't like it. She'd had to get used to all sorts of things she didn't like.

Still, she wasn't going to be a tattletale. Coach Pierce was surely perfectly capable of noticing on her own, but Melanie couldn't help but feel embarrassed a bit, just being at all related to the other first year. Thank Merlin that they had different last names. Hopefully, nobody would...associate her with a rude, bratty girl who didn't treat others with respect. It was important to be at least polite, it reflected worse on you than it did on those you were rude to if you weren't.

Melanie shook her head, as if to put it out of her mind and looked back at her broom. She mounted it delicately, making sure that her skirt was pulled down around and began to hover. "I guess this...isn't as bad as I thought." The Teppenpaw said to the person next to her. "I'm Melanie Lennox, of the St Louis Lennoxes." She introduced herself. So long as her skirt stayed down, it would all be okay. The first year sort of wished she'd worn a longer one, but that would only have gotten in the way.

11 Melanie Lennox, Teppenpaw Slightly appalled. 226 Melanie Lennox, Teppenpaw 0 5

Coach Pierce

April 22, 2012 5:30 PM

OOC by Coach Pierce

Hi, Clara, it's awesome that you're posting a lot, but please keep to a single subthread within a lesson. If you do have to change subthreads, be sure to close out your other one first to make it clear to your first partner that your character isn't with them anymore.

0 Coach Pierce OOC 0 Coach Pierce 0 5

Coach Amelia Pierce

April 22, 2012 6:18 PM

Not so fast, missy by Coach Amelia Pierce

Amelia was watching the group of first year, initially focusing on a boy (Solomon Bensalem, she remembered, having made particular note of the children designated as belonging to Crotalus on her list) who couldn't get his broom off the ground and a girl (who was not a Crotalus and who therefore hadn't made Amelia's first pass at memorization) who managed that much but crashed off her broom after only a few moments of hovering. She gave the boy a sympathetic look and meant to check on the girl's health (and get her name for the incident report she'd have to submit to Medic Bailey later), but that was when she noticed Carrie O'Malley (another Crotalus) walking off.

That could not be tolerated.

"Miss O'Malley!" she called sharply, following after the girl with long, ground-eating strides that shortened the lead the much shorter eleven year old had on her with every step. "Hold it right there," she ordered. Getting in front of the girl, Amelia blocked her way back to school and demanded, "Where do you think you are going, Miss O'Malley?"

Her tone was stern and if had been Derry Three she was addressing, he would have already been vainly trying to talk himself out of trouble. Carrie O'Malley was not her son, however, so Amelia persisted, making clear the consequences of crossing her further, "You are supposed to be attempting to hover, Miss O'Malley. Any other activity will gain you a detention, and believe me, you would far rather hover than serve a detention with me."

1 Coach Amelia Pierce Not so fast, missy 20 Coach Amelia Pierce 0 5

Carrie

April 26, 2012 11:46 PM

Fast would be unladylike. by Carrie

Carrie raised a perfect eyebrow. Miss Pierce was trying to stop her from leaving? How utterly ridiculous. Just like this entire class. Pureblood girls were not supposed to fly, but of course, it wasn't their fault they were in this class. It was the school's. Still, that didn't mean that Carrie was going to do it.

"I'm leaving." The Crotalus said, speaking the way someone might to a very small and stupid child. "There is no reason for me to be here. I am not going to fly. It's an unladylike and I don't want to. Therefore, I do not have to." Honestly, Carrie could see why the woman had been disowned. Clearly, she didn't seem to understand the way things were. Didn't understand that Carrie-in fact, many of the students, but especially Carrie-were her social betters and she had to respect that. Really, if Miss Pierce couldn't grasp that, she had no business in this job.

And now she was threatening the first year with detention! How absurd! The utter notion of it was downright insulting. Who did this woman think she was? There was no doubt about it, Carrie was going to contact her mother about Miss Pierce's behavior towards her. "Look, I'm sorry that you blew your chance at being respectable and that you're bitter towards students who are your betters, but that's not my fault and you have absolutely no right to take it out on me." She told the woman.

