Fly high PV Amber Bullhorn Finished

late september 2021 / with @edmund dempsie

School was still a new and wonderful experience to Amber, she wondered if the shine of going to Hogwarts would ever dim. She smiled to herself as she read the letter she had gotten from her parents, congratulating her on her sorting and wishing her luck with her classes. Luck was always a good thing to have and judging by how classes had gone so far, she needed it in spades. Despite being a halfblood, Amber felt like she was behind everyone else so far.

She exited the school, walked through a courtyard and headed out onto the grounds. There was a lot to do at school, a lot to explore and Amber was taking advantage of any free time she had. She tucked her letter back into her robes and looked around as she walked. Several students were also taking advantage of the uncommonly warm day it seemed, walking around the lake or visiting the greenhouses. She even saw some students flying around the Quidditch pitch.

Quidditch seemed too much for Amber. She wasn't even sure she would be any good at flying and paying attention to everything else that was going on, remembering what Beaters and Seekers did. She did like the idea of flying, however. Hadn't her da been a broom racer back when he was in Gryffindor? Broom racing also seemed rather dangerous but a bit easier for Amber to understand.

Maybe she would try to apply for her house team some day.

Kicking some stones, she walked on, thinking about all the options to herself.

@Amber Bullhorn

His feet no longer touched the ground.

Edmund enjoyed that second of safety where he could still go back... a wicked smile made its way into his face before he soared up like he was trying to cut right through the blue sky; leaning over the broom to go as fast as possible. He reached out and touched the trees, the tip of his fingers closing around the leaves, tugging them with him. He let out an excited scream, closing his eyes as his stomach grew cold, adrenaline pumping through his veins.

The sun burned on top of his head and the clear skies met his happiness and freedom. He was no longer trapped on the ground, no longer rushing to class... he was flying like a happy bird, free to do whatever he wanted.

The boy turned into a black bur as he crossed the sky, moving down so he approached the Great Lake. Edmund splashed around, before yanking the broom up once again. In order to not get caught, he turned left, going back to where he was, slowing down -... or trying to. As much as he tried, the broom still dove at full speed. His bright smile turned into a frighted expression as the bushes and trees drew near.

"Watch out!" Edmund managed to let out at the sight of a girl.

Before he could brace himself for impact, shutting his eyes closed, the school broom hit the ground and he was pushed out of it, falling right on top of the other student. He let out a grumble, a jolt of pain running up his shoulder.

"Ouch..." He said, before cursing quietly.

late september 2021 / with @edmund dempsie

Her thoughts were interrupted by a student shouting. At first Amber was confused as she looked behind her but soon the source of the voice made themselves known. By crashing into her!

Amber fell onto the ground with the boy on top of her, groaning for a moment at the sudden pain. She rubbed her shoulder before attempting to free herself from the unexpected assault, "Are you okay?" She asked, more concerned about him since he had crashed from a broom! She looked him over the way her da would look over her when she fell out of a tree.

"That was some dive, are you practising for racing or something?" Because why else would he be on a broom like that? Amber waited for his answer, straightening his hair for him before standing herself. Aside from a bit of dirt, which wasn't anything out of the ordinary for Amber, she was fine. Mostly. There was a few scrapes on her arms and elbows but she wasn't bothered by that.

She looked at the broom with awe, her eyes sparkling as she asked, "Is that yours? I was just thinking about the different sports at school - well, the broom ones. I don't think I'd be much use at duelling." Amber laughed, giving the boy a friendly smile. "Don't feel bad about crashing into me by the way - accidents happen!"

With that, she offered him her hand (grown ups did this when they met someone new, she had seen the farmers doing it back home), "Amber Bullhorn, first year. Pleased to meet you!"

@Amber Bullhorn

The grass prickled his bruised palm and his shoulder stung when he rolled away from the poor girl. Edmund sat up, hand on top of his head as if to make sure it was still in place, as he cursed under his breath. It was not on his plans to fall like that - well, at least his wrists were fine. It hadn't happened since he was 9.

