FIRST INSTANCE OF MAGIC |
She was eight years old, in a grassy field near her home where she and other neighbor kids played quidditch. Flying wasn’t allowed, of course, so they used old wooden brooms on the ground and made up rules as they want. The best afternoons a kid can imagine. One day, during the game, an older child mocked her for taking it “too seriously” and tried to snatch the ball from her hands. It was embarrassing, but for Inés it was straight up scoundrelness. She felt her throat tighten and her eyes started to sting with tear. How dares he? Without her realizing it, the ground beneath her feet softened and sprang upward. She was lifted gently into the air, no more than a hand's breadth above but you could realize the air between her feet and the ground. The children fell silent, staring at her like she changed definition. It didn’t take much for her to float back down as lightly as a feather. But all this time, she felt strangely calm and warm. The childish rage of stealing the ball wasn’t there anymore, it was replaced by a quiet sense of comfort. She didn’t understand what had happened, but it didn’t feel too odd. When the parents called the kids over for the dinner time, she excitedly told her parents what had happened. Though they stayed calm and reassuring, she could tell they were happy. Their little girl had seen the magic by herself for the first time. Even if they didn’t fully explained what had occurred, they hugged her tightly that evening, reminding her she was safe and sound.