Clearly, Amelia Pierce needed everything spelled out for her. It was amazing but Carrie had actually met someone as dumb as Ryan was apparently. Obviously this woman suffered from the same sort of mental handicap that the older Crotalus did. Only she was also under this delusion that she could boss Carrie around.

She looked the woman straight in the eye. She wasn't a cowed little wimp like Ryan either, the first year was not afraid of Miss Pierce. This nobody was not going to intimidate Carrie, the first year was better than the Quidditch Coach. "You have to understand, that I am special and deserve to be treated as such. If I don't want to do something, I don't have to do it." Honestly, that was just the way things and Miss Pierce had to accept that. She could assign Carrie a detention but it wasn't as if Carrie was going to show up.

11 Carrie Fast would be unladylike. 230 Carrie 0 5

Clara Abernathy

April 28, 2012 6:24 PM

Back to flying....maybe by Clara Abernathy

Clara wrapped her outstretched hand back around the head of her broom with the other hand to steady herself. She smiled lopsidedly at her classmate and turned her attention back to her failed attempt at flying. "It was nice to meet you," she told him politely. "I don't mean to be rude, but I really should try doing this at least one more time before Professor Pierce docks me for just sitting here." She gave the boy her friendliest smile before taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. It would take all of her concentration to try this again.

She willed her feet to kick up off the ground and found herself hovering again. She fought back a smile as she did not want to jinx herself and go crashing to the ground again. She held her breath as she managed to hover in one spot without falling. She sincerely hoped that she didn't land on her tush again or worse on her head. She tried not to think about that part as she managed to keep her broom hovering for a few minutes longer. She was feeling pretty good about her attempts until she tried taking the broom slowly back down to the ground. There she ran into some problems...the biggest one being her bottom and the ground meeting yet again. Her broom lost its hover..AGAIN...and sent her crashing once more to the hard ground posterior first.

Clara groaned aloud and slowly got to her feet. She rubbed her sore bottom slightly as she bent down to once again collect her fallen broomstick. She was debating on whether or not to try a third time when she spotted another of her classmates seeming to have a worse time with this than she was. This poor kid hadn't even gotten his broom up off the ground! It was turning around in circles on the ground. Clara was determined to help him even if she wasn't any good at flying herself. She turned to the boy who had first spoken to her and told him politely, "It was nice to meet you, but I really must go see if that boy over there is alright." She smiled at her classmate and made her way from him to the new boy determined to help if she could.

0 Clara Abernathy Back to flying....maybe 232 Clara Abernathy 0 5

Clara Abernathy

April 28, 2012 6:32 PM

Now can I help? by Clara Abernathy

OOC: This is a repost of a previous attempt to reply to this character. Some material has been changed to make the post updated. Conversation with character previous to this one has been ended to make the switch. BIC.

Clara held her broom gearing up for her third try at flying when she happened to turn her head, looking around at the other beginners. One in particular caught her eye and she watched him curiously. She recognized all to well the look of hopelessness that seemed to be smeared all over his sad face. There were many times she too wore that same look. Every time she mounted the dreaded broom she always wished she could just put it down and walk away. Trying to fly had always made her feel helpless especially since every time she attempted it, she and the ground became the best of friends much to her poor posterior's dismay. She mentally rubbed her tush just thinking about all of the failed attempts and crash landings.

Clara dismounted her broom and carrying it with her she went to see if she could at least make the poor boy smile if nothing else. "I remember having that same problem," she told him, watching his broom move around in circles on the ground. "I felt like I'd never get the silly thing to stop doing it. My dad once told me it looked like I was trying to dig my way to China," she laughed aloud. "I'm Clara Abernathy," she introduced herself. "Its nice to meet you." She leaned closer to him dropping her voice slightly. "Just between you and me I'm TERRIBLE at flying," she whispered to him. "I'd much rather keep my feet firmly planted on the ground." She pulled back so she could see him better again. "Now, I may not be any good at flying," she began "but lets see if we can't at least get your broom up off the ground, shall we?" she smiled at the boy. "Put your broom back down on the ground and say very firmly, in a strong loud voice, "Up!" she instructed, showing the boy what she meant with her own broom.

