Flying Lessons
Chapter 5 of 26
HechiceraA witch from the Andean altiplano arrives at Hogwarts to teach DADA. Culture clash, conflict, and smut ensue.
ReviewedA/N:
Thanks, as always, to RedSkyAtNight--in particular, in this chapter, for suggesting the Flight Instructor position for SB. She's a genius, I tell you.
Quidditch was a mystery to Rawa. She found it hard enough to follow two-dimensional games like football (she had never really grasped the concept of orsay, despite repeated explanations) and had little faith in her ability to decipher the convoluted tangle of rules and exceptions the students had been laying out for her for the past hour and a half.
“Balls and rings is all I really comprehend about it,” she admitted, as they descended the stairs. “I suppose it is a little like tlachtli, only the outcome is perhaps not so serious.”
“Not serious!” spluttered Ron Weasley. “Not bloody serious? How can a game be more serious than Quidditch, I’d like to know?”
“When you sacrifice the losers on big stone pyramids,” she said.
They had reached the bottom of the stairs, and she walked with them out onto the pitch, where Harry was talking with Sirius Black, the flying instructor. She had met Black once or twice, at meals and in staff meetings, and found him quite personable, if a bit self-involved.
“Rawa,” he said, turning to her, “Harry tells me you don’t fly.”
“No,” she admitted.
“Never been on a broom?”
“Never.”
“Don’t they fly, where you come from?”
“Not in the altiplano. I think perhaps it does not work so well, at the high altitudes. I know some of the hechiceros in the oriente, the rainforest, fly, but not on brooms. They use some kind of tree branches.”
“Want to learn?”
“Yes!” she said, without hesitation. “Yes, I would love to!”
“Have you got an hour before dinner? About half-past four, maybe?”
She nodded.
“I’ll meet you here, then.” He smiled. “Wear something warm.”
She could tell that Harry was pleased at this development. Walking back across the grounds toward the school, he said, “He quite fancies you, you know, my godfather. He’s asked me about you several times.”
“He seems to be a very nice person. Did he teach you to fly?”
“No, I learned from Madam Hooch. She’s the regular flying teacher and Quidditch ref, but she’s taking the year off, and Professor Dumbledore asked Sirius to fill in.”
“It must be agreeable for you, having him here.”
He grinned. “Much better than last year, when he was in hiding all the time and could just get the occasional secret message through to me. It’s all down to Professor Dumbledore—he got the Ministry to reopen the case and look at the new evidence. If it hadn’t been for him, Sirius would probably be back in Azkaban by now.”
“I had better go and change. He said to wear something warm.”
“He’s right—it gets cold up there.”
She put on a hooded woolen poncho, but left her feet bare, reasoning that they would be warmer in the air than on the ground anyway.
Sirius was waiting for her with a broom in either hand. He gave one to her and showed her how to mount and kick off, then stuck close by her as she made a few circles round the field, very tentatively and never far from the ground. He was all business, apparently taking the role of instructor quite seriously, and she began to think that Harry must be mistaken, or exaggerating, when he said Sirius was interested in her.
After an hour he declared that that was enough for one day, and, although it was clear to Rawa that she had very little natural talent for flying, made much of her progress.
On the way back to the school, he put a hand on her arm. “There’s a meeting tomorrow night at my house in London. Dumbledore wants you to come.”
“What kind of meeting?”
“It’s a kind of secret society—you’ll see when you get there. There’s usually dinner afterwards, but I thought you and I could go out and get something to eat, if you’d like.”
His hand was still on her arm, and she realized that Harry had been right. “Yes, of course I will come to the meeting,” she said.
“And after?”
“Maybe another time,” she said, softening the words with a smile. She was grateful for the flying lesson, and liked Sirius well enough, but there was no point in leading him on.
“I’ll hold you to that,” he said. “And I’ll see you tomorrow for the meeting of the Order, then. We can leave around five. Remus Lupin stays there all the time, so I don’t have to go early to open the house for the others.”
“Who else will be there?”
“It varies. Dumbledore for certain, and sometimes his brother as well. Minerva always comes, and Arthur and Molly Weasley, and Kingsley Shacklebolt usually—you probably haven’t met him yet. I expect Snape will turn up. And probably half a dozen others; like I said, it varies.”