The girl was short, with long hair and dark brown eyes. Her black and red robes let him know that she was also a Gryffindor, which had dread creeping in his stomach at the thought of her telling others about his spectacular landing. His cheeks burned hot, but he told himself it was because of the sun, thank you very much.

Edmund jumped to his feet, letting go of his shoulder so he wouldn't seem weak.

"No," said Edmund, matter-of-factly pointing to the clear sky. "I was just... flying. It's been a while and Flying lessons are theoretical, so, I needed to have some fun, ya know," He ran his hands over his robes, leaves falling to the floor. He stared at his bloody palm, wincing a little. "Sorry. I wasn't counting on falling like that. I'm usually good at riding a broom..." He shook her hand, despite the wound. "I'm Edmund," He pressed his lips together in a thin, embarrassed smile. "Dempsie," He added with a shrug, before pointing to his own robes. "I'm a first-year too. Gryffindor, just like you,"

The boy moved towards the broom, grabbing it, to make sure it wasn't broken or something. The tip wasn't broken - thankfully. He could put it back in the broom cupboard once he was done and no one would be able to tell it had been taken away.

Edmund shrugged, and turned to her with that same smile, "Uh, no, it's a school broom, but I totally have permission to use it. Do you like flying? We can race if you want,"

late september 2021 / with @edmund dempsie

"Oh?" Amber looked at him, not entirely convinced but feeling there was no reason for him to lie to her. So she took what he said at face value and smiled, "Flying is fun! I've only had a chance to fly during lessons but..." She looked at the broom that the boy had been using and then dug into her pockets, checking for something, "You're lucky you have a broom to use, I haven't got one. I don't know if my parents would get me one either... Maybe if I took up Quidditch or Broom racing? Here—"

She had found what she was looking for, a plaster. Amber offered it to her housemate, "You could clean your hand off in the lake and then stick that over the cut?" She suggested, sticking both hands back into her pockets now, "Nice to meet you Edmund! And awesome! So we'll have classes and stuff together?" It was a good idea to get to know as many first years as possible, she thinks to herself. Edmund was definitely a good start.

Amber shook her head and her braids whipped back and forth, "I'd need to go get a broom too, unless we share yours?" So he had permission to use a school broom? Woah, that was cool! Edmund must have been on a team then. "Do you do broom racing then? Like, competitively?"

@Amber Bullhorn

He had to agree with her: flying was fun. It was his favorite thing to do with his father when he came back from work. During summer break, when his cousins would come to visit, they'd all join for an intense game of Quidditch. Of course, Theodore went easy on them - wouldn't want to crush the morale of some teenagers, but it was so much fun.

Edmund was expected to join the Quidditch team once he went to Hogwarts - Granny mentioned that Theodore had always been the best of the best. He remembered winning a lot last summer, and it sure would be nice to do it and have his father proud of him, and to capture that feeling of excitement and accomplishment on his old man's face.

"But you're a witch!" mused Eddie, matter-of-factly, frowning at her comment on her parents. "You should have a witch. Your parents can't expect you to Apparate or use the Floo Network all the time... Yeah, suppose so. I haven't seen you around, though. It's a pleasure to meet you now... despite the whole, me-crashing-into-ya-thing,"

He shook his head, in order to act cool about it. All of the people he knew were from different Houses, so it was fun to befriend a Gryffindor. They could sit together in their next lesson and help each other with their homework - he was having so much trouble with Transfiguration.

"Thanks, mate," said Eddie, taking the plaster and making his way to the Great Lake. "The broom cupboard is inside, but we'd have to ask the professors for permission and that can take a long time, so, I give you permission to use the same one I borrowed, which is basically the same thing, you know," He shrugged like it wouldn't get them in trouble. He cleaned his hand, wincing a little and putting the plaster over the scratch. "Like, I race, but not officially. I mean, I compete with my cousins and I always win, but that's all. For now. Still thinking of racing here, but school brooms aren't as fast as my father's collection so it's not as fun, you know. Come on,"

Edmund swung a leg over the broom, leaving plenty of space for Amber to sit right behind him.

late september 2021 / with @edmund dempsie

"True but I don't really need one outside of school and well, I haven't needed one at school yet either?" She points out. It wasn't like she had signed up to be on any teams or anything, was her not having a broom really that odd? She frowned as she thought about - she hoped it didn't make her the odd one out at school to be without a broom right now...