0 Clara Abernathy Now can I help? 232 Clara Abernathy 0 5

Solomon

May 01, 2012 2:25 PM

...You can try... by Solomon

Solomon couldn’t help but look around him as his toes enjoyed their freedom in the grasses of the Pitch. His broom that lay on the ground beside him was barely even rolling over for him. It wasn’t going to rise into the air like the Professor said it should. Do I belong here? he thought to himself as he sighed. All the others are making this look so easy! My broom won’t even rise off the ground! he added silently to himself as he saw one of the other first years, a girl, walking towards him with her broom.

“Up.” he said again, hoping that perhaps it would listen this time and he wouldn’t look foolish to the other first year.

Unfortunately, said broom did exactly what it had done the last bunch of times the dark boy tried. Nothing. I can’t believe this… He thought as he made a quiet sigh. The girl was right next to him now and she spoke to him. The girl told him that she remembered when this had happened to her and then introduced herself to him as Clara Abernathy. “Solomon Bensalem. The pleasure is mine.” he said quietly as he bowed his head down to the girl before he pulled back up straight again and smiled at her. She leaned in closer to him and he wanted to shy away. But there was something about Clara that made him stay put. What Clara had told him in secret made him smile and he looked right at her and whispered, “Me too.”

She pulled back again and he nodded to her words. She wants to help, who knows, maybe it’ll work? he thought and he followed her directions. Now that his broom was back on the ground again she told him what to do. Part of him wanted to be able to do it, but the rest of him wasn’t sure if he’d be able to. There was something frightening to the boy about strong loud voices. He was terrified of them.

But I have to use one? he thought as his heart pounded in his chest. Clara did it with her broom and Solomon closed his caramel coffee colored eyes and took in a deep breath.

“Up.” He said as strong and loud as he could muster. The sound scared him and the boy didn’t even notice that his broom did indeed rise into the air, however, it also fell back down when his own voice scared him. He sighed, not realizing that his broom did indeed rise.

0 Solomon ...You can try... 0 Solomon 0 5

Clara

May 03, 2012 9:46 PM

You did it! by Clara

Clara smiled encouragingly at Solomon as she watched him put his broom down as she had instructed. She waited with baited breath as he held his hand over the broom and finally gave the command "Up!" he had said as forcefully as it appeared he could muster. Clara watched excitedly as the broom seemed to obey Solomon's command and sprang form the ground into the air. She was about to say something when she noticed that it had fallen back down onto the ground again and Solomon appeared to be slightly afraid. He did it! she thought happily, frowning slightly on the outside. So why doesn't he seem happy about that? the curious little Pecari wondered to herself.

Clara began to wonder if Solomon had even noticed that the broom had raised into the air when he gave the command. By the look on the coffee colored boys face, she began to suspect that he had not. Always one to give credit where credit is due, Clara was bound and determined to let Solomon know that he had gotten the broom to obey and that he was fully capable of doing it again. "Solomon, you did it!" she told the boy excitedly, jumping up and down slightly and clapping. Her face was plastered with the biggest, brightest smile she could muster. It made her freckles almost turn darker. "I am soo proud of you! I'd like for you to give it one more try and this time try to grab the broom when it comes up off the ground...okay? I know you can do this..." she told him encouragingly as she waited for Solomon's next move.

0 Clara You did it! 232 Clara 0 5

Coach Amelia Pierce

May 15, 2012 9:24 PM

Well you're going somewhere very quickly by Coach Amelia Pierce

"You are not leaving," Amelia stated in firm certainty when the girl tried to claim otherwise. She was sorely mistaken if she thought she was. Amelia had raised Belinda Pierce when she was a hormonal teenager. No little eleven year old could even be comparable to a volatile teen who thought fist fighting and hexing people was the best way to deal with the emotional upheaval of the entire world as she knew it being blown to kingdom come.

"I may not be able to force you to fly, but you will remain on the pitch, and you will serve detention if you don't spend the period at least attempting to fly. That is not up for debate. You are a Crotalus and you are expected to follow the rules. The rules are that you, and everyone else in the first year, will participate in flying lessons. And I assure you, you are no better than I am or anybody else here, so you either get on a broom, young lady, or you will find yourself wishing you had."

