Chapter Text
‘Remember, children--- it’s all in how you move your wrists!’ squeaks Professor Filius Flitwick. ‘What’s the secret again?’ he asks.
‘ Swish and flick! ’ the first year class recites dutifully, wide-eyed in their eagerness to try a new spell out.
‘Excellent!’ the professor says. ‘Yes--- swish and flick, and don’t forget the incantation: Wingardium leviosa. Be very, very careful with how you say the magic words. Everyone try!’
Tay Tawan Vihokratana, a first year Ravenclaw, adjusts his spectacles, nodding determinedly. With a practiced hand, he does as he’s instructed--- he swishes and flicks his pine wand and cries out the incantation. ‘ Wingardium leviosa!’
The white feather sitting atop Tay’s desk stirs, and then it slowly levitates in the air as if carried by the wind itself.
Tay lets out a relieved sigh.
‘Very good, Mr. Vihokratana!’ cheers Professor Flitwick as the students around Tay gasp, mystified. ‘Very good! Ten points to Ravenclaw!’
There’s an excitable murmur among the gaggle of Ravenclaws in the classroom, and Tay almost startles as someone pats him on the back appreciatively. Still unused to the kind of attention and academic admiration he’s been receiving since classes started, Tay ducks his head shyly. He doesn’t miss the approving wink Professor Flitwick--- the Ravenclaw’s Head of House--- gives him.
‘You’re really good. Like--- really good, you know that?’ says the Hufflepuff to Tay’s right. ‘I can’t get mine to budge,’ he sighs dejectedly.
Tay recognizes him; he’s the laidback-looking kid who stood next to him with an air of cool disinterest during the Sorting Ceremony. Tay squints a bit until his brain supplies him with a name--- Off.
‘T-thanks,’ Tay stammers.
‘I’m Off,’ Off says. He offers Tay a closed fist, and Tay awkwardly bumps his against it.
‘I’m Tay,’ Tay offers. Off snorts in response.
‘Dude, everybody knows who you are,’ he says.
Of course people would know who Tay is. Who wouldn’t? He’s the kid who spent thirty minutes loudly and passionately arguing with the Sorting Hat over why he ought to be sorted into Ravenclaw House.
(The Hat had made the unfortunate mistake of suggesting that Tay be saddled into Gryffindor, which he didn’t appreciate.)
Off sighs. ‘How’d you do it?’
‘Do what?’
Off stares at him like he’s dense. ‘Float the feather,’ he points out.
‘Oh,’ Tay says. ‘I just… did what Professor Flitwick told us to do.’
Off only keeps staring at him.
‘Swish and flick?’ Tay supplies with a nervous chuckle.
Off sighs again.
‘Maybe you could charm the feather into floating if you actually applied yourself, Adulkittiporn,’ someone behind them sneers. ‘It’s a miracle you haven’t set yourself on fire with how you’re waving your wand around like a drum stick.’
The comment is unwelcome and really mean, so both Tay and Off turn towards its source.
Behind them is a fair-skinned Slytherin boy Tay also recognizes from the Sorting Ceremony. The Sorting Hat had barely touched his head when it shouted, ‘Slytherin!’
Thitipoom Techaapaikhun, Tay thought his name was. Everyone calls him New.
New is leaning back in his seat comfortably and smirking at the two of them. His wand isn’t even drawn; his feather lies untouched in front of him.
‘Mind your own business, New,’ Off says curtly.
‘I would, but the two of you talking is a little disruptive,’ New replies. He crosses his arms and juts his chin out challengingly.
‘Sorry--- but disruptive?’ Tay says, his brows furrowed. ‘I don’t see you doing anything. You’re not exactly applying yourself, either. At least Off is trying.’
‘Well, well, well. Hogwarts’ newest Wonder Boy weighs in,’ says New, leaning forward to level Tay with a spiteful, unimpressed stare. ‘How I choose to apply myself isn’t any of your business.’
‘You go and do that,’ Tay says dismissively, placing a hand on Off’s shoulder to let him know they’re done with this jerk. ‘Don’t worry about how Off is doing; I’ll help him if he needs it. We’ll mind our business, you mind yours.’
New scoffs and rolls his eyes. ‘Wonder Boy Tawan Vihokratana shows off yet again ,’ he says.
‘I’m sorry, but do you have a problem with me?’ Tay asks, glaring.
‘I just think you’re annoying. You show off every chance you get, and it feels kinda desperate,’ New sneers. There’s coldness in his eyes that Tay can’t quite figure out; he’s not sure what he did to deserve such animosity. ‘I’ve heard of your family. Do you think showing off is gonna change the fact that you live in a hovel?’
Tay feels his face heat up in embarrassment.
‘Hey! That’s not nice!’ says Off, his voice cracking in outrage. He reaches for his wand, but Tay pins his hand against the table to keep him from doing something that’d get them both in trouble.
‘What are you going to do, Off?’ New says. ‘You can’t even perform a simple levitation spell; you really think you can scare me with your magical talent? Or lack thereof?’
A few students are already casting them wary glances, and some are openly staring at them expecting a fight. Professor Flitwick seems to be occupied attending to a Hufflepuff who accidentally turned his feather into a swarm of mosquitoes a few rows back.
‘A simple levitation spell? I’d like to see you try if you think it’s so simple,’ Tay dares, frowning.
New only smiles wider, nastier. He sits up straight and draws his wand out from within his robes. With a flourish, he performs the charm’s prescribed hand movements. ‘ Wingardium leviosa ,’ he says.
His feather rises into the air immediately. Tay breathes in, ready to point out how that wasn’t anything special, when he feels Off tapping his shoulder. ‘Dude,’ Off says, sounding mystified. ‘Look.’
Tay turns, and his mouth falls open when he sees that Off’s feather is floating, too.
‘Merlin’s beard, who’s doing this?’ asks Professor Flitwick. ‘Bravo! Very impressive!’ he says.
Tay looks around the room, and that’s when he notices that everyone’s feathers are steadily hovering over their heads in near-perfect alignment.
He turns to look at New with a shocked expression. The boy only smiles smugly at him, winking.
New had somehow charmed every single feather in the room to float in the air.
Tay hasn’t seen this kind of magic before. It’s impressive as much as it is intimidating.
‘I- I gotta admit,’ Off says. ‘ That’s pretty impressive, but it doesn’t really change the fact that you, New Techaapaikhun, are a dick.’
New rolls his eyes. With a flick of his wrists, he casts Finite incantatem. Everyone’s feathers float down back to their desks.
New Techaapaikhun.
What a jerk.
Professor Flitwick gives Slytherin House fifty points , and Tay Tawan thinks he might have just made a rival.
He spends the next few weeks trying to accomplish that same mastery of the Levitation Charm. It’s a long, tedious process, but Tay’s burning dislike for New drove him to practice again and again until he can do the same thing non-verbally.
Professor Flitwick was absolutely delighted when Tay showed him in the common rooms. Instead of feathers, he levitated cushions.
Tay would never admit it--- even under the threat of the Cruciatus Curse, but New set a standard for him that day. It’s a standard that Tay would continuously try to overcome in the next seven years.