Amber laughed, "Well, you certainly know how to make a first impression. You're luckily I wasn't an older student, I guess, or someone who's known to be mean. I'm pretty easy going - my Ma says so." She says, hands on her hips. She wasn't trying to brag about being a good person but, to be horrid to someone for a simple mistake? It wasn't like he had done it on purpose. At least, she didn't think so. Edmund seemed like a nice boy so Amber quickly put that thought from her mind.

She listened to him talking about racing his cousins and gasped, impressed, "You must be really good then! Are you going to try for the team?" She followed him, watching him clean his hand. He seemed to do a good enough job. "I wish I knew some healing magic, then I could help more..."

Oh right - the broom. Amber dashed back and picked it up, it seemed to have escaped from the crash unscathed. "Can you show me how to race then? I only did the baby lesson for first years and I wasn't the best at staying on the broom... Not yet anyway! I want to get better and try racing too." She looked at him with a hopeful expression. Surely Edmund would be able to help her out?

@Amber Bullhorn

Edmund let out a snicker at her comment. He was the king of first impressions, it seemed. First, he met Bailey when trying to cast a dangerous spell out of Hogwarts using his father's wand, and now, crashing into poor Amber after losing control of his broom. What would he do next - accidentally explode one of the school toilets while someone else was using it?

"I am very good. It's either racing or playing in the Quidditch team, I don't know which one to decide as of yet," bragged Eddie, hands tightly wrapped around the broom, so he wouldn't crash again. His shoulder was still hurting. "Yeah. I can show you. I believe in the art of doing it yourself, you know, it's how my father taught me how to fly. At four years old, I was all alone on a broom. Sounds scary, right? It was scary. Scary fun!"

Edmund smiled, a grin similar to a sneaky cat or a fox.

With a simple motion, he went up, broom a few centimeters higher, enough to make him look down to look at her. He sat up straight, thighs keeping himself there as he let go for a second, all so he could teach it properly to her, trying to remember what his father had told him during their proper flying lessons a few summers ago - you know, when he was old enough to process things.

"See, this is the proper position. Hands here," He said and wrapped his hands around the broom again, "And you want to lean over to you catch the momentum or something, I don't know how to explain it. You gotta move with the wind and not tense up or look around like you know you're going to fall. You will fall if you do that,"

Edmund mimicked the actions he explained, to make it more visually entertaining. He circled her in his broom, with a mischievous expression, before landing perfectly, rolling off the broom and handing it to her before it could rest on the ground.

"You try it," said Eddie. "Do what I just did. A little circle around me without falling. I can hold your hand if you want," He teased, offering her his hand right away. "If you do well, I'll let you with this broom and go steal another one for myself,"

late september 2021 / with @edmund dempsie

"If you picked Quidditch, what position are you thinking about playing?" She hadn't given much thought to the sport herself because she kept feeling herself being drawn to the Broom Racing. If Edmund helped her improve her flying skills and she managed to get her parents to buy her a broom... She could apply, right? Well, she would use a school broom until she got her own probably but! Amber grew excited as she thought about it.

Four years old?! Her eyes grew wide, "Woah, that sounds amazing. Does your dad fly for his job or something?" She thought that had to be the reason why Edmund had learnt to fly so young. Her own parents didn't even own brooms so she had zero experience before Hogwarts, "You're so cool, Edmund!" She grinned as he explained what she should do, flying around her. She spun slowly to follow him, "Sounds easy enough, you explained it really well." Amber nodded with confidence.

Okay, she was ready to try!

Amber commanded the broom to hover for her and she sat on it gingerly. When Edmund offered his hand, she grabbed it right away with both of hers, her face scrunched, eyes shut. The broom was barely a few feet off the ground but her heart was racing! "How are you not utterly terrified when you fly around on this thing!?" She squeezed his hand, her eyes staying closed as the broom stayed in place.