She scowled down at the girl, not liking her attitude at all. "You are not special, Miss O'Malley. You are a first year student who is required to take Flying Lessons by the Board of Governors, regardless of whether or not you wish to. Now, you have one more chance to join your classmates." She folded her arms and waited expectantly. She did not draw her wand, but she was keenly aware of its presence and location, and her muscles twitched in anticipation of a fast draw, if it proved necessary should the child try to walk off again.

The girl could peacefully join the class or she would spend it petrified on the Pitch floor, unable to move but perfectly aware of herself, so she would understand she was being punished.

1 Coach Amelia Pierce Well you're going somewhere very quickly 20 Coach Amelia Pierce 0 5

Solomon

May 16, 2012 8:58 PM

I did it?! by Solomon

Solomon looked at his fellow first year as she smiled at him. The girl, Clara, watched him do as she’d instructed and he held his hand over his broom and in his fear he hadn’t realized that he had indeed done as she told him to do. All he saw was that the broom was still where it had been, laying on the ground the last time he’d seen it. Maybe I shouldn’t be here? he thought to himself as she jumped up and down in front of him. She was so happy as she told him that he’d done it, but he looked at her confusedly. “But it’s right here… On the ground… I didn’t do it…” He said, even through her clapping and telling him that he had done it.

The smile that was plastered to her face confused him. It had even looked like it had turned her spots darker in doing that. What? he thought to himself confusedly. “Grab the broom? But-” He started, and then realized that maybe she was right. Maybe he’d closed his eyes and hadn’t seen that he had done what she’d told him to?

He held his hand over the broom laying there on the ground and said, “UP!” as loudly as he could and the broom handle met his hand with a soft slap. Solomon’s mouth opened wide to the point where his chin almost hit the grass of the pitch.

“I did it! I really did it!” He said softly, yet excitedly. “Maybe I DO belong here afterall?” He added softly, unsure if Clara or anyone else had heard him.

0 Solomon I did it?! 0 Solomon 0 5

Carrie

May 18, 2012 5:40 PM

Yes, away from here. by Carrie

Carrie nearly laughed at the woman. She was seriously deluded. "Oh yes, I am leaving." Honestly, Miss Pierce was nothing but a bitter old spinster who had lost everything and now she was taking it out on her betters because she was jealous. It was her own fault for being defective, not Carrie's. Nothing was ever the first year's fault. Everything she did was perfect and right.

And what made her think that Carrie would even show up for detention? What made this woman think she even had the right to make the Crotalus do anything-and the fact that Carrie had to follow the rules because of her house? That hardly seemed fair. If she was in a different house she could get away with leaving? Wow, that seemed like favoritism-and of the completely wrong people as well. "So, what you are saying is that because of my house I'll get in trouble?" She would have to tell her mother about this.

Of course, Crotalus was primarily a house of proper purebloods. Very few mudbloods or even half-bloods ever got in there. "Or is what you're really saying is that you're persecuting me because I'm from an important pureblood family? Because you're bitter and angry about being kicked out of your own." Apparently the woman was completely prejudiced as well. That really didn't speak well for her. Especially not if she wanted to keep a job that she probably desperately needed.

"And yes, I am special." This was just a fact that Miss Pierce had to accept. "I'm a better person than you and I am not going to fly. Just because you were socially acceptable at one time does not mean you are now and because you're not, I don't have to listen to you." This woman was honestly just not getting it. Honestly, she was probably downright mentally handicapped like Ryan. Her family was quite obviously right to disown her. If only Carrie's father would do the same with her brother.

She turned to leave again. Carrie did whatever she wanted. There was never any consequence because she was perfect and could do no wrong. Certain people just had to learn that. She was definitely not going to submit to a bitter outcast who was beneath her in every way.

11 Carrie Yes, away from here. 230 Carrie 0 5

Amelia Pierce

May 19, 2012 8:36 PM

Not so much. I actually meant my bad side. by Amelia Pierce

"Petrifis Totalis," Amelia stated calmly, her wand dropping easily into her hand and flicking at the girl's back. She had allowed two steps. The first step let her turn around and the second proved the child was actually attempting to leave and this was not simply retaliation again the utterly ridiculous but completely disrespectful comments the girl had said.

