Draco led a visibly uneasy Hermione straight to the broomstick shed. It was quiet, deserted, and the door was locked.
Draco knew that, in addition to being Hogwarts' flying instructor and Quidditch referee, Madam Hooch also worked outside of school as the editor of Which Broomstick magazine. The magazine was published every Saturday, and Friday was their busiest time for deadlines, editing, and layout.
This meant that there was absolutely no one in the broomstick shed at this time.
Draco took out his wand, tapped on the lock, and whispered, "Alohomora." The lock clicked, and the door swung open.
"Is this not a violation of school rules?" Hermione was completely frozen as she watched Draco do it with such ease.
"The school rules only stipulate that first-year students cannot bring their own broomsticks to school, but there is no rule that students cannot borrow brooms from the broomstick shed to practice," Draco said nonchalantly.
"But—" Hermione said with difficulty, her expression somewhat worried.
"At Hogwarts, only fools break the rules outright. To the wise, the rules are like a sieve, full of loopholes," Draco interrupted her agonizing thoughts, unusually speaking up to explain a few more points.
A Slytherin never broke the rules, but rather worked within them. Some considered this approach overly cunning, but Draco saw it as the survival wisdom of a Slytherin.
He quickly led Hermione to two well-maintained broomsticks.
"Come on, we can try them out on the training grounds while no one is around." He lazily picked up a broom.
Hermione did not move. She was still hesitating.
Convincing someone he used to clash with was a novel experience for Draco. Seeing Hermione's conflicted expression, he coaxed her, "What better preparation is there than hands-on experience? You do not want to go to class unprepared and embarrass yourself, do you?"
The moment the word "embarrass" was mentioned, Hermione Granger, with her strong sense of pride, would fall for it without fail.
"All right," sure enough, Hermione made up her mind. She copied him, grabbed another broomstick, and went out the door with him.
"Come, stand beside the broomstick." On a flat and quiet patch of grass at the edge of the grounds, Draco, extremely serious, personally demonstrated for her, "Extend your right hand and place it above the broom. Then say 'Up.'"
"Up!" Hermione called tentatively.
The broomstick only rolled once on the ground. Hermione looked up and glanced at Draco. Draco's broomstick had already obediently risen from the ground and was now firmly in his hand.
"You must have confidence in yourself," Draco said sternly. "The broom senses your determination. If you do not trust yourself, how can it trust that you can control it?"
"But..." Hermione said, frowning, "I do not quite believe that a broom can be used to fly... What is the principle behind it? It makes no sense."
"You are struggling with this?" Draco asked, as though suddenly realizing something.
He probably understood Hermione Granger's thought process now.
After working with her twice in Transfiguration class, he discovered that she was a meticulous girl who wanted to understand everything thoroughly. This meant that if he could not explain to her the principle behind how the broomstick could fly, she would not be able to have confidence in the fact that "the broomstick can fly."
Without confidence, the broomstick would never obey her.
In her previous life, probably no one had properly explained to her the principles behind flying brooms. That was considered trade knowledge.
Children were skilled enough at using a broom. Who would bother to figure this out properly?
"You have come to the right person," Draco selected the words she could understand and added a few more details. "You see, this is not an ordinary broom. It is made with special magical materials and enchantments. Look at the broom handle. It is made from special wood that possesses magical properties."
Hermione nodded, stroking the broom handle with curiosity.
Draco glanced at her, finding her expression as amusing as that of a tentatively exploring cat. He smiled slightly and continued, "There are also propulsion and steering mechanisms inside the broom handle, which is harder to explain unless I risk being hunted down by Madam Hooch and take this broom apart for you to see right now—"
"No need. I do not want you to get caught or punished," Hermione said hastily, waving her hand.
"Very well," Draco shrugged, his tone relaxed. "Additionally, the wizard's confidence and their magical power also contribute to flight... In short, although it looks like a Muggle broom, it is far more than a Muggle broom. It has a complete system of enchantments and is not as simple as it appears on the surface. You do not need to worry excessively."
Hermione's expression softened slightly, but she still regarded the broom with apprehension. However, seeing Draco's serious demeanor, he did not seem to be misleading her. So she composed herself and forced herself to call out twice more.
This time, the broomstick drifted upward and landed in her palm.
"That is much better," Draco said approvingly. "You learn very quickly." Hermione smiled at him hesitantly, still looking somewhat uneasy.
Next, Draco broke down the movements, demonstrating to Hermione how to mount the broom without falling off.
In his past life, Madam Hooch had certainly put Draco through considerable training in this regard. Her strict demands had instilled in him perfect posture. Even the way he gripped his hands—Draco had corrected the little girl's technique several times.
Some bad habits were difficult to break once formed, so it was best not to develop them in the first place.
"Draco must truly love flying, correct?" Hermione thought involuntarily as she watched him slowly demonstrate the movements.
Ever since she had met him, he had always been a man of few words, economical with his speech. He had never spoken as much as he had today.
He seemed far more animated when the topic turned to broomsticks and flight. She gripped the broom handle tightly and could not help but look up at him.
At this moment, the serious and indifferent expression that the boy usually wore on his face seemed to dissipate somewhat, and he radiated a confident and cheerful energy.
"All right, you finally mastered the hand position. Now, all that remains is to push off with both legs and leave the ground." He patiently repeated the details and tips, completely unaware of what the girl before him was thinking.
He explained with considerable enthusiasm, "You need to be careful to hold the broom firmly, rise a few feet, then lean your body slightly forward and descend vertically back to the ground."
Having learned this much, Hermione finally began to turn pale.
She said cautiously, "I believe I probably cannot do it. How can two first-year students like us fly without any teachers or protective measures?"
"That is true," Draco did not want to make things difficult for her. "If you master these steps, it will be sufficient for the first flying lesson. We can practice them one more time."
Draco discovered that helping Miss Know-It-All learn to fly was an effective way to distract himself, besides brewing tea.
His anxieties were temporarily forgotten. Now, all he could think about were the possible awkward movements Hermione might make when she held the broom.
When they quietly returned the broomsticks, only the last rays of the setting sun remained on the horizon. They had achieved considerable success. Except for actual flight itself, Hermione had mastered the standard procedures and postures.
Draco had been correct, Hermione thought. Flying truly could not be learned from books alone. After the hands-on training, the panic and fear she felt about flying lessons lessened, and a faint confidence rekindled regarding her "flying lessons."
"Draco, you are a good teacher." Before heading to the Gryffindor table, Hermione turned back, smiled at Draco, and said shyly, "Thank you."
"My pleasure," Draco lazily gestured with his chin, reverting to his taciturn self, and walked toward the opposite table, transforming back into a reserved and aloof Slytherin.