Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) - Book One (Marauder Era)

Chapter Twenty-Seven - The Hand You're Dealt

Remus wasn't a hundred percent sure whether he was friends with the three stooges or if it was a developing friendship, but whatever it was he liked it. They went to breakfast together on Monday, walked together to Charms class, and was part of their note sending while Flitwick gave a lecture about the levitation spell they'd be learning within a week or so. One of the notes was a drawing they were all working on. James had drawn something really spiky and weird looking, Sirius had written 'what even is this' to which James replied 'a broom dummy', so Sirius drew a rather well drawn person sitting on the broom. Peter drew a giant wizard hat on the person, a crescent moon, and a bunch of stars. Clearly they wanted him to add something but he didn't know what, so he just did his best drawing some land and a lake at the bottom of the page. He hoped that would work. He carefully sent the drawing back to Sirius who added something then started sending it to James.

"Wingardium leviosa!" The paper flew up out of Sirius's outstretched hand. "Misters Black, Potter, Pettigrew, and Lupin, don't think I didn't see what you were doing." Remus turned pink and ducked low while Flitwick summoned the paper over to study what had captured their interest. "Very good, though actual notes on what I'm saying would be better. Can any of you four tell me who discovered the levitation spell?"

The other three tried to look like they weren't even in class but Remus raised his hand. "Jarleth Hobart, P--Professor, in the sixteenth century."

"Can you tell me what was so interesting about the first public use?"

Remus pressed his lips thin. "He stripped himself n--naked?" That sent the entire class into giggles. James folded his arms on his desk, burying his head to stifle his very loud laughter.

Flitwick waved his hand to quiet everyone. "That isn't quite what I was thinking--"

"Wait, why did he get naked?" James demanded, interrupting the teacher.

Remus was the one who spoke up, not even thinking whether he should respond or not. "He thought he could make himself fly, but--but the spell was just on his clothes. He took his clothes off in mid-air and fell to the ground and broke a bunch of bones--"

"Whoa, you're telling me this dude levitated himself by levitating his clothes then just decided hey Imma streak instead?" Sirius asked which caused more laughter.

"He came to the wrong conclusion," Remus answered with a shrug.

"Yes, though--" Flitwick tried.

"So he stripped down in the air in front of everyone watching?" asked McNab, her eyes huge, her cheeks pink.

"Were there girls there?" Sirius asked which caused all the girls to begin giggling even more, several of them going red. Lily buried her face in her hands, shoulders shaking.

"We're talking about the levitation spell!" Flitwick said loudly, rapping his book on his desk for attention.

"Yes but this is more interesting!" James proclaimed. "So some wizard got down to his birthday suit in front of a bunch of people and this isn't in the curriculum about the spell? Come on, Professor!"

Flitwick glanced at Remus who felt awful for ever bringing this up though he had assumed that's what he meant about the interesting thing, since, well, it was interesting. Then he sighed heavily, giving up. "Yes. Mr. Lupin was correct. He came to the wrong conclusion. He thought he was making himself fly though he enchanted his clothes, not himself. When he failed to move and merely hovered instead, the crowd grew... hmmm... bored, so to speak, demanding Hobart actually fly. He assumed his clothes were making himself too heavy so he took them off and fell to the ground, breaking many bones. The Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot (who was one of the witnesses) fined him for being too silly."