She had little illusions that Miss O'Malley was alone in her opinions and that didn't bother her. That came with the territory of being disowned and teaching at a school full of people who cared about that kind of thing. Most students, however, regardless of background, understood that, within the school, being an adult trumped any social standing they may or may not have, and teachers were to be treated with respect. That was simple etiquette and politics and most purebloods learned those basic skills when they learned to talk.

In her eight years of coaching at Sonora, she had never before had a problem with direct insubordination. Most Crotali knew how to pick their battles better than that. In truth, she was more angry about the girl's complete lack of finesse than her words.

It was probably useless, Miss O'Malley's prejudices no doubt went deeply enough that she would disregard almost anything Amelia said, but an attempt had to be made, if only for Amelia's own peace of mind if not for Miss O'Malley's benefit. Amelia was the girl's teacher right now, so she would at least attempt to teach her. Any fault for not learning would lie in Miss O'Malley's own hands.

Like most victims of the petrifying curse, she had gone stiff as the hex hit her and then fallen over onto her back on the soft grass, staring up to the sky. An enchantment on the pitch itself would have further softened the landing, so Amelia had little concern that the girl might have been hurt.

She walked beside the student's frozen form and squatted down beside her head so they look each other in the eye. She kept her voice calm and level, not letting any emotion show, except maybe a little disappointment. "So we are clear, this is my pitch. You do not leave my pitch unless I allow you to leave my pitch. I am the Quidditch Coach and I am in charge here. You will lie right here for the duration of the lesson. I will release the curse when the lesson is over. At that time, and only at that time, do you have my permission to leave."

"Furthermore, I mentioned your House only because Crotali are supposed to understand rules better than other Houses, but clearly you do not. You have detention, Miss O'Malley. I will expect you at my office at promptly at 7:30 tonight. If you fail to attend, I will speak to Headmistress Kijewski and recommend suspension. In fact, I will be speaking to the Headmistress regardless. Your parents will be informed of your disrespect today."

She stood again then, but remained standing beside the girl as she added one final remark. "You may spend the lesson contemplating whether or not you would have liked sitting on a broom for this hour better than lying on the ground with the ants, and which you will be doing next week during my lesson."

With that, she returned to the remainder of her students who deserved her attention more than Miss O'Malley did.

1 Amelia Pierce Not so much. I actually meant my bad side. 20 Amelia Pierce 0 5

Carrie

May 20, 2012 3:41 PM

Like I care by Carrie

Carrie stopped dead in her tracks and fell over. Apparently the foul woman had petrified her. The nerve! She was going to pay dearly for this. She was lying on the ground in the dirt with the ants . This was going to mess up her hair! It was going to get dirt and bugs in it. Her clothing was going to get dirty too. That was no place for Carrie. She deserved better.

Amelia Pierce was nothing but a bitter old hag. The first year was going to have to contact her mother about this. If she wasn't so furious she might have found the idea of contacting her parents laughable. Carrie knew full well that her mother would be mad at Coach Pierce, not her. Her mother was never mad at her . The Crotalus was perfection. Even her father, who was a real idiot sometimes, sticking up for that worthless brother of hers and not treating her like a princess the way he should wasn't going to be happy about this .

The woman should really know better. Not only was Carrie deserving of overall better treatment just because she was her and special which should have been obvious to everyone but she was an O'Malley. More importantly, perhaps, on this side of the country, her mother was a Brockert . That meant something. They were powerful. Amelia Pierce was nothing but someone with an overinflated sense of her own importance for being the Matriarch of a bunch of rejects.

Oh, Carrie would show for the detention. Which seemed excessive after this but she didn't really want to be kicked out of school. Even though so far, nobody was giving her the special treatment that she was entitled to. However, Coach Pierce was going to pay for what she'd done. She needed to learn to respect her betters or there would be consequences for her.

11 Carrie Like I care 230 Carrie 0 5