Connor’s mother had bought him a broom once. He had tried it out that year, on a few cloudy days outdoors – and once indoors, instead of walking up the stairs – but Mrs. Murray had used to fret, irritatingly, about him falling off, so much so that it was no longer fun. (This was how he remembered it; and definitely not because he had been concerned about the broom suddenly giving way beneath him, or him not managing to turn it in time.)
Still – he hadn’t raised his hand at the question, thinking it would be better to count himself amongst the people new at it, and not the hoping to try out for the quidditch team crowd. (He expected the boy talking about that was just faking modesty, so he could end up showing off later.) Connor had no intention of being a quidditch player, so the whole flying thing felt mostly useless to him – but once they had been given their directions by the Coach, and people were trying to get their brooms to hand, he glanced left and right and began to feel the urgency of it. Pettigrew had done it already.
Not wanting to be the one with the last broom on the ground, Connor gave it a few tries, quietly, under his breath. At least one of the girls was protesting the necessity of the task at all, so that gave him more time, at least, to at last feel the broom leap into his hand.
Still – he hadn’t raised his hand at the question, thinking it would be better to count himself amongst the people new at it, and not the hoping to try out for the quidditch team crowd. (He expected the boy talking about that was just faking modesty, so he could end up showing off later.) Connor had no intention of being a quidditch player, so the whole flying thing felt mostly useless to him – but once they had been given their directions by the Coach, and people were trying to get their brooms to hand, he glanced left and right and began to feel the urgency of it. Pettigrew had done it already.
Not wanting to be the one with the last broom on the ground, Connor gave it a few tries, quietly, under his breath. At least one of the girls was protesting the necessity of the task at all, so that gave him more time, at least, to at last feel the broom leap into his hand.