"Professor Dumbledore, wait a moment. You need to see this."
Madam Pomfrey called out to Dumbledore just as he was leaving the Hospital Wing, handing him a parchment report.
"Is this the blood test for Mr. Faest, Madam Pomfrey?"
"Yes, Professor. And you really need to take a look."
Madam Pomfrey's expression was grave. Dumbledore took the report, adjusted his half-moon spectacles, and scanned the document.
A look of mild surprise crossed Dumbledore's face. "Are you certain there is no mistake, Madam Pomfrey?"
"I am certain, Headmaster. After the initial results, I ran the tests again myself." Madam Pomfrey nodded, waiting for Dumbledore's instruction.
Hearing her confirmation, Dumbledore pondered for a moment. "I see. Madam Pomfrey, please keep this confidential for now. I will find an appropriate time to speak with Rey Faest."
"Of course, Professor. Poor child... it's just so unfortunate."
---
Rey was famous. He had become the first boy in Hogwarts history brave enough—or foolish enough—to invade the girls' dormitory for a nap.
Not even Voldemort in his school days had been so audacious.
Consequently, Rey became public enemy number one for the girls and the laughingstock of the boys.
Holding a copy of the school newspaper, Rey could only smile bitterly at the sensationalized article about him. He had just walked into the wrong room, that was all. It wasn't nearly as sordid as the paper made it out to be.
"So? How does it feel to be the talk of the school?"
Agnes had brought him the paper. She didn't believe the gossip, of course. She knew Rey's sudden collapse had been preceded by warning signs.
When Peeves was tormenting him, Rey had already looked exhausted. Agnes had seen it herself. As for sneaking into the girls' dorm, it was obvious he had just been too tired to know where he was going.
Penelope, however, had washed her bedding several times.
Girls tended to be particular about cleanliness, which Rey understood. He knew he'd have to apologize properly once he was discharged. Though, with something like this, apologies often felt futile.
So, Rey asked Agnes to apologize to Penelope on his behalf. Girls communicating with girls usually had fewer barriers.
"Are you going to make it to Flying class this afternoon?" Agnes asked with concern, after agreeing to help with the apology.
"Of course."
Rey answered without hesitation. Flying was one of the classes he was looking forward to the most.
Riding a broomstick through the air... just the thought of it was exhilarating. He wasn't going to miss the once-a-week lesson for anything.
"Madam Pomfrey, am I cleared to leave?"
Spotting the matron passing by, Rey immediately asked for his discharge.
"Certainly, Mr. Faest. You are fully recovered. But next time you decide to sleep, please make sure you find the correct bed first."
Madam Pomfrey chuckled, making Rey blush slightly while Agnes giggled beside him.
"Thank you, Madam. I will."
Politeness was key. The embarrassment was fleeting; Rey's adult soul had thicker skin than any child.
---
The first Flying lesson of the afternoon. Rey was expecting to be excited.
But the moment he picked up the school broom, a wave of inexplicable revulsion washed over him.
He hated the broom in his hand. Or rather, he hated the idea of using a broom to fly.
This sudden emotion confused him deeply. Flying in the sky should be thrilling, both for his past self and his current self.
Yet, he couldn't summon a shred of excitement.
When the students brought the old, battered school brooms out onto the lawn, some kids couldn't wait to straddle them and hop around.
Faced with these excited first-years, Madam Hooch appeared with her spiky grey hair and hawk-like yellow eyes. Her presence instantly turned the rowdy kids into obedient students.
Madam Hooch looked relatively young, but her age was a mystery. Students only knew she had been teaching flight at Hogwarts for a very long time.
Rumor had it she learned to fly on a Silver Arrow—an antique broom compared to modern standards.
"First, stand over your broomstick. Stick your right hand over the broom handle and say, 'Up!'"
Madam Hooch's instructions were simple, exactly like in the movies. This step was about establishing the initial connection between a wizard's magic and the broom.
Rey took a deep breath, suppressing his inexplicable disgust for the broom. He extended his right hand over the handle and commanded, "Up!"
Nothing happened. The broom lay there on the grass as if it sensed his disdain.
"Up! Up!"
Shouts of "Up!" in various pitches echoed across the lawn. Some students succeeded on the first try. Some got smacked in the face by their brooms. Others had brooms that spun around on the ground, knocking over the students standing nearby. Most just rolled over lazily.
After a while, almost everyone in the class had their broom in hand. Except Rey.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Agnes, seeing Rey getting frustrated, asked with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit..."
"Don't worry. Magical items have a sort of life to them. Try letting them feel your good intentions. They might listen better."
"Is that so?"
Agnes smiled reassuringly. "Of course. That's how I always treat magical objects."
Maybe Agnes is right, Rey thought.
He took a few deep breaths, adjusted his mindset, and tried to force himself to imagine the thrill of soaring through the sky, crushing that feeling of revulsion.
"Up!"
He spoke calmly this time. The broom shot up into his hand with a whoosh. Rey smiled, relieved.
---
The afternoon weather was lovely.
In the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey was organizing her treatment records.
Her last patient, the little Rey Faest, had been discharged at noon.
Thinking of the boy, Madam Pomfrey sighed with pity. So young, yet his blood work showed such serious problems. It was truly...
"Doctor! Quick... Help!"
"Madam Pomfrey!"
A chaotic noise erupted from the corridor outside.
Bang! The doors to the infirmary burst open. Madam Hooch rushed in, followed by several students carrying a stretcher.
"What happened?"
Madam Pomfrey rushed over immediately.
"A student fell from his broom," Madam Hooch explained quickly. Madam Pomfrey directed them to a bed, and Madam Hooch used a Levitation Charm to gently transfer the student from the stretcher.
The student was Rey. Madam Pomfrey was shocked. It had only been a few hours since he left, and now he was carried back in.
This time, he was in bad shape. He was unconscious. His chest was caved in near the ribs, and his arm was twisted at a gruesome angle—a severe fracture.
"How high did he fall from?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she pulled out her wand to cast emergency stabilization spells.
"Very high! Very high..." a student stammered, still in shock.
"I... I just made a joke! I said if he wanted to apologize, he should jump off his broom! I didn't think he... he would actually..."
Penelope was hysterical, sobbing as she spoke. She was just a little girl who made a bad joke; she never meant for Rey to jump. If Madam Hooch hadn't cast a Cushioning Charm just in time to break his fall, Rey would be a pancake right now.
Agnes watched Rey worriedly while trying to comfort Penelope.
"Children! Leave the room now. Quietly. Madam Pomfrey needs to work," Madam Hooch ordered, ushering the crowd of students out.
"Madam Pomfrey, will he be okay?" Agnes asked anxiously before leaving.
"Don't worry, child. Just a few broken bones. He'll be mended in no time."
"Oh, thank you, Madam."
---