Snape. That was all she heard. Snape would be there.
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Latest 25 Reviews for Soroche
75 Reviews | 5.52/10 Average
Definitely one of the more unusual stories I've read, but i liked it very much, particularly them telling sirius that they were married lol. Glad it had a happy ending also!
"You should have told me."
Told him what? That she was pregnant, or that by doing the mental-link magic she'd be flung into this dreamworld, almost not getting out of it? Or did Snape really only killed Voldemort at the cost of his own life?
Lovely story.
Beautiful story. I'm. Not usually a reader of Snape paired with and OC but Rawa was a fascinating and believable character.
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Oh wow, thank you so much! Lucky for me, I wrote this story before I was ever involved in the fandom or had read any fanfic at all. If I had, I'd have known how averse people are to reading SS/OFCs because of the prevalence of Mary Sues, and I'd probably have lost my nerve and/or second-guessed every line. As it was, I toiled on in blissful ignorance.
Response from Ljpjcg (Reviewer)
No, I think it was fantastic and I'm glad you shared this. She had many facets and her life was very interesting to read about.
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Oh wow, thank you so much! Lucky for me, I wrote this story before I was ever involved in the fandom or had read any fanfic at all. If I had, I'd have known how averse people are to reading SS/OFCs because of the prevalence of Mary Sues, and I'd probably have lost my nerve and/or second-guessed every line. As it was, I toiled on in blissful ignorance.
Response from Ljpjcg (Reviewer)
No, I think it was fantastic and I'm glad you shared this. She had many facets and her life was very interesting to read about.
*snip*Dear Miss Akapana,I am writing to offer you the position of Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts for the coming academic year, as word of your extraordinary talents has reached my ear.* It is rumoured, for example, that you possess the power to compel truthfulness; such a skill would likely prove quite valuable when dealing with the garden-variety magus adolescens. I would be remiss in my duties if I failed to advise you that we have had some difficulty in keeping this position filled during the past decade: more than one of your predecessors has unfortunately lasted less than a year. However, I feel certain that if your magical abilities are as your reputation has led me to believe, you will have an excellent chance of success.If you are agreed, I will send a conveyance for you at your earliest convenience.Sincerely yours,Albus DumbledoreHeadmaster*I cannot imagine why it has reached one ear and not the other, but there you have it. HAHAHAHAHA! That is AWESOME! LOVE IT! 
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Why, thank you! I tried to make it appropriately Dumbledore-y.
Response from Fishy (Reviewer)
It IS! So perfect! Love that bearded wizard!
Response from Fishy (Reviewer)
Oh - and you're quite brave to introduce ayahuasca into your fic. I spent a summer in Peru and that vine is some NASTY stuff!
fascinating plan, I love how Rawa wants to believe in Snape, but no wonder she's concerned.
“Come with me, dear,” she said. “You and I need to have a talk with Dumbledore.” oh my, yes she does.
“When you sacrifice the losers on big stone pyramids,” she said. ROFL, she does have a point. Isn't there some question about whether it was the losers or the winners that were sacrificed?
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Indeed there is--but I'm taking license to decide that Rawa has inside info.
Way to get Ron ferretboy behaving. Snicker
I thought I envied the magical folk for Reparo and Evanesco, but a mosquito repelling charm? Want.I love the interaction between Rawa and Sev, her pov on his nose is hysterical and good for her sniping back at him.
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
I can't tell you how pleased I am that Soroche is getting a read!
Poor Hagrid, he did ok in the mountains going to see the giants, but then he walked so there was time to adjust.
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Well, also the Andes are much taller than any mountains anywhere in the UK. Cotopaxi--which is where the Yachay Wasi school is located--is 5000 metres high.Worst. Headache. Ever.
What a fascinating character your Rawa is, I'm sure she'll make quite the impression on Hogwarts.
Better. And try to remember that my name is Esnep. He's gotten to like it, hasn't he? that's so cute :o)
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
At least he's paying attention!
Brutally honest description of one approach to teaching - a female version of Snape. Given the view of professors in canon and film, Ron's observation seems dead on. Hence, establishment of authority by penalizing those who vocalize the obvious. Shades of Umbridge. This is assuming you wish to display a character defect of the protagonist. Cannot rate this chapter because it is not clear this is intended as a character defect.
