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Chapter 57 – Flight Lessons
"I will go to Professor Dumbledore to ask about you," Snape said coldly. "Until I receive a satisfactory answer, your exemption request will not be approved."
So Audrey left his office looking thoroughly helpless.
Over the next few days, her plan to escape classes suffered an unprecedented series of setbacks.
Professor McGonagall rejected her application for exemption from Transfiguration without hesitation, stating firmly that knowing how to use Transfiguration was very different from truly mastering it.
"The two months of intensive study you completed gave you impressive results," McGonagall said coolly, adjusting her spectacles. "That is talent. But without sufficient theoretical depth and understanding, your future achievements will be limited."
Audrey gave up on Herbalism of her own accord.
The reason was simple—
Look at these adorable Venomous Tentacula seedlings! And those biting geraniums! Seeds like these were nearly impossible to find on the market!
The Hogwarts greenhouses were her second-favourite place in the world.
A few days later, fortune finally smiled on her.
Muggle Studies — exempt.
Arithmancy — exempt.
Divination — exempt.
Care of Magical Creatures — exempt.
In the end, Audrey only needed to attend four classes: Potions, Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Herbology.
What once required a Time-Turner to survive had been reduced to something closer to a holiday.
No one knew what Dumbledore and Snape discussed, but although Snape never approved Audrey's exemption, his hostility toward her eased noticeably. Still, the appreciation in his gaze was gone.
Of course, that didn't stop her from earning points.
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That morning, Audrey made a rare appearance in the Great Hall.
After nearly a month together, the students had long since lost their initial excitement over the new term.
Audrey sat casually beside Iselin.
"Did you hear?" Iselin whispered. "Senior Arjunia Roll has dropped out."
Audrey paused. "Why?"
"I heard she's pregnant."
Audrey: "..."
Iselin leaned in, clearly thrilled to finally have gossip to share. "How could the Roll family—one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight—tolerate her having a child with a Squib?"
Audrey nodded calmly. Many students didn't know Filch was a Squib, but among wizarding families, it wasn't exactly a secret.
"The Roll family disowned her," Iselin continued. "Without financial support, she had no choice but to leave school."
"And she can't even use the Roll surname anymore," she added regretfully. "If we see her again, I won't even know what to call her."
Audrey sighed softly.
Arjunia was pitiful—but she had brought it upon herself. Especially after targeting Draco.
Speaking of which… her little cousin was currently in the middle of stealing Neville Longbottom's Remembrall.
Ah.
So this was that moment.
The famous incident: Draco steals the Remembrall, Harry flies, and earns a place on the Gryffindor team.
Audrey considered it briefly.
She was exempt from Ancient Runes anyway. Staying in the dorm all day was boring.
And honestly…
What would happen if the original timeline changed?
If Harry didn't join the team in first year, would the Midnight Duel ever happen? Without that, the trio wouldn't stumble into the third-floor corridor—and they'd never meet Fluffy.
A level-based main quest, but the protagonists hadn't even unlocked the tutorial yet.
The more Audrey thought about it, the more amused she became.
Dumbledore had told her not to interfere—but merely attending a flying lesson wasn't interference, right?
Manipulating the butterfly effect felt… fun.
And so Audrey appeared on the grounds for the first-years' flying lesson.
Madam Hooch strode across the field, her sharp yellow eyes sweeping the students. She glanced at Audrey, paused briefly, then said nothing.
The first-years, however, were whispering furiously.
Harry clenched his fists, determined to impress her.
Ron babbled excitedly. Hermione's eyes shone.
Draco, on the other hand, lost all his earlier arrogance and shrank back like a nervous child.
"Everyone, stand beside your broomsticks," Madam Hooch barked. "Quickly—stop chatting!"
Audrey examined the broom at her feet. Old. Crooked. Filthy.
"Scourgify."
It wasn't repaired, but at least it was clean.
"Right hands over your brooms," Madam Hooch commanded. "And say, 'Up!'"
Audrey didn't even speak.
The broom leapt straight into her hand.
Gasps rippled across the field.
"Blimey," Ron muttered. "She's incredible."
Harry nodded fervently.
"Up!" Draco shouted loudly.
His broom obeyed. He smirked at Harry—only for Harry's broom to leap into his hand just as easily.
Draco's smile vanished.
Audrey, meanwhile, was watching Ron—who, unlike the films, did not get smacked in the head—and Hermione, whose broom stubbornly rolled on the ground no matter how politely or angrily she spoke to it.
Then there was Neville.
His broom didn't move at all.
Audrey smiled faintly, feeling oddly accomplished.
She quietly extracted a silver thread from her mind and stored it in a crystal vial.
Someday, that memory alone would fetch a fine price.
The lesson continued.
And some things, inevitably, happened just as they were meant to.
Neville kicked off too hard.
The broom shot skyward.
He screamed.
Madam Hooch shouted for him to return—but it was too late.
As Neville slipped sideways—
A blur streaked upward.
Audrey.
She caught Neville by the collar mid-air and lowered him safely to the ground.
"T-thank you, Miss Astray…" Neville whispered, shaking.
"Well done!" Madam Hooch said, relieved. "Slytherin—ten points!"
Audrey glanced at the fallen Remembrall, summoned it, and placed it gently in Neville's hands.
"Don't drop it again."
Then she lifted into the air once more.
Ron stared, awestruck. "She's… so cool."
Draco tossed his head. "Of course she is—"
He froze.
He'd almost said too much.
Remembering his cousin's creative punishments, he wisely shut his mouth.
High above the field, Audrey flew freely.
The broom was irrelevant.
She could fly on her own.
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