"I'll be speaking with Dumbledore about your request," Snape said coldly. "Until I receive a satisfactory explanation, I will not approve your exemption."
Audrey's face fell. She had anticipated this.
The next few days proved a relentless series of setbacks. Her attempts to secure exemptions met resistance at every turn. Professor McGonagall flatly rejected her Transfiguration exemption, insisting that merely being able to perform a spell did not make one a master. Understanding the essence of Transfiguration, she argued, required far deeper knowledge than Audrey's two-month crash course could provide.
Her Herbology exemption? Audrey decided to abandon that herself. How could she resist the charm of the vibrant, exotic plants in the Hogwarts greenhouses? Those poisonous yet beautiful geraniums—impossible to find outside—were far too delightful to ignore. Hogwarts' greenhouses had quickly become her second favorite place after her room.
But luck had a way of returning. Soon enough, Audrey had secured exemptions from Muggle Studies, Numerology, Divination, and Care of Magical Creatures. Her schedule shrank dramatically: only Potions, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology remained. A curriculum once packed with twelve classes now felt like a vacation.
Whatever Dumbledore had said to Snape, it seemed to have softened the potions master's attitude. He didn't approve her exemption outright, but his hostility had waned, replaced by a neutral, watchful gaze. Points were still awarded where due—Snape's respect for merit remained independent of personal feelings.
Audrey returned to the Great Hall after nearly a month away. The first-week shock and awe had faded; the younger students no longer flinched at her presence. She casually slid into the seat beside Ysella.
"Did you hear?" Ysella whispered eagerly. "Auronnia Roll has dropped out!"
Audrey raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"She's pregnant," Ysella added, unable to contain her excitement. Gossip had been pent-up for weeks, and now, with Audrey listening, she let it all spill. "The Roll family, proud and traditional, couldn't tolerate her carrying a child from… well, a certain someone." She made a vague gesture, leaving the detail unsaid.
Audrey sighed internally. Poor Auronnia—tragic as it was, she had brought it on herself, especially using Audrey's naive little cousin in her schemes. Speaking of him… he was now in the middle of the "Memory Orb Grab Incident" with Neville Longbottom. Oh, the chaos that awaited.
Boredom in the dorm had been gnawing at Audrey, so she decided to entertain herself. What if she tweaked the original sequence of events? If Harry didn't join the Quidditch team in first year, how would the story unfold? Without Draco causing trouble, the midnight duel never triggers, the trio never encounters Fluffy in the fourth-floor corridor, and the challenge games? Completely missed.
Audrey grinned at the butterfly effect. She wasn't breaking Dumbledore's rule—she wasn't directly participating, just taking a flying lesson. Still, the thrill of controlling outcomes was intoxicating.
The first-year flying lesson was underway. Madame Rolanda Hooch, Hogwarts' flying instructor, was brisk and efficient. Unlike other professors, her workload was relatively easy: first-years alone. The goal was simple—teach every new wizard to ride a broomstick.
Audrey wasn't technically a first-year, but as a newcomer from the Muggle world, her presence was perfectly reasonable. Learning to ride a broomstick was a must for every student.
Madame Hooch, with her sharp golden eyes, swept through the students. She glanced at Audrey briefly but said nothing. The first-years, however, whispered and pointed.
Harry clenched his fists, determined to impress. Ron jabbered incoherently, while Hermione's eyes sparkled. Draco, however, had lost all his usual swagger, reduced to a timid little brother.
"Everyone, what are you waiting for?" Hooch barked. "Stand by your broomsticks! Hurry, no dawdling!"
Audrey looked at her broom—worn, scratched, branches sticking out, grime smudged along the shaft. She muttered, "Time for a clean-up." The broom gleamed considerably cleaner, if not fully repaired.
"Right hand above the broomstick. Say 'Up!'" Hooch commanded.
Audrey barely raised her hand before the broom leapt into it. All eyes were on her.
"Wow," Ron muttered. "She's amazing!"
Harry nodded, impressed. Draco, unwilling to be outdone, shouted, "Up!" His broom obeyed immediately. Feeling triumphant, he swiveled it in the air—only for the illusion of control to crumble a second later. Harry, flying for the first time, had a natural edge Draco hadn't accounted for.
Audrey, focused elsewhere, ignored Draco. Her attention was on Ron, poised to get bonked by his broom, and Hermione, whose broom refused to cooperate. Ron escaped unharmed, but Hermione's broom, despite her best emotional efforts, only rolled on the ground. Audrey noticed one more: Neville. His broom remained stubbornly inert, completely unresponsive.
Satisfied, Audrey returned her attention to the sky. It was the thrill of witnessing the "iconic scene": a heartfelt confession, theatrically rejected by a broomstick. She plucked a silver thread from her mind, placing it in a small crystal vial. This memory, she mused, might fetch a pretty price later—hundreds, maybe thousands of Galleons, even if money was trivial to her.
Hermione turned to Harry. "What is Audrey doing?"
"I don't know," he replied. Ron, smug, glanced at her. Even he couldn't tell.
Flying class continued, and some things were immutable—like Neville being propelled skyward by his unruly broom. Panicked, he kicked off with too much force, rocketing upward.
"Ah—ahhh—ahhh!"
"Child, come back!" Hooch shouted.
Neville had no control. His pudgy face drained of color as he slipped from the broomstick's grasp.
"Whoosh!"
Audrey shot into the air like a rocket, swooping in. She caught Neville by the collar mid-fall, gently lowering him to the grass.
"Th-thank you, Miss Astley…" Neville gasped, teary-eyed and sweaty.
"Just doing my part. No need to thank me."
"Brilliant rescue!" Hooch exclaimed, regaining her composure. "Ten points to Slytherin!"
Audrey spoke up, "I'd like a little free flying time, if that's alright." Hooch, impressed by Audrey's control, nodded approval.
Audrey flicked her wand. The memory orb rolled to Neville, and she tucked it into his arms. "Keep it safe."
Feeling his gratitude, Audrey smiled. Her broom lifted gracefully beneath her, matching her expression.
"Wow, she's incredible!" Ron gushed.
Draco, head held high, muttered, "Of course—don't you see who she is?" Realizing he nearly revealed her secret, he froze. Memories of his cousin's strict warnings made him shiver.
Audrey soared above the students, moving far faster than her antique broom should allow. That was because she wasn't just riding—she was flying. The broom was mere theatrics.