“What?”Harrymouthed,disbelieving,toRon,whoshrugged.TheywouldneveruandHermione’slogiwhenitametoexams.
Harryfloppeddownontheouh,ompletelybored.Hehadexusedhimselffrombreakfast,leavingRontoHermione,andfoundhimselfwithanentireSaturdayofpotentialboredom.Normallyhehadsomethingtodo,anessayorsomething,buttodayhefoundhimselfwithnoshoolworkatallhangingoverhishead.
Drao,whowassittinginahairarossfromhim,didn’tommentonhisstateofboredom,iftheblondevenrealizedthatHarrywasintheroom.Hisheadwasbentoversomeparhmentofhomework,anopenbooklyingonthearmrestofthehair.
WathingDraoalutingsomeangle—orsomethingthatlookedlikeanangle…whateveritwasitwassomeformofArithmany—fromwherehestood,HarrythoughtofsomethingtodowiththisfreeSaturdayafternoon.Heturnedbakintothebedroomandsoughtoutasmallboxfromthedepthsofhistrunk.Hehadn’ttriedoutthepratiesnithhe’dgottenatChristmasyet.GrabbinghisFireboltintheotherhand,heheadedbakintotheotherroom.
“Drao,let’sgopyQuiddith.”
DraolookedupwithalookthatlearlystatedthatHarrywasapproahinginsanity.
“eon!It’sabeautifuldayandIhavenohomework.”HepointedattheArithmany(orwhateveritwas)withthehandleofhisbroom.“AndIbetthatisn’tdueuntilFriday,knowingyou.Solet’sgooutside.”
Draosatbakagainstthehair.“Andsuddenlyseeingtworivalspyingasemi-friendlygameofQuiddithwilllooknormaltoeveryoneelseinHogwarts?”hedrawled.
HarrypoutedtrustDraotofindsomeproblemwithhisidea.“We’llfindsomepethattheyan’tgettothen.”
Draothoughtforamoment.
“eon,IwanttoseehowIdoagainstaVeriae.”Harrywasalmostbegging.
AslowsmilepyedwithDrao’slips.“Allright,you’reon.MeetmeattheedgeoftheForbiddenForestintenminutes.”
HarryfollowedDraothroughtheForbiddenForestdownapaththathehadneverbeendownbefore…ifitouldtrulybealledapath.Itseemed,though,thatDraoknewexatlywherehewasgoing,andinafewminutesthetwoboyshadreahedanrownlearingthatwasonlyalittlesmallerthantheHogwartsQuddithpith.Sunlightsplintereddownthroughanrowthofleaves,turningthegrassagoldengreenolor.
“Notbad.”Harrymurmuredinappreiation.
“IusedthislearingwhenIwaslearninghowtofly.”Draoofferedinexpnation.
“Soyouanflywithonlyyourwingsnow?”Harryasked.“Iseeyoudidn’tbringyourbroom.”
“Mywingshavereahedtheirproportionalsize.They’llontinuetogrowasIdo,buttherewon’tbeanymoredrastihanges.So,yes,they’llsupportmyweightinflight.”
Bothboysremovedtheiroutershoolrobes,drapingthemoveranearbytreebranh.Harrythenbeganfiddlingwiththepratiesnith’sontrols.
Pratiesnithesworkedexatlylikerealsnithes,exeptthatoneouldrestritwheretheywent.Itwouldn’tdo,afterall,tobehasingthesnithallovertheForbiddenForestitself.Harryestimatedthesizeofthelearing,thinkingtherewasmaybe1/8differenebetweenthelearingandtheHogwartsQuiddithpith.