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Nope, not intended as a character defect at all. She's not punishing Ron for stating the obvious--she's punishing him for saying something disrespectful and inappropriate to the venue.When I was teaching high school, I would definitely have called a student out for remarking audibly that I was fuck-worthy.I don't see it as Umbridge-like at all.
Hagrid rides a flying motorcycle, but gets soroche? Perhaps the Aviation Regulatory Agencies class him as General Aviation and restrict him to below 5000 feet. Good touch with the finches and Filch. And she has brought a lovely assortment of hallucinogens and poisons. Good frisson at the end.
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
I always figured Hagrid flew pretty low to the ground on the motorcycle--at any rate, nowhere near Cotopaxi's 19,000 feet.
A development chapter, but it still manages some drama. I take it the humor is that our heroine can understand American-style English.
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Well, it's more that she can understand standard "textbook" versions of English, but not Hagrid's rather intense regional dialect. A bit like someone who had learned Spanish in school faced with someone speaking Argentine Lunfardo.
A powerful opening. Different.
Just found your story through Thanfiction-he drew a stunning picture from your story and I was fascinated and had to come see what it was about. This first chapter is amazing. While I am not very versed in South American lore, everything you have written so far has sounded right, has had the weight of a fully realized world and culture and is so different that what one normally finds in HP fanfiction. I love this line ____________________________________________________ What was a conveyance? she wondered. Another letter? Some kind of contract? Well, it hardly mattered—she had no intention of traveling half the world away to teach in a language that made her teeth hurt. _____________________________________________________ It made me laugh and it rings true.I love your discription of the condor, that he does not speak like a human would, that he is the voice in her head as well as his own powerful entity. And this sobered and warmed me at the same time___________________________________________________________________ Daughter, you know that no one is ever told when and where they are to die. __________________________________________________________________ Finally, I love that it costs something to use magic, to reach the spirit realm. It sounds weird that the high point of this chapter for me was her vomiting in the snow but, there you go. Wonderful chapter and I am heading on to the next with high hopes!
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Woot! I was so thrilled to get to the top of the commission queue and get that picture, but it honestly never occurred to me that it would result in more people reading my fic! Because it's an OC fic, it doesn't get a whole lot of exposure. Serendipity!I'm so glad you liked it, and thanks for the details. I researched this fic for several years before starting to write it, and the cultural and linguistic informatin is as accurate as I can possibly make it.
Lovely ending! Lovely! Original work? Plz?
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Thank you so much!Not sure I know what you're asking there?
Response from Pyttan (Reviewer)
Sorry about that; I blame my swedishness. I'm not always clear on all the english stuff. Have you got a story hidden somewhere here, that is all your own? You know, whithout borrowing the characters from the divine Rowlings? I absolutly think you are good enough, you see, and since I like your stuff I would like to read it. Yes I am shamelessly flattering you, so I can get to more of your stuff.
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Ooh, flattery, my favorite. More, please!Thank you so much! I don't, at the moment, have anything finished. But I'm working on it. Are you in LJ?
Response from Pyttan (Reviewer)
LJ? No. I have no idea what that might be?
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
LiveJournal. Get thee thither.
Response from Pyttan (Reviewer)
I'm now thither, what to do now I wonder?
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Friend up. See you over there :-)
Great finish. Simple and understated, but perfect. :)
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Thank you.It's hard to let them go.
I think of the line from that song as it applies to Rowlings Severus Snape ...A man gets tied up to the ground, He gives the world its saddest sound, its saddest sound...mmmm.Lovely love story!
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Thank you so much--I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Aha! More is explained...so that's why Severus deviated from his usual custom by asking to use the pool when he requested the services of Malavi at The Wayward Wand. He was trying to recreate the scene of Rawa in the bath as closely as possible so that he could act out what he had wanted to do at the time...although it's not quite clear why he chose a cold pool instead of a hot bath. As I already noted when I left a review for The Wayward Wand, he must have chosen Malavi because she of all the women probably looks most like Rawa with olive skin and straight black hair.
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Well, the bath at Hogwarts was more like a pool in size, if not in temperature. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Scary! Hope he gets back in time! :)
Response from Hechicera (Author of Soroche)
Do you doubt him for a single moment?