Flying Lesson One Closed

She raised her right hand over the broomstick. Her hand was up by her shoulder but the broom was still on the ground... she wondered why they didn't just pick up the brooms. But it didn't take long for her to understand. Her mother, when she would ride around in the yard and let Syrah take 'shotgun', would just grab the broom, or "accio" it if it was far. Perhaps they were going to learn the accio spell? Now that would be neat. It was like being telekinetic! She was sure one didn't even need a wand for that spell since they would often use it to get the wand itself.

She was slightly disappointed to be wrong, but it was still pretty neat to simply say "Up!" and have the broom fly into your hand. It would be the first 'spell', if it was that, that didn't require a wand. When instructed by the professor, Syrah, along with the rest of her classmates, shouted "Up!" at their broomsticks. The class was full of mixed reactions, some students got the broom into their hand in the first try. Syrah glared at the in secret. Other's brooms didn't even budge, which Syrah was happy about, also in secret. Her broom, however, got about a foot and a half off the ground before it faltered and fell with a soft thud back onto the damp ground.

Frowning, she looked around to gauge her classmates and quickly knew she needed to try again. Around her, the classmates that did not succeed first attempt, were trying again. She followed suit. "Up!" She shouted once more. It jumped up higher this time ad grazed her fingertips. She closed her hand quickly, but missed it. 

Cursing, she tried one more time. Making her voice a bit gentler but still firm, she tried thinking of the broom like a person. It seemed silly, but magic was magic and if this thing was even remotely sentient then it would probably appreciate being talked nice to. "Up!" She exclaimed a final time and broom flew straight into her open palm and even hovered for a second to allow Syrah to close her little hand and grab it. She grinned and looked around. There were still a few students whose brooms were on the ground and so she wasn't even close to being the last person, but she wasn't close to being the first either. It didn't matter too much, she told herself. She would be the best at the actual flying part, she swore to herself.

Syrah had to admit, she was very surprised the professor (though maybe they should be called a coach? Flying seemed more like a sport topic, more hands on, rather than an academic subject.) was going to let the students on their broom in the very first lesson. Flying was obviously a vry dangerous activity, and they -  at least she assumed most of them - had never been on a broom before let alone in the air. She wasn't going to let them actually fly this lesson was she? Maybe she was just trying to teach them how they should sit on the broomstick itself. Yeah, that seemed more reasonable.

She listened carefully on how to balance herself. It did seem weird, a simple stick being able to hold the weight of a human, as well as it be somewhat comfortable for the wizard. Maybe it wasn't comfortable. Her mind drifted then, for a moment, thinking of brooms with push seats attached. That surely wasn't a thing, was it? Maybe she should make it a thing? 

She chuckled inwardly at herself, then mounted her broom, a little later than the rest of her classmates because of her mind wandering. Instantly she understood what the teacher meant about balance. Even though her feet were still on the ground, she knew if she lifted them she would spin right off the broom. She tried placing herself adequately. Her bum right in the middle. She gripped her palms, like the professor demonstrated, and instantly she felt better. That grip certainly worked its own kind of magic. She felt much more secure. However it took a few more moments of adjusting until she felt ready to lift off.

And then she was told to do so! Syrah hesitated, trying to understand if that is really what her teacher was telling her to do. No way they were going to fly first lesson! Suddenly Syrah's heart fluttered too fast and she froze, frightened. She was not ready. Soon, though, after looked around in a panicked fashion, she realized that no, they would not really be 'flying' today. More like hovering lass than a foot off the ground. Ok, yeah, that made more sense. Syrah exhaled a half sigh half chuckle at herself as her heart rate slowed. 

The thought for a moment on how to achieve what her classmates were doing. She was already well balanced, although she double checked that to make sure. Then she remembered the professor describing a kick off. The teacher said to kick off hard, but Syrah worried if she kicked too hard then she would accidentally go flying into the air with no control or knowledge to stop herself. And so she settled on a medium strength kick off, just in case. Placing both her feet squarely on the ground, she lifted her heels so her toes were the only part left on the grass. Then she bent her knees slightly, feeling the broom go down with her, before pushing up with a solid amount of weight on her toes. And boom, she went no where. Which at first sounds like a failure. But if it was a failure she would be on the ground and if it was too much of a success she would be far into the sky. Instead she simply did not move. She was hovering, her legs awkwardly tense as she bent them up towards her so they didn't touch the ground.  

She surprised herself with her success and the feeling of hovering was strange and so she almost instantly put her feet back on the ground where it was safe. When her wits came back about her she realized that was not what she was trying to do, and kicked off again, this time expecting the outcome and she smiled when she was once again hovering.